In a battle of teams with similar mascots, there was little common ground between Sequim and Coupeville on Friday night.
Sequim got touchdowns from five different players and kept the visiting 1A Wolves from pay dirt in a 41-0 home opener on Sept. 11.
Despite the win, Sequim head coach Erik Wiker wasn’t pleased with several aspects of the game — namely, a slew of penalties that gave a little life to Coupeville in the second half.
“We call them ‘My bads,’” Wiker said, after watching his team accrue 11 infractions for 90 yards. “That’s the part that is upsetting. Our own mistakes can cost us the game.”
Not in this one, however. For the second consecutive week playing a smaller (1A) foe, the Wolves dominated both sides of the ball. Led by dual-quarterback combo Nick Faunce and Riley Cowan, the Wolves pounced to a 27-0 lead by halftime. In all, Sequim out-gained Coupeville 348-61.
Spearheading the Sequim defense was senior linebacker Chris Whitaker who terrorized Coupeville running backs and quarterbacks with relentless blitzes through an overmatched CHS offensive line.
“Whitaker is a very committed kid,” Wiker said of his linebacker. “He’s also very experienced. He really wants to be good; he watches film.”
On the offensive side of the ball, Faunce and Cowan moved the Wolves swiftly downfield for six scoring drives and sophomore Gavin Velarde capped two of them with scores.
The win moves Sequim to 2-0 after a big victory against Chimacum in week one.
Starting strong
Sequim’s Wolves opened the scoring when Faunce scrambled in from 11 yards out for a 7-0 lead just three-and-a-half minutes in.
SHS looked to have a big special teams play when Ethan Richmond blocked a punt, but the turnover was negated thanks to a Sequim penalty. No matter, however: Sequim’s defense forced a punt a few minutes later and Cowan found Richmond from 34 yards out for a 14-0 advantage.
Cowan, who finished 8-for-12 for 138 yards, tossed a strike to Velarde for a 31-yard score with 10:14 remaining in the first half.
Arnold Black, who earlier in the game lost a fumble, found a bit of redemption with a 15-yard scoring rumble through the Coupeville defense with 32 seconds before halftime, giving Sequim a 27-0 lead.
A Kane Stoddard interception set up Velarde’s 11-yard scoring scamper in the third quarter to make it 34-0, and Jayden Gresli plunged in from a yard out to cap the scoring in the fourth quarter.
Faunce, who split time evenly with Cowan during the first two non-league games, said it’s tough not playing each down under center, but that he understands the strategy of a two quarterback system.
“These are the kids I’ve been playing with forever,” Faunce said of his teammates.
Faunce said penalties were the most frustrating part of an otherwise strong effort Friday night.
“We do a pretty good job in adversity,” he said. “We’ve got to step it up (for league).”
Schedule toughens
Sequim enters Olympic League play this week, with an away game at Kingston on Sept. 18 before hosting defending league champ North Kitsap on Sept. 25.
Game time for both match-ups is 7 p.m.
“We’ll focus even more on our team than anyone else,” Wiker said. If the Sequim does that, their head coach said, “they can beat any team in the league. They believe they have the talent.”
• Sept. 11
at Sequim 41, Coupeville 0
First quarter
S — Faunce 11 run (Winfield kick), 8:39
S — Richmond 34 pass from Cowan (Winfield kick), 4:35
Second quarter
S — Velarde 31 pass from Cowan (Winfield kick), 10:14
S — Black 15 run (kick failed), 0:32
Third quarter
S — Velarde 11 run (Winfield kick), 10:17
Fourth quarter
S — Gresli 1 run (Winfield kick), 9:36
Individual, team stats:
First downs — Sequim 11, Coupeville 8
3rd down — Sequim 6-9, Coupeville 1-13
4th down — Sequim 0-1, Coupeville 2-6
Total yards — Sequim 348 (165 passing, 183 rushing), Coupeville 61 (94 passing, -33 rushing)
Passing — Sequim: Riley Cowan 8-12, 138 yards, 2 TDs; Nick Faunce 6-10, 37 yards. Coupeville: Hunter Downes 8-13, 73 yards, INT; Gabe Eck 3-7, 16 yards; C.J. Smith 1-1, 14 yards
Rushing — Sequim: Arnold Black 8-43, TD; Gavin Velarde 3-35, TD; Hayden Gresli 2-33, TD; Keeshawn Whitney 3-33; Mark Feeney 5-33; Faunce 2-8, TD; Cowan 1-1; Austin Hilliard 1-(-3). Coupeville: Eck 8-12; Jacob Martin 9-9; W. Hesselgrave 2-6; Hunter Smith 4-2; Chris Battaglia 1-2; Mitchell Losey 2-(-9); C. Smith 1-(-10); Downes 8-(-45)
Receiving — Velarde 5-85, TD; Ethan Richmond 3-36, TD; Brandon Stamper 2-30; Noah Christiansen 2-16; Black 1-5; Feeney 1-3. Coupeville: Hesselgrave 4-42; H. Smith 3-21; C. Smith 2-20; Ryan Griggs 1-8; Jake Hoagland 1-8; Martin 1-1
Sacks — Sequim: Chris Whitaker 2, Josh Benson, James Thayer. Coupeville: Battaglia
Interceptions — Sequim: Kane Stoddard
Penalties — Sequim 11-90, Coupeville 6-30.
