by DAN KARI

Newsradio KONP 1450

The W.F. West High School Bearcats of Chehalis overwhelmed the Sequim High Wolves 52-21 in the first round of the State 2A football playoffs Friday night at North Kitsap Stadium.

Washington State University-bound Mitch Gueller scored on the first two scrimmage plays for the Bearcats on runs of 60 and 73 yards as the Bearcats surged to a 14-0 advantage just two minutes and seven seconds into the game.

“We had our back-side guys there on the first TD run with our outside linebacker squared up on him (Gueller) and he made him miss,” observed Sequim coach Erik Wiker, who emphasized tackling Gueller was a priority during practices.

“We were there scheme-wise, but player-wise he jukes us and goes 60 yards,” Wiker said. “He’s a very fast kid and agile.”

The Chehalis team (9-2) will play Lakewood next week in the state quarterfinals.

W.F. West led 28-0 at the end of the first quarter and 31-7 at halftime.

The Bearcats scored three more touchdowns in the third quarter to lead 52-7.

Sequim tallied twice in the final quarter, on an 11-yard run by quarterback Jack Wiker and a 26-yard run by running back Lopaka Yasumura.

The weather had no effect on the contest after a windstorm blew through the Kitsap Peninsula several hours before kickoff.

Wiker was 18-of-38 passing for 154 yards and was intercepted four times. He rushed 19 times for 83 yards.

The Wolves played the final three games of the season without Olympic League co-MVP quarterback/linebacker Frank Catelli, who suffered a hip flexor and groin muscle injury against Olympic on Oct. 13.

He re-aggravated the injury in a 33-13 loss to North Kitsap the following week.

 “We overcame a lot of things,” Wiker said. “Frank Catelli plays in five games out of ten on a good team, but not a great one, then you take out our best player, who is great . . . we accomplished a lot.”

“No offense to anyone, but going into the playoffs with a backup quarterback and backup running back is not the most ideal thing in the world,” Erik Wiker noted. “Jack’s only been a quarterback half a season. He’ll be a great one next year.”

Despite the season-ending loss, Wiker said the Wolves can be proud of another Olympic League championship and their non-league victory at Whatcom County powerhouse Meridian.

The Wolves finished the season with a 9-2 record.

“I think they overachieved,” Wiker said.

Reach Dan Kari at dan@konp.com.