Two future Washington Huskies football teammates - and best friends - face off in career elimination tiebreaker

Bethel's Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, the No. 1 senior recruit in Washington, eliminated D'Aryhian Clemons (No. 5 recruit) and his Spanaway Lake squad in a 4A SPSL mini-tiebreaker

Two of the top senior football recruits in Washington - Bethel's Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, left, and Spanaway's D'Aryhian Clemons - faced off in a 4A SPSL mini-tiebreaker elimination game Tuesday. Rainey-Sale's team advanced; Clemons' high school career is over. / Photo by Todd Milles

TACOMA, Wash. - In Spanaway, being best friends - and two of the top class-of-2025 high school football recruits in Washington - means you don't get let off the hook.

Bethel High School linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, the consensus No. 1 senior recruit in the state, and Spanaway Lake High School running back/wide receiver D'Aryhian Clemons, who is ranked No. 5, are going to be future teammates with the Washington Huskies.

But that had to be put on hold Tuesday night as the two standouts - and their respective teams - faced off in a survive-to-this weekend, loser-eliminated 4A SPSL mini-tiebreaker game at Bellarmine Prep.

With each team guaranteed two series starting at the opposing 25-yard line, Rainey-Sale and the Bison emerged with a 7-0 victory to move on to this weekend's league crossover playoffs.

Rather than drown in the moment of seeing Clemons' high-school career come to a close, the two traded a few barbs after the game.

Asked if any part of him was sad about ending Clemons' career, Rainey-Sale could not hide a grin: "It is what it is. He should have come to Bethel."

Clemons repeated that the Bison "got lucky" in the mini-tiebreaker, adding he was going to attend Bethel's next game "to watch them lose."

Best friends, for sure.

"It's so great having these top guys staying loyal to their schools, competing at a high level against each other and then coming together as friends," Bethel coach Travis Domser said. "They will be fun to watch in the future."

The two titans even met up on back-to-back plays on Spanaway Lake's final series.

Clemons tried cutting in on a route, only to see Rainey-Sale swat the pass away. Same thing happened on the next play - third down.

"I read the play. I could tell the way he got off (on his route), he did a slow release and I had seen him on film, so I scrambled and I was there," Rainey-Sale said.

Both future UW teammates softenedd up eventually to talk about their real relationship off the field.

It’s love, man," Rainey-Sale said. "Growing up together, it was a long time. We went through some ups and downs together."

Added Clemons: "That is my brother. We’ve been through everything together. ... Most people don’t get to play with their brothers at the next level, especially college. It’s just a blessed thing."