Joel Walstad is the #3 passer in 1A and he’s healthy again. (John Fisken photos)
Wiley Hesselgrave, here cradling the ball after a reception, has been a two-way terror for the Wolves.
How many marbles? All the marbles.
The Coupeville High School football season comes down to this — one 48-minute bout on its home turf.
Coming off of three straight road games, the Wolves (4-3 overall, 3-2 in Olympic League play) host Klahowya (3-4, 3-2) tonight for Homecoming.
The town’s annual parade is at 2 PM, starting at the school and heading down Main Street to Front Street.
Kickoff is at 5:30 and the rules are simple.
Win and you’re in the playoffs. Lose and you’re not.
Barring an upset of epic proportions, Port Townsend (5-2, 4-1) will blow out Chimacum (0-7, 0-5) tonight and claim the first football title awarded in the new four-team league.
That leaves the Wolves and Eagles playing for the second playoff berth, which would send them on the road to play the #1 team from the Nisqually League (likely Cascade Christian) Nov. 7 or 8.
Win or lose, Coupeville will wrap its regular season Oct. 31 with a non-conference game at Concrete.
While the Wolves were rolled 49-6 the first time they faced Klahowya this season, there are multiple reasons to believe they can gain some revenge tonight.
First, they’ve shown they can drop a beat-down on a big-time opponent when everything is clicking.
Unlike Klahowya, Coupeville was the lone Olympic League team to take down Port Townsend this season.
The Eagles were drubbed in both of their match-ups with the Redhawks, while the Wolves stepped up and knocked PTHS down hard the first time the schools faced.
Second, CHS is healthier than it has been in awhile.
Quarterback Joel Walstad, the #3 passer in 1A, has recovered from a hip pointer that made it hard for him to plant when throwing.
Carson Risner, Oscar Liquidano, Aaron Wright? All playing. Lathom Kelley (hand injury) is expected to be the only starter out.
Third, emotion.
It’s Homecoming and Coupeville will also honor former player Adam Garcia, murdered at 21 last week, prior to the game.
Fourth, the Wolves need to prove the computers wrong again.
ScoreCzar.org has Klahowya pulling out a 29-20 win. But the computers picked Port Townsend the first time around, and Coupeville shocked the world.
Fifth, Josh Bayne is running wild, currently the #2 rusher in 1A and #6 in all classifications, with 1,038 yards (he’s topped Jake Tumblin, who snagged 1,016 last season).
Awesome Joshsome is ready to erupt.
And last, and certainly not least, this is our town, our night.
Seven seniors (Wright, Risner, Isaac Vargas, Liquidano, Walstad, Bayne and Matt Shank) have a chance to exit as immortals.
Cow Town doesn’t bow down. Not tonight, not ever.
Coupeville Sports 