All aspects of Yelm’s football team were clicking on Friday, Nov. 3 as the offense, defense and special teams units each scored in the first half for the Tornados en route to a 60-0 shutout over the Kent-Meridian Royals.
Yelm’s offense totaled 337 yards of offense in a game where the unit saw limited possessions thanks to two first-half punt return touchdowns. The Tornados’ defense swarmed the Royals consistently throughout the night, shutting them out and allowing just 21 total yards of offense.
“Tonight was the first step in the right direction,” head coach Jason Ronquillo said Friday. “I thought the kids played really well tonight, and I’m excited that we got out of the game healthy. That was our biggest goal coming out of the game. We’ll enjoy the win tonight, and we’ll be ready to game plan tomorrow.”
The Tornados found the end zone on their first drive of the game after a methodical eight-play drive, capped off with a 26-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Damian Aalona to sophomore wide receiver Jacob Ford. Yelm led 6-0 after an unsuccessful two-point try.
Yelm’s defense forced an early turnover on its next defensive series of the game when senior All-American linebacker Brayden Platt forced a fumble on a quick screen to the Kent-Meridian running back. With the ball loose on the turf, senior linebacker Onyx Carter scooped the football before being swarmed by a group of Royals. His teammate, senior Arlo Henderson Jr., took the ball from his halfway-tackled teammate Carter and returned the football 35 yards to the end zone for the touchdown. Yelm led 12-0 after an unsuccessful two-point try.
Yelm’s offense was eventually back on the field after its defense, following the unit’s touchdown, forced a Royal punt. The Tornados found themselves in strong field position after Kent-Meridian’s punter caught the ball on a knee, killing the play before it could even start.
It took the Tornados just four plays to march the football inside of the Royals’ 5-yard line before the Oregon commit Platt found the end zone on a 3-yard run. After a successful Jameson Patin point-after-touchdown (PAT) kick, Yelm led Kent-Meridian 19-0.
In the second quarter, sophomore backup quarterback Parker Myers’ number was called and he came up big. Myers found his big 6-foot-6-inch wide receiver Jacob Tracy in the corner of the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown, extending the Tornados’ lead to 25-0 after a failed two-point try.
Senior running back Anthony Kiamco scored his first of three touchdowns in the second quarter when he followed blockers Platt and left tackle Tyler Blevins on an outside run, gaining 36 yards and finding the end zone for the score. After a successful PAT, the Tornados led the Royals 32-0.
Kent-Meridian’s offense sputtered on its next two consecutive drives and was forced to punt on back-to-back drives. The Royals kicked each punt to Kiamco, and he made the opposition pay, returning both punts for touchdowns of 54 yards. After those scores, Yelm led 46-0 at halftime.
“It feels good to have some success on special teams. It’s what we’ve been practicing all week long, so it feels great. It’s God’s work,” Kiamco said. “Those scores were all because of my blockers. It’s awesome to see the team succeed at something we’ve been practicing throughout the week.”
The Tornados scored their only touchdown of the third quarter when the Aalona twins — Damian and Marius — connected on a 15-yard touchdown pass. After a successful Patin PAT, Yelm led 53-0.
The final Tornado touchdown of the contest came in the fourth quarter when the sophomore Myers connected with sophomore wide receiver Wesley Thompson on a 6-yard touchdown pass. After a successful PAT, Yelm led and ultimately defeated Kent-Meridian 60-0.
After the contest, Coach Ronquillo credited the team’s special teams units with buying into their roles on the unit.
“We commit to teamwork. Nobody is over the program. The program is over everybody,” Ronquillo said. “We have the ‘all in’ mentality.”
With the victory over Kent-Meridian, the Tornados have now won 24 consecutive contests, dating back to Sept. 2, 2022.
Up next, the Tornados will host Marysville-Pilchuck (7-3) at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11 at Yelm High School in the 3A classification’s opening round of 16 in the state playoffs.
Ronquillo anticipates the community will continue to support the program as the team’s playoff run continues.
“We love the support we get from the community. I appreciate them coming out to support us in the rain, wind or shine,” Ronquillo said. “We have the greatest fans on the planet.”
Tickets for the contest can be purchased at GoFan.co.
