12/6/25
The Lake Stevens Vikings and the Sumner Spartans have combined to win the last 3 State 4A Chmpionships with Lake Stevens taking the 2022 and 2023 titles and Sumner winning last year. These two teams also faced off in week 1 of the this year’s regular season opener with the Vikings getting the win.
Both teams come in blazing with the Vikings dismissing the #4 Graham-Kapowsin Eagles while Sumner eliminated #1 Puyallup. Our Championship coverage is below along with our semifinal and full bracket coverage is below.
Links of Note
Link to watch the full game replay on the NFHS Network (subscription required)
Championship Game
Saturday, December 6th
(5) Sumner 41, (2) Lake Stevens 35 (OT)
The 4A Championship battle was full of offense with each team scoring onn their first two possessions. Lake Stevens began with the ball on their own 20 and took 4 plays to score. The big play was QB Blake Moser connecting with Kekoa Okiyama on a 47 yard strike. Moser would then run it in from the 3. Lucas Mooring added the PAT and with 10:10 to go in the 1st the Viks were up 7-0.
Sumner then proceeded to go on a 9 play all rushing drive that went 80 yards with RB Lance McGee finishing off the drive with his 1st TD from the 11. Juan Jacobo-Guzman added the extra point and it was 7-7 with 4:53 to go in the 1st.
Lake Stevens didn’t flinch and came back to score on a 6 play 71 yard drive with a well split, 3 runs and passes called in the series. Moser stepped up and drilled a shot to Micah Sampson for the score and the Vikings went up 14-7 with 1:10 to play in the quarter.
On the Spartans 2nd possession if RB Lance McGee hadn’t introduced himself yet he made sure everyone knew who he was with a 50 yard run in this series and then completing it from the 9, the extra point was good and the game was tied at 14 with 10:15 to play in the half.
The Spartans defense then got rolling holding the Vikings to a 3 and out and getting the ball back on the Lake Stevens 34. On a 2nd and 8, McGee sprinted 32 yards for the score and Sumner took their first lead 21-14 with 7:02 to go in the half.
The Spartan defense rose to the challenge again on the next Viking drive sticking them with a 4th and 19 from their own 1 yard line. The Vikings got a quick punt off but handed it back to the Spartans and McGee on their 30-yard line. One play later and McGee was 30 yards and in for his 4th TD of the game tying the 4A State Championship game record with another half to play.
Sumner led 28-14 and that’s how it would go to halftime.
The Spartans were set to receive the second half but the Vikings were not in the mood to let them start the 2nd half with the ball and Coach Tom Tri pulled the trigger on an onsides kick. Lucas Mooring, the remarkable Vikings kicker tapped the ball straight on and it rolled the 10 yards, there was a scramble and after a lengthy officials meeting the ball was awarded to Lake Stevens.
The Vikings began with the ball on the Spartan 48 and they were aided by a pair of hits on receivers that resulted in penalties setting up a first and goal on the 2. Moser then play-actioned and scooted around the left side and in for 6 making the gamble pay off and the Vikings were down 28-21 with 9:57 to go in the 3rd quarter.
We were just getting started in this back and forth and Sumner had another answer in McGee who went on a personal 10 play drive racking up big yardage with some larger chunks including the final 23 yards where he added his 5th touchdown of the game and Sumner pushed their lead back to 14 up 35-21 with 4:45 to play in the 3rd.
The Vikings on their 2nd possession of the 2nd half took about 60-seconds to answer and did so when Moser broke free and sprinted 64 yards for the score and the Vikings were back within 7 down 35-28 with 3:39 to play in the 3rd.
Just like the 1st half the 1st three possessions were scoring drives and Sumner was set to push right back but instead both defenses heated up and the offenses began to hit the wall.
Sumner ended up attempting a field goal that went wrong on the hold, Lake Stevens then went 3 and out, the Spartans turned it over on down with 7:08 left to play giving the ball back to the Vikings on their own 30.
The Vikings feeling their chances were running out then dug in and began to pick their way down the field and on the 3rd play they broke through with a backside screen from Moser to TE Greyson Eggers who rumbled 38 yards to the Spartan 25 yard line. After 3 short passes and a Moser scramble the Vikings were on the 1 yard line with a 1st and goal and Moser ran it to the right got met at the goal line but got just enough for the score and Lake Stevens tied it at 35 with 4:57 to play.
Sumner Head Coach Keith Ross won his 1st State Title last year with a walk-off field goal and with nearly 5 min to play would rather not give the Vikings another shot with the ball. So the Spartans worked the ball down the field while taking tons of time off the clock. With the ball on the Lake Stevens 28, Juan Jacobo-Guzman lined up for a 45 yard field goal attempt with 6 seconds to play.
The Vikings swarmed and Dylan Phinney came flying in from the left side of the defense and blocked the attempt. After a short return of the live ball and an illegal block on the return the time was at 0:00 and the game was headed to overtime.
Lake Stevens began with the ball in the OT and began on the 25 yard line. A pass interference call gave themn have the yardage on the 1st play. After a 2nd and 8 then n3rd and 3 the Sumner defense bowed their necks and stuffed the 3rd down run forcing a 4th and 1. Decision time for Coach Tri and the decision was to go for the 1st down and TD.
On the 4th and 1 play, Moser dropped back to pass when Sumner’s Elias Tulifua came crashing in from the left side forcing Moser to scramble to his right. As Moser tried to find a gap the Spartan defense was quickly closing in and Moser’s back foot slipped on the damp surface and went down short of the 1st down ending the Vikings possession.
Was there any doubt in what Sumner’s plan was when it was their turn in OT and it didn’t take long. On 1st and 10 the hand-off to McGee who bounced it outside to right and looked like he might get all 25 yards in 1 play but insgtead got 24 of the 25 yards and the Spartans had it 1st and goal from the 1. McGee then blasted in for the win and the game was over just like that as Sumner defended their 4A state Championship in another fantastic finish.
McGee’s Record Setting Night
Lance McGee finished with some big numbers and set some new standards in the 4A State Championship game. He set the record for most points scored in the game with 36 snapping the old record of 24. He has scored more touchdowns than anyone with 6 breaking the old record of 4. The 6 also ties Lance Allred’s overall record for 11-man football of 6. Allred set that record last year for Royal in the 1A title game.
McGee rushed the ball 44 times for 354 yards. Both are also records.
The Spartans ran 58 offensive plays and McGee had 44 rushes and 1 pass catch. McGee was literally 78% of the Sumner offense in this game.
McGee will be the first to say this is far from a one man show and all season as this offense was coming together. Sr QB Nate Donavan and wide receiver Jr Braylon Pope in many games were big concerns for defenses, TE’s sr Gray Longaoria, jr Ashton Pillard and soph Kai Moody added huge targets and blockers to the Sumner arsenal. Sr Israel Nabors was the one to spell McGee and was a weapon himself. He had 4 carries for 46 yards in this one.
Then the big fella’s in the trench, sr Elijah Thomas, jr Maciah Keene, jr Kameron Raboteau, jr Edgar Schenk and jr Xander Pearson opened many big holes for McGee to burst through all season long.
Our Sumner Holdiay Inn Express MVP of the game had to be Lance McGee.
Rambling Thoughts
This run for the 4A State Championship should serve notice to be wary of dismissing teams that may get off to a slow start or below expectations. For the last 4 years Purple and Gold have won the 4A Championship with Lake Stevens winning it in 2022 and 23 and now Sumner in 2024 and 25. Until another team can compete at the level of these two squads I’m putting them both right back in the Title game for 2026.
Sumner is returning a great offensive line and Lake Stevens is brining back a ton of players including QB Blake Moser among others. Both are in position to make deep runs again in 2026.
The Oregon Voo Doo Curse strikes again
We wrote a story early last week on the strange connection between West Linn Oregon 6A football team, Lake Stevens and Sumner. In short, Lake Stevens played and lost twice to West Linn in 2022 and 2023 and the Vikings won the 4A State Championship both years.
Sumner has played and lost both years the last two seasons and they have now won the 4A Washington Championship two years in a row.
There is more to this bizarre pattern and you can find it by clicking this link. It is crazy how exact the past 4 years have gone when you include West Linn of Oregon.
ESN Postgame Show
Video Highlights
Moser to Cook 20 yard TD pass
Lance McGee scores from the 30
Blake Moser blazes 64 yards for 6
Blake Moser with a throw back to Greyson Eggers for a 38 yard gain
Sumner’s Elias Tulifua chases Blake Moser out of the pocket forces a scramble that is short
McGee nearly gets in on 1st down of OT then surges in for the clinching TD
Semifinals
Saturday, November 29, 2025
(5) Sumner 41, (1) Puyallup 35
(Puyallup, WA) The Sumner Spartans were the defending 4A State Champions with a load of their players back but after 5 games found themselves 2-3 and had just taken one of their worst losses in years getting trampled by Puyallup 58-22.
Head Coach Keith Ross said, “that loss was humbling and forced all of us, beginning with me, to take a hard look at oursleves. We had a team meeting and I asked our team what do you want to do?”
Ross saisd, “the decision was made and we made some significant changes to both the offense and defense and got players in position and we started to make our run. All we wanted was a shot at getting back to defend our title and when we got into this game with Puyallup I seriously was hoping to hang in with them and have a chance in the 4th quarter.”
Sumner earned that chance with a blistering run attack led by running back Lance McGee who ran the ball 39 times for 316 yards and 5 touchdowns. On the 2nd drive he sprung a 53 yard sprint on the 2nd play of the drive. Sumner also was in underdog mode and with 7 seconds to play in the half, no time outs on the Puyallup 3, Ross rolled the dice and did not throw a quick hitting pass play or throw it out of the endzone for a chance at a last play field goal. Instead called an off tackle dive to McGee and he plowed in for 6 giving the Spartans a 28-21 lead at the half.
Puyallup went 3 and out likely for the first time all season on their first two drives and were quickly down 14-0. The Vikings came storming back to tie it on an 8 play, 70-yard drive with Briytan Bailey running it in from 6 yards out. The Viks QB Noah Smith on the next drive then found Lawson Looker over the top with a percfect throw for 63 yards and early in the 2nd it was tied 14-14. The two would connect again late in the game with a 17 yard strike pulling the Viks within 7 with just 17 seconds to play in the game. The onside kick was not successful and Sumner kneed it to send them back to Husky Stadium for a chance to defend their Championship.
Our Sumner Holiday Inn Express MVP was pretty easy going to McGee. Braylon Pope was in the conversation catching 10 balls from QB Nate Donavan including a 43 yard bomb for 6.
Sumner is now 10-3 and going for their 3rd State Championship in school history. Puyallup ends the year 12-1 and this was their 7th appearance in the State Semifinals and 1st since 2018. This was a heck of a year for 1st year Head Coach DJ Mims and the Vikings are getting a lot of these players back next year especially in the trenches and expect them to be right back in mix next year.
For more on this game check out the ESN postgame show below along with video highlights.
Link to watch the full game replay on the NFHS Network (subscription required)
ESN Postgame Show
Video Highlights
Sumner’s Lance McGee sprints for 6
Noah Smith unloads a deep shot to Lawson Looker in for 6
Nate Donavan finds Braylon Pope on a 43-yard scoring hit
______________________________
(2) Lake Stevens 44, (6) Graham-Kapowsin 35
(Lake Stevens, WA) Lake Stevens and Graham-Kapowsin have become familiar opponents in the State Playoffs. This was the seventh meeting in the last decade between the two sides, the fourth in the last five State Playoffs. In 2021, Graham-Kapowsin’s best team ever cruised to the State Title, winning 44-7. In 2022, the seeds were the same as this year, and Lake Stevens won 42-28. In 2023, the sides met for a third straight year, at a third different venue. At Husky Stadium, Lake Stevens capped off their defense of the 4A title with a 31-6 win. What transpired this year was something no one could’ve predicted.
Graham-Kapowsin began the game with the ball, took off six minutes of clock, and on fourth and goal from the one-yard line, AJ Tuivaiave hit Quinncey Ratteray for the first score to put the Eagles up 7-0. Lake Stevens forced Tuivaiave’s second interception of the season when Dylan Phinney stepped in front of a pass. That led to the Vikings tying the game with a 33-yard touchdown from Blake Moser to Seth Price with a few seconds left in the first quarter. Lake Stevens got the ball back, and this time Moser and Price connected for a 75-yard touchdown for a 14-7 Vikings lead. Graham-Kapowsin scored with under a minute left in the half, as Tuivaiave used his legs to scramble for an 11-yard touchdown to put the Eagles down one, but the extra point hit the upright.
With 49 seconds and all three timeouts, Lake Stevens got in field goal range as Lucas Mooring set up to attempt a 50-yard field goal. Graham-Kapowsin called a timeout, and Lake Stevens’ Coach Tri sent the offense out to try and get the Eagles to jump offside. After that didn’t work, the Vikings burned a timeout and sent Mooring and the field goal unit back out. Coach Logan for Graham-Kapowsin spent his final timeout trying to ice Mooring even more. Finally, Mooring put toe to leather, but the kick was blocked. The ball stayed behind the line of scrimmage and was a live ball, and Will Lynch for Lake Stevens scooped it up, sauntered around the 35-yard line, looked at the sideline that was screaming at him to run with the live ball. Lynch took off sprinting down the field and, with no time left, scored one of the most improbable and memorable touchdowns of the year, giving Lake Stevens a 21-13 halftime lead.
Graham-Kapowsin pulled to within two after a 40-yard touchdown pass from Tuivaiave to Jayce Halasz to cut the Lake Stevens lead down to 21-19. The Eagles missed the extra point, allowing the Vikings to maintain their two-point advantage. Lake Stevens responded, as Blake Moser dashed in for a 19-yard touchdown to put them up 28-19. Graham-Kapowsin fumbled, but the two teams traded punts, and Lake Stevens cashed in on terrific field position. Jayvian Ferrell put Lake Stevens up 35-19 with a 16-yard touchdown run with 30 seconds left in the third quarter. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Graham-Kapowsin’s Tuivaiave and Halasz connected again, this time for 73 yards for the touchdown. The Eagles converted on the two-point conversion to make it 35-27.
The Vikings drove down the field, and Mooring knocked through a 21-yard chip shot to put Lake Stevens up 38-27. After a Graham-Kapowsin turnover on downs, the Eagles got the ball back two plays later. Gavin Deaton ripped the ball away from the Lake Stevens ball carrier, giving Graham-Kapowsin possession. Tuivaivae hit Kase Betz, who made an outstanding grab for a 22-yard touchdown. Graham-Kapowsin went for two again and got it as Tuivaiave ran it in, and Lake Stevens led 38-35. The Vikings got the ball with four minutes left and drove down to third and goal from the two-yard line. Lake Stevens punched it in with Moser scoring from two yards out, and the Vikings took a 44-35 lead and would get the wild nine-point victory.
Our Sumner Holiday Inn Express Game MVP could’ve gone to a dozen players, at least. Ultimately, Lake Stevens’ Dylan Phinney took Game MVP honors. Phinney had an interception in the first quarter, recovered a fumble in the third quarter, was in on multiple tackles, and showed tremendous leadership, guiding the Vikings to get the stops needed to return to Husky Stadium.
Lake Stevens is the last undefeated team in 4A at 13-0 and will look to win their third 4A State Championship in four years. The Vikings will face Sumner in a week-one rematch, which saw Lake Stevens win 31-28 by scoring a touchdown with one second left.
Graham-Kapowsin’s season ends at 11-2, as their two losses came to the one and two-seeds. The Eagles have less than 10 seniors on their roster and should be in contention to win another State Title next year.
Click here to watch the full game replay (Subscription Required).
Game Highlights
Lake Stevens’ Seth Price Goes 75 Yards For The Touchdown
Graham-Kapowsin’s Jayce Halasz 40-Yard TD
Lake Stevens’ Will Lynch With The Heads-Up Play Of The Season
Quarterfinals
Saturday, November 22
#6 Graham-Kapowsin 42 at #3 Gonzaga Prep 35 – (On ESN)
#13 Glacier Peak 17 at #5 Sumner 34 – ESN Game Story
#7 Moses Lake 41 at #2 Lake Stevens 76
#9 Skyline 20 vs #1 Puyallup 49 – ESN Game Story
State Opening Round
Friday, November 14
#16 Eastlake 7 at #1 Puyallup 52
Saturday, November 15
#14 Curtis 0 at #3 Gonzaga Prep 42
#10 Bothell 14 at #7 Moses Lake 17
#13 Glacier Peak 38 at #4 Chiawana 18
#9 Skyline 33 at #8 Camas 20
#12 Richland 14 at #5 Sumner 49 ESN Game Story
#15 Kamiakin 14 at #2 Lake Stevens 55
#11 Kennedy Catholic 7 at #6 Graham-Kapowsin 34 ESN Game Story
Round of 32 Games
Tuesday, November 4 (Play-in Game)
Kamiakin 28, Lewis and Clark 0
Friday, November 7, 2025
Wenatchee 14 at Chiawana 35
Sunnyside 20 at Gonzaga Prep 68
Kentwood 20 at Curtis 30 ESN Game Story
Kamiak 0 at Puyallup 77
Eastmont 0 at Sumner 62
Mount Si 0 at Richland 41
Tahoma 7 at Glacier Peak 31
Battle Ground 17 at Bothell 20
Woodinville 28 at Lake Stevens 56
Arlington 13 at Skyline 33
Olympia 14 at Camas 31
Lake Washington 0 vs Kennedy Catholic 30
Saturday, November 8, 2025
Issaquah 35 at Moses Lake 49
Mead 14 at Eastlake 21
Kamiakin 34 at Bethel 20
Stadium 12 at Graham Kapowsin 48 ESN Game Story
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