Todd Beamer sweeps aside Federal Way in season series

Published 4:20 pm Thursday, January 15, 2026

It may finally be time for a new king of the NPSL 3A. If there was any indication for who that might be, look no further than Todd Beamer High School.

Todd Beamer continued their strong play Jan. 13 against Federal Way High School. Using a combination of strong defense and timely scoring, the Titans (7-5) earned a 60-47 win over the Eagles (4-4) on Jan. 13.

The Titans, who beat the Eagles 88-70 earlier in this season, have now swept the season series. A surprise to many, but not a surprise to Titans head coach Brent Brilhante.

“We got that tiebreaker against Federal Way now,” Brilhante said. “If we see them in the standings somewhere around us, it just moves us up that ladder for the playoffs.”

Coming into the game, Todd Beamer had been one of the league’s most consistent teams. Sitting at 5-1 in league play, they outscored their opponents by an average of 24 points per game. Federal Way, meanwhile, entered at 3-3 in league play.

From the opening tip, Todd Beamer set the tone with exactly what Brilhante has emphasized all season: defense. The Titans swarmed the Eagles early, forcing tough shots and limiting second chances. By the end of the first quarter, Beamer held a commanding 19-8 lead.

“Federal Way is a big team, so it’s a big league win from us,” sophomore Jeremiah Johnson said. “And we just had to come out with lots of energy, kept them down to eight points in the first quarter. That was big for us.”

The momentum carried into the second quarter, as the Titans opened the period with a 9-0 run to stretch their lead to 28-8. It did not last long. The Eagles responded by knocking down a pair of three-pointers and kept the Titans scoreless the last four minutes of the quarter. The Eagles cut the deficit to 28-14 going into the locker rooms.

“The last couple of years we’ve been really defensive minded, and this year it’s a little more offensive minded,” Brilhante said. “We were really good tonight defensively, but we just had some mental glitches where those possessions can cost you, like a five, six-point swing.”

In the third quarter, Federal Way leaned heavily on offensive rebounding to stay alive. But every time the Eagles had an opportunity, Todd Beamer answered. The Titans continued to make shots when needed and stayed composed despite Federal Way’s attempts to chip away. By the end of the third, Beamer held a 42-30 advantage.

“My mindset was just focusing on me and my teammates, even though they got scoring a little bit,” Johnson said. “Coach was telling us to just keep the energy up, stop letting them come back. And we just meshed together and got back in.”

While the Eagles never stopped competing, the fourth quarter proved why the Titans are a dangerous team this season. Federal Way was unable to cut their deficit to fewer than 10, and every time momentum seemed to go in favor of the Eagles, the Titans responded.

Johnson delivered his best performance of the night in the final quarter, and he scored nine of his game-high 22 points in that quarter.

“Jeremiah is a stud. I mean, he started for us as a freshman. He’s a great student here and does the right things. He’s just a pleasure to coach,” Brilhante said. “He’s a really good shooter and he doesn’t take bad shots.”

For the Titans, junior Michael Edwards added 11 points and former Eagle Doni Burkett added 10. Federal Way was led by junior Eric Turner Jr. with 16 points and junior Jailyn Chavers with 14.

The physical nature of the rivalry was also evident throughout the night. Fouls piled up on both sides, with Beamer finishing with 17 team fouls and Federal Way closely behind with 16.

The victory marked an important step for a Titans team with bigger goals in mind. After narrowly missing the Tacoma Dome last season, the Titans are focused on winning a league championship. It’s a trophy that has eluded Brilhante in his 15 years as the Titans’ head coach.

“Our goal right now is to win the league championship. So, if we do that, I think that puts us in the best position to get to that next goal of getting to the Tacoma Dome,” Brilhante said.

The powerhouse Federal Way Eagles are not what they once used to be and teams like Enumclaw, Auburn Mountainview, and Todd Beamer are ushering in a new era for the NPSL.

Todd Beamer next travels to Decatur, while Federal Way returns home to face league Enumclaw on Jan. 16.