YELM — In Tutu Tamaalevea’s quest to rebuild the Yelm football program in his first season as the head coach, he knew some changes needed to be made within the roots of the organization.
Some traditions needed to be adjusted, others built.
Of course, he understood that some traditions that make Yelm football what it is cannot be touched. From the golden voice of PA announcer Matt Mounts pronouncing, “And that’s another Tornado…” finished off by the band and student section yelling “...first down,” to the pregame prayer on the right side of the end zone, to the postgame singing of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” Yelm’s football atmosphere stands out because of such traditions.
But amid Tamaalevea’s return/debut to the Yelm sideline on Friday, Oct. 9 following a lengthy administrative leave due to an incident with a student athlete just prior to the team’s first game, he wanted to put his own stamp on the program.
After the defensive starters were introduced under the purple Yelm sky, Tamaalevea’s name was called by Mounts, and the head coach walked down the aisle of smiling Yelm Tornados waiting to greet him. “Coach Tutu,” as his white quarter-zip sweatshirt read in red lettering, handed each of his coaches on his staff a candy lei and an embrace.
Then, he turned toward the packed stands, the student athletes behind and alongside him, and performed a haka chant as the crowd roared.
“When I came back this week, I taught them. It’s something in our culture that gives us the warrior spirit. We’re getting ready for war,” Tamaalevea said. “It got everybody going. There will be some changes coming up. I know the Yelm community has their own traditions, but in order for me to change the program, there’s some stuff I’ve got to change. That’s the beginning right there with the haka.”
Unfortunately, on the gridiron, the Tornados continued their substandard start to the season, allowing a staggering 51 points in the second quarter in a 61-14 blowout loss to Bonney Lake to drop to 0-6 this season.
It’s the third game in a row that the Tornados have given up 50 or more points in the first half.
“The way we have to stop the bleeding is at practice,” Tamaalevea said. “We have to try to stop the small mistakes as much as we can with what we have.”
In the first quarter, however, Yelm put together a relatively quality body of work. Sophomore quarterback Zechariah Johnson took the opening snap and rushed for 34 yards to move into Bonney Lake territory. But the drive stopped there, as the Tornados punted to the Panthers, who knocked down a field goal on their first possession.
Yelm’s second drive once again showed promise, but the nine-play drive that started at the Tornados’ 8-yard line ended in a missed 44-yard field goal.
Bonney Lake finished the first quarter at the Yelm 8-yard line with a 3-0 lead. Less than two minutes of game time later, the Panthers led 19-0.
The scoring burst began with an 8-yard touchdown pass on the opening snap of the second quarter, and Johnson was sacked in the end zone for a safety two plays into the ensuing Yelm drive. As Yelm kicked it back to the Panthers, Xavier Wise churned the Tornados special teamers with a long return to the Yelm 29. On the next snap, Colt Miller caught a 29-yard touchdown pass in which he ran through most of the Tornados defense.
Yelm’s offense briefly stopped the bleeding, as Johnson connected with Quinten Loomis for a 6-yard touchdown on fourth down.
Two plays later, a 44-yard touchdown by Bonney Lake.
Yelm then went three-and-out, and the Panthers scored a 3-yard touchdown two plays later thanks to another long return. Suddenly, halfway through the second quarter, it was 33-7 Panthers.
Johnson threw to Lalo Bravo, and Bravo’s fumble was recovered by Bonney Lake for a touchdown. Loomis cut off the scoring streak with his second touchdown of the quarter, an impressive catch and run for 55 yards, but the Panthers scored twice more on a returned squib kickoff and a 12-yard touchdown pass to make it 54-14 at halftime.
With a running clock in the second half, Bonney Lake scored once more with a minute left in the fourth quarter on a 37-yard touchdown run, the game already well in hand.
Despite the loss, Loomis erupted for 155 yards and two touchdowns on nine catches, and Johnson threw for 175 yards on 10-of-22 passing. Aiden Youckton entered at quarterback in the second half and completed five of 13 passes for 39 yards.
“We could have done better with our passing scheme. Some of our guys are hurt. It’s hard having kids playing both ways, but this loss, I’m not worried about it,” Tamaalevea said. “I’m still rebuilding.”
Tamaalevea thanked the Yelm community for its support throughout the past five weeks since he was placed on administrative leave while the incident was under investigation by the school district. He returned to practice on Monday, Oct. 5, during a practice that he described as “emotional.”
“All the players and coaches came and hugged me. When I was suspended, I couldn’t reach out to the coaches or players. They couldn’t reach out to me,” he said. “There were some hugs, some cries, some tears. The vibe was good at practice. I’m truly blessed and I’m so grateful for the support and love I’ve had over the weeks that I was suspended.”
Yelm (0-6, 0-3 South Puget Sound League) will face perhaps its toughest test yet when Graham-Kapowsin (5-1, 3-0 SPSL) comes to town on Friday, Oct. 16.
