Coupeville Sports

   CES 3rd grader Logan Downes (27) and his OH teammates absorb the first loss of their football careers after starting 5-0. (Pat Kelley photos)

  “And I said stay down!!” Downes delivers the “Hand o’ Death” as he sends a defender crashing.

Win or lose, mom is always there for you.

A new Downes rises.

Following in the football footsteps of older brothers Hunter and Sage, Logan Downes, a third grader at Coupeville Elementary School, has burst onto the gridiron scene.

As a starting running back and free safety for the Oak Harbor Pee Wee Wildcats, the youngest Downes has helped guide his squad to a 5-1 record.

With Downes stiff-arming would-be tacklers as he charges down the field — he has eight touchdowns with another four called back by penalties against his blockers — the Wildcats mauled their first five opponents.

The run came to a brief stop this weekend, when a late fumble on a kick return cost Oak Harbor a 20-13 loss to an undefeated Stanwood Red squad.

While the loss stings, it should only be a temporary setback for the multi-talented Downes.

Most of his scoring runs have been of the epic variety, with most covering between 30 and 50 yards.

He’s also a pass-catching threat and is expected to move behind center eventually and become a quarterback like older brother Hunter, a freshman at CHS.

A true two-way player, Logan also combines speed and sure hands to be ruthless when patrolling the secondary from his safety position.