Last year was rough for a number of North Olympic Peninsula prep football teams.
Two went winless in 2013, one had one win and another had only two.
Three of those teams are showing evidence of a rebound so far in 2014.
Sequim, one of last year’s winless teams, is 3-0. The other winless team, Crescent, is 2-1.
Port Angeles, meanwhile, has already matched its 2013 win total with a 2-1 record.
Three things learned last week in high school football:
■ Sequim comes up clutch.
Despite two dismal seasons in which victory was a rare luxury, Sequim apparently still remembers how to win tight games.
The Wolves’ defense held fast when the team desperately needed stops in the second half of Friday’s 27-19 win over Kingston.
After quarterback Miguel Moroles threw an interception that handed Kingston the ball at midfield, the Wolves allowed the Buccaneers to drive inside the Sequim 20-yard line before holding Kingston to a 28-yard field goal.
With the Buccaneers again inside the red zone with the Wolves up eight with 2 minutes to play, Sequim stopped Kingston running back Garrett Rouser a few chain links shy of a first down on a fourth-and-2 at the Sequim 13.
Add in the offense converting on five third-down attempts on its two third-quarter touchdown drives, and it seems something is stirring within the 3-0 Wolves.
Of course, the toughest test so far, and likely of the season, awaits this Friday in Poulsbo against No. 7 North Kitsap (3-0).
Still, it feels like a return to balance having Sequim back in games with playoff potential.
■ Colten Pol is rolling.
A tailback in a run-oriented offense like Quilcene’s is going to have plenty of chances to pick up yards.
Senior Colten Pol has taken full advantage of that the past two games.
Against Clallam Bay on Friday and Mary M. Knight the week before, Pol has gained 785 yards from scrimmage while accounting for 13 touchdowns (nine rushing, three receiving and one passing).
In Friday’s 48-36 win over the Bruins, Pol really went off, running for 407 yards and five touchdowns and throwing a 35-yard touchdown pass.
His 407 yards rushing isn’t a state 8-man football record (Colton’s Nick Bates ran for 591 yards in a game in 1997), and it isn’t even an area record — that goes to Crescent’s Dylen Heaward, who ran for 493 yards in a 2009 game.
But 407 yards in one game is incredible no matter where it ranks in a historic context.
Clallam Bay coach Cal Ritter called Pol a one-man show, which is a nice compliment but isn’t quite what Pol wants to hear.
Quilcene coach Byron Wilson said that after the game, Pol told him to spread the praise around and not just talk about him when reporting the score to the media.
“That’s a classy statement to make,” Wilson said.
■ Clallam Bay is scrappy.
The Bruins had an impressive individual performance of their own in the loss to Quilcene.
Casey Randall racked up 419 all-purpose yards and scored five touchdowns. The senior ran for 169 yards and returned kickoffs 80 yards and 75 yards for scores.
Friday’s loss was the first setback of the season for Clallam Bay.
The Bruins have been a resilient bunch, suiting up only 11 players. Three of those are eighth-graders not ready to play more than a few plays of varsity football, so Clallam Bay is relying on eight players.
They earned high praise from Wilson for not giving up, despite their low numbers and an early deficit, and continuing to play hard and hit hard.
“The were tougher than hell,” Wilson said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve coached against a team like that.
“They were a fun team to play against.”
Of course, some of those Clallam Bay players also were on the basketball team that defeated Quilcene with only five players in January, so they’re used to stepping up when shorthanded.
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“Three things learned in high school football last week” appears in the PDN every Monday.
Sports Editor Lee Horton can be reached at 360-417-3525 or at lhorton@peninsuladailynews.com.
Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-452-2345, ext. 5250 or at mcarman@peninsualdailynews.com.
