Gridiron playoff dream denied

Feeds:: Posts; Comments

Gridiron playoff dream denied

November 4, 2024 by David Svien

Hunter Bronec was one of five seniors on a Coupeville High School football team which finished 5-4. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

A strong season ended on a bit of a sour note.

Thanks to a 35-0 loss to Friday Harbor in a tiebreaker half-game played Monday on a neutral field in La Conner, the Coupeville High School football team is headed to the showers.

The Wolves finish 5-4 on the season, while the Wolverines, who are 3-5, advance to play Pe Ell-Willapa Valley (5-4) in a loser-out, winner-to-state game.

Monday’s rumble on a rain-slicked field didn’t change anyone’s win/loss record, but it did determine bragging rights and settle the chase for District 1’s lone postseason berth for 2B teams.

The clash consisted of two 12-minute halves and was necessary since Coupeville and Friday Harbor, the only Northwest 2B/1B League teams playing 11-man football, split their season series.

CHS won the first meeting 18-5 in Cow Town, while Friday Harbor bounced back to take the regular season finale 17-13 on its home turf on Halloween night.

While those two contests were close, Monday’s rubber match was not.

Friday Harbor came out with a simple plan – run, run, and run some more. And it worked.

The Wolverines chewed up five-plus minutes on the opening possession of the game before punching in a touchdown on a short run.

Then, after Coupeville went three-and-out, Friday Harbor went right back to operating a battering ram-style offense, scoring again with a hair over two minutes left in the “first half.”

The Wolf defense played with intensity all season.

Trailing 14-0 at the break, the Wolf offense never really got untracked on the slick La Conner field, and the score got lopsided in the second half.

CHS quarterback Chase Anderson scrambled every which way but loose, and also pegged a couple of successful passes, but Coupeville was ultimately shut out for the first time this season.

While things didn’t end the way they wanted, the Wolves still put together a strong campaign.

Wins over Annie Wright, Klahowya, Cedar Park Christian-Bothell, Friday Harbor, and Winlock give Coupeville its second winning season under third-year coach Bennett Richter.

Monday marked the end of the road for Wolf seniors Marcelo Gebhard, Zander Pulliam, Jack Porter, Hunter Bronec, Johnny Porter, and manager Matthew Campbell.

Coupeville can return five of the eight players who scored this season, however, led by Anderson and Davin Houston, who combined for 17 touchdowns.

Chase Anderson racked up 99 points as Coupeville’s quarterback/kicker.

Final season scoring stats:

Touchdowns:

Chase Anderson – 12
Jack Porter – 8
Davin Houston – 5
Johnny Porter – 4
Liam Blas – 2
Hunter Bronec – 2
Marquette Cunningham – 2
Richmond Bandong – 1