When Timberline head football coach James Jones thought about the embarrassment of riches at his disposal on the 2026 Blazers roster, he couldn’t stop chuckling.
He scanned up and down the field at each position group working tirelessly in the 90-degree heat during the second day of practice Thursday afternoon and came up short when trying to think of a weakness on the team.
Is this new for Jones?
He took a pause.
“Yeah,” the seventh-year head coach concluded with pride.
Two years ago, there was no embarrassment of riches. One could argue that there was only embarrassment.
Timberline finished the 2024 season with a 1-9 record, losing by an average margin of 33 points. The Blazers even watched their seven-game win streak against heated rival North Thurston come to a halt.
But in 2025, Timberline dug out of the bottom of the Puget Sound League and put together a 5-5 season. The Blazers were just a failed two-point conversion away from beating W.F. West, and they took Peninsula to overtime on the road. Many of the young starters from the woeful 2024 season leveled up in 2025, and that core is back in hopes of leading Timberline back to the state tournament for the first time since 2018
In fact, 14 players who started or played during that 2024 campaign are still on the roster, including eight defensive starters.
“These kids are battle-hardened. They’ve been through it, and they’ve worked really hard for the last two years to be in a spot where we are now where we can contend for the playoffs,” Jones said. “They were determined. They could have given up, but instead, they just said, ‘No, that’s not going to happen again.’ Last year, we were a couple of plays from being in a better spot. This year, we’re in a spot where we should jump that hoop.”
Eight Blazers who collected All-Puget Sound League honors a season ago are back in the green and gold. Additionally, senior defensive back Maurice Williams, a University of Washington commit since December, transferred to Timberline from Graham-Kapowsin after an All-South Puget Sound League First Team season last fall.
Williams, who spent his first two prep seasons at Yelm, is used to playing within a winning culture. He helped Yelm advance to the 3A state championship game against Bellevue in his freshman season and the 4A Round of 32 as a sophomore. In his lone season at Graham-Kapowsin, Williams fueled the Eagles to the 4A semifinals.
“I’ve been bringing in a winning culture and letting everyone know that we’re gonna win,” he said of coming to Timberline. “We want to play in Husky Stadium. I want to play on that field before I move there.”
Williams brings versatility to the Blazers defense as the coaches are letting him try his hand at safety, along with his normal cornerback spot. He sought a more well-rounded understanding of the roles belonging to every defensive back position in the secondary.
Jones said Williams could even play at the Star position, which would allow him to hone in on and eliminate one of the opponents’ top threats. He also has the range to nab interceptions at his cornerback spot.
“You don’t get a lot of chances to have a guy like that in your secondary,” Jones said of Williams.
Williams is just one of a handful of standout players on the esteemed Timberline defense. He’ll be joined in the secondary by fellow Graham-Kapowsin transfer Davin Kirkwood, junior Champean Spearman, senior David Tyrell and senior Troy Fatilua.
Perhaps the most intimidating position group on the roster will be the defensive line. The unit is headlined by Oregon State commit and senior nose tackle Kataferu “Felu” Galoia and All-PSL First Teamer Amacyn Savelio, another senior tackle. Behind them are two talented linebackers in senior Caleb Bacon and junior Wonderful Glenn.
“We’re playing for a shutout every game. Are we gonna get there? No, but that’s our mentality,” Jones said. “We should be good at getting the ball turned over because our defensive line is going to put a lot of pressure on the quarterback. What do you do? Are you going to double team Felu? Are you going to double team Amacyn? Are you going to double team them both?”
Timberline’s offense took a hit in the offseason when senior running back Cooper Jones suffered an MCL injury. The 2025 First Team All-PSL tailback is expected to return in time for league play, but the Blazers will lean heavily on Yelm transfer King Pridgen and senior Champp Hernandez in the meantime.
Junior Cameron Vongdara returns with a year-and-a-half of starting experience at quarterback. Jones praised his signal-caller for his work ethic and his leadership. Case in point, Vongdara said he enjoys taking his linemen to go get food to build trust and a connection with the guys who will be protecting him every Friday night.
“We just lead by example,” Vongdara said. “I really want to gain chemistry with my team.”
When asked about who he’ll be throwing the football to this fall, Vongdara’s eyes lit up. At the top of the list is senior Keaton Thomas and junior tight end CJ Duenas, who were both all-league players last season. Williams, Kirkwood, junior Jordan Nguyen and senior King Spearman, the latter of which can also return a kickoff to the house, will also line up at receiver.
Galoia and Savelio will anchor the left side of the offensive line, while Kendrick Wofford returns at center and Ansu Sonko will maintain his right guard spot. The starting right tackle role is up for grabs, and Jones said there are three capable candidates for the job.
Early in practice, coaches have emphasized physicality and a sense of urgency. Defensive coordinator Beau Pocklington yelled to his team, “Violence is the answer,” during a tackling drill. Position coaches frequently made their players restart drills to fix every flaw.
Timberline isn’t satisfied with a four-win improvement in 2025 from the year prior. The Blazers understand that an eight-year drought from the state tournament isn’t typical for a program that was a perennial state contender in the 2000s and 2010s.
That group of 14 players who remain from the disastrous 2024 season are united in their quest to ensure that the only time that the 1-9 record is ever mentioned again is when their accomplishments in 2026 are at the end of the sentence.
“If we want to go farther, we have to lift ourselves to a higher standard. That’s what we’re pushing is that sense of urgency. Every rep is fourth-and-one,” Jones said. “Every rep is fourth-and-goal. We’re trying to get kids to have that mentality.”
Timberline opens the season Sept. 4 at home against Stadium. In league play, the Blazers will welcome Peninsula, North Thurston and Capital to South Sound Stadium. Only one league game is a true road contest, as they’ll face River Ridge as the road team in the stadium they share with the Hawks a week before squaring off with Lakes in Week 7.
