10/23/2026
Puyallup 44, Emerald Ridge 0
(Puyallup, WA) Seniors were honored on the field prior to kickoff on Friday night as two teams that share the same homefield met at Sparks Stadium with both looking towards to postseason. The Puyallup Vikings were the home team on Friday and looked to stay perfect on their way to a matchup for the SPSL 4A league title at home next week. A win for the Emerald Ridge Jaguars would turn the league into chaos as a three-way tie for first would be the result. However, both had already locked their spots in the Round of 32 so momentum and health were the key concerns in week 8.
1st Half
Emerald Ridge would start the game with the ball and Brayden Paulino used his legs to scramble and pick up a first down as the Jags got off to a nice start. Emerald Ridge had a tough time moving the ball on the ground however but still managed to move into Puyallup territory. A fourth down would be blown up by Luke Parker for a tackle for a loss, giving Puyallup a stop and the ball in Emerald Ridge territory. A couple of screens to Luke Parker and a Malcolm Akuffo rushing attack resulted in a short one-yard touchdown for Akuffo to give Puyallup the early lead, 7-0.
Despite some early adversity, Emerald Ridge would get another explosive play as Moose Masaniai broke a huge 56-yard run to once again send the Jags into Viking territory. The front seven of Puyallup would dig their heels in right there led by Michael Pulalasi and Kitiona Tapua. Another failed fourth down ended the Emerald Ridge drive and gave the ball back to the Vikings who took it to the 2nd quarter. This time it was a big play in the redzone for Emerald Ridge as Moose Masaniai made a huge tackle for a loss of nine before the secondary took over. A few incomplete passes turned it over on downs as the Jaguars came up with a stop.
It did not take too long for Puyallup to force a punt and get their offense back on the field. Noah Smith started to get dialed in with some deep shots to Luke Parker and Andrew Gintz. The hard running of Malcolm Akuffo made things even easier for the Puyallup QB as Akuffo ran behind a dominant offensive line right down the field. He would find his second touchdown of the half on a second one-yard plunge to go up 15-0 after a successful two-point conversion.
Emerald Ridge would still have time before the half and once again moved the ball right into Puyallup territory. Brayden Paulino dropped a 21-yard pass to Moose Masaniai while they tried to get Tre Robinson going in the run game. A trick play would backfire however as a double reverse pass was picked off by William Lorenz. An illegal blindside block negated the touchdown but did kill the Emerald Ridge momentum. A failed hail mary would take us to halftime with Puyallup leading 15-0.
2nd Half
Somehow the Puyallup Vikings looked even more dominant in the second half as they took the game over and never looked back. Noah Smith took over the offense and spread the ball around with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Sosaia Sekona to get the second half scoring started. Puyallup continued to bottle up the Emerald Ridge ground game and began to give Brayden Paulino constant pressure, forcing multiple three-and-outs.
Smith was lights out in the second half leading Puyallup to score 22 points in the 3rd quarter alone. He added more touchdown passes as Jai Mitchell hauled in a 25-yarder while Sekona caught a second 15-yarder. Puyallup got to a running clock as Siosaia Malietufa also caught a 19-yard score that really sealed this one away. The reserves came in for both teams but the Puyallup defense held even after an interception for Sir’James Williams for Emerald Ridge. The shutout meant a lot to the Vikings and they completed it with a 44-0 victory over Emerald Ridge.
Sumner Holiday Inn Express MVP of the Game
Our Sumner Holiday Inn Express MVP of the game went to senior quarterback Noah Smith for the Puyallup Vikings. Smith was terrific all game long controlling the pocket and making smart throws to lead the high powered offense. Smith would really take control of the game in the second half as his stats exploded despite throwing the ball less. All together on his Senior Night, Noah Smith went 17/25 for 254 yards and four touchdowns while also running the ball a couple of times for six yards.
Stats
Puyallup’s offense was very balanced but the aerial assault was the key. Luke Parker led the team receiving wise with seven catches for 65 yards. Sosaia Sekona would record four catches for 67 yards and two touchdowns while Siosaia Malietufa caught three passes for 41 yards and a touchdown. Jai Mitchell hauled in two catches, both in the second half, for 40 yards and a score. Treyvion Bowman recorded one catch for 20 yards while Andrew Gintz had a 21-yard catch. Malcolm Akuffo was a beast on the ground with 13 carries for 104 yards and two scores. Tytan Phay got involved in the run game with three carries for 16 yards while Logan Caldara had a five-yard carry. Defensively, Michael Pulalasi and Lincoln Barnes each recorded a sack while Luke Parker had a huge tackle for a loss for a turnover on downs. William Lorenz also recorded an interception.
Emerald Ridge had a tough time getting the offense going but Moose Masaniai had the explosive plays with three carries for 61 yards and one catch for 21 yards. Tre Robinson carried the ball nine times for 21 yards while Donald Robertson carried the ball three times for nine yards. Quintin Gardley got three carries for six yards and Aiden Panlilio had five carries for 16 yards. Anthony Linn and Jake Dyrdahl each got some carries late with Linn earning eight yards on four carries while Dyrdahl had 25 yards on three carries. Brayden Paulino went 2/3 passing for 25 yards with a two-yard completion to Tre Robinson. On defense, Sir’James Williams recorded an interception.
What’s Next?
The win sends Puyallup to 8-0 on the season and they are officially SPSL 4A north division champions with a perfect 5-0 record. They will host the SPSL Championship game next Friday night at 7:30pm in a rematch of last season’s title game as the Vikings host Graham-Kapowsin. Emerald Ridge falls to 6-2 on the year and finish 3-2 in SPSL play to earn the #3 seed out of the north. The Jaguars will also play at Sparks Stadium next Friday night at 4pm when they host the Bethel Bison before both move on to the Round of 32.
Link to watch full game replay on the NFHS Network (subscription required)
West 42 Sports Postgame Show
Video Highlights
Huge Play for Emerald Ridge
Smith to Sekona for Six
Mitchell Reels in Touchdown
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