Community Sports

Super Seniors | Peninsula High School boys

With the high school sports season completed, Gig Harbor Now presents our Super Seniors for the 2025-26 sports year.

Super Seniors recognizes seniors who had huge impacts on their teams during their careers at Peninsula and Gig Harbor high schools. Although many senior athletes excelled at multiple sports, an athlete can only be selected once on our list.

The award is based on the athletes’ complete high school careers rather than individual seasons. It includes Puget Sound League-sanctioned events as well as the sports of water polo and lacrosse, if those teams’ rosters included contributing seniors.

The following are the Peninsula High School boys Super Seniors for the 2025-26 sports year, starting with fall sports participants.

Football: Jacob Martin

Jacob Martin. Photo by Mandy Krause

Martin was an explosive running back who could earn tough yards running through the middle of the defense or use his jitterbug cutbacks to juke defenders. He was the Seahawks’ pulse on offense during his junior and senior seasons and was a lead-by-example type as captain.

Lineman Royal Charles had a fantastic career for Peninsula and the choice between the two was razor-thin. But Martin played a pivotal position. Coach Clay Mauro may have unknowingly tipped the scales when he complimented both players but said: “When we were in doubt (during games), Jacob Martin saved us.”

Martin won first-team All Nisqually Division honors as a senior, rushing for 788 yards and scoring seven touchdowns. He was also all-league as a junior, when he ran for 515 yards and three more touchdowns. Martin was a dangerous kickoff and punt returner both seasons.

Martin’s toughness stood out as time and again as he would rip off double-digit yardage gains after contact. Two or three defenders often were required to drag him down, though he is just 5-foot-8 and 170 pounds.

Martin consistently lowered his head in short-yardage and goal-line situations. He violently smashed into linebackers and defensive lineman and consistently moved the pile forward for touchdowns before nonchalantly handing the ball to the referee.

Swimming and diving: Zachary Ruckle

Zachary Ruckle. Photo courtesy of Peninsula swimming and diving

Ruckle, a diver, qualified for the Class 3A state swimming and diving championships three times. He placed fourth as a sophomore before adding a pair of eighth-place finishes as a junior and a senior, when several talented underclassmen emerged.

Ruckle was known for his explosion off the board, complex in-air synchronization and his low-splash entries in the one-meter diving event. Ruckle was a consistent performer in league matches who racked up many wins for the Seahawks over the past three years.

Ruckle put in countless hours of practice under the instruction of diving coach Alyse Yeaman. Former Seahawk  swimming coach Athena Peterson praised his “work ethic and overall athletic” ability.

Ruckle scored 203.75 points at state his sophomore year, 188.10 points his junior season and 189.90 points as a senior to finish as one of the Seahawks’ best all-time divers.

Water polo: Brandon Plitkins

Brandon Plitkins. Photo courtesy of Athena Petterson

Plitkins excelled in all facets of the game and kept defenses nervous with his aggression, all-out swimming speed and electric arm.

Plitkins captained a competitive team and was the bulkhead of a physical defense. His stamina and under-water toughness discouraged pool position, while his explosive kick and timing allowed him to intercept passes and block shots.

But Plitkins wasn’t just a defender. He led the Seahawks in scoring his senior year and scored a team-high four goals against a talented Gig Harbor team that finished third in the state.

The combination impressed Tides coach Alana Ponce, who said: “Brandon was a very good defensive player who could also quickly counter and score offensively. We focused heavily on stopping him, but he was aggressive and always kept shooting, he just never let off the gas.”

Wrestling: Nehemiah Grandorff

Nehemiah Grandorff. Photo courtesy of Veronica Foley

Grandorff, a tough-as-nails 150-pound wrestler, won league and district championships during his time on the Seahawks mat. He qualified for the Class 3A state wrestling tournament as a junior and as a senior, when he finished fifth in a stacked bracket.

Known for brute strength, quickness and excellent balance, Grandorff was a first-rate competitor who credited his single mother for her inspiration. While some athletes may shy away from sharing their personal experiences, Grandorff often brought it up and used it for motivation while continually flashing the bright smile of a person who overcame a tough situation.

Grandorff’s smile was in contrast to a wrestler who would lift competitors in the air before slamming them to the mat and jumping on them for pins. When matches began, Grandorff was often aggressive in attacking weaknesses but also showed intellect against dangerous opponents when he could become a counter attacker.

Grandorff came off the football field in the fall and dominated his 150-weight class in the Puget Sound League with plenty of falls and major decisions along the way. He won a district title before advancing to the third round at state and winning the consolation bracket to finish fifth.

Basketball: AJ Alexeev

AJ Alexeev. Photo by Christi Adams

Alexeev, a smooth 6-foot-4 forward, could put it on the deck and drive hard for a bucket, pull up from 3-point land or post up and score regularly from the block.

He averaged 16.5 points a game and took home first-team All-Nisqually Division as a senior after being second-team as a junior.

Alexeev always displayed defensive intensity and would dive on the floor for a loose ball right up until the final buzzer, no matter what the score was. He was also a solid rebounder on both sides off the floor, averaging seven rebounds per game.

Alexeev combined midrange shooting, crafty in-air finishes and a deep drop-step post move that set him up for inside baskets or fade away jump shots. Alexeev had a quiet demeanor on the court, but his passion for the game burned bright as he proved to be a handful to guard because of his offensive versatility.

Baseball: Kaleb Copeland

Kaleb Copeland. Photo by Ed Johnson

Copeland excelled on the pitchers mound and in the batters box while providing leadership that helped Peninsula win two district titles in three years.

As a hitter, Copeland was solid and selective. He batted .316 as a senior and finished second on the team with 22 RBIs. He only struck out four times in 57 at-bats, stole 13 bases and scored 20 runs.

Copeland was also a smooth-fielding shortstop with range who flashed a soft glove. But beyond all of that, Copeland was the team’s ace pitcher who was on the mound when the Seahawks needed a big win.

Copeland used a variety of pitches. Just when a hitter would guess something off-speed, Copeland could fire a snappy inside fastball at the knees to ring up a batter.

After leading his team as a junior with 25 strikeouts and a 1.14 earned run average, Copeland completed his senior year with 4-1 record, 33 strikeouts and an opponent batting average of just .223.

Golf: Dustin Gerlach

Dustin Gerlach. Photo courtesy of Peninsula High golf

Gerlach had all the shots in his bag, including a consistent long drive that routinely found the fairway, well-shaped approach shots that landed softly on the green and smooth putting that shaved strokes from his score.

Those attributes landed Gerlach on the second-team All Nisqually Division as a senior,  just one spot from being a first-team selection after a fine showing at the Puget Sound League tournament. Gerlach consistently improved over his career and benefitted from playing his home matches at Canterwood, which is widely considered the best home course in the league with the most challenging layout.

Gerlach had the skills to shoot par rounds at Canterwood and could be counted on to shoot rounds of plus two or three during league matches.

Track: Yahshua Fonoti

Yashua Fonoti. Photo courtesy of Peninsula High track and field

Fonoti, a 6-foot-3, 255 pound discus thrower, had the strength and the athletic ability to pivot and spin quickly before unleashing throws that routinely landed 130 feet from the launch circle.

Fonoti, who also played football and wrestled for Peninsula, steadily improved in the discus because of hard work and dedication, according to track coach Dylan Hall. “Yahshua was a very consistent worker and spent tons of time the last two years improving his technique in the ring,” Hall said.

Fonoti was the only senior Seahawk who qualified for districts after finishing fourth in the Puget Sound League discus competition with a throw of 132 feet, 4 inches. Fonoti, also a shot putter, never finished worse than second in the discus at a duel meet during his senior year. He barely missed qualifying for the Class 3A state meet, finishing just seven inches and one place short.

Soccer: Jonas Koller

Jonas Koller. Photo courtesy of Peninsula High soccer

Koller, a striker and winger, employed a plethora of offensive moves to get past defenders and was a first-team All Nisqually Division selection as a senior.

Koller had six goals and five assists during his senior year, both second on his team. Koller was a four-year varsity player who specialized on defense his first two seasons before being counted on to attack the goal his junior and senior seasons.

Coach Jose Brambila awarded Koller his coaches award and felt his leadership and unselfishness stood out. “Jonas was a very humble and hard-working player who would do whatever his team needed him to do to, get us a win,” Brambila said.

Lacrosse: Mason Dahlgren

Dahlgren, a bruising 6-foot-2, 235-pounder, combined an intense physical style with the quickness to split defenders. Dahlgren finished second on the team with 13 goals in eight games (1.6 goals per contest) and was effective in the open field, recovering 24 ground balls for Peninsula.

Anyone who watches lacrosse quickly understands the importance of winning the midfield face-offs after goals. Lacrosse is one of the only sports that doesn’t automatically award possession to the team that was scored upon. The face-off combines anticipation, explosion and grit and Dahlgren posed them all.

Dahlgren was the aggressor in the circle. He used his size and leverage to knock opponents off balance while using his stick skills to snatch the ball to allow his team to start on offense 23 out of 30 times, for an impressive .767 face off percentage.