Coupeville Sports

Davin Houston, seen last year, snagged a touchdown pass Friday in Tacoma. (David Somes photo)

The location? Impressive. The final score? Not so much.

The Coupeville High School football squad traveled to the wilds of Tacoma Saturday for its season opener, squaring off with non-conference foe Annie Wright at Stadium Bowl.

With its impressive architecture and water views, the joint, which sprawls next to Stadium High School, has hosted everyone from Teddy Roosevelt to Babe Ruth to Heath Ledger dancing his way through “10 Things I Hate About You.”

Stadium Bowl, in all its glory. (Stephanie Blas photo)

Unfortunately for the Wolves, a viewing of that much-beloved 1999 film would have left them happier than their rematch with the Gators did.

A year after demolishing Annie Wright 51-6 on Whidbey, this time it was Coupeville which came up on the short end of a 25-7 contest.

The game, which was delayed due to lightning in the second half — the Wolves returned home on a 1:00 AM ferry — was a defensive struggle until late.

Annie Wright held a narrow 2-0 lead at the half, thanks to a safety off of a blocked punt, then added a second safety in the third quarter.

That 4-0 deficit turned into a 10-0 gap after the Gators used a big kickoff return to set up a short touchdown pass.

Coupeville held tough, however, forcing Annie Wright to miss the PAT. When a penalty gave the hosts a second shot, they went for a two-point conversion, but the Wolves stuffed them short of the promised land.

The Wolves finally got on the scoreboard when senior quarterback Chase Anderson connected with Davin Houston on a 10-yard scoring strike, before the gunslinger tacked on the extra point.

That was as close as CHS would get, however, as Annie Wright used a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to stretch the final margin out.

While the 2B Wolves came up short against their 1A foes, they did get solid play across the board from a variety of players, with Marquette Cunningham, Jackson Sollars, and Liam Blas among those making their presence felt on defense.

Sollars, in particular, was a handful, creating havoc time and again in the Annie Wright backfield after crashing through the line.

Coupeville, which plays its first four games against 1A opponents, hosts Cascade (Leavenworth) Friday, Sept. 12 in the home opener. Kickoff is set for 6:00 PM.