Game recaps - Comets playoff bound again, Fishermen finish up

Naselle 22 - South Bend 8
NASELLE - "Our sophomore line and (senior) Manny Lopez controlled the line of scrimmage and our kids all played well for each other," a jubilant Coach Jeff Eaton exclaimed after his Comets doused South Bend 22-8 on a rainy, windy Friday night at Rueben Penttila.
Alan Erickson scored three touchdowns and contributed nine tackles as did Robert Eaton and the Comets racked up 350 yards of total offense to a measly 107 for South Bend. Naselle rambled for 20 first downs to only five for the visitors and the time of possession was 34 minutes for the Comets to 14 for South Bend.
Erickson gained 113 yards in 17 carries and Nate Carlson led the offensive attack with 121 yards in 16 totes. Austin Burkhalter completed one pass in four tries to Erickson, who then gained 19 yards and Burkhalter intercepted a pass and tossed one interception for the games' only turnovers.
With the win Naselle secured a state playoff berth for the third straight year and will visit Tacoma Baptist in two weeks in the first round of the state 2B tournament. The Comets are now 8-1 overall and 4-1 in the Pacific 2B League and South Bend falls to 3-2 in league and are 6-3 for the season.

Ilwaco 20 - Castle Rock 49
Castle Rock - The Ilwaco Fishermen finished up their 2009 season against a tough Castle Rock team in a lopsided loss, 49-20. The 20 points scored was one short of their season high in a game, but also put the Fishermen over the century mark for points scored this season. The Fishermen end their season 0-9.

Photo Gallery - Comets lock up playoff berth with rainy rivalry win

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Comet fans of the world unite!

Just a quick note for you Comet fans out there - don't forget to bring YOUR A game tonight, cuz you know the South Bend fans will. Whether its that woman leading the school cheer, or fans walking the track shouting at the field they are a passionate bunch. But I know that Naselle fans are known to let their voices be heard as well, and tonight is the night to do just that. Don't forget that its senior night too and likely the last home game of the year.
Be loud, be proud - Comets for life! See you there tonight

Week 9 preview - 10/30

Playoff implications are on the line for Naselle, while Ilwaco plays for pride

Game of the Week

Naselle vs. South Bend, 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 30, Pentilla Field 

Two years ago we called the Naselle - South Bend game the "game of the quarter century." Last year we said it doesn't matter what sport it is, it always seems to come down to the Naselle - South Bend game to decide something big. Weighty connotations can once again be applied to this weeks rivalry match-up at Pentilla Field. (Did we mention that Naselle beat South Bend in both of those games previously?)

The Naselle Comets (7-1, 3-1) have had a little unexpected drama hit their team this week as several players missed the first half of the week battling the flu that has been going around local schools this last month. Several key starters, including QB Austin Burkhalter and FB Alan Erickson were sidelined. But as of last night all but two players are back in action according to a post by Burkhalter on the blog. And while we have been unable to confirm it, you can bet that South Bend has likely had their share of health concerns too.

South Bend (6-2, 3-1) have been dynamite all season, blowing most opponents out, and only giving up three TDs in one game — in a loss to league leader Valley. South Bend is averaging a whopping 36 ppg, while giving up just 12 ppg.

However, the one team in the Pacific League who has scored more points than South Bend is the Comets. In fact Naselle's offense to defense ratio is 2 to 1, as they have scored exactly 300 points this year (38 ppg) while giving up 101 points (13 ppg). And while it these number are impressive for both teams, it should be noted that both have had a fairly easy schedule thus far. South Bend's two losses came against the two best teams they've played, while Naselle's lone loss came against one of the two good teams they have played. 

Both teams come into the game on the heels of a blowout win — South Bend topped Ocosta (who had been tied with South Bend and Naselle for second place) 57-6, while the Comets took down North Beach 59-14. South Bend has won two straight since their loss to Valley, outscoring their opponents a collective 105-12. The Comets have won three straight since their loss to Valley, outscoring their opponents a collective 163-34. In those three games the Comets offense has just exploded as the team has been at full strength — and to be fair, a couple of the late TDs they've given up have been in "garbage time" with many JV players on the field.

So as it stands now, if Naselle wins they will be in the drivers seat for a playoff berth. The Pacific League has two automatic bids to the 2B playoffs for the first and second place team, with the third place team going up against the Central League third place team for a final spot on the Tuesday before the playoffs begin. If Naselle wins tonight they will be 4-1 and South Bend will be 3-2. Ocosta will most likely beat North Beach to once again create a tie at third place. Of course if South Bend wins tonight it creates the same situation for Naselle, who would likely be in the two way tie for third. But while South Bend gets North Beach for their final game, a likely win, Naselle travel to Ocosta for the final game of the season, and in this scenario would be a must-win game just to qualify for the play-in game three days later. Of course, if Naselle wins tonight and Ocosta also wins it sets up a scenario where if South Bend wins next week and Naselle somehow loses to Ocosta it would create a three-way tie for second place with all three teams at 4-2. OUCH! My head hurts now. Comets, for my sake, just win the next two games!

The Comets held steady at number 10 in this weeks AP poll, same as last week, while Valley remains number 7. Last years state champion Napavine remains in the top 10 ( no. 8) despite losing their second game of the season last week. They are the only team receiving votes that has more than one loss this year at the 2B level.

Don't forget to check back Saturday for a game recap and photo gallery

Ilwaco @ Castle Rock, 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 23, Castle Rock High School 

While they may not be able to realistically play for a win tonight in their season finale, the Ilwaco Fishermen (0-8, 0-4) can still go out with their heads held high knowing they gave it their all this year. 

The Fishermen got back to moving in the right direction last week as they hung tough for three quarters with the Columbia Bruins. Now unfortunately the refs seemingly decided to take the last quarter of the game off, turning a blind eye toward multiple rough fouls by the Bruins, in one case knocking a Fishermen senior out for the rest of the game. They finally woke up with two minutes left just in time to eject an Ilwaco player for voicing his displeasure with the lack of fair play.

The Fishermen scored a season-high 21 points on the Bruins, and trailed by only one score at the end of the third quarter, but were unable to score again. Ilwaco should have a chance to put a few more on the board as Castle Rock (5-3, 3-1) give up an average of 25 ppg this season. The Rockets lost a chance at the Trico title last week as they fell to LaCenter 16-34. And since the Rockets have essentially shored up second in the Trico and a playoff berth don't be surprised if you see few starters on the field in the second half, giving the Fishermen a chance to get in the end zone a few more times perhaps. Once again Ilwaco will look to get it done on the ground. Last week the Fishermen ran for 215 yards — 106 of which by Trevor Couch, who recently returned from injury. When they do decide to pass Kyle Breckridge would likely be the one to catch it, as he has been the Fishermen's most reliable receiver all year, usually fighting for extra yards after the catch.

Pigskin Pick'em

After the season I think I'm going to take this luck to Vegas, 2-0 once again. We're now 11-4 on the year

W- Naselle vs. South Bend

I have to say I'm a little concerned about Naselle in this game. Not that I don't think they can win, because they definitely can, but because they've seen so little good competition all year. Add in the flu bug this week, possibly rainy weather, and a tough, tough South Bend team. I think if those factors come into play it can be a tight game. If the Comets are firing on all cylinders like they have the last few weeks they have a chance to put up some big numbers in a win. 

L- Ilwaco @ Castle Rock

Playing for pride I think the Fishermen put some more scores on the board and maybe keep it close for awhile, but Castle Rock is a football machine, and will pull away eventually. 

NHS player post - No worries.

Although the flu/cold bug has hit NHS hard this past week
as of yesterday all but two players were at practice.
We will be ready to take down the South Bend Indians on Friday night.


This is a huge game with playoff implications.
Please head to Pentilla field on Friday night to cheer us on to victory.
We want to give Coach Eaton an early birthday present.

Game on,

Austin Burkhalter, QB

NHS player post - Bustin' Loose

It was a windy night on the shores of the ocean
but the Comets came ready to put on a show.
Facing our old coach Mr. Andrea, who gave us many of our plays in years past,
it didn't help the Hyaks much, we were just too fast.
Our biggest game of the season is next week,
the South Bend Indians head to Naselle - revenge to seek.
We will be ready for the foe at hand
come watch us play and enjoy the band.
Be there or
be square.


Peace out
Austin Burkhalter, QB

Game recaps - Better late than never?

For a variety of reasons we neglected to get this up on the site Saturday, I guess you can say we dropped the ball.... our apologies, here ya go

Ilwaco 21 - Columbia of White Salmon 42

ILWACO - Ilwaco scored a season-high 21 points, but Columbia of White Salmon came away with a 42-21 Trico League victory on Homecoming night at Peterson Field Friday. The Fishermen took the opening kickoff and marched 67 yards in 11 plays to take a 7-0 lead at the 5:51 mark of quarter number one.
Trevor Couch scored on a 27-yard run and Christian Dekeyser's kick split the uprights after Ilwaco had rattled off four first downs with their double-wing offensive scheme. It took the Bruins only two plays to tie the contest when fullback Kristien Contreras rambled 67 yards down the right sideline and Jenson Ladiges raced in from nine yards out on the next play for a TD. Felix Torres booted the first of six consecutive extra points he would convert on the evening to tie the game.

Read the full story HERE

Naselle 59 - North Beach 14

NORTH BEACH - After a slow start Naselle broke open a Pacific League game at North Beach Friday to breeze to a 59-14 victory. It was the Comets second consecutive game in which the running clock was used as part of the 45-point mercy rule.
After Naselle took a 27-6 lead into the locker room at the half, Jesus Martinez returned the opening kickoff of the third period for a touchdown, the third time he has done so this season and that score broke the Hyaks' back. Naselle's Alan Erickson and Logan Scrabeck each scored two touchdowns in the first half and Nate Carlson, Scrabeck, Kai Leach and John Hines scored TD's in the second half in the victory.
Naselle ran up 407 yards rushing, their highest total of the season. Erickson led the Comets with 10 tackles, Leonel Mendoza added six tackles, including a sack and Ryley Queener blocked a punt to spark Naselle's defensive effort.
The Comets are now 7-1 on the year and are tied with South Bend for second place with a 3-1 league record behind Valley's 4-0 mark. Naselle will host South Bend next Friday with playoff implications on the line. The winner of that game will likely be in the state playoffs and the loser will probably be in a winner-to-state game against the winner of the Wahkiakum-Mossyrock contest, which will also be played next Friday.

Photo Gallery - Fishermen hang tough in homecoming loss

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Week 8 previews - 10/23

Ilwaco celebrates homecoming while Naselle warms up for big game next week

Game of the Week

Ilwaco vs. Columbia of White Salmon, 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 23, Patterson Field — Ilwaco Homecoming game

After two weeks away, the Ilwaco Fishermen (0-7, 0-3) return tonight for their homecoming game with Columbia of White Salmon (2-4, 1-2). The Fishermen's recent hosts were particularly inhospitable, allowing only 14 Ilwaco points while amassing 72 collectively. Perhaps it's the Fishermen's turn to invoke the home court advantage? With the halftime festivities you'd have to expect that the stands will be as full as they have been all year, let's help the boys out and let the Bruins know what Ilwaco fans can sound like?

The Bruins come into the game having beaten Kalama for their first Trico League win of the year last Friday. And while they may not have many wins to show for it, the Bruins have been putting up a lot of points this year — 186, just 25 behind league leader LaCenter, an average of 31 ppg, and Columbia has played one fewer game than the rest of the league.

However, they have also given up a lot of points this year — 198, just 26 points behind league worst Ilwaco, for an average of 33 ppg, once again in one fewer game than the rest of the Trico.

The Fishermen can accomplish a small milestone for themselves tonight — by scoring 23 points they will surpass the century mark in scoring for the year. Ilwaco is the only team in the league to not have at least 165 points thus far (only 77 points right now). 

If they're going to stay in the game though the Fishermen will have to slow down a strong running attack for the second straight week. Last Friday the Fishermen had to contend with LaCenter's Dillon Kelly who ran for 253 yards on 14 carries (18 ypc) and 5 touchdowns. This week they'll be facing a Bruins run game that ran for a massive 423 yards last week on Kalama. It should be noted that while amassing that large sum the Bruins themselves gave up 320 yards on the ground.

Don't forget to check back Saturday for a game recap and photo gallery

Naselle @ North Beach, 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 23, North Beach 

The Comets 51-point homecoming game blowout over Seattle Lutheran last Saturday turned a lot of heads — including that of the Willapa Valley Vikings head coach. The coach was on hand for the Saturday game following his teams 31-8 win the night before over the Comets opponent this week, the North Beach Hyaks (1-5, 1-2). According to a parent who spoke to him on the sidelines he was there to scout the Comets now that they are back to full strength roster-wise. The one word he used to describe the Naselle team? "Scary."

The Naselle Comets (6-1, 2-1) are coming into the home stretch of the season, with only three games remaining, and like I mentioned previously, they are finally back to full strength, giving them so many weapons it's kind of ridiculous. This time last year they were hanging on for dear life almost every week, eeking out wins at the last minute. This year they are like a multi-headed dragon, with a couple more fire-breathing heads hidden behind their back just in case. And lets remember, it was when they started running a wildcat-style offense late in the season that they started to really take off last year, and I'm pretty sure they haven't run a single wildcat play thus far.

The Hyaks have fallen off after a strong season last year, with their only win coming against the Raymond Gulls — every team in the league has at least one win against Raymond this year, except of course Raymond. And save for that one game against the Gulls, where they put up a whopping 64 points, the Hyaks have only scored 14 points once this season. Without that game they would not be averaging 18 ppg. 

The Comets come into the game with the highest points scored total in the league, 241, an average of 35 ppg. That's not a good sign for a Hyaks team that is giving up an average of 31 ppg. Last week the Comets had multiple players score multiple touchdowns, while Austin Burkhalter was 3-for-3 for 111 yards, his second straight 111-yard game. 

The Comets returned to the state AP rankings this week after slipping out the previous two. They are the 10th ranked team in the state, receiving 10 votes. Pacific League leading Valley is now ranked 7th with 26 votes, and South Bend has fallen out of the poll this week for the first time all season.

And speaking of South Bend ... yep next week's game is a doozy. But there are a number of playoff qualifying scenarios that come into play, depending on who wins tonight in the match-up between South Bend and Ocosta — who are both tied with Naselle at 2-1 for second in league. I've just gone through a bunch of scenarios on paper, but basically the best way for the Comets to assure themselves of a playoff bid is to win the last three games — oh, did I mention they play at Ocosta in the season finale?

Pigskin Pick'em

I'm thinking about getting a turban and crystal ball and advertising my psychic abilities. We're now 9-4 on the year

L- Ilwaco vs. Columbia of White Salmon

If you can only get one win all year, it might as well be homecoming right? Maybe not this year, but I'd love to be wrong.

W- Naselle @ North Beach

The beat goes on, and the points keep racking up for the Comets.

Game recap - Naselle dominates Seattle Lutheran

NASELLE - The Comets totally and unequivocally dominated Seattle Lutheran in their Homecoming non-league football game 57-6 Saturday at Reuben Penttila Field in Naselle. Coach Jeff Eaton said, "All 29 of our guys got into the game and all of them played well. I was especially pleased with our offensive line and we played very good defense, too. Our coaches (Paul Wirkkala, Matt Scrabeck and Francis Fabela) have done a fantastic job and it showed today."

Last season the Saints dumped Naselle 22-19 in Seattle and the Comets avenged that loss with a 34-7 victory in the state playoffs. Saturday it was no contest as two of the Lute's first three plays resulted in losses and after they punted Naselle marched 78 yards in nine plays, capped off by Logan Scrabeck's 15 yard scamper for a touchdown and Leonel Mendoza's kick for point.

Read the full story HERE

Photo gallery - Comets roll to 51-point homecoming win

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Game recap - Wildcats take big bite out of Fishermen

Ilwaco 7 - LaCenter 40

LaCenter - The LaCenter Wildcats scored early and often Friday night as they sent the Ilwaco Fishermen to their seventh loss of the season, 40-7. The win sets up essentially a league championship game between the Wildacts and Castle Rock next Friday for the Trico League title.

The Wildcats Dillion Kelly ran wild on the Fishermen to the tune of 253 yards and five touchdowns.

“They controlled the line of scrimmage offensively and defensively. They executed,” Ilwaco coach Kevin McNulty told the Longview Daily News following the game. “We moved the ball at times, but it was sporadic.”
Ilwaco QB Justin Short capped a nice fourth-quarter drive by scoring the Fishermen’s touchdown on a 4-yard run.
Ilwaco (0-7, 0-3) plays Columbia of White Salmon next Friday in their homecoming game.

Week 7 preview - 10/16

A rare day game for Naselle while Ilwaco hits the road against a tough foe

Game of the Week

Naselle vs. Seattle Lutheran, 2 pm, Saturday, Oct. 17, Pentilla Field

I think the song goes something along the lines of, "If you don't know me by now, you will never, never, never know me..." The Naselle Comets (5-1, 2-1) go into their game Saturday afternoon with the Seattle Lutheran Saints (2-3) for their fourth match-up in the last three years.  The Comets have blown out the Saints in the first round of the state playoffs each of the last two years (by a combined score of 76-14), but lost a regular season game to them  last year by a mere three points. But while Seattle Lutheran has tasted the postseason the last two years, they aren't looking quite as good this time around.

The Saints come into the game following a straight up beat down at the hands of Friday Harbor last week, 0-56. Their offense has been erratic thus far, in two of their games they have managed less then 7 points, while in the other three they have scored in the 20s. Meanwhile their defense is giving up an average of 24 ppg.

The Comets however got back to full strength last week, as the players who had been suspended the last few games returned — and it showed. The Comets rolled NW Christian 47-14  with 6 different players scoring. Burkhalter had one of his best games passing, going 5-for-8 for 111 yards and a TD toss, while running for two more TDs. And the Comets seem to have a bit of a secret weapon on special teams this year as Jesus Martinez returned a punt for a TD — his fourth kick return for a TD in six games.

Despite the loss to Valley two weeks ago the Comets could be thanking the Vikings after they took down South Bend last week 13-21 (South Bend had beaten Valley in week one, 20-7 in a non-league game). The loss puts Naselle in solid control of second place in the Pacific League at 2-1, one game behind Valley at 3-0 and a half game up on South Bend, Ocosta and North Beach, all 1-1 in league. Valley will undoubtedly win out, as their last four games are with teams that are collectively 2-20 on the season. It is highly unlikely that the Comets would fall to either Ocosta or North Beach at this point — the Hyaks only win this season came at the expense of the much maligned Raymond Gulls last week, while Ocosta's three wins have come over teams that are a combined 1-15 on the year. South Bend face a similar scenario as the only remaining game of any likely challenge will come against Naselle on Oct. 30 and will most likely decide second place in the league and give the winner an automatic bid to the postseason. Would you expect anything less from a Naselle-South Bend match-up?

 

Saturday's game has a few side-attractions to it also. For one, it's a rare Saturday afternoon home game for Naselle (if someone knows the last time Naselle hosted a Saturday afternoon game I'd love to know). Yeah, it's all about Friday Night Lights (or in OUR case, Friday Nights SIGHTS) but the Comets have played well during the day — 3-1 in the last two years. Saturday is also the Homecoming game for Naselle, with the crowning of the king and queen at halftime. Another possible important note to mention —  the National Weather Service has put out an advisory for heavy local rainfall on Friday and Saturday — predicted 2-5 inches in the Willapa Hills — so bring your umbrella! 

**Another note worth mentioning, the photo retrospective by Observer photographer Damian Mulinix of the Comets historic season last year took first place in Best Online Gallery in the 2009 Better Newspaper Contest by the WNPA earlier this month. The judges sheet had this to say: "Wow, the thought, time and energy that went into this piece is just mind-blowing. The subject matter is great and the photos are fantastic!"

You can view it HERE if you like

Don't forget to check back Sunday for a game recap, photo gallery and player posts

Ilwaco @ LaCenter, 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 16, LaCenter High School

What is turning out to be a long season for the Ilwaco Fishermen (0-6, 0-2) continues this week with a trip to LaCenter (4-2, 2-0) to face the Trico League-leading Wildcats.

The Wildcats can boast of not only a tie for the best record in the league with Castle Rock, but also the best overall numbers in a high-scoring league — not a good sign for the Fishermen, who have given up a league-worst 184 points in six games (31 ppg). And while the Wildcats are averaging a Trico-best 29 ppg, the Fishermen have scored the fewest points in the league thus far — 70 points, an average of 12 ppg. 

LaCenter comes into the game having doubled-up Columbia of White Salmon last week, 50-28, and the Wildcats are a mere 4 points away from a perfect season, losing one game by a field goal and another by one point. 

But perhaps one X-factor that the Fishermen could look to is the possibility that LaCenter might already be thinking about their match-up next week with Castle Rock to decide first place in the league and perhaps overlook the  Fishermen. If the Fishermen bring their A game — like they did against Naselle earlier this year —  and control the field position with a clock-eating running game, this could have trap game written all over it.

Pigskin Pick'em

Right-e-o again last week. We're now 7-4 on the year

W- Naselle vs. Seattle Lutheran

From here on out I think we see why the Comets were third at state last year, big win for homecoming.

L- Ilwaco @ LaCenter

Maybe the Fishermen can catch a break or two and the Wildcats look past them to make it close.

Naselle player posts - Week 6

The Comets quickly worked out the effects of a long bus ride to dismantle the NWC Navigators last night. The Navs had the first touchdown and the last touchdown but the Comets sandwiched 47 points in between to get the W.

With the addition of 4 players we were close to full strength and it showed. Manny Lopez had a great game at defensive end and at left tackle as well. Logan Scrabeck continues to wow us with his shredding capabilities. Jesus Martinez ran back a punt return for a TD. Jon Hines showed some skills after catching a pass and running it in for a touchdown. Big Al Erickson had mega tackles and nice yardage for another great game. Robert Eaton was a defensive power house with 11 tackles.

After last week's defeat to Valley we were determined to stay focused and get back to our winning ways. Our next game is at home against Seattle Lutheran. It is a Saturday afternoon game at 2pm.

See you there.
Austin Burkhalter QB

Week 6 game recaps

Naselle 47 - NWC 14
The Navigators may have scored first, the Comets had the last laugh as they routed their Pacific league foe 47-14. Naselle QB Austin Burkhalter had a monster game, running for two TDs, throwing for another and catching a 2-point conversion. Joining him in the offensive explosion was Alan Erickson with a 2-yard run for a score, Logan Scrabeck with a 4-yard scoring run, Jesus Martinez with a 44-yard punt return for TD, (but wait there's more), John hines caught a 33-yard scoring pass and Leonel Mendoza scored on a 32-yard run — all of this came before the Navs scored their second TD in the fourth quarter.
Once again the running game was key for the Comets as they picked up 230 of the their 331 yards on the ground. Burkhalter was particularly successful through the air as well, connecting on 5-of-8 for 101 yards. BTW, he also picked off the Navs QB for an interception. Erickson had 14 tackles on defense, and Robert Eaton added 11 more.

Ilwaco 7 - Stevenson 32
Stevenson QB Zach Castro had a huge night Friday against Ilwaco, passing for 267 yards. The Fishermen scored their lone TD late in the fourth quarter on a 4-yard run by FB Tyler Starks. The Fishermen had a successful running game, picking up 189 yards on the ground (245 overall).

Week 6 preview - 10/9

Naselle @ NW Christian, Friday Oct. 9, 7 p.m., Lacey
Well, there's essentially two ways to look at Naselle's loss last week to the Valley Vikings — one, so much for the perfect season — or — the season doesn't really begin until you get your first loss. Like Alan Erickson wrote last week, there's a lot that can be learned from a loss like that.
The Comets (4-1, 1-1) go on the road tonight to test what they have learned against the NW Christian Navigators (2-3, 1-1).
The Navs have had an up and down season thus far, losing their first two games by a combined score of 56-12, winning their next two games, and then losing last week at South Bend, 44-14. The Navs are averaging 18 ppg, while giving up an average of 27 ppg.
The Comets could certainly use a game against a lighter defense after struggling to move the ball last week against a strong Vikings defense — the Comets lone score came in the fourth quarter.
Despite being essentially shut down last week, the Comets are still averaging a hefty 27 ppg on offense while giving up just 13 ppg. And while that Comets defense gave up more than 200 yards for the first time all year last week, they will undoubtedly be getting a serious boost from the return of the five players that have been suspended the last four weeks.
As was to be expected, the Comets state ranking took a hit following the loss last week, in fact they fell out of the state AP poll all together, receiving 0 votes. Interesting to note, the team that took Naselle's place at number 6 in the poll, South Bend, still received votes and fell from number 7 to number 9 after their loss two weeks ago to Tacoma Baptist. Also interesting, Valley is still on the outside looking in (unranked but receiving 10 votes) despite the fact that they are first in the Pacific League.

Ilwaco @ Stevenson, Friday, Oct. 9, 7 p.m., Stevenson High School
For the third week in a row the Ilwaco Fishermen (0-5, 0-1) got off to a good start, but couldn't follow through in the second half. Despite the fact that the Fishermen tied their highest scoring output last week (20 points) they were never in the game in the second half as they surrendered 45 total points to Kalama.
Tonight the Fishermen travel to Stevenson (1-4, 0-1) for their second league game. And once again the Fishermen will face a beatable team. Stevenson has not won a game since their opener at Tenino when they won 35-7. That was by far their best game as they have averaged 18 ppg while giving up an average of 25 ppg since. For the season Stevenson has scored 105 points while giving up 106.
The Fishermen have been averaging 13 ppg on offense while giving up an average of 30 ppg.

Pigskin Pick'em

Last week was our worst week as both IHS and NHS went down. After a good start, we are now 5-4 on the season.

W-Naselle @ NWC

The Comets bounce back from a tough loss after getting back missing players.

L-Ilwaco @ Stevenson

As much as I really want Ilwaco to pick up that first win tonight, I just can't pick'em again until they do. Maybe this will work as reverse good luck?

Week 5 — NHS player blog post

Friday night in Naselle, the Comets (4-1, 1-1) hosted Pacific League rival the Willapa Valley Vikings (4-1, 2-0). Naselle has had a tough run with the Vikings, and it was no different this time around.

Willapa returned a short kick to around half-field to start the game and took no time at all to make their way down the throats of the previously super stout Comet defense. Viking QB Matt Friese was like a greased pig Friday night. He avoided several sacks in the first half and snuck his way out of way too many tackles. Missed tackles were probably the main reason we lost the game. However, in addition to the missed tackles, we weren't comfortable on offense in the first half. Our all-senior backfield was making mistakes expected of freshmen. We had several fumbles (thankfully not all lost) and several bouts of miscommunication which led to an unproductive first half.

Matt Friese played great ball for the Vikings. On another drive in the first half he took advantage of our blown coverage twice. The first was to a running back on a wheel route down the sideline for a 30+ yard gain. Our second blown coverage led to Valley's second TD.

At the half, we were down 14-0. In the locker room I could sense the youth, the guys who hadn't played against a quality team like Willapa, let alone be done two touchdowns at half, were flustered and a little confused. They hadn't experienced the gut-wrenching feeling, the "what was I thinking", or the true fear of losing that comes with being down at half. I talked to the guys about how it takes trust in each other on the field to win football games. During the first half we were having some internal issues as well as external. I also mentioned how we needed to believe that we can comeback and win the game. I truly believed we could. The first half was not what most of us would call Comet Football; it was more like Pee Wee. After a few minutes, Coach Eaton came in and gave his talk. He wasn't mad, disappointed sure, but he talked calmly about what we needed to fix on offense and on defense if we were going to tun the game in our favor. He told us how we were going to return to the veer option and basically pound away for the first drive in the third quarter.

We returned the opening kickoff to around the 30 yd line. Everything was looking good, we were ready to move the chains. However, an early fumble stopped our drive quickly. Our defense was not going to give up another score. Valley turned the ball over on downs and once we regained the ball, the pounding began. The veer option became our favorite play for the third quarter as we methodically marched down the field. Our drive took a long time and didn't payoff. Willapa was able stop us eight yards shy of our first touchdown. We actually had some previous trouble in the red zone Friday when Valley stopped us shy in the first half too.

Upon our turnover on downs, Valley marched the ball 92 yards to paydirt. In a way you could say it was a two touchdown gain for the Vikings. We should have scored to make it 14-6 (or 8), but instead Valley was able to run down the throat of our disheartened D and make it 21-0

I was proud of our team for not giving up. Instead of quiting after their final score we marched it down the field to our only touchdown of the game, a pass from Austin Burkhalter to Jesus Martinez. Valley took a knee to expire the time and give us our first loss of the season: 21-6, the exact same score as last year when we clashed in Menlo.

No one ever wants to lose. However, when you lose there seems to be more to learn. The age old "well we still won" excuse is no longer in play because everything you did or didn't do led to a loss. You start to think about why such and such happened and how you can fix it. I know that the sting of the loss is still in our hearts. Its hard to forget. But I also think that the sting is just going to feed the fire in Naselle, it's going to be an eye-opener for everyone, especially the sophomores who haven't really had one of these experiences. We know that this loss hasn't ruined our playoff goal. We have gone to the playoffs the past two years and in each year Willapa Valley got the best of us in the regular season. This is nothing new. Now begins the rest of the season.

Next week we play Northwest Christian. I am unsure of the location of the game. We will be looking to re-group this week and with the return of four of the five suspended players will be at nearly full strength. Go Comets!

Alan Erickson
NHS LB FB
To God be the Glory

Week 5 recap - Comets and Fishermen fall at home

Naselle 6 - Valley 21

The Naselle Comets biggest nemesis the last few years has been the Valley Vikings (having lost to them 5 of the last six encounters in the regular season), and once again the boys from Menlo came out on top, beating Naselle 21-6 for their first league loss of the season — and first home loss since 2007 (also to Valley).

The Comets defense which had been dynamite the first four games could do little to stop Valley QB Matt Friese.

"We had a very hard time tackling him,” Naselle coach Jeff Eaton told the Longview Daily News following the game. “We had him in numerous third-and-5 situations, and we’d hit him and he’d spin out and fall forward to get the yards he needed.”

Valley scored twice in the first half for a 14-0 lead at halftime and Friese added a 40-yard run for a TD in the second half.

Naselle scored their only points early in the fourth quarter when Jesus Martinez caught a 4-yard pass from Austin Burkhalter.

The Comets are now 4-1, 1-1 in the Pacific League. And while the loss hurts, its far from a kill shot for Naselle. The Pacific League is shaping up to a three team race between Naselle, Valley and South Bend (all 4-1). Valley though has a full game lead on Naselle and a .5 game lead on South Bend. If Naselle can take care of business the rest of the way (and beat South Bend in the last home game) they should be right in the mix. The Pacific League has two automatic bids to the playoffs, with the third place team playing the third place Central team to get in. The Comets will be on the road next week at NWC.

Ilwaco 20 - Kalama 45

The Fishermen (0-5, 0-1) drew first blood, but couldn't sustain their attack as the Fishermen lost their 11th straight, falling 20-45 in their league opener to Kalama (3-2, 1-0).

Following an opening drive score and two point conversion, Kalama returned the ensuing kickoff for an 83-yard score. Ilwaco's Taylor Odneal would give the Fishermen back the lead later in the quarter with a 57-yard run.

It took all of two plays for the Chinooks to score again on a 53-yard pass play, leaving the Fishermen grasping a thin 14-12 lead at the end of one.

That lead wouldn't last though, as Kalama added two unanswered scores in the second period enroute to the big win.

Kalama added two more scores in the second half and Ilwaco's Justin Short added a TD for the Fishermen on a 1-yard run. The Fishermen are on the road next week at Stevenson.

Week 5 preview - 10/3

A big game for Naselle, and Ilwaco opens Trico League play at home

Game of the Week

Naselle vs. Valley, 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 3, Pentilla Field

As coach Eaton told the guys before their last home game, "We got the blue uniforms tonight and haven't lost in the blue uni's in a long time." That's true, the last time they lost at home was Sept. 28, 2007 — to Valley, 0-7 (nine homes games ago). But guess whose coming to dinner this week?

The Naselle Comets (4-0, 1-0) were undermanned again last week ... but they sure didn't play like it. The Comets put up a whopping 54 points on the Raymond Gulls (0-4, 0-1) in their Pacific League opener last Friday night. To put that into some perspective, the Comets have not scored that many points in a game since beating NWC 54-6 on Oct. 6, 2006. Logan Scrabeck had a huge game, running for 161 yards and three touchdowns. And once again the defense was the star, holding the Gulls to one touchdown, which was scored on Raymond's first possession of the game.

This week will likely be completely different in terms of competition as the defending Pacific League champ Valley Vikings (3-1, 1-0) come to town. Last year the Vikings took down Naselle 21-6 in their week 5 match-up. The Comets would have their revenge though, taking down the undefeated Vikings 28-24 in the state quarterfinals. The Vikings have however beaten Naselle their last five regular season meetings.

Valley comes into the game having beat Ocosta 27-0 in their league opener. The Vikings lost their season opener 7-20 to South Bend (who lost last week 20-34 at Tacoma Baptist) in a non-league game. The Vikings are averaging 25 ppg thus far, and while the Comets defense has been stingy, the Valley defense has been downright stifling, giving up just 26 points through four games, including two shutouts (7 points allowed per game average). Of course your numbers always look better when you beat up on three teams with a combined 4-8 record. Though Naselle hasn't had much of a test yet either as their four wins have come against teams with a combined record of 5-11 — including two 0-4 teams).

The Comets are averaging 33 ppg — though that number is skewed some by their high output against a weak Raymond defense last Friday. Prior to the Raymond game they were averaging 26 ppg. The defense is still giving up less then 2 touchdowns per game (12 ppg) and have yet to give up more than 200 yards in a single game. 

The Comets will be undermanned again this week as their five suspended players sit out the final week of their suspension — they will be eligible to play next week.

The Comets held steady at 6th place in the state AP football rankings for the third straight week (34 votes). South Bend fell to ninth after losing last week to 7th ranked Tacoma Baptist. The Comets remained in 4th place in the Tacoma News Tribune weekly rankings.

**Unfortunately there will be no photos from this week's game of the week as Observer photojournalist Damian Mulinix will be in Olympia that night at the annual WNPA awards ceremony

Don't forget to check back Saturday for a game recap and player posts

Ilwaco vs. Kalama, 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 3, Patterson Field

After looking good in the first half of last week's game with Pe Ell, the Ilwaco Fishermen (0-4) gave up two long touchdowns in the second half  to fall to Pe Ell 9-19. The Fishermen are hoping to end their 10 game losing streak — dating back to last year — in their Trico League opener tonight with the Kalama Chinooks (1-3).

The Chinooks come into the game having lost last week as well, 14-40 at Rainier, Ore. The Chinooks are giving up a considerable 33 ppg and haven't given up less than three touchdowns in any of their games. Meanwhile the offense is only managing 12 ppg. 

The Fishermen offense isn't any better, as they are averaging just 11 ppg thus far. The Ilwaco defense has been porous at times as well, giving up 27 ppg. All in all it looks like the two teams are fairly evenly matched. Maybe the home field and some good old Ilwaco weather will help tip the scales for the Fishermen?

 

Pigskin Pick'em

Once again last week we called it exactly for Naselle in a blowout win, but were wrong in predicting a first win for Ilwaco. We're now 5-2 on the year

W-Ilwaco vs. Kalama

Another great opportunity for the Fishermen to get their first win of the year, though it will be a close game.

W- Naselle vs. Valley

Gave this one a lot of thought. While I wish Naselle had all their players back I have a hard time picking against them at home. While I think it will be a razor thin margin, I can't pick against the Comets at home.