Federal Way football dominates Decatur in 50-20 win

The reigning NPSL champions were no match for the high flying Federal Way High School football team as the Eagles downed Decatur High School, 50-20, on Sept. 12 at Federal Way Memorial Field.

The Eagles entered full steam ahead after clobbering Auburn Mountainview, 52-0, in week one. They were ready from the opening kickoff against Decatur. On the other side, Decatur is still finding out who they are. With a new quarterback and running back duo, and some promise after losing to Enumclaw on the road, Decatur was looking to make a statement against their crosstown rival.

“They were going to do whatever they needed to do to win this game,” Federal Way Head Coach Marcus Yzaguirre said about his team after the 30-point win.

Federal Way was coming into this matchup as losers of the last two meetings with Decatur. But this year’s team had a different type of chip on its shoulder — and now the senior class has bookended their career with wins over the Gators.

“It felt really good to win it as a team. It was a team thing, with a lot of us being here as freshmen and especially with the way the last two years went. It was really personal for us. We couldn’t let that happen,” senior Jayden Sinclair said.

That sentiment was echoed by fellow FWHS senior Zamarie Tellez.

“We know that we are the better team and should have won those last two games, but things happened at the end of the game. We knew what it was like. We took it to heart and balled out tonight.”

Yzaguirre has a lot of respect for Decatur Head Coach Matt Vaeena as the two have battled over the past five years.

“They are well coached, play very hard and play at a high level. Our message to our kids was, this is another game. We gotta continue to do what we do and let our playmakers make plays. Then we have to keep looking forward,” Yzaguirre said. “Decatur has done a great job of coaching their kids up and building excitement about their program and getting the city excited. That’s what this city needs.”

One of the players with the most impact in the win over Decatur was Jay Sinclair, a senior defensive back and wide receiver.

“He is underrated and I feel like he is a monster. He works hard every day and he’s getting his just due. I mean (his) speed kills,” Yzaguirre said. “He did a great job with the ball in his hand and has some long-standing rivalries going back to middle school against some of their guys.”

Sinclair even caught the eye of former Seahawk linebacker Lofa Tatupu. The senior had over a 60-yard touchdown and a strip sack in the endzone, which resulted in a touchdown and showed his game-breaking potential.

Jay Sinclair sacks Antoine Williams of Decatur in the first quarter. Dee Torres / Mi Lente Photography

“That was my first one (strip sack). I was hyped, man. I loved to see my boys get hyped with me,” Sinclair said.

Federal Way brought the fight to Decatur from minute one of the first quarter. The Eagles and Gators traded possessions early in the first, but the majority of the game was played on the Decatur half of the field with Federal Way putting a stranglehold on the Decatur offense.

“They were ready for the moment. They were hitting hard and swarming to the ball. They were taking advantage of any miscues and putting pressure on the QB and locking the receivers up. They did a great job,” Yzaguirre said about his defense.

On the Eagles’ second possession, senior quarterback Anthony Marchetti found Ray Rondon for a 15-yard reception to score the game’s first points.

The very next Decatur possession, a slow kick return put the Gators inside the 10-yard line and a sack on the goal line by Sinclair forced a fumble, and a touchdown was the result for Federal Way.

Eastern Washington University commit Zamarie Tellez found his groove as he rolled into the endzone on a 71-yard run. Three legs of the 4X100 meter sprint team were on full display against Decatur, and it was clear the Gators couldn’t keep up with the speed.

“I look at the guys on my team. I know who we have and what we can do. It’s really just us putting it on the field and today we put it on the field,” Sinclair said.

There goes Zamarie Tellez on a 71-yard touchdown run.
19-0 dominant is an understatement for how well Federal way has started tonight. #wafbscores pic.twitter.com/Jx4Pb7Chyp
— Ben Ray (@bigplaybenray) September 13, 2025

Decatur got on the board once in the first half, on their first real prolonged drive. Williams called his own number and snuck it in to cut the 19-0 lead to 19-7 with just over 5:00 minutes left in the half.

Federal Way then went on to score 18 straight points — two touchdowns and two safeties — to take a 30 point lead. Tellez rattled off his second touchdown of the night on the third play of the third quarter.

“Zamarie does what Zamarie does. You kick it to him, it’s to the crib, hand it to him, it’s to the crib, throw it to him, it’s to the crib. Defensively he’s out there, he got a pick. He’s all over the place. There is a reason he is getting his school paid for,” Yzaguirre said.

Rondon was the Eagle to put the nail in the Decatur coffin as he took an end around 51 yards to the endzone. As just a sophomore, he could be the next Swiss Army knife at Yzaguirre’s disposal.

“We knew that he got speed and we saw him last year go berserk with the ball on JV as a freshman. He adds that next gear of speed for us on that perimeter when he can get a swing pass or we can hand it to him. He’s been fun to watch,” Yzaguirre said.

It was clear that this Decatur side had no answer for the majority of the game. However, Williams did toss two additional touchdowns in the second half after the game was out of reach.

Decatur has hung its hat on defense in the Matt Vaeena era. 50-point games are not common against them — as a matter of fact, the last team to score 50 points was Federal Way back in 2021.

“They have a chip on their shoulder. Everybody thought we were going to be third (in NPSL). They feel really some type of way about that. They are fighting for first and second, but they are looking to week 12, 13 and 14. It’s been fun watching the captains take over,” Yzaguirre said.

Kaicen Carter yells after a stop by the Federal Way defense. Ben Ray / The Mirror

On offense, the Eagles are averaging 51 points per game, and through two weeks are allowing just 10 points per game on defense.

“I’m really excited. This year’s team is up there with that freshman year team that we had. We had a whole bunch of dawgs on that team and this year’s team has given me a glimpse of that year. We had a great year that year. I’m ready to run that back and go even farther,” Tellez said.

Not only are they playing at a high level, it’s clear they just enjoy being around each other. The environment that Yzaguirre has developed is one that is breeding excellence on and off the field.

“It’s just fun. At practice it’s fun, games it’s fun. We are cheering with each other, celebrating with each other. It is a good experience,” Sinclair said.