Vote now for The News Tribune’s Week 3 football game of the week

Vote now for The News Tribune’s Week 3 high school football game of the week. We’ll cover the game that receives the most votes. Read about the top five games in the South Sound in Week 3 below, plus our prediction for the state game of the week.

The weekly poll opens at noon each Tuesday and closes at noon Thursday.

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4A NPSL

Kennedy Catholic Lancers (1-1) vs. Kentwood Conquerors (0-2)

6 p.m. Thursday, French Field, Kent

4A NPSL play begins this week with a key matchup between two perennial league contenders. Kennedy Catholic rallied from a 26-14 loss to 3A power Eastside Catholic in its season-opener with a 41-6 rout of Highline in Week 2 behind its Air Raid offense, led by quarterback Payton Faker (35-of-70 passing, 565 yards, five TDs), who has connected with Mason Hayes (14 catches, 238 yards) for three scores in the first two weeks. The Lancers haven’t lost a league game since 2018, and will look to extend that stretch Thursday night on the road. Kentwood, meanwhile, will look to pick up its first win of the season against the three-time defending 4A NPSL champions after dropping its first two contests to 3A PCL contender Lakes (50-23) in Week 1 and last season’s 3A SSC co-champion Peninsula (31-7) in Week 2.

TNT pick: Kennedy Catholic, 35-24

4A SPSL

Emerald Ridge Jaguars (1-1) vs. Sumner Spartans (2-0)

7 p.m. Friday, Sunset Chev Stadium, Sumner

Every week, there are compelling matchups in the 4A SPSL. This week, this matchup may be the best of the bunch. Sumner is off to a 2-0 start, collecting victories over Bellarmine Prep and Curtis. Both have been come-from-behind wins, which will have coach Keith Ross hoping for a quicker start this week against an Emerald Ridge offense that has shown the ability to move the chains and put points on the scoreboard. Sumner junior Matthew Spurbeck rushed 21 times for 143 yards and a touchdown in the 35-28 win over Curtis and senior Jay Mentink did a bit of everything, catching four passes for 67 yards and adding a 93-yard kickoff return for a score. A win this week puts Sumner in good position to contend for the league title, with undefeated Puyallup and Graham-Kapowsin (1-1) still on the schedule. Emerald Ridge, meanwhile, bounced back after a Week 1 loss to Puyallup, beating Olympia last week, 35-19. Quarterback Jake Schakel Completed 17-of-24 passes for 245 yards and three touchdowns, two of which went to junior receiver Gio Kafentzis (six catches, 121 yards). An Emerald Ridge win would keep the Jaguars in the league championship picture.

TNT pick: Sumner, 30-28

3A SSC

Peninsula Seahawks (1-1) vs. Gig Harbor Tides (2-0)

7 p.m. Friday, Roy Anderson Field, Purdy

Peninsula’s winning streak in the annual Fish Bowl rivalry game sits at six games following last season’s rain-soaked overtime thriller, which the Seahawks won, 35-28, after trailing 28-0 at the halftime break. Will it extend to seven this weekend, or will the Tides disrupt the trend? Peninsula, last season’s 3A SSC co-champion, dropped its season-opener to preseason 2A SPSL favorite Enumclaw, 29-27, but bounced back last week with a 31-7 win over 4A NPSL program Kentwood in Week 2 behind a defense that caused four turnovers during the contest. Gig Harbor’s defense has impressed early on, too — the Tides have yet to give up a point in 2022, shutting out two 3A PCL programs in Spanaway Lake (20-0) and Bonney Lake (24-0) to open the season.

TNT pick: Peninsula, 20-17

2A SPSL

Fife (2-0) vs. Franklin Pierce (2-0)

7 p.m. Friday, Franklin Pierce Stadium, Tacoma

Don’t look now, but Fife is rolling to start the season, picking up a 43-6 win over Interlake in Week 1 and a 23-14 upset win over Squalicum on the road last week. Longtime Fife coach Kent Nevin felt his team would get back to playing Fife football this year, thanks in large part to pandemic restrictions being rolled back and the program being able to implement its full offseason weight room routine. Zach Robertson rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown and had seven tackles on defense in the win over Squalicum. He’s complemented in Fife’s hybrid Wing-T by Beau Fualaau and Gavin Schneider. Franklin Pierce, meanwhile, also comes into the game 2-0 with a 28-14 win over Chief Sealth in Week 1 and a 40-21 win over R.A. Long last week. Junior running back Dawan Johnson (158 yards, three TDs) leads the Cardinals’ power run attack.

TNT pick: Fife, 28-21

Nonleague

Camas Papermakers (0-2) vs. Lincoln Abes (2-0)

4 p.m. Saturday, Lincoln Bowl, Tacoma

The Abes enter the final nonleague contest on their regular season schedule following back-to-back wins against two solid opponents. Lincoln held off last season’s 3A NPSL champion Auburn Riverside for a 28-21 win in Week 1, and picked up another key win in Week 2, beating 4A KingCo program Skyline, 35-27, on the road. Missouri commit Gabarri Johnson (21-of-31 passing, 367 yards; 35 carries, 190 yards; five total TDs) has impressed early as Lincoln gets set to meet perennial 4A power Camas. The Papermakers enter the week looking for their first win of the season following a pair of losses to projected state contenders in last season’s 3A SSC co-champion Yelm (44-14) in Week 1 and 4A Wesco program Glacier Peak (34-28) in Week 2. Lincoln and Camas are set to play for the first time since 2019, when the Papermakers beat the Abes, 24-14, at home in the season-opener for both teams on their way to an undefeated 4A state title. The previous year, Lincoln edged Camas in a 31-29 season-opening thriller in Tacoma.

TNT pick: Camas, 27-24

STATE GAME OF THE WEEK

Rainier Beach Vikings (2-0) vs. O’Dea Fighting Irish (2-0)

4 p.m. Friday, Lumen Field, Seattle

This matchup of undefeated 3A Metro League powers is set to feature the top recruits in the state in both the 2023 and 2024 classes, per 247Sports.com rankings. Rainier Beach four-star cornerback Caleb Presley, the state’s top recruit in the senior class, piled up 29 offers from FBS programs — including multiple offers in every Power Five conference, including the entire Pac-12 — before committing to Oregon in July. O’Dea four-star running back Jason Brown, the state’s top recruit in the junior class, has reported 18 offers from FBS programs and is considered the No. 22 overall recruit in the nation in 2024 by 247Sports. O’Dea opened the season with a 21-13 win over 4A state power Bothell, and routed Bishop Blanchet, 54-10, last week to begin league play. Brown has paced the O’Dea offense with 352 rushing yards and five touchdowns through two games. The Vikings routed Lynnwood, 53-7, on the road in their season-opener, and added a 19-9 win over Seattle Prep to open league play last week. Three-star running back Scottre Humphrey rushed for 261 yards and two touchdowns for Rainier Beach in the Week 2 win.

TNT pick: O’Dea, 17-14