Wiley Hesselgrave (10) caught a TD pass in a playoff game as a freshman. If Coupeville wins Friday, he can make it back to the postseason as a senior. (John Fisken photo)
There’s no two ways about it.
Seriously. There are four options, and only one works.
What we’re talking about is getting the Coupeville High School football team into the playoffs, and, while it’s become more of a long shot in the last week, it’s still possible.
Long story short, if the Wolf defense had not surrendered a touchdown with 1.6 seconds to play last Friday, losing 14-9 to Chimacum, we would not be having this conversation.
A Homecoming win and Coupeville would have punched its ticket to the postseason.
But, it didn’t happen and the Wolves and Cowboys now sit in a third-place tie at 1-4 in 1A Olympic League play, with one conference game left to play.
League champ Port Townsend and Klahowya are in, and the league’s final berth goes to whichever school claims third.
And, while the advantage was firmly Coupeville’s last week, that’s no longer the case.
If the two teams finish in a tie, the tiebreaker, which is point differential in head-to-head games, goes to Chimacum.
The Wolves won the first meeting 28-26, but their five-point loss Friday means they lose that tiebreaker by three points.
So, heading into Friday — Coupeville at Klahowya and Port Townsend at Chimacum — there are four possible finishes:
Option 1: Coupeville and Chimacum both win.
Option 2: Coupeville and Chimacum both lose.
Option 3: Chimacum wins, Coupeville loses.
Option 4: Coupeville wins, Chimacum loses.
In the first three scenarios, Chimacum goes to the playoffs and Coupeville, after a non-conference game against Concrete Oct. 30, will get a season-ending crossover game against another non-playoff team.
Or, option four hits and the Wolves are playoff bound Nov. 6 or 7 and will travel to face Cascade Christian.
Let’s face it, option 1 and 3 aren’t going to happen, because there is no way possible the Cowboys beat a Port Townsend team that is 7-0 and has outscored its opponents 342-12.
Even with big-time weapons Wesley Wheeler and Ezra Easley out with injuries, the RedHawks are going to roll. Bet the farm on that.
So, the ball is firmly back in Coupeville’s court.
Do what they could not do last year — beat Klahowya in a season finale with a postseason berth on the line — and the Wolves are a playoff team.
In the words of legendary former Raiders owner Al Davis … just win, baby.
Cause that’s your only option.
