PREP FOOTBALL: Three things learned in Week 1

One week of high school football is in the books.

The North Olympic Peninsula might have already seen its best game of the year in Port Angeles’ 14-13 win thanks to Nathan Angevine’s late touchdown pass on offense and interception on defense.

Other than that, though, the closest game was Sequim’s 47-21 win over

Chimacum.

Fortunately, there’s always next week, and then seven or eight weeks after that.

It’s difficult to know everything after one week, but here are three things that were learned:

■ 1. Neah Bay will be just fine.

With all the Red Devils lost from their 2013 state championship team, it stands to reason that there would be some growing pains — at least early in the season.

Maybe not.

Neah Bay, used to playing 8-man football, went to Westport and blasted Ocosta 60-0 in an 11-man game.

Last year’s team also opened the season against an 11-man team, beating Darrington 50-6.

The second-ranked Red Devils now face another, probably bigger test: No. 1 Lummi travels to Neah Bay for a nonleague game Friday.

Except by then there is a good chance Neah Bay will have taken over the first spot in the Class 1B after Lummi fell to Adrian, Ore.

■   2. Miguel Moroles can run.

Sequim’s senior quarterback can throw just fine.

He completed 7 of 10 passes for 131 and a touchdown in Friday’s 47-21 win over Chimacum and has shown an ability to throw the long ball in his year as the Wolves’ starter.

But Moroles is most dangerous is when he’s running.

Moroles gained 172 yards on seven carries Friday, scoring on runs of 61 and 38 yards.

And Moroles racked up all these statistics while playing only one half and the first drive of the second half.

Most of his runs were called by the coaching staff, but others, such as the 61-yard TD, were improvised.

“He’s a good quarterback that can run really well,” Sequim coach Erik Wiker said after Friday’s game.

“It’s like the Vince Young thing: you call a pass play and then he takes off for 30 yards and it’s like, ‘Hey, great call. We’re so good!’”

The main reason the senior so effective running the ball is his speed.

During the spring track and field season, Moroles competed in two early meets and ran the second-fastest 100-meter dash time on the North Olympic Peninsula, 11.68 seconds.

■   3. Redhawks can take flight.

Port Townsend’s best bet to get the ball into the hands of its fastest players may come through the air.

During their 14-13 loss to Port Angeles on Friday, the Redhawks’ pass attack, led by senior quarterback Jeff Seton, was far more productive (145 yards passing with one touchdown) than their rush attack that managed 24 carries for a meager 63 total yards.

Port Townsend head coach Nick Snyder is traditionally a proponent of a power rush attack, so it will be interesting to see how he chooses to utilize his personnel going forward.

________

“Three things learned in high school football this week” is making its debut as a weekly feature in the PDN.

Sports Editor Lee Horton can be reached at 360-417-3525 or at lhorton@peninsuladailynews.com.

Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-452-2345, ext. 5250 or at mcarman@peninsualdailynews.com.

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