PORT ANGELES — Every football season the sports staff makes a goal to cover at least one football game for each of the nine North Olympic Peninsula high schools.
Last season we fell a school short of the mark, mainly due to the somewhat unexpected success of the Olympic League champion Sequim Wolves. We checked off Port Angeles and Forks in the first game, Forks and Sequim in week two — eventually covering 6 of Sequim’s 11 contests.
The goal remains to cover at least one game for every team this fall.
Forks and Port Angeles were easy picks to kickoff our 2019 prep football coverage and we will have photos and a story posted online tonight and in Sunday’s print edition.
Coverage of Sequim’s nonleague game with Washington and Port Townsend’s clash with Coupeville tonight also will be recapped in the Sunday edition.
Chimacum and Quilcene play road games Saturday.
The Crescent-Neah Bay game previously scheduled for Saturday in Joyce has been canceled as the Loggers lack enough players who have completed the minimum number of practices.
Here’s a player we are looking forward to watching for the North Olympic Peninsula teams in action this weekend.
Friday’s Games Forks at Port Angeles, 7 p.m.
PORT ANGELES — Two youth-filled teams will meet tonight at Civic Field, typically a recipe for a season opener filled with fumbles, blown assignments and penalty flags.
For Port Angeles, I’m interested in the return of sophomore playmaker Daniel Cable from a torn ACL in his right knee. Cable had surgery right around the start of 2019 and has worked hard on his rehabilitation.
Head coach Troy Mann said Cable was a full participant in preseason practices and was showing no ill effects from the knee injury.
Cable made the best offensive play for the Roughriders in last season’s opening-loss to Forks, making something out of nothing by taking a desperation pitch and busting loose through a stout Spartans defense for a 51-yard gain. Cable showed his potential with that big play and if the Riders’ young line can come together and open some holes, Port Angeles could get off to a good start.
For Forks, a team that lost 9 of 11 starters on both sides of the football and lacks senior leadership, it will be a season of incremental growth.
Trey Baysinger is one of those two returning starters on both sides of the ball and will be counted on to lead the Spartans’ at right tackle and along the defensive line.
The Pick: Port Angeles
Washington at Sequim, 6:30 p.m.
SEQUIM — A repeat of last season’s opener between two eventual Class 2A state qualifiers won 44-21 by the Wolves.
Sequim has more returning than the Patriots on both sides of the ball.
On defense, Lane Mote returns as the Wolves’ second-leading tackler from 2018. Mote’s rise at linebacker as a sophomore was an important factor in Sequim’s league title and state bid.
Sometimes when you are taking stats and writing down the offensive action for both teams, just who is making those plays defensively becomes a question.
Mote was the answer to a lot of those questions when talking to coach Erik Wiker last season and should play an even larger role again this season.
The pick: Sequim
Port Townsend at Coupeville, 6 p.m.
COUPEVILLE — These two former league foes met in a nonleague contest to open the 2018 season. Port Townsend was without starting quarterback Noa Montoya and still made a game of it in a 28-18 loss.
With Montoya, leading rusher/receiver/tackler Dylan Tracer and speedster Jerome Reaux Jr. all back, look for the Redhawks to get revenge.
Reaux Jr. averaged 11.1 yards per carry last season and bulked up entering his sophomore year to improve his durability. Tracer will provide the power, Reaux the speed.
The Pick: Port Townsend
Saturday’s Games Chimacum at Seton Catholic, 1 p.m.
VANCOUVER — Seton Catholic absorbed the roster of Firm Foundation, a 1B school, and preseason turnout was reported to be large for the Cougars. Depth could play a significant role if it is a warm afternoon down south.
The Cowboys’ strength is in their huge line — led by 6-foot-5, 295-pounder Jacob Williamson. And size like that gets college line coaches salivating.
The Pick: Seton Catholic
Quilcene at Mary M. Knight, 1 p.m.
MATLOCK — The Rangers have an experienced line, an all-league quarterback in Holdem Elkins and depth. I’m interested in seeing how Quilcene reloads without Olin Reynolds in the backfield and Robert Comstock III catching passes.
Isaac Dugdale is primed to get a lot of touches this fall in the Rangers’ power run.
The pick: Quilcene.
Last Season’s picks: 42-17 in regular season.
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
