That old saying about athletes needing to have short memories? That certainly paid off for Sequim’s Wolves Friday night — to the tune of a 36-0 rout of visiting North Mason, giving Sequim one happy 2023 Homecoming.

“Offensively, we knew we’d do better after last week,” Sequim Sequim quarterback Lars Wiker, who helped the Wolves rebound from a tough, lopsided road loss at Olympic with two touchdown passes and another on the ground against North Mason.

“We knew we had a good scheme,” said the senior signal-caller. “It helps when it’s homecoming.”

After a long drive stalled near the goal-line to start the game, Sequim (2-3 in Olympic League, 2-4 overall) got on the scoreboard with a four-play, 50-yard drive that included a highlight reel 38-yard pass from Wiker to Zeke Schmadeke.

Wiker sliced through the Bulldog defense from five yards out for a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter.

After forcing a North Mason punt, Schmadeke made the Bulldogs pay with a 62-yard punt return to paydirt.

“Definitely great blocking,” Schmadeke said of how he was able to score on the return. “I saw one hole and that was it.”

Sequim’s defense bottled up the Bulldog offense for most of the night, holding the visitors from Belfair to just 35 rushing yards by game’s end.

North Mason, however, threatened to close the gap with a 10-minute drive to open the second half. Sequim’s defense held, and the Wolves responded with a 93-yard drive that included 18- and 26-yard runs by Liam Wiker.

Lars Wiker found Adrian Aragon from 16 yards out for a 21-0 Sequim lead.

With 4:33 left, Sequim added another Wiker-to-Schmadeke connection, this time finding the end zone from 28 yards out.

Schmadeke finished with seven catches for 138 yards.

“He made some great catches,” Wiker said of his teammate.

Linebacker Andrew Keeler put the proverbial icing on the cake, picking off a Bulldog pass and returning it for 64 yards and a score.

“They’ve got fast big dudes [but] we put it all together,” Sequim coach Erik Wiker said.

“I think it was just our energy; we all play together,” Schmadeke said.

Erik Wiker had high praise for a number of younger players, many of whom have less than two years of football experience.

In particular, Wiker said Sam Shinkle had a strong game. Normally a linebacker, Schmadeke found himself struggling to find playing time, so coaches moved the 168-pounder to defensive tackle. Against north Mason, Shinkle had at least two tackles for losses and a sack.

“He just embraced [the new role],” Wiker said of Shinkle.

The Sequim coach said Simon Skribner, Nemo Guzman and Ayden Holland had strong games as well.

Liam Wiker, a sophomore, led the team with 106 rushing yards.

Lars said it’s “pretty sweet” to play with Liam, his younger brother.

“It [can be] annoying, but at the end of the day, it’s a blessing,” Lars Wiker said.

Looking ahead

Sequim will host class 2A No. 3-ranked North Kitsap on Oct. 20.

The Wolves finish the regular season Oct. 27 at 10th-ranked Bremerton.

at Sequim 36, North Mason 0

Scoring:

2nd quarter

S — La. Wiker 5 run (Henninger kick), 8:18

S — Schmadeke 64 punt return (Henninger kick), 5:34

4th quarter

S — Aragon 28 pass from La. Wiker (Henninger kick), 11:51

S — Schmadeke 28 pass from La. Wiker (Elias pass from La. Wiker), 4:33

S — Keller 64 interception return (Henninger kick)

Statistics

Total yards — Sequim 301 (170 passing, 131 rushing); North Mason 215 (180 passing, 35 rushing)

Passing — S: La. Wiker 10-18, 170 yards, 2 TDs

Rushing — S: Li. Wiker 14-106; La. Wiker 6-25, TD

Receiving — S: Schmadeke 7-138, TD; Arago 2-29, TD; Elias 1-17

First downs — Sequim 11, North Mason 10

Third down — Sequim 2-6, North Mason 1-10

Fourth down — Sequim 1-3, North Mason 3-5

Penalties — Sequin 6-50, North Mason 8-80

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Sequim’s Nemo Guzman (76) and teammates stop North Mason for a loss in the Wolves’ 36-0 Olympic League victory on Oct. 13. The Wolves held the Bulldogs to just 35 yards rushing.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Sequim’s Liam Wiker, center, finds a gaping hole in the North Mason defense in the second half of Sequim’s 36-0 win on Oct. 13. Wiker led the team with 106 yards on 14 carries.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Sequim’s Sam Shinkle (30) makes a stop on a North Mason running back in the Wolves’ 36-0 shutout of the Bulldogs on Oct. 13. Shinkle made the transition from lineback to defensive tackle and had a big game, with two tackles for losses and a sack.