Dominic Coffman will run over you, not around you. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
Ka-Chunk!
It is the sound I most associate with Dominic Coffman, as he chose to frequently run over, and not around, would-be tacklers on the football field.
During his time reppin’ the black and red for the Wolves, the 2023 Coupeville High School grad piled up his fair share of yards and touchdowns, and he did it by living up to the standard set by the program’s premier running back, Ian Barron.
Like the man who holds every school record associated with rushing, Coffman chose violence, and left a trail of battered and bruised rivals in his wake.
Fancy cuts are fine, sprinting for the sideline, then dodging a tackler to step out of bounds can be effective.
The Dominator, like Barron, was content to leave those moves to others, however.
Give him the damn football and get out of the way.
During his stellar senior season, when he captured Northwest 2B/1B League MVP honors while sparking Coupeville football to its first league title and trip to state in three-decades-plus, Coffman got most of his yards AFTER impact.
It took multiple tacklers to wrestle him to the ground on most carries, and if your grip slipped for a second, you were likely on your back, watching him inflict more carnage downfield.
Not that Coffman was a one-hit wonder.
He also had sticky fingers when it came to catching passes, and was a hellion on defense, steam erupting from his body on fall nights as he scared the bejesus out of rival QB’s.
The 2022 edition of Wolf football can make an argument as the best in program history — though 1990 will want a word — and Coffman, teamed with Scott Hilborn, Tim Ursu, Daylon Houston, and a host of others, were the senior core.
Enjoying Senior Night with his family. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
A leader on and off the field, Coffman was rewarded with an invitation to the Earl Barden Classic, the state all-star game for small-school standouts, and he made his presence felt while lining up with a who’s who of gridiron giants.
Now the game is carrying him to Spain, where he will be suiting up for a semi-pro team playing American football.
They will know him soon, by the bruises he inflicts.
As intense as he can be on the football field, Coffman is a fairly soft-spoken dude off of the gridiron, and has always struck me as an intelligent, well-spoken young man.
The first time I came into contact with him was when, as a middle schooler, he informed me that if I had any photos of him playing sports, I should send them to him.
Younger, but already intense. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
After that, we spoke at a tennis match where he was camped out as a fan, and I couldn’t help but come away impressed with him.
He was that kid who grew up loving sports, not in a small way, but in a BIG way.
More than one coach told me stories about him having to be chased inside by teachers as he got every last second of enjoyment out of recess.
I once got detention for purposefully ignoring the bell, and continuing to play basketball — in a driving rainstorm — so I know where Dominic comes from.
As good a football player as he is, he was absolutely what a small-town school needs, playing three sports and playing them well.
On the basketball court, he played like a heat-seeking missile, fighting for rebounds and loose balls like a younger version of Dennis Rodman, while being the loudest member of the Wolf support crew.
Coffman was part of a boys’ basketball team which went 16-0 in the regular season and came dangerously close to toppling top-ranked Kalama at the state tournament.
In fact, he went to the big dance in all three of his sports, also making the trek twice in track and field, while qualifying in both the 4 x 100 relay and high jump both times.
Working with his relay teammates, Coffman brought home a pair of 2nd place medals, helping spur the Wolves to impressive team finishes.
Capping his senior season by shining at the state track meet. (Elizabeth Bitting photo)
As he prepares to head to Spain, let’s take a moment to hail Coffman.
For the high school athletic career he put together, excelling season after season in multiple sports while retaining his joy and drive through difficult times in the world.
And, for always being That Guy — a class act who combined drive and desire, hard work and a refusal to back down, into being one of the most-distinctive student/athletes to ever walk the CHS hallways.
Soon the world will know, but we knew first.
Which is why we’re the first to honor him, but probably not the last.
Today Dominic Coffman throws open the door to the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame, joining fellow Wolf football legends like Ian Barron and Paul Messner, Brad Haslam and Brad Sherman in our lil’ digital shrine.
After this, you’ll find The Dominator up at the top of the blog, under the Legends tab, a fitting testament to a dude who never, ever quit working.
The Dominator. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
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