Gunnar Langvold. Has there ever been a better first name for a quarterback?
When Gunnar Langvold is healthy, he’s a pretty darn good football player.
The only trouble has been keeping the Coupeville High School junior, who doubles as a quarterback and safety, in one piece. A concussion suffered against Nooksack Valley knocked him out of two games and he’s now expected to miss this week’s South Whidbey showdown after being in a car accident.
But, in the first four games of the season, when all the body parts were working the way they were supposed to, he had a pretty good run in his first time under center as the Wolf starting signal caller. Running the wing-t, which puts an emphasis on running, Langvold was precise enough with his passing to keep defenses guessing.
He completed 15 passes for 170 yards, with a long of 28, while also churning his legs for 70 yards and three touchdowns on just 16 carries.
While he’s enjoyed his success on the field, not being in uniform has eaten away at him a bit.
“The transition has gone very well since it was my first year and there wasn’t that difficult of an offense to learn,” Langvold said. “I have been proud of the way I’ve played, just not about the decisions I’ve made off the field.
“My goals for the rest of the season are to get my spot back, throw for more than 100 yards, upset King’s and focus on getting good grades and becoming a better football player,” he added.
A quick hard-hitter who first made his impact felt in the team’s secondary, Langvold won a quarterback competition in the preseason. He replaced Jake Tumblin, who moved to the wing in Coupeville’s new-look offense, and showed good leadership skills when he could stay upright.
“My strengths as a QB are being able to see who’s open,” Langvold said. “But I would like to work on getting air under the ball to allow my receivers to get under it and make a play.
“Only time, practice and dedication can make me a better athlete.”
Away from the field, Langvold, who enjoys a diverse range of music (“I like to listen to soft songs, hip hop and classic rock”) and shows good taste in movies by picking the very-funny “21 Jump Street” as a favorite, can be found with his head under the hood of a car most days.
“I like to work on cars and restore them with my dad,” Langvold said. “I love Chevys and hate Fords and I love classic cars, mainly Camaros.”
For now, his biggest project is staying healthy and continuing to refine his football skills. With part of a season left and a full senior campaign ahead in which to impress coaches and scouts, he wouldn’t mind if his talent drew some interest at the college level.
But, most of all, he appreciates those who have helped get him to this point in time.
“I don’t really know what’s gonna happen after school at the moment,” Langvold said. “I wouldn’t mind playing at the next level, but my family does not have the money to send me through college; if it’s possible to get a scholarship, I would love to play college ball.
“I would like to thank my friends, family, coaches and The Lord for getting me where I’m at today and making me a better person.”
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