SEQUIM — Olympic Peninsula Eagles owner Mike McMahan knows the Snohomish County Thunder.
As the team’s offensive/defensive coordinator for the last three seasons, you might even say he has the inside information.
It’s an advantage McMahan thinks might just boost his Eagles to a victory in both semipro football teams’ season opener Saturday at 5 p.m. at Sequim High School.
“I know a lot of those guys really well,” said McMahan, who returned to take over the ownership of the Eagles this offseason.
“One of their quarterbacks I’ve basically taught how to be a quarterback from scratch.”
And the Thunder’s offensive coordinator Mike Haggett?
“We’ve been best buds for 20-something years and played together since the mid-80s,” McMahan said. “He’s learned a lot from me, so it’s kind of like the teacher [versus] pupil.
“We have a similar style, but it’s going to come down to who executes it and who runs their style better.”
Indeed, both teams will run the same pro-style offense with two running backs and one tight end.
McMahan has spent the better part of three months installing it into the Eagles attack during the offseason, while also recruiting enough players to make it hum.
Among his major recruits were former Sequim High School quarterback Kenny Hall and ex Division I running back Ryan Swindle (Illinois State).
Hall was the Eagles’ starting quarterback for three seasons before taking a year off last spring.
McMahan was the one who convinced him to come back.
“This is a great group of players. Everyone is really competitive,” Hall said after the a team scrimmage in late March.
“This is comparative to my second year when we went to the championship and lost. That’s how good we look right now.”
Defensive coordinator J. Piper has some talent to work with in his 4-4 scheme as well.
Former Clallam Bay standout defensive backs Eric Johnson and Zak Greene help anchor the secondary while linebacker Jesse Mitchell of Joyce should add big hits.
“If we shut their running game down and force them to pass, I think we’re going to kill them,” McMahan said of the Thunder.
The Eagles will suit up the league maximum 46 players for the Cascade Football League opener.
It’s a number that would have been almost unheard of a season ago, when the Eagles struggled to get more than 30 players in uniform for games in Port Townsend.
As a result, they were often blown out of games by halftime, missing the playoffs in the process.
“We had more guys show up for Thursday night practice than showed up at games last year,” McMahan said.
“We’ve got veterans and starters who are coming out and making practices. We’re going to be a good team this year.”
A canned food drive for Sequim Food Bank will be part of the admission to Saturday’s game.
Fans who donate three items of nonperishable food items will get $3 off the admission price.
Tickets will cost $5 with the food, compared to the regular $8 admission fee.
Student admission will be $2 with the three cans of food.
“These two teams are extremely evenly matched, and it’s going to be a good hard-hitting game,” McMahan said.
“It’s just as good as watching the Seahawks, but I think these guys love the game more than some of those other guys do, because they are banging their bodies around and not getting paid.”
