Wolf cheerleaders like Natasha Estes never lost their pep Monday night. (John Fisken photos)
Some of their biggest cheers came when Jonathan Thurston (6), seen here in an earlier game, took a pick-six back 70+ yards.
We’re not going to dwell on the score.
Monday’s JV football game pitted the smallest 1A school in the state (Coupeville) against a much-larger 2A school (Sequim) that boasts three times as many students in its population.
Therefore, if I tell you the visitors departed Whidbey with a 61-20 victory, it’s not a total surprise.
But, we’re not going to dwell on that.
The crowd of fans, which eventually filled a good chunk of the CHS bleachers by midway through the game, didn’t.
The enthusiastic Wolf cheerleaders, who stayed peppy through the cold and the big scoring swings, didn’t.
So, why should we?
Instead, let’s focus on what went right.
Three plays, in particular, stand out. One on defense, one on offense and one on special teams, since the Wolves hit pay dirt with each of their three units.
Down 13-0, Jonathan Thurston revived the Wolf faithful midway through the first quarter when he stepped in front of a Sequim pass.
Snagging it, he juggled the ball for a second, then took his lanky body hurtling down the sideline, one rambling step ahead of his pursuers.
70-odd yards later, he was in the end zone, with the CHS cheerleaders, all 20+ in attendance, running madly to get down and celebrate with Thurston and Co.
Jump forward to the second quarter and it was time for a bit of bedazzlement from Tavian Woolett and the return team.
Snatching the kickoff with conviction, the Wolf freshman took one slow step and then about 31 really quick ones as he took the return to the house, leaving Sequim’s tacklers grasping at air as Woolett flew by like a bolt of lightning.
Coupeville capped their scoring ways with a fourth quarter hookup between freshman QB Shane Losey and ultra-slippery Cameron Toomey-Stout.
Having spent a chunk of the game on the sideline with a hurting wrist, Toomey-Stout, the matinee idol of Wolf football, made ’em swoon one more time, diving into the end zone with conviction and just a hint of style.
Hard-charging Jake Hoagland, who had gone down swinging hard on both sides of the ball all night long, powered over the left side for the two-point conversion to close out the scoring.
