THE PORT ANGELES coaching staff did not want to share too much going into Friday night’s football game.
When I showed up at Thursday’s practice session unannounced, they even lined up in their old shotgun offense so I couldn’t report on the new scheme they’d hatched.
As it turns out, that was with good reason.
Just about nobody saw the Roughriders’ switch to a Power I-formation offense coming, including the Sequim coaching staff.
And it certainly worked for a team in need of a makeover after losing several skill players to injury and seeing quarterback Keenen Walker break his throwing arm.
“We were in an extreme situation, so we had to make some extreme changes that we didn’t like to have to do,” said Rider coach Tom Wahl, whose team also showed a 3-4 defense.
“You like to say we’ve got an offense and we’re going to run it no matter what, but we felt like we had to do what we had to do to try and get the best performance we could.”
Port Angeles followed the game plan to a T much of the night.
It was effectively the same thing Kingston did when it nearly upset Sequim earlier this year — control the clock with a power run game and limit its deep throws.
The Riders attempted just three passes with sophomore Larsson Chapman making his first start at quarterback, and ran it 51 times for 269 yards.
They went almost exclusively to running back Dylan Brewer, who hadn’t practiced in the new offense until Thursday because of his own injury, and he delivered with 209 yards on 39 carries.
Walker, who lined up at fullback with a protective cast on his right arm, carried the ball 10 times for 58 yards and served as a lead blocker on several plays.
Thrown together, it was enough to put a bit of a scare into Sequim.
“They had never shown it anytime before,” Sequim coach Erik Wiker said.
“They come out and they were a totally different team. Basically they turned into Kingston.
“It is utilizing their talent well. They got to put Keenen Walker at running back and go run right behind him and he’s knocking the crap out of people.
“And [Brewer] is a tough runner. Tougher than I thought he was.”
Of course, without the passing threat it wasn’t enough to overcome the Wolves once Jack Wiker entered the game.
But at the very least, it gives the Riders some hope going into Tuesday night’s pigtail playoff.
After all, they did something Friday that no Port Angeles team has done in four years: score two touchdowns against Sequim.
“The linemen blocked awesome,” Brewer said.
“It was pretty difficult [to learn a new offense in one week], but I know my peers are smart enough and we all understood it greatly, and we tried to give it out best.
“With a little more practice, I think we can get the offense to work.”
Sequim subs
Sequim didn’t just start at a disadvantage because of Frank Catelli’s absence.
The senior two-way star was actually one of four starters not on the field when Friday night’s game began in Dungeness Valley.
Juniors Jack Wiker (QB/LB), Lopaka Yasumura (RB/LB) and Christian Miles (WR/DB) all had to sit out various parts of the first half because of “internal disciplinary action,” Wolves head coach Erik Wiker said.
While Jack Wiker sat out the entire first half, Yasumura and Miles entered the game after one quarter.
And as the boxscore indicated, the Wolves were a different team once all three players were on the field in the second half.
“I’m glad I had the time that was given to me,” said Jack Wiker, who declined to comment on what he was punished for. “I was just waiting for the second half.
“Everybody came out with a lot of intensity, and the linemen had the best game I’ve ever seen.”
With Jack Wiker and Yasumura in the backfield together, they rumbled for 112 yards on 25 carries (three were kneel-downs for minus 9 yards).
Miles also helped put the game out of reach with a 72-yard kickoff return that set up Yasumura’s 13-yard scoring run midway through the fourth quarter.
“[Jack] Wiker is a good running back, there’s no question about it, and they rolled when he got in there,” Port Angeles coach Tom Wahl said. “They just one-two punched us there.”
Of course, Wiker also steadied a passing game that struggled to gain big yards in the first half, throwing for 73 yards on 9-of-14 passing.
“[Jack] really pumps people up and makes everyone do better,” Yasumura said.
“He’s that kind of leader that we all look for.”
Quick turnaround
Port Angeles was dealt a rough hand having to play a pigtail playoff four days after facing Sequim.
But those mourning the Roughriders’ misfortune ought to look over to the West End to see a true raw deal.
The Forks Spartans had to travel to Elma on Friday to fight their way into the postseason with a 14-13 win.
Their reward: a three-way Kansas City tie-breaker with Elma and Rainier on Monday in Aberdeen.
Obviously, that’s not even enough time to get a full practice in. Yikes.
Quick hits
■ The crowd size for Friday’s Port Angeles-Sequim game paled in comparison to the one from a year ago (4,200-plus.)
While an official attendance figure was not available, there were several empty bleacher seats around the field, especially on the Port Angeles side.
I suppose that’s what happens when people jump off the bandwagon.
■ The report on Frank Catelli’s commitment to play Air Force on Page B1 of Friday’s PDN included a factual error.
While Catelli is the first North Olympic Peninsula high school football player recruited to play for a Division I-A school since Forks’ Pat Bennett (2001-04), he is not the first to suit up for one since then.
Former Port Angeles lineman Josh Sanford walked on at Oregon in 2009 after starting for College of Siskiyous in California.
He played in games against UCLA and Portland State in 2010.
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Matt Schubert is the outdoors and sports columnist for the Peninsula Daily News. His column regularly appears on Thursdays and Fridays. He can be reached at matt.schubert@peninsuladailynews.com.
