Top 10 plays in Washington high school football, Week 1: Special teams plays stand out in season openers
Welcome back, Washington high school football.
The 2023 season kicked off over Labor Day weekend and it did not disappoint. State contenders squared off in non-league matchups all over with many of those games coming down to a play or two.
SBLive compiled 10 of the best moments from across the state in games that took place Aug. 31-Sept. 2. Scroll to the video player at the top of the page to view the countdown.
Want to submit a highlight? Tag or direct message us with your top plays on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook @SBLiveWA. Submissions are collected from each week’s slate of games through Sunday.
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SBLive’s Top 10 plays of Week 1
10. Looking to bounce back from a 2022 season where it missed the playoffs, Squalicum got off on the right foot with a 41-12 win over New Westminster (B.C). Quarterback Marcus Nixon rattled off a pair of long rushing scores in the win.
9. Ellensburg might've come up short against Zillah, but Bulldogs' running back Colton Magruder had himself a nice game, scoring both touchdowns for Ellensburg on long runs.
8. Anacortes' Brock Beaner did a little bit of everything for the Seahawks against Class 3A Oak Harbor. He rushed for more than 150 yards, logged 10 tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles, but his blocked punt and recovery for a TD was especially impressive.
7. Both clinging to slim leads, North Kitsap and Yelm both had two players come up huge for the team. The Vikings' Ben Shipp blocked Mount Tahoma's attempt at a game-tying field goal while the Tornados' Anthony Kiamco got his hands on Camas' game-winning field goal try.
6. Moses Lake has a special weapon in do-it-all athlete Kyson Thomas, who found himself in the end zone on this kickoff return for a touchdown - coming after he already returned a punt for a score in the game.
5. Very well known for his speed at this point, Mount Spokane wide receiver Bode Gardner made sure to remind everyone anyway that he's one of the fastest on the field at any point with a long touchdown for Wildcats.
4. With time winding down in a tie game between Toledo and Raymond-South Bend, Ethan Carver put the team on his back, running downhill and to the end zone for the game-winning 30-yard score with two seconds remaining.
3. Garfield's Reggie Witherspoon III showed off his state-champion track star speed, catching a pass behind the line of scrimmage and making every man miss on his way to the end zone against Lake Stevens.
2. One of the state's top wide receiver prospects, Malachi Durant made his first official touch with Graham-Kapowsin a bright one, running back the opening kickoff against Rogers of Puyallup for a touchdown.
1. Down to its last play of the overtime period, Kamiakin quarterback Trent Woodhouse dropped back fired a pass into the end zone that was deflected and found the hands of Kyler Rutz for the game-winning score against Chiawana.
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