Community Sports
Peninsula, Gig Harbor kick off high school football season
The leaves are beginning to turn and there’s a chill in the September air. So the boys of fall are looking to turn up the heat with some pad-cracking hits and a few over-the-shoulder touchdown passes.
Hank Williams Jr. is singing, “Are you ready for some football?” and both local teams are replying with a resounding yes. Both Peninsula and Gig Harbor open their seasons on Friday, Sept. 4.
The Tides travel to Sparks Stadium in Puyallup to take on Emerald Ridge, a Class 4A team from the South Puget Sound League. Peninsula drives even farther to play W.F. West in Chehalis, consistently one of the toughest Class 2A programs in the state.
Peninsula football coach Clay Mauro. Photo by Mandy Krause
Both teams are led by no-nonsense, second-year coaches who established winning cultures in reaching the district playoffs last season.
Clay Mauro of Peninsula and Jeff Scoma of Gig Harbor each have plenty of returning talent at the skill positions and in the trenches. Both could be battling for division titles in the Puget Sound League this season.
Gig Harbor football coach Jeff Scoma. Photo by Bryce Carithers
Gig Harbor
The Tides finished 6-4 last year, including 4-2 in the Puget Sound League Narrows Division. Their Wing T offense amassed more than 2,700 rushing yards last year, with five running backs carrying the load. Gig Harbor averaged 274 rushing yards per game and 6.2 yards per carry.
The Tides return three senior running backs, including first team all-leaguer Max Schwab. Schwab is jitterbug-elusive and scored nine touchdowns after bowling-ball starter Ian Shearer suffered a midseason injury.
Gig Harbor running back Ian Shearer. Photo by Bryce Carithers
Shearer sheared off Seahawk defenders for 194 yards and three touchdowns in Gig Harbor’s 35-21 Fish Bowl victory last season. Joining he and Schwab in the backfield is Taylor Carey, who has speed and good size. The Tides should be explosive once again on the ground.
That is if they can somewhat replace the graduated 2026 league lineman of the year Peyton Howard. But the Tides have a real talent in right tackle Rylan Clarence and have benefitted from some hefty and powerful South Kitsap transfers. The only freshman on the team, Liam Sutton, has turned heads in practice.
Gig Harbor running back Tyler Carey. Photo by Bryce Carithers
Two capable quarterbacks
Experienced junior Sawyer Hayes returns at quarterback. He has shown that he can put the ball on the money while also having the toughness to gain rushing yards.
Senior Salvador Isaiah Nuuhiwa Alob, who has enough arm strength and talent to start for many programs, backs up Hayes. Alob will see playing time at the position in certain situations.
Gig Harbor quarterback Sawyer Hayes and tackle Rylan Clarence. Photo by Bryce Carithers
Scoma is a committed Wing T believer, but he also understands that this year’s quarterbacks are lethal passers. He has shown that he will surprise defenses that load up the box in anticipation of a run.
On defense, the Tides employ multiple alignments under coordinator Kale Wong. Hayes is an intelligent deep safety, Schwab is a sticky cornerback and Carey is a hard-hitting safety.
Senior Micco Coyler is a shut-down cornerback and Shearer is a physical, run-stuffing linebacker. Garrett Mallott, a 6-foot-2 senior linebacker, has stood out at practice.
William Cody returns as a second-team All-Narrows Division defensive end. Fellow defensive end River Truttman forms a formidable combination with Cody.
Special teams
The Tides are solid in the place-kicking department. Junior Caleb Kalafatich showed a big leg last year and Carey and Schwab are both north-south kickoff and punt returners.
But the Tides have probably not forgotten leading eventual Class 3A state runner-up Mount Tahoma at halftime last year, 14-7. Two backbreaking punt returns for touchdowns in the second half allowed the Thunderbirds to escape with a victory. The Tides have made special teams a point of emphasis.
Gig Harbor plays in one of the state’s toughest Class 3A leagues. Mount Tahoma, Lincoln and an improved Bellarmine loom as threats. But if they can avoid the many injuries that set them back last year, the Tides will be serious contenders to win their first Narrows Division crown.
Gig Harbor 2025-26 football schedule
Friday, Sept. 4: At Emerald Ridge (Sparks Stadium), 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 11: vs. Bainbridge (Roy Anderson Field), 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 19: vs. Peninsula (Mount Tahoma Stadium), 5 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 25: vs. Bellarmine (Roy Anderson Field), 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 2: at Lincoln, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 9: at Central Kitsap (Silverdale), 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 16: vs. Silas (Roy Anderson Field), 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct.23: at Mount Tahoma, 7 p.m.
Peninsula
Peninsula returns 18 starters from a year ago, when the Seahawks went 6-4 overall and 5-1 in the Nisqually Division. They have enough talent to challenge for this year’s Nisqually Division crown.
More than 100 players turned out for the team this fall. They have been infused with the young energy of Mauro, who likes his practice music loud and thumping as hard as his linebackers. Mauro, a college linebacker, likes physical football and the Seahawks played plenty of it last year.
Peninsula improved as last season progressed, which is often the sign of a good coaching staff. Peninsula added to that staff with the addition of offensive coordinator Drew Campbell, a former assistant at powerhouses Skyline and Eastside Catholic.
Quarterback and receivers
Campbell will employ a spread attack that will rely on the considerable arm talent of 6-foot-4 senior quarterback Talen McDonnell, who can spin it with the best players in the league.
Peninsula quarterback and punter Talen McDonnell. Photo by Bryce Carithers
McDonnell will be looking for senior outside receiver Logan Johnson, who is reliable and quick, as well as senior Jake Johnson, who made a difficult touchdown catch in the 2025 Fish Bowl. Sophomore Noah Mathis is a polished route runner with speed to burn.
The Seahawks return running back Thomas Marzano, a physical specimen who definitely spends a lot of time in the Peninsula weight room and can gain chunks of yards in a hurry.
Peninsula’s running back corps also includes senior Kainoa Coit, senior Jett Ortega and talented junior Brycen McAnally, who can do a little of everything at the position.
They will look for daylight behind a huge offensive line that has Mauro grinning. Senior TJ Strilcov is a bull up front whose feet are quick enough to pass block or pull for inside screens. Strilcov bullied his way on to the first-team All-Nisqually Division team last year and probably has a collegiate future ahead of him. He leads a smart, physical line that could average more than 270 pounds.
Peninsula lineman TJ Strilcov. Photo by Mandy Krause
Defense and special teams
One the defensive side of the ball, long time coordinator Joel Epstein will use a set featuring three linemen, three linebackers and five defensive backs.
Epstein will rely on his son, Asher, to pressure opposing quarterbacks. The hulking, 6-foot-5 defensive end is quick off the edge and can be a consistent dominator. He was a second-team all-league performer last season who has earned statewide attention after a successful showing at summer camps.
Peninsula defensive end Asher Epstein. Photo by Mandy Krause
Marzano and Coit are human missiles as blitzing linebackers who can also tackle in the open field. Johnson was one of the top cover cornerbacks in the state last season, according to both Mauro and many wide receivers who couldn’t get open against him.
A key member of the Seahawks special teams is McDonnell, who is a terrific punter. McDonnell easily won first team honors last season at the position after routinely booting 45-yard bombs into the wind. Since he is also the quarterback, defenses must be wary that he could throw on fourth down at any time.
The Seahawks didn’t look for patsies to play early. Their first two are against W.F. West, which has racked up 9- and 10-win seasons for nearly a decade; and Franklin Pierce, which advanced to the Class 2A state quarterfinals last year.
Peninsula High 2026 football schedule
Friday, Sept. 4: at W.F. West (Chehalis) 7 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 10: vs. Franklin Pierce (Roy Anderson Field), 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 19: vs. Gig Harbor (Mount Tahoma Stadium), 5 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 25: at Timberline (Lacey), 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 2: vs. Capital (Roy Anderson Field), 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 9: vs. North Thurtson (Roy Anderson Field), 7 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 15: at River Ridge (Lacey), 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 23: vs. Lakes (Roy Anderson Field), 7 p.m.
As the excitement and anticipation of the opening of football season sweeps across the country, the clear answer is: Yes, Hank, “we are all ready for some football!”