Scott Hilborn scored four touchdowns Friday, all on plays of 48+ yards, as Coupeville demolished La Conner. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
These are dark days in La Conner.
A football program which has been the pride of the Northwest 2B/1B League for decades is seemingly in shambles after being blasted in back-to-back weeks.
First Friday Harbor slammed the Braves 63-0, then Friday night it was Coupeville’s turn, as the Wolves defended their home turf with a blistering 51-0 triumph.
The convincing win, in which five different players scored a touchdown, lifts CHS to 1-0 in league play, 1-2 overall.
It also sets up a showdown next Friday, Oct. 1, when Coupeville travels to Friday Harbor to face a Wolverines team which is 1-0 in league, 2-2 overall.
CHS, chasing its first football league title since 1990, has a rematch with La Conner Oct. 15, and closes the regular season at home Oct. 28 against Friday Harbor.
Mixed in there is Homecoming Oct. 22, with non-league foe Cascade (Leavenworth) the featured foe.
Friday night’s one-sided showdown with La Conner featured a lot of penalties from both sides — Coupeville twice had touchdowns waved off thanks to flags — but it wasn’t enough to derail the Wolves.
CHS scored six touchdowns in its season opener, coming within one play of upending Klahowya.
Week two brought a matchup with next door neighbor South Whidbey which was tied until a fateful series of errors right before halftime.
After getting an unexpected bye week last Friday when a storm prevented them from making it to Port Townsend, a well-rested Coupeville squad finally put it all all together against La Conner.
There were stars everywhere, with sophomore quarterback Logan Downes passing for a touchdown, running for another, and picking off two passes while playing defense.
Or take a gander at Daylon Houston, who took a pick-six in for a touchdown and still found time to kick three PAT’s which sailed far into the inky blackness of the night.
Or youngsters like Mikey Robinett and Johnny Porter, making names for themselves, or grizzled veterans like Brian Casey, William Davidson, and Jonathan Valenzuela, delivering ear-ringing licks on defense.
William Davidson delivers big hits, and big life messages. (Submitted photo)
All worthy of praise, and all deserving to celebrate their win as some of their classmates sprinted by, waving flags and poppin’ bottles.
But on this night, on this patch of turf, one young man towered above them all.
Scott Hilborn is a successful baseball and football player, a guy, who like older brother Matt, is the kind of low-key, rock-solid dude every coach appreciates.
The younger of the brothers is a lot like mom Wendi, as both are hard workers who get the job done day in and day out, quietly going about their business without feeling a need to break their hand patting themselves on the back.
Friday night, Scott was about as good as any Wolf gridiron star has been on a given night since back in the days when Ian Barron made rival players soil their pants trying to tackle him.
Six times Hilborn plunged into the end zone, and four of them were upheld by the refs, with penalties by other Wolves erasing scores twice in a three-play span.
What should have been a pick-six became just a pick, then two plays later an 18-yard ramble to the end zone was also wiped out by an unwelcome flash of yellow.
If he was frustrated by the occasional confusion around him, Hilborn never showed it, remaining content to score four times — with each of those touchdowns covering about half the field.
He busted out a 48-yard run off a pitch in the first quarter, took a punt back 51 yards in the second frame, then tacked on two more scores in the third.
First Hilborn reeled in a pass from Downes before shredding multiple defenders while covering a solid 48 yards to the end zone.
Then he capped his night with a 50-yard scoring run in which he simply pivoted left, before imitating an 18-wheeler turning everything in its path into roadkill.
In between the Scott Show, Coupeville got a short touchdown run from Downes, stretching a 6-0 first quarter lead to 18-0 at the half, then 32-0 through three quarters.
After Wolf fans serenaded assistant coach Bennet Richter with an off-key, but enthusiastic rendition of “Happy Birthday,” Coupeville made sure La Conner felt the full sting.
Dominic Coffman, who handed out bruises all night long, crashed in for a 12-yard TD run, before Robinett’s power running pushed the ball right on top of the goal line.
Making his varsity debut along with twin brother Jack, freshman Johnny Porter covered the final two yards on the drive for a touchdown which caused dad Jeff to pop every last button on his shirt.
Johnny Porter acts like he’s been there before after scoring his first high school touchdown. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
Houston delivered the final dagger, grabbing Coupeville’s fourth interception of the night — Robinett also recovered a fumble — and zipping in for a crowd-approved pick-six.
Even playing without leading rusher Tim Ursu, who is recovering from an injury, Coupeville dominated on the ground all night long.
Whether it was Hilborn, Coffman, Downes, Valenzuela, or the young guns, everyone in a Wolf uniform who took a handoff got the job done.
“We’re trying to be more explosive, and everyone ran hard tonight,” Coupeville coach Marcus Carr said.
Already counting the hours until next week’s clash with Friday Harbor, the Wolf gridiron guru had a determined gleam in his eye.
Or maybe that was whatever he was sprayed with by the celebrating CHS students.
“Friday Harbor runs the ball well,” Carr said. “We’ll need to be physical with them. We’re looking forward to it.”
