QUILCENE — As rambunctious on the field as the first four letters of his given name would suggest, Quilcene’s Colten Pol has been a force of nature for the Rangers in their push to the Class 1B state playoffs this season.
Quilcene (7-2) will face Twin Valley (a combination of Lake Quinault and Wishkah Valley) (6-2) in the first round of the playoffs at Stewart Field in Aberdeen at 7 p.m. Saturday.
It’s the team’s first state trip since a first-round loss at the 2B level in 1998.
Pol is the primary focus for the team’s power rushing offense, and one that the opposition has had no answer for this season.
He passes the eye test, a long-limbed 6-foot-3, 205 pound athlete, fast enough to gallop past linebackers and defensive backs on the way to the end zone, strong enough to bull over defensive linemen in short yardage situations.
Pol can even throw the ball a little bit, connecting on an occasional halfback pass for a Rangers offense that averages more than 46 points per game, many of those coming on explosive, yardage-chewing plays.
He possesses the ability to haul down running backs and play stout in pass coverage from his linebacker position and haul in passes out of the backfield from Quilcene quarterback Eli Harrison.
Teammates play role
With the help of a solid group of offensive linemen in Nate Weller, Hayes Beathard Zach Collins, Paul Huwyler and Brandon Bessey, along with a punishing fullback in senior Triston Williams, Pol has racked up incredible numbers, even for the frenetic, pinball-style of 8-man football.
Pol cracked the 1,600 yard rushing barrier on the season in last weeks 86-28 dismantling of Taholah, picking up 190 yards and four touchdowns on 12 carries in little more than a half of work.
He also has 184 yards receiving and has scored a total of 25 touchdowns this season.
North Olympic Peninsula coaches have taken notice as well.
“We were able to ‘limit’ Colten Pol to 118 yards rushing but he did it on only six carries, so yeah, he’s the real deal,” Crescent coach Darrell Yount said in the Loggers 52-14 Quilcene victory.
Clallam Bay took Pol’s biggest shot of the season.
He totaled 35 carries and five touchdowns in a 407-yard rushing effort in the Rangers’ 48-36 win against the Bruins.
“That Colten Pol, man, he’s a one-man team,” Clallam Bay coach Cal Ritter said. “He’s hard to stop.”
The Rangers are more than one player, however.
Harrison confidently leads the team at quarterback and should garner All-State honors for his work at free safety on defense, where he has had two games with three interceptions in the first quarter alone.
Williams racks up tackles at weakside linebacker and blazes a trail as Pol’s lead blocker from his fullback position.
He also has more than 400 yards of rushing himself, giving the duo more than 2,000 rushing yards combined.
But Pol is a presence on the field, the one eyes are naturally drawn toward watching.
Still learning
Pol, who last year ran for 303 yards and three touchdowns on offense and had 5.5 sacks and forced two fumbles on defense has upped his game — and his maturity level on and off the field this season.
“He has improved so much from last year, even from the start of this season,” Quilcene coach Byron Wilson said.
There are still bumps in the behavioral road for Pol, a confident and sometimes headstrong individual who often acts before he’s fully thought things through — a common affliction for most teenagers.
With the Rangers up big in the first half last Saturday, Pol made a comment toward a Twin Valley coach on hand to film the game for scouting purposes.
It was a fairly harmless bit of boasting, along the lines of “watch out for the halfback, No. 1 [Pol’s number]” but one that the Wolfpack coach didn’t much care for — nor did Wilson.
But Pol went over to apologize soon after — after a consultation with Wilson.
“That’s something he would have never had done last year,” Wilson said of the apology.
“He wouldn’t have understood that he made the wrong move there, and this year he’s getting it more and more and understanding that the field is where you need to do your talking.”
Pol also showed good sportsmanship, helping a smaller Taholah player up time and again after repeatedly laying the player low, one particular instance occurring after delivering a mammoth block to free A.J. Prater on an 82-yard kickoff return touchdown.
Time in Sequim
Pol’s improvements came after a spell as a sophomore at Sequim High School in 2012, where he witnessed the Wolves slip from perennial playoff contender to cellar dweller in the space of a season.
“The seniors wanted to be all about themselves that year and didn’t have the success that they normally had before,” Pol said.
“I know I needed to push myself to be better about that, and last year I learned more about, not really athletics-wise, but more about playing for the team and valuing each other.”
Wilson said Pol has been vocal in his support of his teammates during and after contests this season.
“He comes over and gives the line their due after a big drive,” Wilson said.
“He’s also told me to spread the praise around when talking to the media.”
Pol also focused on the practice performance of the Quilcene underclassmen after the state-clinching win.
“I can’t even tell you how many times these freshman have been bashed over and over and keep coming back to help make us better,” Pol said.
He also had admiration for the job Wilson has done in leading the team to state.
“I couldn’t ask for anyone better,” Pol said. I couldn’t ask for the [Seattle] Seahawks coach.
“He cares about us so much; that’s why he’s such a good coach. He’s been through so much, seen so much football. I love him.”
Serious injury avoided
And to think Pol’s run could have ended in a drenching downpour a little less than three weeks ago.
Pol was injured on the game’s first drive, stepping in a hole on the Quilcene field and screaming in pain — and protesting when paramedics wanted him to head off in an ambulance.
The injury turned out to be a high-ankle sprain and Pol heeded his mom, Karena’s advice in the two-week gap between Rangers’ games, elevating his leg, resting, packing the area in epsom salts and bathing in the salts to draw out the swelling.
Pol has his eyes set on continuing his football career, even after his senior season concludes.
“I know if I do play longer, I’ll have to play 11-man and that’s OK, I just want the opportunity,” Pol said.
But he doesn’t expect the Quilcene season to end Saturday night.
Pol pulled a Joe Namath after the Taholah game and predicted a victory against Twin Valley.
“We will win. I’m very confident of that. I’m going to get these guys fired up to win,” he said.
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5152 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
