Sports
Enumclaw Football Opens Season Tonight on New Home Field
Yelm comes to town looking for revenge after the beating it took last year on its home field.
The Enumclaw High School football team went to Yelm last year and whipped the Tornadoes 42-14. It may not be as easy tonight at 7 as the Hornets open the season at home on their new Astroturf field.
Yelm has a huge offensive line that averages 260 pounds. And they have an all-league running back in Jacob Swilley, Jr., who ran for more than 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns last year as a freshmen.
Enumclaw will counter with a defense that could be its strength. Outside linebacker Ryan Chynoweth, Sr. leads that squad.
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The Hornet offense will be led by senior quarterback Tyler Carlson, Sr. If he can throw a football anything like he can throw a baseball Enumclaw should be fine. He is a standout baseball player who is headed to Washington State University. He hopes to take advantage of a Yelm secondary that even its coach says is a part of the team that needs work. Carlson is changing over from being an all-league wide receiver the past two years.
Along with Carlson and Chynoweth, Coach Don Bartel’s squad, which went 3-6 last year, returns seven other starters: junior wide receiver-linebacker Grant Bryson, senior lineman Tyler Wicklund, senior wide receiver-defensive back Stephen Carlino; senior running back-linebacker Kolton Carlson; senior tight end-linebacker Timothy Dion; senior lineman Spencer Wilson; and senior wide receiver-defensive back-kicker Matt Wasisco.
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Bartel also is expecting good things from sophomores running back-defensive back Cameron Strecker, quarterback-defensive back Peter Norby; and lineman Chandler Streuli.
Yelm, from the Narrows 3A League, will counter with seven starters back on offense and defense. Senior linebacker Eric Kinder and Chris Fazzino combined on 90 tackles last year. Senior Lance Rohwedder is the biggest lineman at 295 pounds, but others weigh in at 275, 270 and 270.
Coach Swilley knows his running game will be strong, but the passing attack needs work.
Yelm only has four home games this year, including one next week against Union.
