Football has taken Matthew Kelley from Coupeville to South Whidbey to Anacortes to Oak Harbor. (Pat Kelley photo)
South Whidbey is going to remember Matthew Kelley.
After three successful seasons playing youth football with the Falcons (a combined 26-5 record and two championship games), the Coupeville resident played last year for Anacortes, helping the Seahawks to a 6-2 mark.
This year, he’s back on the Island, playing for Oak Harbor after complaints from South Whidbey parents caused a change in the rules that prevents Whidbey kids from playing off-Island.
When he returned, Kelley chose the Wildcats over the Falcons (his two choices, as Coupeville doesn’t field a youth football team).
Saturday he met back up with South Whidbey, which has won just one game in the past two non-Kelley seasons.
It wasn’t a great reunion for the Falcons.
With Kelley hauling in 140 yards worth of passes, and drilling Falcon runners while on defense, Oak Harbor romped to a 36-0 win to run its record to 8-0.
The Wildcats will carry a #1 seed into the playoffs when they host Burlington Oct. 25.
With Cameron Asinsin lobbing balls his way, Kelley snatched a 60-yard touchdown, then tacked on receptions of 55, 20 and five yards.
He was brought down just shy of two additional touchdowns by a close friend, South Whidbey’s Kobe Balora.
Both wins were shortlived for the Falcons, however, as they surrendered scores shortly thereafter.
Kelley had double digits in tackles, while recording three sacks, stripping the ball to force a fumble and getting an assist on a safety.
He is joined on the ‘Cat squad by fellow Coupeville resident Gavin St Onge, who is a two-way terror as a lineman.
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