HS Football: Emerald Ridge holds on to Opening night win over Kentwood

9/4/2025

Emerald Ridge 34, Kentwood 19

(Puyallup, WA) You know it’s football season at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup when the crosswalks on Meridian are filled with pedestrians and homeowners on 7th avenue are asking you to park on their lawns for $10. The Western Washington State Fair is open and fairgoers are eagerly snatching up all open parking spots.

On the other side of 7th where Carl Sparks Stadium sits, Puyallup District AD Jim Meyerhoff and his staff are busy making sure the parking lot is available for those coming to the game and getting both teams into their locker rooms among all the other regular duties for each game.

Kicking off the 2025 season at Sparks was the Emerald Ridge Jaguars hosting the Kentwood Conquerors. Last year they met in the opener and the Jags got the 24-6 win. Both teams would have their seasons come to an end in the round of 32 games. Both are looking to bounce back in 2025.

Kentwood has a new leader in Head Coach in Quincey Davison. Davison is a Kentwood 2012 grad and had been the defensive coordinator.

The Jag’s Head Coach is Torey Donovan and is in his 2nd year as head coach. Donovan has been with the E-R program since 2010 and looking to make a deep run into the post season.

The game was certainly enteraining with tons of big plays. Emerald Ridge began the scoring blitz on their first series capping it off with a 29-yard touchdown pass from Brayden Paulino to Hunter Rusler, the PAT was good from kicker Jeremy Sacksteder for a 7-0 lead.

Kentwood came right back driving the ball down the field then tried to hit a TD pass into the endzone when Brandon Tagle’s pass came up a bit short and it was picked off by Joel Gonzalez at the 1 yard line denying the Conquerors.

Jags BIG PLAY offense!

The Jag’s offense was aggresive and dropped Paulino back in the endzone and he fired a strike to the streaking Zab Zenkner down the right side and hit him in stride at about the 35 yard line and he was gone 99 yards to the house to push their lead to 14-0 with 6:22 left to go in the 1st quarter.

Conks Respond

It took Kentwood 20 seconds to respond. Lupe Muipu set things up with a 72 yard kick return to the 8 yard line for the Conks. 1 play later, Ezra Moaalii strolled into the endzone untouched. The PAT was wide but the Conks were back in it down 14-6.

E-R then worked the ball down to the 32 and faced a 3rd and 4. After a time-out and then a false start, the Jags were on their the 37 when Paulino rolled to his left, under heavy pressure launched a throw that resembled a punt and the Jaguars tight end Corbin Williams sliced through the defense to make a spectacular catch and fell into the endzone for the score. They went for 2 but the PAT failed and it was 20-6 with 1:28 to go still in the 1st quarter.

Kentwood then gambled on a 4th down on their own 43 and turned it over. Emerald Ridge struck on the 1st play with Paulino hitting Rusler again for 43 yards, Sacksteder added the PAT and the Jags were up 27-6.

The Conks would not give in and just before halftime put together a heck of a scoring drive when Tagle found his own tight end, Caleb Rubin over the middle and Rubin did the rest finishing it off in for the score for 6 and they would go to the half trailing 27-12 but picked up a little momentum before the break.

On Kentwood’s 2nd possession of the 3rd quarter they would make it interesting when they scored again another bulldozing run by Ezra Moaalii who finished with 66 yards and 2 TD’s. The PAT was good by Rocco Micelli and it was an 8 point game with plenty of time on the clock.

Injury scare delays Game

Emerald Ridge running back Clayten Meray was finishing off his best run of the night when he took a big hit into his own sidelines. Meray stayed down and ultimately was taken to the hospital by ambulance. We are not sure of the injury but his helmet and shoulder pads were removed as he was transferred to a stretcher. We don’t speculate on serious injuries. We did get great news from Emerald Ridge AD Jesse Kase Friday morning that Clayten was released from the hospital Friday morning after undergoing multiple tests.

The injury scare united both teams as the players on both sides gathered together in unity for their injured teammate and opponent. It was a super classy display of understanding the difference between playing the game and the potential hazards of this game. The hit Meray took was not malicious nor illegal just an unfortunate collision and we’re super happy to hear he is at home resting.

Back to the Game

It’s really tough to get back into a game after any delay let alone one involving a serious injury. But both teams did just that and Kentwood was ready to roll the dice to complete the comeback. With the ball on their own 40 facing a 4th and 2, the Conks went into their bag of tricks with a direct snap to the running back and tried a double reverse. Unfortunately the play blew up with the ball on the ground and E-R’s Jerin Biembongo scooped it up at the 30-yard line and scrambled into the endzone, add the extra point to go up 34-19.

Both teams would trade possessions but that would be the final score and Emerald Ridge held on for the win in a long and strange opening night of football. Emerald Rige is 1-0 and will travel to Bethel next Thursday night while Kentwood opens at 0-1 and are home against Spanaway Lake also next Thursday.

Holiday Inn MVP

There were plenty of top plays of the game but we were looking for the MVP and we had to come back to Emerald Ridge’s QB Jr Brayden Paulino who finished the night 13 for 21 for 305 yards, 4 touchdowns and 1 interception. The MVP always goes to the winning team. Other’s in consideration for the Sumner Holiday Inn Express MVP was Zab Zenker and Jerin Biembongo. Had Kentwood pulled off the win, Caleb Rubin, Ezra Moaalii and Lupe Muipu would have been the top contenders.

Jags Welcome back Coach Adam Schakel

Former Head Jag’s coach Adam Schakel is back on the staff working with the offense for Head Coach Torey Donovan. Schakel stepped down after his son Jake graduated and now plays for Eastern Washington University where he is in 2nd year at quarterback. Jake redshirted his freshman season.

Coach Schakel was happy to be back on the sidelines and also happy to be in a support roll. Schakel said, Torey is in charge and I’m pleased to be focused just on football. Being the head coach there are many other responsibilities you have to be on top of and it’s a full time, year-round job these days. For me, I can follow my son’s college career and do what excites me the most about football, working with kids and scheming plays.

With Schakel back helping the offense, they got off to a great start with 352 total yards of offense and 4 touchdowns.

Stats

Emerald Ridge
Rushing 47 yards: Meray 9/28, Dalton 6/21, Paulino 4/-2
Passing 305 yards: Paulino 13/21 305 4td 1 int
Receiving : Zenkner 3/137 td, Rusler 5/108 2 td, Williams 1/37 td, Coles 2/12, Wiggins 1/8, Masania 1/5
Total Yards: 352

Kentwood
Rushing 175 yards: Moaalii 66 2 td, Foma`i-Moli-Pouesi 7/46, Tagle 6/27, Savini 2/26, Jones 3/16, Micelli 1/-6
Passing 179 yards: Tagle 18/27 1 td, 2 int
Receiving: C Rubin 3/58 td, Fike 3/39, Moaalii 4/22, Clemons 1/23, Micelli 2/11, Jones 3/13Total Yards: 308

Link to full game replay on the NFHS Network (Subscription required)

ESN Postgame Show