Community Sports
Sports Beat | Expect another tight Fish Bowl
The Gig Harbor Tides (1-1) football team gave a convincing performance in front of an appreciative, USA-themed home crowd on Sept. 11, defeating the Bainbridge Spartans, 25-8.
The Peninsula Seahawks (0-2) are still looking for their first win after opening with games against a couple of perennial state tournament contenders.
The two teams meet on Saturday, Sept. 19, in the annual Fish Bowl rivalry game. Kickoff is at 5 p.m. at Mount Tahoma Stadium, 4634 74th St. in Tacoma.
Gig Harbor fans decked out in patriotic garb during a Sept. 11 win over Bainbridge. Photo by Christi Adams
Tides pull some surprises against Bainbridge
In the win over Bainbridge, the Tides’ defense kept a lid on the Spartans’ running attack while the offense consistently moved the ball behind senior running back Taylor Carey and junior quarterback Sawyer Hayes.
The Spartans tested the Tides’ defense on their first series of the game, going for it on fourth and two from their own 32-yard line. Gig Harbor stuffed the attempt, and Hayes plunged into the end zone from a yard out with 4:41 to go in the first quarter. Caleb Kalafatich’s kick made the score 7-0.
The Tides got another stop, and their offense was on the move again. Senior running back Max Schwab made a shoe-top catch for 12 yards and Hayes gained 11 yards with a run around the end. Junior Lucas Olivas, who totaled 71 rushing yards on 11 carries in the game, added a few nice runs on the drive.
But two penalties stalled the momentum, and Gig Harbor settled for Kalafatich’s 27-yard field goal.
Gig Harbor running back Lucas Olivas. Photo by Christi Adams
Onside kick, 2-point conversion
Next it was time for Gig Harbor coach Jeff Scoma to show his aggression. Having seen an alignment on scouting tape that he liked, Scoma called for a surprise onside kick. Tides senior Garrett Malott recovered it after a crisp, hopping kick from Kalafatich.
“We have a good kicker, we like him.” said Scoma about his decision. “We took a chance and we got it. Sometimes you’ve got to gamble.”
The gamble paid off immediately. Running back Kayden Lewis burst through an open hole up the middle before cutting back to his right for a 24-yard touchdown run.
On the extra-point attempt, the Tides caught the Spartans stacking one side of the line with extra players, hoping to get a block. Holder Schwab picked up the snap and sprinted the other direction for two points to make the score 18-0.
The Spartans moved the ball via the air in the second half behind quarterback Nate Putnam and finished with 211 passing yards. They closed the gap in the fourth quarter on a one-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion to make the score 18-8 with 7:52 left in the game.
Carey carries the team
Carey put the game on ice with two back-breaking plays in a row.
Playing as a safety on defense, he intercepted a pass with a play that brought the Tides’ student section to their feet. Then he delivered the knock-out punch on offense.
Carey ran wide, froze a defender by faking a cut-back and turned on the jets for a 51-yard touchdown that put the game out of reach.
Gig Harbor running back Taylor Carey. Photo by Christi Adams
The run was reminiscent of several his father, Jordan Carey, made as a Capital High School running back. Jordan Carey earned the Seattle Times state Player of the Year award in 2002.
“We’ll see, but Taylor could definitely be a conference player of the year-type kid.” Scoma said. “He’s a great athlete who plays on both sides of the ball and that tells you how tough he is. We’re super proud of him.”
Carey credited his offensive line, which played well despite missing road-grading senior Brandon Ridgeway. Ridgeway suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the Tides’ 20-14 loss to Emerald Ridge on Sept. 4.
“On that run, I had cut it back twice before, so I thought, ‘Next time I’ll fake it and take it out wide,’ ” Carey said. “The defender bit on the head fake and then I got a good block from Noah Shipley (Ridgeway’s replacement) and I was on my way to the end zone.”
Carey finished with 91 yards on six carries.
Tough early schedule for Peninsula
Peninsula’s first two opponents — the W.F. West Bearcats and the Franklin Pierce Cardinals — each won their leagues and went deep in the Class 2A playoffs last season.
Both also had heavyweight offensive lines that paved the way for plenty of rushing yards. The Seahawks lost to W.F. West in Chehalis, 42-21, on Sept. 4, and at home to Franklin Pierce, 42-14, on Sept. 10.
Peninsula showed quick-strike ability in both games. Tailback Brycen McAnally scored on a 55-yard burst through the middle against W.F. West and quarterback Talen McDonnell connected with Jake Johnson for a 77-yard touchdown against Franklin Pierce.
Jake Johnson of Peninsula. Photo by Mandy Krause
Seahawk senior running back Xavier Jones also came up with a few big plays versus the Cardinals. He dodged three tacklers and dragged two more on a winding, 49-yard run to the four-yard line before scoring on the next play.
Fish Bowl is next
Gig Harbor’s offensive line is big but not as big as Peninsula’s first two opponents. If the Seahawks can somewhat limit the Tides’ Wing T rushing attack and not allow long drives that chew up clock, Peninsula could find more opportunities for their talented skill players.
Xavier Jones of Peninsula runs for a touchdown. Photo by Ed Johnson
The Tides defense has been tough against the run but has allowed yards through the air this year. The passing game is a strong point of Peninsula’s spread offense.
Consequently, the Tides will want to control tempo on the ground. But Hayes is capable of dropping soft spirals into his receivers’ hands when defenses bring safeties up in run support.
I expect another close Fish Bowl. Gig Harbor won the 2025 game by 14 points, 35-21. But the previous three games were decided by a total of 14 points.
The game could be decided with a fourth-quarter score, a late turnover or by one of the teams’ excellent field goal kickers — McDonnell for Peninsula and Kalafatich for Gig Harbor.
The Tides are looking to win their fourth straight Fish Bowl, while the Seahawks want to start a streak of their own.
Scoma, in his second year with the Tides, is looking forward to the Fish Bowl while maintaining perspective.
“We respect those guys. A lot of our players know their guys and have even played with them as kids in basketball or football or in different sports. It’s a rivalry, but it’s not … I’d just say, we’re trying to win a game and they’re trying to win a game, it’s just a little more amped up. But we feel good about ourselves and we’ll talk on the field next week.”
The view from Purdy
Peninsula coach Clay Mauro has repeatedly talked about the importance of fostering a sense of shared respect between the two teams.
As for his team’s first two games of 2026, he offered no excuses. However, he noted that his team played two very talented teams.
“I’m learning that in Washington, a school’s classification doesn’t really matter as much as in other places,” said Mauro, also in his second year. His previous coaching background is in Nevada. “There are some excellent programs in the smaller classifications that have proven that they can win against teams from larger schools.”
Peninsula quarterback Talen McDonnell. Photo by Ed Johnson
Mauro remained positive and upbeat about his team’s chances. He acknowledged that the Seahawks have struggled to slow down opposing power running games but said, “sometimes a team can learn more about themselves from a couple of losses rather than from their wins and that’s what we hope our team has done.”
He has been impressed with how quickly Scoma and his staff established an identity at Gig Harbor. “They have a good offense, with multiple looks and they run their plays quickly, which can make it difficult,” Mauro said. “Plus, their defensive coordinator, Kale Wong, is a young guy that understands modern offenses.”
But after dishing out a couple more compliments, Mauro said he likes his team’s chances. He expects the game will be close and will “probably come down to whoever can make a few big plays at key moments in the game.”