AS GOOD A quarterback as Keenen Walker is, he might just be an even better safety.
Prolific offensive stats aside, there are few players on the Port Angeles Roughrider football team who hit quite like Walker.
Bremerton’s Tim Pounds can certainly attest to that.
The Knights’ tight end was the victim of several crushing hits from the 5-foot-11, 205-pound senior during Friday night’s game at Civic Field.
One even drew an audible gasp from the crowd after Walker flew up from his safety position to meet Pounds just as he was attempting to make a catch on the right-hash mark.
The blow dislodged the ball from Pounds’ hands and, of course, left the 6-5 senior writhing for a few moments on the Civic turf.
“I’ve been waiting for a hit like that ever since I started playing safety,” said Walker, who also had one interception in Friday night’s game. “I’m kind of glad that I finally got it.”
It was certainly a long time coming.
With Walker being asked to do so much as quarterback of Port Angeles’ shotgun attack last fall, Rider coaches opted to use him only sparingly on defense.
It became clear coming into this season, however, that the Riders could no longer afford to have one of the best athletes on the sidelines for half the game.
Walker had spent a great deal of time in the weight room, and he came into camp noticeably bigger and stronger.
Thus, when he asked the coaches if he could play both ways his senior year, they were more than happy to oblige.
“Keenen is too good to keep on the bench during defensive time,” Port Angeles head coach Tom Wahl said.
“And who knows? He wants to play at the next level, and defense may be his ticket. I feel like I’ve got an obligation to let him have his time out there on defense because I really do feel like it could go either way for him.
“He’s clearly an outstanding defensive player.”
Walker said he’d be all right with that outcome.
Even though he leads the Riders with 703 yards of offense and 12 touchdowns — eight passing and four rushing — he doesn’t dread doing work on the other side of the ball.
“I love defense,” said Walker, also the Riders’ punter. “I like to be in as many plays as I can.”
X-country notes
■ Port Angeles has to be encouraged by what it saw at the Salt Creek Invitational on Saturday.
While neither the boys nor girls teams had a runner finish in the top 10, each held its own in regards to its Olympic League competition.
The Rider boys finished second among the nine league teams on hand — three spots behind favorite North Kitsap — and the girls were third despite missing one of their better runners in Khason Politika.
If each team can maintain that position when the league meet comes around in October, each will be going on to districts.
“I think our team is looking really good,” said senior Nick Shindler, 12th overall Saturday and second among the Olympic League runners.
“It’s much stronger that it was last year.”
■ The cooperative Port Townsend-Chimacum boys cross country team is starting to pay dividends for the Cowboys.
Perhaps due to the success Griffin Hoins enjoyed last fall, when he became the first Cowboys male runner to reach state, Chimacum had six runners come out for the boys team this fall.
Thus, Chimacum will be able to field a full team of its own at the district meet this year — something that has never happened before.
Until then, however, the Cowboys and Redskins will compete together in Olympic League meets.
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Matt Schubert is the outdoors and sports columnist for the Peninsula Daily News. His column regularly appears on Thursdays and Fridays. He can be reached at matt.schubert@peninsuladailynews.com.