By Michael Carman
Peninsula Daily News
PORT TOWNSEND — Last season the biggest question mark surrounding Port Townsend football was how would players respond to new head coach Alex Heilig.
Returning many seasoned starters, the Redhawks fared well in 2016, finishing second in the new-look Olympic-Nisqually League and advancing to the first round of the Class 1A state playoffs — the first step in the program’s ultimate goal of competing for a state championship.
Talent returns again in 2017, particularly along the offensive and defensive lines, but the team faces the daunting task of replacing basically all of its offensive production from last season.
Port Townsend graduated quarterback Berkley Hill, the Olympic-Nisqually’s Offensive MVP, and lost running back/linebacker Detrius Kelsall, a starter since his first game as a freshman, who moved to California.
Hill racked up an impressive 1,554 yards rushing and 22 touchdowns, while also throwing for 817 yards and 13 TDs.
Kelsall, who ran for 916 yards and 11 scores, also led the team in tackles with 95. He left to try and improve his chances at earning a college scholarship, a curious decision considering he would have been Port Townsend’s focal point on both sides of the ball.
To achieve success in 2017, the Redhawks must turn the page on 2016.
But before the 2017 season opened, Port Townsend picked up where they left off.
“We stopped at that stadium at Woodland where we faced La Center in the state playoffs on our way to camp at Linfield this summer,” Heilig said. “We wanted to rip open that wound again and remind them how it felt to be that disappointed and use that as a motivator for this season.”
Early in preseason practices, Heilig said his team, light on numbers with less than 30 players out for the first week of practice, is still finding its footing.
“We’re still looking for an identity,” he said. “I expect our defense, as usual, will be pretty stout, we have a lot of returners. We have a pretty good offensive line returning with lots of core leadership. We are working on getting them to gel together and focus on our goals.”
Apker-Montoya back
Ball-hawking safety Noa Apker-Montoya played an important role defensively with a school-record nine interceptions last season. He is the choice to fill Hill’s shoes at quarterback.
“We’re kind of turning over the mantle and seeing how the offense goes in his hands,” Heilig said. “He watched Berkley run [the offense] last year, so he’s seen the benefits of it. He has the ability to run just as much as Berkley did, and has a good arm. He has that similar ability to hurt you both ways.
“It was a nice year of education for him to be at that safety position and see what coverages look like while learning more about what it takes to be the quarterback.”
Heilig said he’s hoping Apker-Montoya, a left-handed sophomore, is ready to make the next move forward in his growth.
“A big thing is to be able take that step in the evolutionary ladder as a player,” he said. “Become more of a leader, more of a student of the game, and he has to mentally progress like any decent player does.”
Apker-Montoya will be protected by a senior-heavy offensive line including multi-year starters Jackson Foster, Kaiden Parcher and Robert Hammett, all seniors who will be counted on for leadership. Others in the mix on the line include Jakob Minor, a junior who impressed Heilig with his work in the weight room and at camp this offseason, as well as Payton Lake, Tucker Booth and Robert Jesionowski.
They’ll be opening holes for Apker-Montoya and running backs Jacob Boucher, a senior who was hurt for most of 2016, Cole Crawford, Nico Winegar and Dylan Tracer, the team’s leading returning rusher with 60 yards.
“We’re going by committee,” Heilig said. “It’s a competition right now.”
Boucher, the point guard for the Redhawks boys hoops team, is “a real shifty back that has some quickness to him, some explosion and nice vision,” according to Heilig.
“Cole has a little more power to him, good power and some good vision that should improve with time.
“Nico provides some weapons, they can all catch, but he’s a little more of a receiving back. We can rotate those three in, can rotate all of our skill players through receiver, back or tight end.”
Other skill position players and potential defensive backs include sophomore Wes Blue and seniors Kyle Mackey and Jaden Steinfort-Mayo.
With turnout on the low side, players will need to know multiple positions.
“Everybody needs to be versatile,” Heilig said. “Not having those massive numbers we need to have that ability to plug and play wherever we need them.”
Cascade Christian won the league title last year, and the perennially strong Cougars should be tough again in 2017.
“Cascade Christian is coming back strong with their QB,” Heilig said.
“Charles Wright has a senior QB, Klahowya will be up there. I don’t see any teams having any falloff. It won’t be an easy league by any means.”
While Port Townsend learns what it’s made of this season, Heilig said the program continues to embrace its four pillars: family, attitude, commitment and trust in the classroom, in the community and on the field.
A recent overnight team bonding session in the high school gym helped deliver on one pillar.
“That was a big point of [that] night, committing to each other. That’s the big stamp that we put on the program. We are a blue-collar team and we have to earn everything and be relentless in everything we do, with academics as the first priority, and push to be elite athletes.”
Port Townsend Capsule
• Last Year: 7-4 overall, 6-1 Olympic-Nisqually League (second). Advanced to first round of Class 1A state playoffs.
• Offense: Pistol spread
• Defense: 4-4-3 base
• Contributors: QB/DB Noa-Apker Montoya; OL/DL Kaiden Parcher; RB/LB Jacob Boucher; OL/DL Jackson Foster; OL/DL Tucker Booth; RB/LB Cole Crawford; RB/LB Nico Winegar; RB/LB Dylan Tracer; OL/DE Robert Hammett; WR/DB Wes Blue.
• Key Newcomer: Blue, a JV player last year, should see some balls thrown his way at wide receiver.
• Expected team strength: Senior-laden offensive and defensive lines will help the Redhawks at the points of attack.
• Question mark: Who will carry the football offensively and who will fill the middle on defense with three-year starter Detrius Kelsall’s move to California for his senior year.
• Game to watch: The reloading Redhawks will have an air of mystery surrounding their first game at Sequim on Friday, Sept. 1.
Port Townsend senior Robert Hammett goes through a blocking drill during a preseason practice. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News )
Port Townsend senior Jackson Foster, 74, tackles Robert Hammert during a tackling drill at a preseason practice. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
Port Townsend’s Noa Apker-Montoya intercepted a school-record nine interceptions as a freshman, including this grab against Chimacum last season. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
