Coupeville Sports

  Wolf quarterback Gunnar Langvold discusses strategy with coach Tony Maggio, pre-injury. (Shelli Trumbull photos)

Carson Risner (55) leads the Wolf line.

Ouch.

A week of nagging injuries caught up with the Coupeville High School football squad Friday night, and then got worse.

Playing without key offensive players Jake Tumblin, Brett Arnold, Wade Schaef and Lathom Kelley (Schaef had a family matter, but the other three running backs were all battling aches and pains of varying degrees), the Wolves — a run-first, second and third team — decided to air it out in a five-receiver set in their non-conference game at Port Townsend.

Then starting quarterback Gunnar Langvold went down with a bad sprain on the first offensive series, and the already-crumbling world fell out from beneath Tony Maggio’s team.

By the time the host Redskins were done putting on their own display of running prowess, Coupeville had absorbed a 41-0 drubbing, an almost complete reversal of their season-opening victory over Bellevue Christian.

Now 1-1, the Wolves will attempt to get healthy in a hurry before they host Lynden Christian next Friday, Sept. 20.

Early reports indicate Langvold will be out 3-4 days.

Without their senior signal-caller operating behind center Carson Risner, junior Josh Bayne slid over from his wing position and scrambled for his life against a revved-up Port Townsend defense. He eventually threw for 140 yards, with key completions to receivers such as Tyree Booker, but couldn’t get Coupeville into the end zone.

The Redskins responded by double and triple teaming the heart of the Wolf defense, Nick Streubel, and pounded away for six scores, all on the ground.

After Matt Cain hit pay dirt on consecutive 10-yard scoring runs, senior quarterback Jacob King broke off touchdown jaunts of 56, 30 and 26 yards.

Port Townsend capped its night and lifted its 2013 record to a shiny 2-0 after Dominick Zack hauled tail 83 yards for a final touchdown. The freshman broke free on a fourth and one from his own 17 and went all the way on his very first carry as a high school varsity player.

Coupeville’s defense did have its moments, picking off two passes and forcing a fumble.

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The Big Hurt (Wolf lineman Nick Streubel) rocks the fashion runway for game day. (Nanette Streubel photo)

The nattily-attired Wolves are ready to rumble.

Riding high off a 32-0 win over Bellevue Christian in its home opener, the Coupeville High School football squad is off to take the short ferry ride to Port Townsend Friday night for another non-conference tilt.

The host Redskins will enter the game with an identical 1-0 mark after roughing up Granite Falls 28-13 in their opener.

Most important fact of the day: the game kicks off at 5:30 PM, not the usual 7.

The realities of ferry rides, and not wanting to have an entire town stuck on the other side of the water after missing the last ferry, require the early start time.

So now you know, and skipping out of work early to catch the ferry is half the battle.

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Ramon Booker made a strong debut Monday, throwing for two touchdowns.

There are 11 men on a football field at one time. Which didn’t leave a lot of extra bodies on the sideline Monday.

Playing with just 13 players — five of whom were playing their first game at any level — the Coupeville High School JV football team came dangerously close to upending visiting Bellevue Christian.

In the end, however, a crucial turnover deep in the red zone snuffed out the chances of the Wolves, and they fell 19-12 in their season opener.

Freshman quarterback Ramon Booker came out flingin’, throwing for two touchdown passes and the game was knotted at 12 deep into the fourth quarter.

Anthony Bergeron and Joel Walstad hauled in Booker’s scoring throws, while Cole Payne was a key target for the freshman signal-caller all night.

While he might have liked a few more bodies at his disposal, JV coach Dustin Van Velkinburgh exited the game pleased with the effort put out by the players who did make it on the field.

“We threw the ball well, ran alright,” Van Velkinburgh said. “Had trouble stopping their run, but only because we couldn’t tackle.

“Lots of good things to build on,” he added. “Super excited to see where we go from here.”

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Nick “The Big Hurt” Streubel. (Nanette Streubel photo)

Nick Streubel was the biggest player on the field Friday night, and he played like it.

The Coupeville High School senior lineman stands six-foot-three and carried 315 pounds when he was deep into lifting season. Currently a rather svelte 285 to increase his speed, the nimble former swimming champ shakes the gridiron when he stomps onto it.

Facing a Bellevue Christian squad whose biggest player tops out at 235, Streubel spent most of opening night rampaging through the Viking line like a wild bull unleashed.

By the time he was done, The Big Hurt had racked up three sacks, three tackles for losses, seven solo tackles and five assists, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

A huge key to Coupeville’s 32-0 win, it earned him selection as one of the top performers of the week by Northwest Elite Index.

Sharing space with players from traditional powerhouses like Tumwater and O’Dea, Streubel gave Whidbey Island a two-fer, as Oak Harbor running back Dejon Devroe was also honored.

For the complete write-up, check out http://www.northwesteliteindex.com/2013/09/08/washingtons-elite-performers-september-8th-2013-by-ryland-spencer/

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