PORT TOWNSEND — Sequim utilized the fleet feet of sophomore Gavin Velarde and the deep pass to roll Chimacum 43-6 in the first game of a doubleheader at Memorial Field.
Sequim posted all of its points in Friday’s season opener in a first-half frenzy, triggering a running clock with 3:18 to go before halftime.
“We executed at a pretty dang good level for our first game,” Sequim coach Erik Wiker said.
“Not a lot of turnovers, not a lot of broken assignments — until I watch it on film I suppose — just some minor things to hopefully tweak and get better each week.”
Velarde rushed three times for 81 yards, bouncing jet sweeps to the outside for touchdown runs of 33 and 40 yards, and also returned a free kick after a safety 67 yards for another score.
“Velarde has a fast mode and he has a super-fast mode, and sometimes he doesn’t have to use that [super-fast mode],” Wiker said.
“If he doesn’t have to, he doesn’t.”
Ethan Richmond opened the game with a 31-yard kickoff return to put the Wolves in solid field position at the Chimacum 47-yard line.
A holding penalty marched Sequim back, and the Cowboys looked poised to force a three-and-out.
But on third-and-9, Sequim senior quarterback Nick Faunce rolled to his right and uncorked a deep bomb down the right sideline that was caught by a diving Richmond for a 39-yard gain.
“We just have a connection,” Richmond said of he and Faunce.
“We’ve been playing since Wolfpack [Sequim youth football] and throwing the ball around after school growing up, so he knows where I’m going, he knows my speed and where to put the ball.”
A play later Mark Feeney rushed up the middle for a 7-yard touchdown.
The Wolves forced a three-and-out on the next Chimacum possession, and Velarde returned a punt 28 yards to again give Sequim good field position.
He scored on a 33-yard jet sweep to put the Wolves up 13-0 with 7:27 to go in the first quarter.
Sequim continued to clamp down on defense, denying the Cowboys a first down until their third offensive possession.
Velarde went to the right with the jet sweep for his second score from 40 yards out and a 20-0 lead with 6:55 until halftime.
“The blocking was really good tonight,” Velarde said. “The holes were there and they stayed open for a long time.”
A deep kickoff by Sequim’s Thomas Winfield pinned the Cowboys near the goal line, and Arnold Black took advantage, sacking Cowboys quarterback Quinn Dowling for a safety.
On the following free kick, Velarde moved through a mass of players and found the right edge, coasting to a 67-yard return for a touchdown.
Chimacum’s other quarterback, James Porter, was intercepted at midfield on the Cowboys’ next play
Sequim quarterback Riley Cowan then completed three consecutive passes, capped by a 23-yard corner route to fellow freshman Kyler Rollness.
Wiker said he plans to continue using the two-quarterback approach going forward.
“Next week we will still probably play both of them some, we just have to see what the film reveals,” Wiker said.
“I can’t wait to get a look at it.
“I definitely think Nick did a little bit better. He’s a senior, he has some composure, he knows the kids, he has a good rapport with some of the kids — he played youth football with Richmond — so there’s a good level of trust.
“I would say the older guy did pretty good and the young guy did pretty good for a young guy.”
Feeney scored his second touchdown on a 1-yard run with 3:18 to go in the quarter to trigger the running clock. He finished with five carries for 39 yards and also caught two passes for 14 yards.
Chimacum put together a scoring drive after halftime that was lead by running back Elijah Avery’s 25 yards on two carries.
Trevon Noel scored a 1-yard run to snap the shutout with 4:31 to go in the third quarter.
Wiker walked off the field pleased with the result.
“They executed fairly well, they played at their level, which was really good,” Wiker said.
“I think we had some mistakes, but you’re bound to have some in the first game. It wasn’t the nightmare or that kind of stuff that can happen in the first game.”
Sequim (1-0) hosts Coupeville (0-1) in a nonleague game at 5 p.m. Friday.
Chimacum (0-1) visits Forks (0-1) at 7 p.m. Friday.
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-452-2345, ext. 5250 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
