Wolf running sensation Brett Arnold chewed up the Bellevue Christian defense Thursday night like it was made up of 11 Smores wearing football uniforms.
It was almost a perfect opening night.
Despite playing with a super-thin 20-man roster (five of them freshmen who have yet to attend a single class on their new campus), the Coupeville High School football squad pushed host Bellevue Christian to the last play before falling 23-18 Thursday night.
Opening the 2012 season under first-year head coach Tony Maggio super-early — five days before the start of the school year — the Wolves didn’t have a full roster yet due to players missing practices. Coupeville expects to suit 36 players for its second game.
Those who were in uniform Thursday night made their presence felt, however, with Brett Arnold and Bryce Fleming putting a bang into the team’s new Wing-T offense. Arnold, playing for the first time since his father, Coupeville Living Hope Foursquare Church Pastor Garrett Arnold, began his recovery from a devastating spinal injury, ran wild, chewing up 166 yards on 19 carries.
Fleming was equally superb, and sometimes far more deadly, churning for 101 yards and three touchdowns (a fourth was called back by an apparently blind referee) on a mere eight carries. He also flung what could have been a game-breaking pass, as well, but Coupeville’s receiver, who had the defense beat by 40 yards, bobbled the ball and watched it skip off of his fingers.
The Wolves rambled for 320 yards on the ground (Josh Bayne added 45 yards, while Gunnar Langvold notched eight), using misdirection and coldly efficient runs to dismantle the big city boys. But, in the end, miscues such as the dropped ball, a string of penalties (seven for 75 yards) and a limited passing attack (Langvold was 2-for-13 for 24 yards in his debut behind center) tripped up the Wolves’ best efforts to make Maggio’s debut a winning one.
Kole Kellison (12 yards) and Bayne (12 yards) hauled in Langvold’s successful heaves.
The Wolf defense did its part, as well, forcing four turnovers. Arnold and Bayne picked off Bellevue Christian passes, while linemen Caleb Valko and Nick Streubel collected fumble recoveries. Fleming led all tacklers with nine, while Kellison brought down opposing players seven times. Arnold, Korbin Korzan and Streubel each amassed six tackles.
Rounding out the hard-hitting Wolf tacklers were Carson Risner (four tackles), Bayne (four), Langvold (three), Ben Haight (one), Anthony Maggio (one), Wade Schaef (one) and Aaron Wright (one).
Coupeville, with a full roster, returns to action next Friday, Sept. 7 with a home opener against Port Townsend. Kickoff is 5:30, to allow the visitors plenty of time to catch the ferry home after absorbing the inevitable loss.
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