PORT TOWNSEND — Port Townsend will tackle its second football game in seven days with the same opponent in tonight’s winner-to-state, loser-out matchup with Charles Wright.
A strong defensive effort guided the Redhawks to a 49-6 blowout win over the Tarriers last week.
Head coach Nick Snyder doesn’t feel his team will overlook Charles Wright, not with the team’s first state playoff appearance since 2004 on the line.
“This group, they aren’t built that way,” Snyder said.
“They understand what’s at stake here and they are not going to take these guys lightly.
Pass-happy Tarriers
Charles Wright is a pass-first, pass-second team, and Port Townsend was able to limit the passing game to 202 yards and allowed just 1 rushing yard in last week’s win.
“[Henry] Cheney is a great quarterback for them, he completed some good balls and I’m sure they are going to come out throwing it again,” Snyder said.
Cheney’s favorite target is 6-foot-5, 220-pound tight end Sean Gorman.
“Big No. 7, yeah, I’d expect they will try and get the ball to him a little bit more than they did last week,” Snyder said.
“They can go five-wide, and they didn’t show that or show a quads [four-receiver sets] or empty formations in the backfield, so we will probably see some of that.”
Snyder said Cheney has a quick release and the Tarriers take advantage with a short passing scheme.
“We will just have to play sound pass defense, vary the coverage packages correctly and get after it,” Snyder said.
They’ll have to do so without junior captain linebacker/quick guard Keegan Khile who dislocated a kneecap last week.
“That’s such a bummer. He’s a fiery, emotional leader for us,” Snyder said of Khile.
“Sophomore Jacob Massie will play quick guard for him on offense, and we will have a three-way rotation with Jeff Seton, David Sua and Wesley Wheeler at linebacker.
“We had a four-man rotation [before the injury], but Keegan just never got tired.”
Port Townsend will get to host the game on a Memorial Field surface that will have less than 24 hours to recover from Chimacum’s game against Vashon on Thursday night.
“I think it’s going to be a complete nightmare,” Snyder said of the field conditions.
“We’re going to need downhill sure-footed running and be sure and stick with the blocking.
“We’ll pound the ball with Sua and Wheeler and run some play-action passes to keep them honest.”
And the Redhawks didn’t play all of their cards in last week’s win, either.
“We didn’t show about 10 or 15 plays. We still have a whole series of run and pass plays that we can use,” Snyder said.
If Port Townsend wins they will claim District 3’s top seed at state and next week will take on the fourth seed from District 4, either Hoquiam, Montesano or Kalama.
Taholah
at Quilcene
QUILCENE — The Rangers first foray into the district playoffs since 1998 comes with a home game against the Chitwins (4-4) at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Quilcene (6-2) was playing 11-man football at the 2B level back then, and fell 68-24 to Orcas Island in the first round of the state playoffs.
This contest is a winner-to-state, loser-out affair, and the Rangers making it to state will require a focused effort, according to coach Byron Wilson.
“We’re going to have be very disciplined, structured and control the ball offensively,” Wilson said.
“That will give us a good shot to beat them.”
Wilson was able to scout the Chitwins’ win against Naselle last weekend and came away impressed with Taholah’s athletes.
“Their QB [Keanu Curleybear] has a great arm and is probably 5-foot-11 inches and 200-210 pounds and can really run as well,” Wilson said.
“He will keep us busy.”
Wilson also mentioned running back Sam Northup, another big, strong ball carrier.
“They don’t make any pretense about what they want to do on offense, it’s pretty straightforward,” Wilson said.
“Those two are good athletes, and in 8-man football if you have a couple you can do some good things.
“They’ve got speed and size and we need to make sure we tackle well, hang on and be where we are supposed to be defensively.”
Quilcene’s top athlete and primary ball carrier Colten Pol, who has racked up more than 1,400 rushing yards this season, will play in Saturday’s game after suffering a high-ankle sprain early on against Seattle Lutheran two weeks ago.
“He’s back at full steam and running all over things at practice,” Wilson said.
Pol and fullback Triston Williams also will be counted on in their roles at linebacker on defense.
“They need to be able to fly to the ball to control the running game,” Wilson said.
“Triston kind of makes the offense go as our lead blocker on most of the running plays, and on defense he is usually the backside linebacker and picks up a lot of tackles.”
The Rangers’ field, which turned into a mudpit in a driving rain storm during their last game, has been tended to this week and is getting some help from Mother Nature.
“They mowed it and packed it down Wednesday, and we’re getting some wind and sun and that field does drain pretty well, so it should be a more normal field on Saturday,” Wilson said.
Wilson feels the home field will serve as an advantage for his team.
“We can run around the [gopher] holes and they won’t know where to go,” Wilson joked.
He’s looking for another strong turnout from the Quilcene faithful Saturday.
“We’ve had great support from the school, teachers, administrators and the town,” Wilson said.
The coach, with 45 years of experience, most coming at one of Alaska’s largest high schools, Service, is loving the journey in the final stop in his career.
“My dream was always to be a coach at a small school where the town always shows up to the games and I finally got my dream,” Wilson said.
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-452-2345, ext. 5250 or at mcarman@peninsualdailynews.com.
