High School on SI Washington High School Football Preseason Top 25 State Rankings

O'Dea opens season as No. 1 after surprising Bellevue in last year's Class 3A state final

O'Dea senior Uriah Stringfield helped the Fighting Irish win the Class 3A state championship and will be a key player for the High School on SI Washington preseason No. 1 team. / Photo by Todd Milles

The 2025 high school football season in the Evergreen State is less than a month away from starting, and that means it is time to reveal the High School on SI Washington high school football preseason top 25 rankings.

Here is the complete list of the preseason top 25 rankings with a look at key players for each team:

1. O'Dea Fighting Irish

Last year: 13-0, Washington 3A state champion

Player to watch: RB Uriah Stringfield, sr.

He might not get the love on the recruiting trail as edge rusher Fameltau Siale (Michigan State) or DL David Schwerzel (UCLA), but the Central Kitsap transfer – who started the season as the Fighting Irish's third-string tailback — took over the starting job by the end of September and finished the year as the Class 3A Offensive MVP, rushing for 1,602 yards and 19 touchdowns and blowing up in the postseason with a career-high 301 yards in a semifinal win over Eastside Catholic and 170 yards and two TDs in the final against Bellevue.

2. Bellevue Wolverines

Last year: 12-1, 3A state runner-up

Player to watch: FB Max Jones, sr.

The Wolverines will be rebuilding their offensive line and hoping to get TB Reylen Witherspoon back to full health after he missed most of his junior season to a knee injury, so they'll lean even more on their talented 3A all-state fullback, who ran for 1,861 yards and 24 touchdowns in their vaunted wing-T.

Fullback Max Jones led Bellevue with 1,861 rushing yards last season. / Photo courtesy of Max Jones

3. Sumner Spartans

Last year: 13-1, Washington 4A state champion

Player to watch: RB/LB Lance McGee, sr.

McGee is bound for Oregon State next fall, but before then, he'll hope to lead the Spartans to another 4A championship after arriving over the summer from Davis of Yakima, where he was the 4A CBBN defensive player of the year and accounted for almost 1,300 total yards and 21 touchdowns at tailback.

4. Eastside Catholic Crusaders

Last year: 10-2, 3A state semifinalist

Player to watch: LB Wassie Lugolobi, sr.

The 3A all-state linebacker broke hearts around Montlake when the 3A Metro co-defensive player of the year switched his commitment from the University of Washington to Stanford.

5. Lake Stevens Vikings

Last year: 8-4, 4A state quarterfinalist

Player to watch: LB Kayden Blanchard, jr.

The Vikings middle linebacker wreaked havoc in opposing backfields last season, with his 17 tackles for loss the most of any returning player and finishing with 96 tackles and five sacks.

6. Camas Papermakers

Last year: 13-1, 4A state runner-up

Player to watch: RB/LB Alex Hroza, sr.

Playing alongside two-time 4A Greater St. Helens Defensive MVP Nikko Speer (Idaho) last season, Hroza showed he could keep the award in-house this fall after making 147 tackles (27 for loss), 15 sacks and 15 hurries as a junior.

7. Anacortes Seahawks

Last year: 13-1, Washington 2A state champion

Player to watch: QB Ryan Harrington, jr.

Harrington missed a month due to injury yet returned in time to lead the Seahawks to the state title, tossing two TD passes against Tumwater in the final to finish the season by completing 66.1% of his passes (111 of 168) for 1,772 yards and 18 touchdowns with just one interception.

Anacortes QB Ryan Harrington / Photo by Todd Milles

8. Graham-Kapowsin Eagles

Last year: 7-4, lost in 4A first round

Player to watch: QB AJ Tuivaiave, soph.

Has there ever been a better freshman season by a signal-caller than what Tuivaiave posted last fall, when he finished 197 of 298 for 2,567 yards and 28 touchdowns with just 11 interceptions, whetting the appetite for Eagles fans of what the next three years might bring?

9. Chiawana Riverhawks

Last year: 11-2, 4A state semifinalist

Player to watch: RB/S Cooper Cissne, soph.

The Riverhawks have to replace 15 starters from last year's Mid-Columbia Conference champions, but they have a building block in their uber-talented sophomore, who last year seized a starting role in a loaded secondary and made the all-MCC first team with 59 tackles and two interceptions.

10. Kennedy Catholic Lancers

Last year: 11-1, 4A state quarterfinalist

Player to watch: DL Derek Colman-Bruse, sr.

The state's No. 1-ranked recruit committed to the University of Washington in May following a junior season that saw him make 68 tackles (25 for loss) and 10 sacks while forcing five fumbles.

11. Tumwater Thunderbirds

Last year: 13-1, 2A state runner-up

Player to watch: RB Peyton Davis, sr.

The Thunderbirds have been an egalitarian run-first offense that spreads the ball around, but Davis was one of their top guns last fall, averaging 11.6 yards per carry and finishing with 687 yards and nine touchdowns.

12. Yelm Tornadoes

Last year: 7-3, lost in 4A preliminary round

Player to watch: QB Parker Myers, sr.

The dual-threat signal-caller will be counted upon to lead the Tornadoes back into the 4A state tournament.

13. Gonzaga Prep Bullpups

Last year: 12-1, 4A state semifinalist

Player to watch: WR Isaiah Docken, sr.

The Bullpups hope to add more of an aerial threat to their triple-option attack this fall, and Docken (860 receiving yards, 11 touchdowns) is one of the state's best possession receivers who will provide returning starting QB Sam Kincaid a potent weapon on the outside.

Gonzaga Prep WR Isaiah Docken / Photo by Lane Mathews

14. Royal Knights

Last year: 13-0, Washington 1A state champion

Player to watch: WR/S Shea Stevenson, sr.

The two-way standout was a first-team 1A all-state selection in the secondary and will provide a sure pair of hands for whoever steps behind center to replace departed SBLive Washington offensive player of the year QB Lance Allred

15. Eastlake Wolves

Last year: 4-5, lost in 3A preliminary round

Player to watch: LB Colby Johnson, sr.

The rangy outside linebacker has committed to Colorado and now must have a big senior season to help the Wolves return to the 3A state playoffs.

16. Skyview Storm

Last year: 8-4, 4A state quarterfinalist

Player to watch: TE/LB Toren Baker, jr.

Baker had a strong debut season for the Storm, making 63 tackles and catching 16 passes for 218 yards and three touchdowns. That both those totals lead all returners says a lot about how much work first-year coach Matt Hamlin has ahead of him.

17. Lynden Lions

Last year: 10-2, 3A state quarterfinalist

Player to watch: WR/CB Sam Arango, jr.

Arango will be one of the top receivers in the 3A ranks this fall after catching 42 passes for 893 yards and eight touchdowns; he also had nine tackles and three pass breakups in the secondary.

18. Emerald Ridge Jaguars

Last year: 7-4, lost in 4A first round

Player to watch: DE Elijah Wallace

Transfers will hurt the Jaguars this fall, but they bring back one of their top disruptors on defense who finished  with 18 tackles for loss and 14 sacks last season.

19. Arlington Eagles

Last year: 10-2, 4A state quarterfinalist

Player to watch: WR/LB Tre Haines, sr.

Haines was the team's leading tackler last season, finishing with 72 (5.5 for loss), three sacks and an interception.

20. Lincoln Abes

Last year: 9-3, 3A state quarterfinalist

Player to watch: QB Sione Kaho, jr.

One of the nation's top quarterback recruits in the class of 2027, Kaho was a first-team 3A all-state selection last year, throwing for 2,192 yards and 17 touchdowns while rushing for 370 yards and seven scores.

Lincoln of Tacoma quarterback Sione Kaho / Photo by Todd Milles

21. Kennewick Lions

Last year: 10-2, 3A state quarterfinalist

Player to watch: TE/LB Cooper Neer, sr.

Neer was behind Tanner Larson in the Lions' tight end pecking order last season, but on defense, he had few peers, making the all-MCC first team and finishing with a team-high 64 tackles.

22. Curtis Vikings

Last year: 6-5, lost in 3A first round

Player to watch: DE Robby Lavata'i, sr.

The Vikings' lone returning first-team all-SPSL 4A selection committed to San Diego State in late June.

23. Kamiakin Braves

Last year: 6-6, lost in 4A first round

Player to watch: WR/DB Michael Kori, jr.

Kori was a two-way all-Mid-Columbia Conference selection as a sophomore for the Braves, catching a team-high 34 passes for 639 yards and nine touchdowns.

24. Moses Lake Mavericks

Last year: 8-2, lost in 4A preliminary round

Player to watch: QB Brady Jay, sr.

The University of Montana commit won 4A CBBN player of the year honors last season, passing for 3,182 yards and 45 touchdowns to lead the Mavericks to the league championship and keep himself on pace to join the state's 10,000-career-yard passing club.

25. Richland Bombers

Last year: 7-4, 4A state quarterfinalist

Player to watch: QB Jackson Woodard, jr.

Woodard is another of the state's top junior signal-callers following a sophomore year that saw him earn all-MCC first-team honors, throwing for 2,539 yards and 34 touchdowns with just seven interceptions.