The Olympic League football coaches couldn’t decide between Port Angeles’ Keenen Walker or Sequim’s Frank Catelli.
In the end, they didn’t have to.
Walker and Catelli were named co-Olympic League MVPs by the coaches this week after each excelled on both sides of the ball for their teams this season.
“I’m glad it ended up being a tie, because it was close,” Sequim coach Erik Wiker said. “They both deserve it.”
The duo weren’t the only North Olympic Peninsula football players to receive MVP honors either, with Chimacum’s Daryl Settlemire being named the defensive MVP of the Class 1A Nisqually League.
“Many coaches admitted throughout the season that they would not run plays towards Daryl during the game; he changed the way coaches called plays against us,” Chimacum coach Shawn Meacham said.
“They had to account for Daryl on every play against our defense.”
The same could be said about Catelli and Walker as well.
Both started at quarterback for their respective teams but were also key components of their teams’ defenses, with Walker a starting safety for the Roughriders and Catelli a middle linebacker for the Wolves.
The rivals were unable to face off against each other in the final week of the regular season, however, because of injuries.
Catelli has been sidelined for Sequim since re-aggravating a groin injury in Week 8.
Walker broke his throwing arm on the same night and ended up lining up at running back in PA’s final three games.
Neither setback could overshadow what were impressive seasons for the seniors.
Catelli threw for 1,567 yards, 13 touchdowns and four interceptions before getting hurt. He also 273 yards and five TDs rushing as well as 84 tackles, four sacks and one interception on defense.
Walker passed for 1,159 yards, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions in eight starts at quarterback.
He ran for another 887 yards and 11 touchdowns overall and had 101 tackles and two interceptions during the regular season.
Settlemire had 68 tackles for the Cowboys as well as four sacks and two forced fumbles.
Look for full listings of the All-Olympic and All-Nisqually teams in future editions of the PDN.