Game recap - Napavine nips Naselle in semis

TACOMA - It began with a chorus of "Happy Birthday" on Halloween night and three league wins and two state playoff revenge victories later the music became progressively vociferous and sweet as Naselle fashioned a lyrical run to the state semi-finals in the Tacoma Dome. And then on Friday against a hard-hitting and opportunistic Napavine team the music stopped.

The Tigers took advantage of great field position from the opening kickoff on and used their size, the speed of Micah Brown, and a balanced running attack to pull away in the second half for an 18-13 victory, ending the Comets season and earning Napavine a state championship encounter with either Colfax or Asotin.

Read the entire story at Chinookobserver.com

Naselle: What a Great Year!

This year has been a blur for me. Since the Wahkiakum game when I subluxed my shoulder, to watching and coaching the middle backers in the Warrenton contest; it all went so fast. Our only league loss came to valley, whom we met in the quarterfinals and gained our revenge. But looking back, there were so many outstanding victories, ones full of integrity, heart, love. The memories near endless... the overtime comeback against Northwest Christian, a loss that would have possibly ended our playoff run, the offensive showdown between us and North Beach that was decided with a missed 13 yard field goal kicked with 14 seconds to go. But possibly my fondest memory was the South Bend game. We didn't play well, we hadn't found our first half grove. But we came back from a 20-7 deficit with 6:00 remaining in the fourth quarter. It was the best birthday Coach Eaton could ever have. Senior night came and we thumped Ocosta 35-0. Gaining confidence, we stormed into the playoffs. Our first opponent Seattle Lutheran beat us in the regular season in a late non-league game 22-19. But we were ready the second time, there was NO way that was going to happen again. We devastated the Saints 34-7. Next came Valley in the quarters, which proved to be a great game. We fell behind twice in the game, but we never gave up and never will. "NASELLE PRIDE FOR 48" We bounced back from the 6-0 start for Valley and a 14-13 lead to start the second half. after that we scored two unanswered TD's and never looked back even though the game came down to 4 points via a safety and one other touchdown. Beating the Willapa Valley Vikings was my greatest memory of the season. We hadn't beat them in 15 years; what better time to prove what Naselle was made of than in a state quarterfinal game? It was awesome. Our berth to the Tacoma Dome was answered and we were faced with the tough opponent the 10-2 Napavine Tigers.

This game is still a blur and its going to sting for awhile. We actually played well offensively and defensively. We had more yards than P-vine 267 yds to 252. Last week Napavine amassed over 800 yards of total offense. We were not going to let that happen. But Micah Brown the quick and elusive fly back, had a good game and, burned us for 112. The misdirection of the fly offense was the hardest part for me. On our first drive, we moved ball 80 yards, down to our 10 yard line, before coughing it up. However, we got the ball back after a P-vine player fumbled two plays later on the 22 yard line. This time we scored. Austin Burkhalter took the QB sneak in for the touchdown. After Napavine's score to the tie it up, we got the ball and moved it down to around their 20 yard line. But we couldn't score on a long ball on third down from Nick Hines, our WILDCAT QB, to Burkhalter. We didn't convert on fourth down and four either, so the Tigers had about a minute to make something happen. We held them and went into the cooler environment of the meeting room. The Tacoma Dome is HOT! The heat really wears you out. We were hydrating well all week, but it felt like we were playing in mid-august. But I can't express how great the feeling was to play under the wooden dome. It was really quite amazing. Something I will never forget.

To start the game, Napavine won the toss and deferred. So the balanced running attack of the Tigers started with the ball in the second half. Leonel Mendoza's kick was nice and deep, but the Tiger's went from a middle return to an outside one. We couldn't could catch #3 Waltenberg until our thirty. They had great field position through out the game, which really hurt us. Playing defense on a short field is probably one of the most difficult aspect's of football. Your opponent has all the momentum and you are on your heels. Anyway, there was one play I remember clearly, it was like the "statue of liberty" play Boise State ran a couple years ago against Oklahoma (I think). It was fourth and eight and the Tigers were on our 33 yard line. They lined up in the pro set and was thinking they were going to run a wraparound draw we had practiced. I was starring at that drawback the whole time, but there had to be like three or four fakes and I reacted to one and #25 had a open field and 30 yard to a first down. That play was the worst. It lead to Napavine's go ahead TD. 12-6. Napavine really tightened up their defense in the second half. They forced a couple three and outs, and punched in their final touchdown with 11:00 to go in the 4th quarter after and Napavine pick. We still had our heads up though. We had come back from a larger deficit against South Bend with only 6:00 to go. There was no way we were going to give up. We scored with 34 seconds to go, Caleb Corona made the only extra point of the game. Mendoza's onside kick fell into Napavine's hands and they took three knees to run out the clock. The final score 18-13. Only Adna held them to fewer points than us and that was in week three. We could hold our heads high knowing we made school history. But, I would like one more chance at Napavine just to see what would happen. So far all of our "revenge games" have resulted in Comet victories.

We were presented with the third place trophy in the end zone. We can be proud of our achievements, but we were all full of emotion, and were antsy to hit the locker room. Coach Eaton looked into our emotion filled faces and told us how great of a season we had. He told us to be proud of what we had accomplished. He told the seniors of the pivotal roll they made in the gaining success of COMET FOOTBALL. Coach Glick repeated the same message, as did Coach Wirkkala. Coach E then opened it to the seniors, and Nick Hines spoke up first. He gave an inspired speech, saying that no matter what if you play with the heart of our coaches you will go far. He was right. I can't thank Coach Eaton, Coach Glick, and Coach Wirkkala for a better season. They prepared us well every week and never gave up on us when we had a shaky start. We all love you guys! You all love football and it shows! Like Nick says if we play with your heart we will go far. The most emotional part of the whole season was the final chant of the season, "COMET PRIDE FOR EVER". Coach Eaton was all choked up and could barely say "1,2,3". It was when the tears started to really flow.

It stings to fall in the semis, especially when we had chances to come out on top. It still stings today. Our run to the playoffs was one of the best in school history and the playoff experience the most exciting ever! I want to thank all of the seniors, Michael Shirley, Nick "The Shrew" Hines, Tony "Cheetah" Fletcher, Gabe "Mitchum" See, Marcus Sanchez, Tommy Rose, Caleb Corona, Stephen Griss, and Nathaniel Finch. You all turned the program around. We are going we work hard to keep it rolling. We love you guys. Thanks for a great season! Also I have to thank every one else, especially the practice squad guys. You all came to practice and gave us the best look you could, we couldn't ask for more. Also to freshmen Nick Zimmerman and Seth Scrabeck who came so far this year. Nice work boys. Thank you Dad for keeping stats and coming to every game. I can't thank you enough for all your heart and COMET PRIDE. I extend a appreciative hand to the scorers, and guys in the box. Chris Dorman, thank you for all the NFL like announcing and support. I can't thank the community enough. Your support was incredible. You were way louder than the Napavine crowd! Finally, I have to thank my Savior Jesus Christ for all the opportunities he gives us here on earth and for always comforting me in times of struggle on and off the field.

Congrats to the 2008 Naselle Comets! !!COMET PRIDE FOR EVER!!

NHS FB, LB
Alan Erickson

Photo gallery - NHS finish third in state

Friday night the Naselle football team played their first-ever game in the Tacoma Dome, making it to the state semifinals for the first time in school history. Though the Comets were not able to pull out a win, falling 18-13 to Napavine, they finished third in state, their highest finish since the implementation of a playoff system 35 years ago.

Use the arrows below to navigate through the gallery


Photographs by Damian Mulinix/Observer photojournalist

Week 13 preview - Semifinal round

Game of the Week

Naselle vs. Napavine, 4 pm, Friday, Tacoma Dome, State 2B playoffs, semifinal round

History anyone? The Comets (8-4) made it last week and look to make some more on Friday when they face off against Napavine (10-2) in the state semifinals at the Tacoma Dome.
Last week the Comets battle cry was "To the Dome!" This week perhaps it will be "To the Finals!" as a win will put Naselle into the title game for the first time. In the late 1960s, before a state playoff system was implemented the Comets were voted state champs in back-to-back years. Last year the Comets made it to a school best quarterfinal finish. This year Naselle has been setting a new school best every week.
Standing in their way is the Napavine Tigers, who have won 9 straight, most recently a 41-34 win over rival Adna who beat them 41-14 earlier in the season (they haven't lost since). The Tigers have scored twice as many points as they have given up on the season, averaging 34 PPG while giving up an average of 21 PPG. However, the Comets faced a similar task last week against a Valley team that came into the match-up undefeated, scoring many and giving up few and the Comets were able to turn the tables on them. The Tigers played in a shoot-out last week in a game that featured over 800 total yards of offense and only 25 yards in penalties. The TIgers leading offensive player in that game was running back Connor Craft who ran for 125 yards and three TDs. Tigers QB Marty Cozart also ran for 82 yards and threw for another 145.
The Comets multi-pronged offensive attack of Austin Burkhalter, Nick Hines, Tony Fletcher and Alan Erickson is tough for any team to shut down and is responsible for Naselle's powerful ground game (and sometimes surprising air attack as well). Despite a couple of late-game mistakes that led to 10 points for the Vikings, the Comets played almost the entire second half with a two TD lead.

You can read more previews on other sites:
Chinook Observer HERE
The Longview Daily News HERE and HERE which actually gives a pretty good plug for our football blog
The Centralia Chronicle HERE

Having the game time early on Friday, especially on the day after a holiday, may pose some problems for those planning on going to the game, but the trip is well worth it! last year, once again Naselle had the most fans at the game in Tumwater last week and it would be great to see a large contingent bringing Comet Pride to the Dome!

Check back on Saturday to find a photo gallery from the game, player blog posts and a game recap

Naselle player posts - Quarterfinal Round

Naselle, Made School History, Looking For More! 

Saturday at Tumwater High, we were giving our second chance at revenge. In the first round we avenged an earlier loss to the the Seattle Lutheran Saints, beating them 34-7. This time the stakes were higher and the revenge sweeter.
Upon hearing that we were to play Valley this week, we were all excited. We KNEW we could win. The first time we met was only our second game as a full unit and we played like it. Five turnovers and a lackadaisical first half led to a 21-6 loss to the eventual Pacific League Champs, but we never lost confidence mostly because the second half was a different story defensively. 33 yards of offense was all they could muster in the third and fourth stanzas. Riding on that defensive confidence, we made our inspirational and crazy run to the playoffs. We beat Northwest Christian in overtime, held off North Beach 37-35, and came back to score two touchdowns in the final 6 minutes against South Bend winning 21-20. Now we are clicking, playing as one unit, and are confident in ourselves. In preparation, we studied a Valley playbook made by Coach Scrabeck and had film nights. We knew we could win, but we also knew we needed to be prepared. Coach Glick changed our base "D" a little and we added several new plays to our repertoire. We were ready to VANQUISH THE VIKINGS!
We won the toss and elected to receive to start Saturday's contest. Valley stalled our drive and we were forced to punt. On the ensuing drive, Valley ran their way to the end zone, picking up a lot of yardage on a reverse play. There were only two drives in the first quarter which felt to me like the faster quarter ever. But we were not discouraged; we bounced right back and tied it up 6-6. After a defensive stop, we scored again and took a 13-6 lead after Caleb Corona's kick to halftime. The first half went by so quick it felt like one quarter, it felt weird to listen to Coach Eaton talk because it felt like we had just received the ball to start the game. But it was awesome to be ahead and hear coach say, "This is probably the first time they have been down at half". However we knew that Valley wasn't ranked 4th because they let down; they were going to keep on coming. Since they were only down one TD, coach explained how they wouldn't abandon their running game and how we needed to tighten up every aspect of the game.
Valley received one of Leonel Mendoza's booming kicks and brought it out to around the 35. Just like in the first period, they methodically made their way down the field. After they scored they attempted a two-point conversion. This was one crazy play. Friese (Valley's QB) rolled out and escaped pressure from three defenders until finally passing right over my outstretched hands, over a ducking referee and finally into a Viking receiver running a crossing route. The successful conversion meant we were once again trailing. But that only fired us up. After two runs by Tony Fletcher, we ran the veer option. The linebackers had to honor the dive and the outsides froze on the fake. Austin pulled and pitched to Nick Hines who found a cutback lane and ran 53 yards to pay dirt. We never trailed again. A two point conversion and a touchdown later, we led 28-14. The game however was not over, and we like to test the hearts of all our fans.
With around 11 minutes left in the game, Austin Burkhalter intercepted a Friese pass (1 of 2) and ran it back to their 20 yard line. The tough Valley defense keep us from a first down and we were forced to punt. The ball never reached Michael Shirley's hand as Gabe See's snap went high and long, sailing out of the end zone and resulting in a safety. The craziness was just beginning. On the kickoff, Burkhalter stripped the pigskin from the returner and we maintained possession near the 40. We ran only a couple minutes off the clock though and were forced to punt once again. This time the snap was good, but the protection sucked. Vikings swarmed Shirley. He miraculously got it off, but it not so miraculously went for -4 yards. With a short field, Valley scored quickly. 28-24. Louma's onside kick fell into Burkhalter's hands, we finally managed a first down, and ran out the clock. WE ARE GOING TO THE DOME!
This is the first time in school history that a Naselle team has made it to the semis. The furthest a team had gone before was the quarters which several teams accomplished including last year's Comets. But this is new turf (literally and figuratively) and we don't feel like stopping here. This Friday we play Napavine, who defeated Adna 41-35 in the quarterfinals, in the controlled conditions of the Tacoma Dome. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 pm. It comes down to this Central, Pacific league match up to decide the West side champ, and we want it! GO COMETS!

NHS LB FB
Alan Erickson

Feel free to leave any comments about the game and our season.

Comets headed to the T-dome!

The last time the Naselle Comets beat the Valley Vikings I was two years old. Now fifteen years later we finally were able to win again. This win put us into the semi final game at the Tacoma Dome next Friday at 4pm.
Hope to see you there.

Austin Burkhalter, QB (a man of few words)

The team would like to thank Mr. Heimbigner and Damian for the great coverage of all our games.

Game recap - Comets upset 4th-ranked Vikings to advance to state semis

By Kevin Heimbigner
Observer sports writer

TUMWATER - "Dome for the holidays" sounds about right for Naselle's football team as two amazing things happened Saturday on the Astroturf at Tumwater. First and foremost the Comets vanquished a resilient Valley team 28-24 to earn a first-ever semi-final berth at the Tacoma Dome next Friday at 4 p.m. against Napavine and then Naselle fans were treated to gasoline for less than two bucks a gallon. The win avenged an earlier Naselle loss to previously undefeated Valley 21-6 in league play Oct. 3.
Naselle had punished the Vikes for most of the second half and had fashioned a seemingly insurmountable 28-14 lead with 6:04 remaining thanks to a relentless running attack and a defense that was Glicking (as in assistant coach Clyde Glick) on all eleven cylinders. Then things got whacky.

Read the entire story at chinookobserver.com

Photo gallery - To the Dome! NHS advance to state semi's for first time

The Naselle Comets advanced to the semifinal round of the state 2B football playoffs Saturday by defeating the Pacific League foe Willapa Valley 28-24.
Click the arrows below to advance through the gallery


Photos by Damian Mulinix/Observer photojournalist

Week 12 preview - Nov. 22

Game of the Week

Naselle vs. Willapa Valley, Noon, Saturday, at Tumwater High School, Quarterfinal round 2B state playoffs
If there was any question as to how far the Naselle Comets football team has come this year, last week's first round playoff game was the answer. Nearly duplicating the dominating score they hung on the Saints in the opening round of the state playoffs last season, the Comets put on a dominant performance in Bellevue last Saturday beating Seattle Lutheran 34-7 to advance to the quarterfinals this Saturday.
Meeting the Comets on the field at Tumwater High Stadium will be a familiar foe, the Willapa Valley Vikings — the only Pacific League team to have beaten the Comets over the last two seasons (last year winning 6-0 on the Comets home field and this year winning 21-6 at home). The Vikings also come into this game undefeated on the season, 11-0. In fact, the Vikings have played only one close game all year, winning 22-19 over North Beach — a team the Comets beat in the final seconds a month ago. To say that the Vikings have been dominant is too obvious — they average 32 PPG while giving up a mere 9 PPG.
But the Comets that come into Saturdays match-up are not the same team that played the Vikings the first week of October and gave up 5 turnovers en route to the loss. The Comets have been on a tear for the last four weeks, first knocking off two league foes in the final minutes to secure a playoff spot, and then easily handling their last two opponents by a combined score of 69-7. Over the last four weeks (all wins) the Comets are averaging 32 PPG while giving up only 16 PPG. 

Last year when the team made it to the quarterfinals — matching the schools' furthest advancement in the state playoffs — the offense was dictated almost solely by their quarterback, who was shut down by Life Christian, bringing the Comets offense to a grinding halt. This time around the offense goes through so many different weapons that shutting down just one player won't do it. That, plus an outstanding effort on defense will give the Comets a excellent shot at advancing to the semifinal round, one game away from a state championship game. 

It won't be easy, and if the Comets win it will likely be a close game, so they can definitely use all the fan support they can get in Tumwater this Saturday. Last week Naselle fans easily outnumbered those supporting the Seattle Lutheran team who traveled only a half hour to the game (NHS fans traveled over three hours each way!) This week the drive is a little shorter (only two hours) which gives all the more reason to bring a few more rooters this time around!

Be sure to check back on Sunday for a photo gallery from the game, plus player blog posts and a game recap

Driving directions to Tumwater High School

• Leave the Peninsula on US-101 and continue on past Raymond
• Turn RIGHT onto WA-107 towards Montesano
• Merge right onto US-12 and continue on toward Oympia for 37 miles
• Merge onto I-5 South toward Portland and travel 1.4 miles
• Take the TROSPER RD. EXIT 102 toward Black Lake
• Turn LEFT onto TROSPER RD SW
• Turn RIGHT onto CAPITOL BLVD SW and travel 1 mile
• Turn RIGHT onto ISREAL RD SW and travel a half mile.
• End at Tumwater High School, 700 Isreal Rd. SW

Estimated drive time 2 hours 12 minutes - 112 total miles

Photo gallery - Comets team meal

It's not often that I get invited to a team get-together where I get to shoot the players just being themselves, out-of-uniform, hanging out, having a good time. But that's what happened tonight. Coach Eaton had his Comets over to his house for a team meal. It was pretty cool to get to see them all together as a team but not doing anything really connected to the game they play, though I guess before I got there they did watch the game film from last week's game. Every once in a while a player would suggest a new play they could throw at the Vikings this Saturday, to which the coach replied that they had too many plays already. Halloween candy tossing fights, prank text messages to each other and loads of home-cooked food equals comraderie that only stands to make them a closer unit.
It was a tough to shoot in the low light of the Eaton's living room (as it is really in anyone's living room) but I made the best of it, and made a couple pix I liked that I think shows the team on their relaxed side. Thanks to the coach and team have having me,
-DKM

Game recap-Comets make ain'ts of Saints 34-7 in state opener, Valley next

BELLEVUE - In keeping with the musical theme for Naselle football the Comets sang a hearty chorus of "Here Comes the Sun" by shellacking Seattle Lutheran 34-7 Saturday at Sammamish High School in the opening round of the WIAA state football playoffs.

The victory means that Naselle will be matched against Valley in the elite-eight round, a team they lost to 21-6 Oct. 3. The Comets also lost to the Saints four weeks ago 22-19, but they completely dominated them in the rematch. Naselle surged ahead 20-0 with 50 seconds to go in the first half and had run for 16 first downs to one through the air for Seattle Lutheran and the Comets had the football almost 20 minutes of the first 23 played.

Read the whole story at chinookobserver.com

Be sure to check back throughout the week for the latest info on the Comets as they prepare for their game with Valley

Rising Comets Sack the Saints!

One month ago we made our way to Seattle to face our final non-league opponent of the regular season. Our opponent, Seattle Lutheran, had a huge home field advantage. After a seven o'clock departure and a four hour drive, we arrived at West Seattle Stadium. But the stewards hadn't opened the field gates so we were forced to wait around for another hour or so. Even after gaining access to the stadium, the locker rooms were still locked so we had to dress in the grandstands. That was not very fun. By the time warm-ups started, we were already rattled and tired of waiting around. The delays kind of took us out of our game. Anyway we ended up losing to the Saints 22-19 on a late fourth quarter touchdown. We thought we had seen the last of Seattle Lutheran... well we were wrong. Our chance at revenge came 31 days later at Sammamish High School.

There were no waits and we got down to business right away. Warm-ups were smooth, a trend that followed us into the game. We won the toss and elected to receive. However a fumble at midfield gave the ball to the Saints. Their first run resulted in a first down, but after that, we stuffed the holes and they were forced to punt. On the ensuing drive, Austin Burkhalter had a one yard touchdown plunge and Caleb Corona followed with the PAT. After kickoff, our "D" forced a three and out punt. Nick Hines scored on a nice run and the first stanza ended 14-0. We managed to score a final time before half giving ourselves a comfortable 20-0 lead at halftime. But the game wasn't over. Walking through the Saints locker room on our way to the field (Sammamish High had a really weird floor plan), we heard their "0-0" chant and that pumped us up even more. We thought if it is 0-0 well we might as well win the second half.

We kicked off to start the third quarter. And after another three and out punt, Tony "Cheetah" Fletcher ran to paydirt on the first offensive play of the half. Fletcher scored once more in the final stanza. 35-0. The only Saint touchdown came in the 4th quarter after our final score and a nice kick return to their our forty. We had avenged our loss earlier in the season, but more importantly we won a first round playoff game! Next week we play Willapa Valley, who beat Tacoma Baptist (A team Seattle Lutheran beat in regular season) by a score of 32-7 in the first round. Our only league loss was to Valley and we are all geared up for another shot at the Vikings, who in the past weeks have really developed their air assault. Last year we played Life Christian in the second round of the playoffs and we were all a little intimidated. Having already played Valley, even though we lost, we are confident in our chance at victory. We held Valley to 33 yards of offense in the second half when we played up in Menlo, while amassing over 150 yards ourselves. That confidence is still with us. Second round here we come!

Alan Erickson
NHS FB LB

Photo gallery - NHS silence Saints in first round playoff win

Click arrows to navigate or CLICK HERE

Photos from the 34-7 win by the Comets in the first round of the state 2B playoffs.
Photographs by Observer photojournalist Damian Mulinix

Photo gallery - NHS pep rally

Boy, Naselle sure knows how to throw a pep rally...

Singing, dancing, games ... eating contests, what's not to love? The occasion was in honor of the Comets playoff game Saturday in Bellevue against Seattle Lutheran.

-DKM

Week 11 preview - Nov. 14

Game of the Week

Naselle vs. Seattle Lutheran, State 2B playoffs first round, 1 pm Saturday Nov. 15 at Sammamish HIgh School, Bellevue

No, this is not a rerun of a post from last year — or from a month ago for that matter. The Comets (6-4) will face off with the Seattle Lutheran Saints (8-2) this Saturday for the third time in the last year — each team has won once in this series.
Saturday's game will be a rematch of the Comets first round playoff game last year at Interlake High School when they eliminated the Saints with a resounding 42-7 win (the Saints did not score until the final minutes of the game against the Comets bench players). The Saints had their revenge, in a game with little at stake, when they won 22-19 four weeks ago on their home field. Perhaps the biggest disadvantage the Comets had in that game was their lack of extra point kicking, which has since been resolved by Caleb Corona, who has made good on 8 of his last 9 attempts over the last three games (all wins). In fact, if not for that three point loss, the Comets would be going into this game on a five game win streak — most of which involved the Comets coming from behind to win in the fourth quarter.
The Saints do enter the game on a five game win streak, started the week before the Naselle game. However, the Saints record may be a bit misleading as they have played a number of teams that are well under .500 on the season. In the last two weeks they have played teams that are a combined 1-12, winning last week 53-0 over Evergreen Lutheran, but barely squeeking by the 0-6 Quilcene by a score of 2-0 the week before — a team that has only scored 6 points all season. The Saints are averaging 26 PPG while giving up 16 PPG.
The Comets have to feel pretty good going into this one. Their road to the playoffs started with a great victory over North Beach that came down to the wire, then clinching a second straight playoff berth with a road win over arch rival South Bend in the final seconds, and finishing with a blowout win over Ocosta last week to end the regular season. 

The Comets split stats for scoring are not that impressive and are bolstered some by their 35-0 win last week. The Comets come into the game averaging 22 PPG while giving up 19 PPG. But, in fairness, that is how the Comets have won their biggest games this year, by pulling it out in the tight games — 20-14 over NWC, 37-35 over North Beach and 21-20 over South Bend. And while I'm sure Naselle, and their fans for that matter, would prefer a laugher of a blowout, they also have to feel some confidence in knowing that time after time they have come back to win the close ones.
The Comets have overcome adversity this season, including a rash of injuries early in the season and a couple of blowout losses, in order to be in this position now. A win will put them into the state quarterfinals for the second straight year — and they may see a familiar foe if they get there, as the winner of the Willapa Valley-Tacoma Baptist game (1 pm Saturday @ South Bend field) is next up for the winner of this game.

So if you can, be sure to make the drive up to Bellevue tomorrow morning. The weather is supposed to be clear and dry, and its a great excuse to get out of town for the day!

Be sure to check back on Sunday morning for a gallery of photos from the game, as well as player blog posts and a game recap

Driving directions to Sammamish High School in Bellevue

• Leave the Peninsula on US-101 and continue on past Raymond
• Turn RIGHT onto WA-107 towards Montesano
• Merge right onto US-12 and continue on toward Oympia for 37 miles
• Merge onto I-5 N via the exit on the LEFT toward OLYMPIA/ SEATTLE and travel 50 miles
• Merge onto I-405 N via EXIT 154 toward RENTON/BELLEVUE and travel 12.6 miles
• Take the SE 8TH ST exit, EXIT 12, toward 116TH AVE NE.
• Take the ramp toward 116TH AVE NE.
• Turn RIGHT onto LAKE HILLS CONN. and travel 1.8 mi
• Turn LEFT onto 140TH AVE SE. and travel half a mile
• End at Sammamish High School, 100 140th Ave SE, Bellevue

Estimated drive time 3 hours 18 minutes - 174 total miles

Comets make easy work of Ocosta in regular season finale

NASELLE - Last week it was a chorus of "Happy Birthday" as the Comets delivered a second straight state playoff invitation to coach Jeff Eaton with a 21-20 win at South Bend. This week it was a more subdued and soggy rendition of "Taking Care of Business" as Naselle methodically defeated Ocosta 35-0 at Rueben Penttila Field Thursday during a steady downpour.

Read the whole story at chinookobserver.com HERE

Week 10 preview - 11/6

This week it is "Thursday Night Sights" as the regular season comes to a close for both Ilwaco and Naselle. One team, the Comets, have advanced to the state playoffs next week, while the other, the Fishermen, will be playing for pride tonight in a league crossover game.

Game of the week

Ilwaco @ Onalaska, crossover game, 7 pm, Thursday, Onalaska High Scchool

The Fishermen (2-7, 0-4) are on the road tonight to finish their season at Onalaska (2-7, 2-5) in an annual crossover game with the Evergreen League. Both teams come into the game with only pride on the line as neither have made the playoffs. Both however do have a chance to go out with a win and give themselves something to hang their hat on going into the offseason.

Like the Fishermen, the Loggers have given up more points then they have scored, and enter the game on a three game losing streak.  The Loggers  are only averaging 19 points per game while giving up 26. The Fishermen, who have lost their last five, are averaging 23 points per game while giving up 31 per contest. The Fishermen did have some good news this week as Justin Short was selected first team all-league following his great season at wide receiver. Kolby Kirby and Zach DeSimone were selected as honorable mention.

Naselle vs. Ocosta, 7 pm, Thursday, Naselle High School

After their amazingly exciting comeback victory last week at South Bend that clinched second place in the Pacific League and gave the Comets (5-4, 4-1) a playoff berth for the second year in a row, Naselle's game tonight with last place Ocosta (2-6, 0-5) is essentially meaningless as far as the standings go. It does however hold some significance for the Comets, who with a win will secure a winning record for the season, and give them a perfect 5-0 record at home this season. This will also be the final home game of the year for Naselle, making it senior night for those players who will be graduating.

The Comets should have an easier time this week with their opponent than they have the last three — games all decided by 3 points or less. The Wildcats have given up 249 points this year, while scoring a mere 93 on the season — an average score of 12-31. If the Comets can get out to a good lead, expect to see more non-starters on the field for much of the game. The Comets can't get complacent though, as they don't want to carry a loss into their first playoff game — a rematch with Seattle Lutheran next week. The Comets have played the Saints twice in the last year already, blowing them out in the first round last year, and losing to them by three points three weeks ago.

Naselle player posts - Week 9

Comets are headed for the playoffs

All week Coach Glick told us "if you win, your in the playoffs", a statement which i know was going through all of our heads the entire game. Well we did just that and we are headed to the playoffs the week after next. But this week we host Ocosta for our final home game of the season and senior night. I hope to make my last game on Rueben Pentilla field a good one, and i am sure the other seniors feel the same way. Lets get it done this week boys.

-Marcus Sanchez #75

Win And Your In! Naselle Earns Playoff Berth!

Playing under the lights Friday night is always a great experience; one with its own personal ambiance. But each game is a little different depending on the circumstances - this Friday was laden with circumstances - the playoffs were on the line. With the second seed all tied up as of last week between North Beach, South Bend, and us, we had an opportunity to take it outright with a win against South Bend. All week we prepared for the option, SB's signature play, and worked kinks in our offense. We all knew the magnitude of the game, but for some reason, we came out cold. But, sometimes football is like golf... a good finish is most important.

We started out with the ball, but couldn't score on the drive. The first score came later in the first quarter on a pitch pass from Nick Hines to Tony Fletcher. But on the ensuing SB possession, Zach Boyes rumbled into the end zone after a pathetic defensive seris. The score was tied at halftime 7 to 7, but we were lucky. It could have possibly been the worst half of football we had played all year. Coach Eaton had some inspiring words at half time and we knew we were still in it. Coach Glick reminded us, "Win And Your In".

South Bend received the ball, and promptly made their way to pay dirt. I bet they ran the same play around five times in the drive. We couldn't stop the veer option. This drive stung. South Bend had momentum, while we were stuck in Gorilla Glue. They stopped us the whole third quarter and scored another touchdown to boot. To start the first quarter, we were behind 20-7, with momentum still in their favor. The shift came in after a Michael Shirley punt. On the first Indian play of the drive, they fumbled. We recovered. Pumped, but pressured by time, we shocked the stunned SB defense, scoring in under two minutes. 20-14. Leonel, who thus far has been an on/off kicker, boomed the pigskin to the 10 yard line where the returner slipped and fell. This was it; we all knew that we needed to stop them as soon as possible and give as much time to the offense. We made stops when the time came and forced them to punt after three plays. Starting around mid-field with four minutes to go, we began our winning drive. The line blocked well and the backs ran hard. We switched up formations and ran our version of the option. It caught them off guard and we moved at a fare clip. Austin Burkhalter scored the tying touchdown on a quarterback sneak behind linemen Michael Shirley, Tommy Rose, Nick Zimmermen, Marcus Sanchez, and Manny Lopez. Caleb Corona, who was 3 for 3 on PATs(including an attempt that was 10 yards deeper than normal due to penalties), showed ice cold nerves and split the uprights for the go ahead point. To make the comeback complete, Leonel Mendoza recovered his own kick after it bounced off a chest plate of a up man. The quarterback kneel, sealed the deal... WE ARE GOING TO THE PLAYOFFS!

We, the Comets, have consistently rose above adversity. Friday night we accomplished our regular season goal to make the playoffs. Thursday, we play Ocosta at Rueben Pentilla field. Be sure to join us for senior night and the final regular season game.

NHS LB,FB
Alan Erickson

Photos from week 9 - Comets clinch playoff berth with amazing final minute comeback, 21-20

CLICK HERE to view a gallery of photos from the Comets win