PENINSULA FRIDAY NIGHT SIGHTS

Last Words

2011-11-15T20:59:00.001-08:00

"Life is a journey, not a destination" - Ralph Waldo EmersonAnother season has come to an end, and unlike the past 3 years, there is no next year for me and my 9 senior teammates. We are 10 brothers who worked together, fought together for one prize- the state championship. 3 times we came up short, yet we were determined to make our final year, the year that we would walk awayu from the game as champions. However, once again we were unable to reach the highest of our goals. There was much grief and bitterness on the sidelines friday night after realizing the clock was ticking quickly on our season and our careers. Several thoughts and emotions were racing through my mind. What is happening? Where did we go wrong? How is this happening? Why? The truth hit us all hard. In only minutes our high school football careers would cease to exist and we would never put on our pads and fight with our brothers again. Writing this even now brings back the pain that I felt that night. In the days following the game, i was surprisingly able to find peace. When I look back on the time weve all spent together, I know I wont think of shattering my knee in June, or lying in a hospital bed for a week while my brothers are practicing and playing our homecoming game, or standing in defeat on our sideline at the end. I'll recall the awe of playing in the Tacoma dome, being the first team to raise the KM trophy in who knows howmany years (TWICE!!), weightlifting at 5:30 in the morning veacause of afternoon basketball practices, and leading the Naselle Comets to their first undisputed league championsship in decades. And those are only a few. Looking back, I am a thousand times more thankful for our successes than I am bitter towards our shortcomings. To my fellow 2011 Naselle Comets, I love you all and I am proud to have been able to fight with you. I thank God for the gifts we were given this year. I wouldn't have been able to overcome the obstacles I faced this year without his strength.So for the last time,leaving not in bitter defeatbut in satisfying victory,Ryley Queener #71Comet Pride Forever"The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD." -Proverbs 21:31

Photo gallery - NHS vs Adna, State playoffs, first round

2011-11-12T10:14:00.001-08:00

Sorry for the delay in getting this posted, serious tech problems the last 12 hours...Photos by Dmaian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Week 11 previews - First Round 2B playoffs

2011-11-09T19:54:00.000-08:00

2B State Playoffs, First Round
Naselle vs. Adna
7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 11
Pentilla Field, Naselle

Things are about to get a whole lot harder for the Naselle Comets (10-0, ranked second in the state, top seed on western side of the bracket). While Morton/White Pass get LaConner (6-4) and Napavine get Orcas (6-5), Naselle gets perhaps the toughest first round match up ever, facing Adna (9-1). Heck, even Tacoma Baptist gets Valley....
Adna, two seasons removed from winning the state title, is probably the third best team on the west side of the state. They can score points, and just as importantly, they can keep you from scoring points.
In terms of points allowed, the Pirates have the second best D in all of 2B this year, giving up only 63 points this season, an average of just 6.3 ppg. Naselle is third best on D, averaging just 9.1 ppg. The top D in the state belongs to Morton/White Pass, the likely opponent of the winner of this game, who have only given up 14 points all year. Yeah, 14, all year. But we can talk more about them later.
But the Pirates are not all defense. They are averaging 36.7 ppg on offense, and save for a 10-0 loss to the afore mentioned Morton/White Pass, they haven't played a close game all year. Their smallest margin of victory was a 39-14 win over Wahkiakum. The Pirates tied with MWP and Napavine for the Central League title, and are playing the Comets simply because they lost a coin flip. Naselle could have just as easily been facing either of the other two teams. And if the Comets are able to make it the state finals they will likely have to beat all three teams from the Central to get there.
But here's perhaps the key point going into this week's match up — the Pirates are also the team that ended Naselle's season last year, with a shutout in the district crossover game.

So what's different this year?
Well, for starters, the Comets seem to have fully realized their potential, especially on offense. Last year the Comets scored only 224 points. This year they led the state 2B's with 489 points in 10 games. Last years D was essentially equal, giving up just 110 points, this year they've allowed only 91, though as we've mentioned before about half of those can't be assigned to the varsity D.
For the Comets, having only a 9 point lead going into half time last week was a foreign thing. The Comets had a 40 point lead or better by half time the previous five games. But in the end it was just another blowout win for the Comets. Wahkiakum was probably the best team they've faced so far, but the Comets still pulled away to win by 31 points, which is their second closest game all year — they beat Raymond by only 28. And for a group of players who hadn't played a minute in the fourth quarter all year prior to last week, the Comets outplayed the Mules to the tune of 22-6 in the second half.

That being said, the locker room was fairly quiet at the break, and the celebration after winning the K-M Trophy was pretty subdued. Reflective, but not demonstrative.

And maybe that's a good thing. This team may lack the verbose enthusiasm of say the 2008 team that played in the semis, but what they have instead is a much more defined sense of purpose. Very business-like in a way. They don't get too high, but they never get low, seemingly at all. They expect to win, but not in a cocky way. They seem to believe in what they can do and expect that it will get them the results they are after, and so far, so good.

Other first round games
• Valley vs. Tacoma Baptist, Friday, 7pm, @ Curtis High School, Tacoma
The fourth seed from District IV, the Valley Vikings, travel to a house of horrors for Comets fans — Curtis High School, where Tacoma Baptist destroyed the Comets in the first round of the 2009 playoffs. We all know about Valley, they are essentially the Neumeyer show. The Crusaders won their league with a 8-2 record and average 28.6 ppg while giving up 15.7 ppg.

• Napavine vs. Orcas, Saturday, 5 pm, @ Napavine
Orcas (6-5) placed third in their league, and gave up just about as many points as they scored this year. They win big, or they lose big, averaging 26.5 ppg, while giving up 23.4. They may have a hard time keeping up with the Tigers, who were the third highest scoring team in the state, at 34 ppg.

• Morton/White Pass vs LaConner, Saturday, 2 p.m., Everett Memorial Stadium
You can be sure that if the Comets win Friday night there will be a caravan of Naselle folks driving up to this game the next day. The winner of this game will play the winner of the NHS-Adna game. Not that this is going to be much of a game — as mentioned previously, MWP has given up only 14 points all year, in a 14-7 loss to Napavine. LaConner? They went 6-4 in a pretty soft league, giving up 200 more points than MWP.

Here's a little state tournament factoid for ya. A District IV team has played for the championship each of the last four years, with three teams winning — South Bend, Adna and Napavine — and one team — Toutle Lake — losing in the final. Prior to that run it was six years since the last District IV team appeared in the championship game, that being Valley, who won it all in 2001.

PREGAME FESTIVITIES
Come join the good folks at Naselle for an old-fashioned tailgate and pep rally prior to the game Friday. Tailgate party should start around 3:30, with the pep rally getting underway around 4:45.

Photo gallery - NHS wins KM Trophy, District Crossover, a top seed in playoffs

2011-11-06T00:15:00.000-07:00

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Photo Gallery - Ilwaco wins big in final game

2011-11-04T00:43:00.001-07:00

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Week 10 previews

2011-11-02T19:09:00.000-07:00

Thursday night, playing for pride, Saturday night, playing for playoffs

Ilwaco vs. Warrenton, 7 pm, Thursday, Nov. 3, Peterson Field, Ilwaco, Wa.

Despite playing one heck of a game last week, the Ilwaco Fishermen (3-6) were shutout 14-0 and in turn, shut out of the district playoffs. The Ilwaco defense was outstanding and kept it to a one score game till the fourth quarter. The Fishermen offense just couldn't get any traction and was held scoreless for the third time this season — interestingly enough, two of the Fishermen's wins have been been shutouts as well.

Despite all that, and whether or not they come through on Thursday night, the Fishermen still have to take pride in what has been their most successful season since 2007. But before they move on to wrestling, hoops, or whatever, they get to lace'em up one more time for the home fans.

The Fishermen will end their season with what is essentially an exhibition game against Warrenton (4-5) who also missed the playoffs this year. The Warriors come in having lost their last two games — 62-0 to league champ Rainier, and a 12-0 loss last week to lowly Corbett Charter. The Fishermen and Warriors have nearly identical numbers — Ilwaco has scored 131 points, Warrenton 135, while IHS has given up 230 to the Warriors 255.

Nothing on the line but pride, this should be a fun one, even if it is in the rain (which it looks like it will be...)

Don't forget to check back for photo galleries from both games this week

Naselle vs. Wahkiakum, 7 pm, Saturday, Nov. 5, Pentilla Field, Naselle, Wa. — District crossover playoff game

This one's a big one. Winner goes to the 2B state playoffs, loser goes home. And if Naselle (9-0) is the winner they get the top seed on the western side of the bracket. Pretty good stakes, huh? Oh, did I mention the team coming into Pentilla Field is the hated Wahkiakum Mules?

So, what do we know about Wahkiakum (4-4)?

Well, when last seen on the field — two weeks ago — they destroyed Raymond, 40-7. It was their first win against a team with a winning record this season — the Mules went 0-4 against Adna, Morton/White Pass, Napavine and Toutle Lake, all of which finished ahead of them in the standings. However, despite losing 23-12 to Napavine in their second to last game, the Mules played a very tough game against a very good Tigers team. They had a similar result when losing 26-21 to Toutle Lake. In both cases key turnovers were the Mules downfall. Wyatt Parker is the Mules main offensive threat, he runs for a ton of yards and has scored more than his fair share of TDs this year. He's joined in the back field by Cole Bergseng and QB Lars Blix, who has put up some pretty respectable passing stats this year. Their defense is hard-hitting and gave up an average of only 15.8 ppg.

Fact is, the Mules are a pretty good team that happens to be in a league with four teams ranked in the top 10 in the state this year, and should not be overlooked.

Not that the Comets will. In fact, I bet they've been hankering for a chance to play a good team for weeks (like nine?).

The AP voters finally got a clue this week and voted Naselle #2 in the final poll of the regular season. The jury is still out though on them voting the 5-3 Toutle Lake into the #10 spot — Reardon, Warden, White Swan, Oroville, Brewster, Valley and Raymond all have better numbers and records and are not in the top 10.

You gotta figure that unlike pretty much every game they've played this year, this game will likely not be over by halftime. Coach Jeff Eaton admitted after last weeks win — where he had some starters on the bench midway through the second quarter — that their biggest question mark is whether his team can play a full game, as in all four quarters. I don't think a single starting varsity player has put in a single minute in a fourth quarter so far.

But the fact is they haven't had to. They have been so very good on both sides of the ball that their players are well rested and recuperated. In fact, I don't know of a single player coming in with an injury. Even Ryley Queener should be 100% for this one.

And what's more, we haven't even seen the full arsenal. The Comets have not run a full playbook probably all year. One week they beat you one way, next week they beat you another way. Imagine when they throw it all at you?

The first round of the playoffs have been the bug-a-boo for the Comets the last two seasons, losing to Adna 21-0 in last year's district crossover playoff, and 42-8 to Tacoma Baptist the year before. But despite all of their accomplishments this year — perfect record, league title, top scoring team in the state at 2B — they don't seem to have let it go to their heads. This seems like a pretty down to earth team, very business-like in a way. Let's see if they can take care of business Saturday night.

Pigsskin Pick'em

Well, looks like my luck is running out, 1-1 again last week, 14-3 this year

W- Naselle vs. Wahkiakum

Comets get that first round monkey off their backs, but it probably won't be easy

W- Ilwaco vs. Warrenton

Just like the Fishermen, I'm going down swinging, picking them for the third week in a row. This is the one!

Photo gallery - Week 9, IHS senior night

2011-10-28T23:20:00.001-07:00

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Photo gallery - Week 9, NHS vs. Ocosta

2011-10-27T21:55:00.000-07:00

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Week 9 previews - 10/27

2011-10-27T15:02:00.000-07:00

Thursday night sights! Senior night for Naselle and Ilwaco as the regular season winds down

Naselle vs. Ocosta, 7 pm, Thursday, Oct. 27, Pentilla Field, Naselle, Wa.

Naselle (5-0, 8-0) has the chance to finish up their regular season a perfect 9-0 tonight when they face a pitiful Ocosta (1-4, 2-6) team. The Naselle seniors will be honored before the start of the game, and essentially every one of them has been vital to the success of this year's team. Those being honored are: Chris Walkowiak, Robert Eaton, Seth Scrabeck, Nick Zimmerman, Trevin Leeland, Beau Santjer, Jesse Kimball, Tanner Hoven, Ryley Queener and Jesse Lopez.

The Wildcats two wins this season have come against an 0-8 NWC and an 0-6 Chief Leschi — they also forfeited their first game of the year to Rainier. Ocosta is averaging just 14.6 ppg while giving up an average of 29.8. The Comets, who have scored more points than any other 2B team in the state this year, will likely have their JVs in the game by halftime.

PACIFIC LEAGUE NOTES

Raymond will host North Beach to decide third place in the league. The one through five positions in the Pacific League are not likely to change after tonight's games and will most likely be Naselle, Valley, Raymond, North Beach and South Bend — in that order — and advancing to the district crossover games on Nov. 5.

The top three teams in the Central League will finish the season with identical 6-1 records. Therefore, there will likely need to be a coin toss tiebreaker for seeding, due to the fact that Napavine beat Morton/White Pass but lost to Adna, Adna beat Napavine but lost to Morton/White Pass and Morton/White Pass lost to Napavine but beat Adna.

Speaking of which, here's the match-ups for those crossover games — so long as nothing crazy happens — Naselle plays Wahkiakum, Valley will play Toutle Lake, Raymond will play the #3 Central team, North Beach will play the #2 seed and South Bend will play the #1 Central seed.

Once again taking a little bit of a leap and predicting here, but the likely winners of those games will be Naselle, Valley, Napavine, Adna and MWP, making up the five seeds from District IV to the state playoffs. Naselle would be the top seed and Valley would likely be the five, setting up a first round matchup between the two. The District 4 teams will face the top three teams from District 1/2 on the western side of the bracket. Tacoma Baptist will most likely be the top seed from that district. The two and three seeds likely be Life Christian, Seattle Lutheran or Bellevue Christian. The district 4 team #3 seed will likely have the easiest first round game, as they will play the #2 District 1/2 team.

Ilwaco vs. Ridgefield, 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 28, Peterson Field, Ilwaco, Wa.

Going into last week's game, this week's game looked a lot more attractive. If Ilwaco (2-4, 3-5) could have beaten Castle Rock last week, this Friday night's game vs. Ridgefield (3-3, 5-3) would have qualified the winner for the district crossover games next week.

But wait, is there still a slim chance for the Fishermen? Why yes there is.

Castle Rock plays at Toledo (7-1) this week, where they will most likely lose, making them 3-4 in league. If Ilwaco could somehow find a way to get past Ridgefield, both the Fishermen and the Spudders would also be 3-4 in league.

This would result in the three teams playing a "Kansas City tie-breaker" in Kalama on Monday at 6 p.m. to decide that fourth and final seed to the district crossover games. Of course all of this would give the winner the daunting task of facing an undefeated Montesano team — 8-0, 416 points scored, while giving up only 22 all season, the Bulldogs are the toughest team in the state at 1A.

Ilwaco senior players will be honored before the game including: Justice Schenk, Josh Berteaux, Matt Wood, Peter Keller, James Morrison, Elliot Marcus, Kasey Plato, Brandon Malmsteadt and Edgar Galvan.

LEAGUE NOTES

Kalama travels to LaCenter with the league title and top seeing to the crosover games on the line. If the Chinooks win they will lock up the Trico title. However, if LaCenter were to win they would be in a three way tie with Kalama and Toledo. This should be a really good game, as both teams are pretty equally matched.

On the other side of the coin, winless Stevenson will host winless Columbia and somebody is getting out of there with a win...unless it ends in a tie...

In the Evergreen, second and third place will be decided in a game between Hoquiam and Tenino (both 7-1). Hoqiuam has the better D, but Tenino has the home field. Elma can wrap up the fourth seed from the Evergreen league with a win over Forks.

Be sure to check back for game recaps and photo galleries from both games

Pigskin Pick'em

Hmmm, 1-1 last week, 13-2 this year

W- Naselle vs. Ocosta

Is this game not over yet?

W- Ilwaco vs. Ridgefield

I know, I know, the smart money is on Ridgefield, but maybe thats what they think too, maybe a little overconfident on their part? Maybe Ilwaco takes advantage? Maybe Berteaux goes ballistic and singlehandedly carries them to their biggest win in a long time? It's all possible.

Week 8 game recaps

2011-10-22T14:21:00.001-07:00

Naselle 55 - North Beach 6

Eight weeks, eight wins, eight blowouts. That's been the recipe for the Comets (5-0, 8-0) Pacific League champion season. THey wrapped up the title Friday night with a 55-6 win at North Beach.

As if there needed to be any more evidence to suggest that Dustin Eaton should be the offensive MVP this year, the junior QB throws an efficient 8 of 14 for 149, and four TDs. Eaton also led the team in rushing yards with 136.

As always with the Comets high powered offense Eaton was not alone in the glory. Sam Scrabeck ran for 62 yards and two scores, Robert Eaton ran for 54 yards and a TD, and Nick Strange caught two TD passes and ran for another. Jesse Lopez and Chandler Chapman also caught TD passes for the Comets.

On the defensive side of the ball, Robert Eaton led the team with seven tackles, two of which for losses, and recovered a fumble. Chris Walkowiak had six solo tackles including two for losses, Seth Scrabeck had five and recovered a fumble and Chapman and Strange each had an interception.

The Comets, who continue to be ranked third in the state, complete their regular season Thursday at home against a dreadful Ocosta team. Naselle will host a district crossover game against Central League fifth place team Wahkiakum on Nov. 4.

Ilwaco 18 - Castle Rock 38

After fighting their way downfield at the start of the second half to score their first score of the night and cut the lead to 13-6, Castle Rock's
Austin Moore ran back the ensuing kick-off 88 yards for a score that sealed the deal, despite two late scores by Ilwaco (2-4, 3-5). The loss mathematically eliminates the Fishermen from the postseason.

Josh Berteaux, who continues to pad his resume for first team all-league consideration, ran for 178 yards and two scores, and was back under center in the second half after QB Matt Wood suffered an injury to his shoulder. Justice Schenk, after getting injured last week, returned with some very fine runs, including a long reverse he ran in for a TD in the fourth quarter.

Ilwaco will finish up the Trico season Friday when they host Ridgefield.

Photo Gallery - Week 10 Ilwaco @ Castle Rock

2011-10-21T22:21:00.001-07:00

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Week 8 game previews

2011-10-20T15:12:00.000-07:00

Road trip! Both Naselle and Ilwaco are on the road for important games this week
Ilwaco @ Castle Rock, 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 21, Castle Rock

If the Ilwaco Fishermen (2-3, 3-4) are going to qualify for the district crossover games in two weeks, they will need to win their last two games of the regular season. The first opponent in their way is the team they are tied with for fifth place in the Trico, Castle Rock (2-3, 3-4).

These two teams have put up fairly similar numbers this year. Castle Rock's defense gives up an average of 17 ppg, while the Fishermen average 26 ppg — though in their three wins they are averaging 32 ppg on offense while giving up 4.6 ppg. On offense, the Rockets average 17.7 ppg, while the Fishermen average 16 ppg. The Fishermen have scored exactly that, total, in their four losses this year. What about common opponents?

Kalama — Castle Rock lost 34-27, Fishermen lost 41-0

Stevenson — Castle Rock won 27-12, Ilwaco won 30-0

Columbia — Rockets won 26-6 , Ilwaco won 39-14

LaCenter — Castle Rock lost 12-7, Fishermen lost 50-8

In those four games Castle Rock averaged 21.7 ppg, while allowing 16 ppg. Ilwaco averaged 19 ppg, while allowing 26 ppg.

The Fishermen really have their season in their hands, and really the best chance of making the crossover games — the top four teams from the Trico play the top four teams from the Evergreen with trips to the state tournament on the line. If Ilwaco were to win Friday they would have a potential tie-breaker with Castle Rock sewed up. The team currently in the number four slot in the Trico, Ridgefield, faces an incredibly tough Toledo team this Friday. An Ilwaco win and Ridgefield loss would have both teams at 3-3 in the Trico, and tied for fourth place. The Fishermen and Spudders are scheduled to play each other in the final game of the regular season, with a win-and-you're-in situation on the line.

But enough of the crystal ball talk. The Fishermen's biggest hurdle may be themselves, after having 10 different players either not play last week because of injury or surgery, and a couple more getting hurt during the game — Zach Ahlin is out for the rest of the season with a fractured femur.

Josh Berteaux continues his great senior year, running for another 109 yards — only problem was the Fishermen only had a total of 138 yards for the game. It's also hard to say if the Matt Wood at QB experiment really works or not, as he has only thrown the ball twice since taking on the roll. The Rockets are mainly a defensive team, without a lot of flash on offense. Last week in their 11-3 loss to Ridgefield, the Rockets only managed 161 yards of offense, but held the Spudders to only 150. If the Fishermen can hold onto the ball it's possible that the big boot of Edgar Galvan could kick their way to a win.

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

Naselle @ North Beach, 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 21, Ocean Shores

Though in all reasonable respects the Naselle Comets (4-0, 7-0) won the Pacific League three weeks ago when they destroyed the Valley Vikings, this week they can make it official with a win at North Beach (3-1, 3-4).

The Hyaks may be in third place in the league, but a look at how they got there tells a different story.

• North Beach have given up 162 points, while only scoring 126.

• They have lost all three non-conference games, including last week to a particularly poor Mossyrock team, 27-8.

• They beat a terrible Ocosta team 6-0, and a downfallen South Bend team 26-20. Their signature win, if you want to call it that, came against NW Christian, 52-12, while their signature loss came at the hands of the Valley Vikings, 30-16.

• The Hyaks end their season against two of the highest scoring teams in the state - Naselle (1st) and at Raymond (3rd).

Here's a few stats on the Comets

• They are one of only three undefeated teams left in the state at the 2B level. However they have superior points scored and given up differential stats over the other two teams.

• The Comets have scored 337 points in seven games for a 48 ppg average, and have scored at least 42 in every game this year. The next closest in PPG scored is Waitsburg/Prescott with 273.

• Naselle is only 63 points away from breaking 400 total for the year.

• Since giving up 20 points to Raymond back in week three, the Comets have given up only 21 points their last four games, an average of 5.25 ppg.

Last week, the Comets went against common theory and took it easy on a team by throwing the ball on almost every play. The few times they did run they scored. And Dustin Eaton threw well enough (9-21 for 174) to rack up three more scores. Don't be too surprised if the Comets put the ball in the air some more this week. They have quite possibly the most potent running game out there, but if they can get even more efficient passing, they will give teams in the playoffs some real problems.

The defense was stellar once again, and nearly had their third straight shutout (does a fourth quarter score given up by the JV really count?). In fact, when the varsity D left the field in the third quarter NWC actually had negative total yards of offense. A 68-yard JV run gave the Navs a total of 63 yards for the game. I know NWC is bad, but come on, negative total yards? That's impressive against anyone. The defense has continued to get better each week, even without Ryley Queener last game. Queener is back home and returned to practice as of Tuesday.

Looking ahead, if projections play out as they should, Naselle will host Central league fifth place team Wahkiakum in a district crossover game on Nov. 4. A win in that game would give Naselle the top seed in the western side of the 2B state playoff bracket. Speaking of which, said bracket has been released and the top seed from District IV will play the number five from that district. In this case, that is most likely going to be either Adna or Valley (or maybe even Raymond).

Despite having the top seed on the western side of the bracket, the Comets would have probably the toughest road of any team to get to and win the state title. Projecting that far ahead is a little tough of course, but they would likely have to beat Adna, Morton/White Pass, Napavine and either Colfax or Waitsburg/Prescott. What you have there is the number 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 ranked teams in the state (Naselle continues to be ranked 3rd). Now of course rankings don't really tell the whole story (look at what they did to Valley, South Bend and Raymond), but it does give some idea as to the level of opponents that may lie ahead. (And yes, I already have my bracket all the way filled out...even though there is two weeks left in the season, but I digress).

Pigskin Pick'em

The hits just keep on coming, 2-0 again last week, 12-1 this year

W- Naselle @ North Beach

Ahh, more passing practice...Comets lock up league title.

W- Ilwaco @ Castle Rock

I know this is going out on a limb a little bit, but I think Ilwaco has a really good shot at pulling this off — as long as they don't give up the big play, and don't turn the ball over. This one should be close...I hope.

Photo gallery - NHS homecoming

2011-10-14T23:08:00.001-07:00

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Week 7 game previews - 10/14/11

2011-10-13T13:51:00.000-07:00

It's homecoming for Naselle, while Ilwaco hits the road for a tough one against Toledo

Naselle vs. NW Christian, 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 14, Pentilla Field, Naselle

The Naselle Comets (3-0, 6-0) are the toast of the football world these days, undefeated and ranked third in the state in just about every poll and ranking you can find. The NW Christian Navigators (0-3, 0-6) are essentially the exact opposite.
The Navs could very well be the worst 2B football team in the state this year. They have scored only 20 points TOTAL through their first six games, and have been shutout four of the six. They are second only to Liberty, who have scored only 14 points this year. The Navs do however have the regrettable distinction of having given up the most points of any 2B team in the state — 299. For those wondering, that is a 50 ppg average they're giving up. They are behind only 3A Rogers High School (with 330) for the most allowed in the entire state this year. All this coming off a year where they were still in the playoff hunt when the Comets visited last year in week 7, in an exciting 24-21 win for Naselle.
Speaking of stats, the Comets obviously have a superb chance for their third straight shutout win Friday night. Something tells me that by halftime coach Eaton will have no qualms with his boys staying on the field to watch the Homecoming activities.
The Comets continue to lead the 2B level in scoring with 289 points through six games (a 48 ppg average). They are third in points allowed with 48 (an 8 ppg average). Of course this all comes with the varsity sitting the majority of the second half of their games.
On a much less festive note for Naselle, senior lineman Ryley Queener while not be playing this week due to a medical emergency over the weekend that has him hospitalized in Oregon. Queener is on the mend however, as he noted on his Facebook page earlier today.
"Thank you all for the prayers it means a lot to me. I'm definitely getting better little by little. Can't wait to come home!"

*Pacific League notes
• Second place Valley play a pretty thin Ocosta team at home.
• With their surprising win at South Bend last week, North Beach finds themselves in a tie for second place. Naselle travels to North Beach next week in a game that would seal the league for Naselle with a win. North Beach travels out of town for a non-league game with Mossyrock.
• Raymond is still alive and kicking, after two straight blowout wins over terrible teams. They play at South Bend against a team that have slipped out of the running for the Pacific League. South Bend play Valley next week before finishing up with NW Christian.

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

Ilwaco @ Toledo, 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 14, Toledo

The Ilwaco Fishermen (2-2, 3-3) have already accomplished their best season since 2007, but they're still hungry for more. However, they may have to wait another week to take a big bite, as the Fishermen travel to second place Toledo (3-1, 5-1).

Ilwaco got back to what they are good at last week — running the ball with their speedy backs Josh Berteaux and Justice Schenk. Moving Berteaux back to RB meant taking Matt Wood off the line and moving him to QB, where he serves as the official hand-off guy — the Fishermen attempted one pass last week, an incompletion by Berteaux, who had a mega-huge game, scoring 4 TDs and running for 238 yards.

Toledo is a powerful team, averaging 38 ppg, while giving up only 13 ppg. Their lone loss came at the hands of Trico leader Kalama two weeks ago. Toledo had a number of young players on the field last week at Stevenson, filling in for injured starters, but they still put up a balanced offense on the ground and through the air. Even if the Fishermen secondary can slow the passing game, Toledo features three different running backs who have all been putting up nice numbers this year.

*Trico League notes

• After losing their first two games of the year, Kalama has looked like a juggernaut, winning four straight to take the top spot in the Trico. The Chinooks have an easy one this week as they travel to Columbia.

• Tied with Toledo for second in the league, LaCenter hosts a particularly bad Stevenson team this week.

• Tied for third with Ilwaco is Ridgefield, who host Castle Rock this week. This game should really give the Fishermen a good idea of what they'll face over the last two weeks of the Trico season.

Pigskin Pick'em

Oooo, el perfecto again, 2-0 last week, 10-1 this year

W- Naselle vs. NW Christian

If this game isn't over in the first quarter I'll be awfully surprised.

L - Ilwaco @ Toledo

I could see myself picking Ilwaco to win next week ... but not this week.

Week 6 game recaps - Ilwaco, Naselle both win at home

2011-10-08T09:38:00.000-07:00

Ilwaco 39 - Columbia 14

Josh Berteaux made darn sure that the Ilwaco Fishermen (2-2, 3-3) and their fans would have a happt Homecoming Friday night as he ran for three TDs, returned a punt for another, and racked up 238 yards on the ground to help lead Ilwaco to a 39-14 win over Columbia of White Salmon.

"Our offensive line stayed with its blocks which allowed us to move the ball effectively," Ilwaco coach Kevin McNulty said. "We played physical football, and had a big third quarter to break open the game."

Berteaux scored on runs of 73, 79 and 6 yards. His punt return TD was for 45 yards.

The Fishermen moved senior Matt Woods, usually a lineman, to quarterback so JoshBerteaux could move back to running back, where he is most effective. McNulty said. Berteaux had been playing QB since Eric McMillan was lost for the season two weeks ago.

Justice Schenk, who ran for 105 yards, scored on a 35 yard TD, and Tom Odneal ran in a 1 yard score.

Ilwaco's defense held the Bruins to only 118 total yards.

Naselle 42 - Pe Ell 0

Dustin Eaton continued his fantastic season as he accounted for five TDs in the Naselle Comets (3-0, 6-0) second straight shut out win, topping the Pe Ell Trojans 42-0
Unlike last week the Comets got off to a slow start before running away in the second quarter. They also lost three fumbles.
After going scoreless in the first quarter, the Comets scored five TDs to take a 35-0 halftime lead. Eaton scored on runs of 15 and 5 yards, and passed for scores of 29 and 59 yards to Nick Strange and Brenden Greenfield, respectively. Sam Scrabeck scored on a 66 yard run and Eaton rounded out the ended his night with a 13 yard scoring pass to his brother Robert.
Despite the blowout win, the Naselle offense was held to lower than average numbers, rushing for 198 of its 346 total yards. The defense was on top of their game, holding Pe Ell to ony 165 total yards.
Dustin Eaton threw for 148 yards and ran for 81 more. Scrabeck had five carries for 80 yards, and Robert Eaton had 37 on the ground.
Defensively, Jesse Kimball had 10 tackles, Tervin Leeland eight, and Robert Eaton and Dustin Eaton added seven each. Dustin Eaton also recovered two fumbles, and Sam Scrabeck recovered one.
Naselle will host Northwest Christian this Friday in their Homecoming game.

Week 6 game previews

2011-10-06T22:18:00.000-07:00

It's homecoming week for Ilwaco, and Naselle takes a mid-season break from the Pacific League

Ilwaco vs. Columbia of White Salmon, 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 7, Peterson Field, Ilwaco

After what transpired over the last two weeks, the Ilwaco Fishermen (1-2, 2-3) are more than ready to get their feet back under them, and their homecoming opponent looks like just what the doctor ordered.

The Columbia Bruins (0-3, 0-5) are by far the worst team in the Trico League. The Bruins have only scored 29 points over five games, while giving up 212 (a 42.4 ppg average). Only three other 1A teams have scored fewer points so far this year — Evergreen League team Onalaska has only scored 12 points this year.

On the other side of the field, the Fishermen look to even their league and season records after losing two straight by a combined score of 91-8. This coming after two consecutive wins by a combined score of 58-0.
The Fishermen are still without QB Eric McMillan, which means Josh Berteaux will once again be under center. Justice Schenk had a very fine game last week in his start at tailback.
This is easily the Fishermen's best shot at winning another league game this year, as their schedule has them playing Toledo, Ridgefield and Castle Rock to finish out the Trico season. Homecoming is just as much a celebration as it is a game, and the Fishermen can help by giving the fans something to really celebrate.

Naselle vs. Pe Ell, 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 7, Pentilla Field, Naselle

Can the Naselle Comets (3-0, 5-0) be stopped? Well, definitely not by the Pe Ell Trojans (1-4, 1-4). Similar to Ilwaco's opponent this week, the Trojans have scored only 25 points this year, tied for third worst in the state at the 1A level. Their defense is pretty average, allowing 21 ppg. This week's game will be the first non-league game for Pe Ell.

For the Comets, after their fifth blowout win in five weeks, they have scored more points (247) than any team in the state at the 2B level. On the other side of the ball, the Comets have given up 48 points this year (only a 9.6 ppg average). However, only about half of that came with the varsity defense on the field — being up by such high scores, the varsity have mostly sat in the second half of most of their games. The two teams who have given up the fewest points this year — Central League teams Adna with 12, and Morton/White Pass with 14 — will face each other this Friday in what is bound to be one of the lowest scoring games of the year.

Naselle continues to be ranked fourth in the state in the polls, but are also the top ranked 2B team in the state by the MaxPreps.com computer rankings. The Comets should have little trouble padding their stats, staying undefeated ... and once again resting their starters in the second half.

Pigskin Pick'em

Bounced back, going 2-0 last week, 8-1 this year

W- Naselle vs. Pe Ell

Like the rest of their regular season schedule, this one could be over before halftime.

W - Ilwaco vs. Columbia

Easily the last best chance for the Fishermen to get a W this year, and I think they'll cash in.

When you schedule Naselle for your Homecoming game..

2011-10-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

..Your just giving us more motivation to take over your field and ruin your night! Not that we needed more motivation leading up to last night's game. Willapa Valley wins the league title almost every year. Nobody ever tells them they aren't the best in the state, so they always believe they are. But we have been planning all year to be the team to finally silence them on Crogstad Field. I think we accomplished that. Valley is the last team that I thought we'd ever be able to intimidate off the field. but thats the best way to describe what happened last night. From the first play of the game it was obvious to everyone that they did not want to be on the same field as us. We probably played the best half of football that we could have. We got on the board early, really early, getting a 14 point lead with about 2 minutes after the opening kickoff. We have known Valley long enough to know that you can't stop fighting until you are on the bus home. so we scored twice more in the quarter. We still weren't quite satisfied because like Coach Fabela told us in a timeout, as quickly as we scored our touchdowns, they could just as quickly get back into the game. But with a 48-0 halftime lead we were pretty confident it was almost time to send in the 2nd team. Everything was lined up perfectly for this game, We hadn't beaten Valley since our freshman year in the playoffs, Valley scheduled their homecoming on the night of the game, the game could very well have decided the Pacific League championship (that Valley won 9 of the last 10 years), and Coach Eaton has only won at Crogstad field once in his coaching career. Those are only things I can think of on the top of my head. RB Sam Scrabeck had a ridiculous night rushing for 185 yards in the game (i mean half!), QB Dustin Eaton only threw about 8 times but for about 180 yards and 3 touchdowns, WR Brenden Greenfield burned "the fastest player in the league" Michael Nuemeyer on a 70+ yard touchdown, FB Robert Eaton carried the ball for almost 100 yards with almost the whole Valley team on his back, And our offensive and defensive line made Valley's evening a nightmare. We noticed on film that Valley's guards gave away the direction and type of play they were running, which helped us push them back and keep them out of the endzone. Overall we played as well of a game as we could've hoped for. Now our focus in practice is going to be working to get even better and more conditioned for the remaining teams on our schedule and postseason!- RT/DT Ryley Queener

Photo Gallery - NHS defeats Valley 55-0

2011-09-30T23:30:00.000-07:00

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Week 5 previews - 9/30

2011-09-29T13:50:00.000-07:00

Naselle face their last tough opponent of the regular season and Ilwaco tries to get back on track

Naselle @ Willapa Valley, 7 pm, Friday, Sept. 30, Crogstad Field, Menlo

The Naselle Comets (2-0, 4-0) continued to bulldoze through opponents last week as they totally destroyed the defending state champs, South Bend. The last real test in the regular season comes this Friday when they travel to Willapa Valley (2-0, 3-1). If the Comets can pull off the hat trick of beating Raymond, South Bend and Valley over three weeks they will essentially lock up in the Pacific League title in the fifth week of the season.

Last Friday the Vikings knocked the much touted Raymond Seagulls out of the running for the league title with a 7-0 win. Raymond had beaten the Vikes two weeks earlier in a non-league game, 31-14. And while Valley was surely happy to notch the win, they couldn't have been too happy about how they did it. Their lone score took place in the second quarter, not sniffing the end zone again until running out the clock at the end of the game on the Raymond 3 yard line — they lost possession on downs at the same mark on their opening possession.

The Comets giant line will face their biggest test of the year when they face off with Valley RB Michael Neumeyer, who was averaging nearly 200 yards per game before last week, when he was held to just 89 yards on 19 carries (4.6 ypc). Valley's other RB, Markus Eastham, ran for 109 on 25 carries (4.3 ypc) and the lone TD. Little surprise, but Valley attempted on three passes the whole game, which means the Comets could try some blitzing with their secondary without much chance of getting burned.

The Comets, who remain ranked fourth in the state in the News Tribune and AP polls this week, continued racking up serious amounts of yards and points, while holding their opponent to very little in those departments.

After putting up 600+ yards against Raymond, the Comets backed it up with 500+ against South Bend, scoring a season high 55 points (all in the first three quarters) and giving up 14 (all in the first quarter). The three-headed monster of the Eaton brothers and Sam Scrabeck rushed for 434 yards — Scrabeck 139, R. Eaton 115 and D. Eaton 112.

Let's take a look at the stats over the first four games to back up the hype.

• QB Dustin Eaton has rushed for 548 yards and 7 TDs, and has passed for 432 yards and 8 TDs

• FB Robert Eaton has rushed for 348 yards and 7 TDs, and caught 1 TD pass

• RB Sam Scrabeck rushed for 273 yards and 3 TDs, and passed for another

• That adds up to nearly 1,200 rushing yards, a 292 ypg average (did I mention the season isn't even half over yet?)

• WRs Brenden Greenfield and Chandler Chapman have each caught 4 TDs

• The offense has scored 192 points, a 48 ppg average

On defense

• The Comets have only given up 48 points thus far, a 12 ppg average

• The defense have given up fewer total yards and fewer passing yards than the previous week each week this season

• Given up only 340 rushing yards, an 85 ypg average

• Given up a paltry 231 yards passing — including 0 last week — a 57.7 ypg average

• And last, but definitely not last, the Comets have given up only 575 total yards, a 143 ypg average

'Nuff said

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

Ilwaco @ La Center, 7 pm, Friday, Sept. 30, La Center High School

The Ilwaco Fishermen (1-1, 2-2) had their third straight shutout last week, only this time they were on the wrong end of it. They travel to La Center Friday night to face a Wildcats team with an identical 1-1, 2-2 record with a hope of getting back on track.

The Wildcats have traded wins and losses each week this season, losing their opener at Hockinson, beating a really bad Rochester team, losing to Trico heavy weight Toledo in a blowout, and somewhat surprisingly beating a pretty good Ridgefield team last week. They did so after taking a 28-0 first half lead, and holding on late to win. RB Patrick Mayolo ran for 3 TDs in the game and QB Jake Johnson ran for a 31-yard TD and threw a 62-yard bomb for another.

The Wildcats have scored their fair share of points, a 29 ppg average, but have also given up just as many, a 33.5 ppg average.

For the Fishermen, last Friday proved that Murphy was right, and everything that could go wrong, did go wrong for Ilwaco. Start off with fumbles on their first two snaps, both ended up as Kalama TDs. The Fishermen would add a few more to that total, ending with seven turnovers. The Ilwaco players had a difficult time keeping their feet under them on the wet, sloppy field, hampering their ability to get outside on runs, something that is usually a strength. And then there were the injuries. QB Eric McMillan went out at halftime with a broken left wrist, C Elliot Marcus injured his upper thigh but played on and Matt Wood, Josh Berteaux and Justice Schenk all played through despite being injured multiple times during the game.

With McMillan out, the Fishermen will most likely go back to Berteaux at QB, though they prefer him at RB. This means Schenk will likely see more carries at RB this game, though if they wanted a switch it up, Schenk does throw a nice ball.

Pigskin Pick'em

Well, there goes the perfect record, 1-1 last week, 6-1 this year

W- Naselle @ Willapa Valley

Anybody remember the last time Naselle beat Valley in the regular season? Didn't think so. But this year, the Comets should have the advantage.

Ilwaco @ La Center - W

I don't like doing it, but can't not after last week.

Game recaps - Week 4

2011-09-24T09:25:00.001-07:00

Naselle 54 - South Bend 14

Just like last week against Raymond, the Comets got off to a bit of a shaky start against rival and defending state champ South Bend Friday night. But, just like last week, once they got it going, they never looked back.

The Comets broke open a close game wide open with 34 unansweredpoints in the second and third quarters as they rolled to a 55-14victory.

QB Levi Bale scored South Bend's two touchdowns on a punt return and a35-yard run in the first quarter before being knocked out of the game in the secondquarter with a concussion.

Sam Scrabeck led the way for the Comets with 121 yards on the ground and two scores. The Comets balanced attack also featured Dustin Eaton running for 109 yards and two scores in the first half and throwing for 79 more, including a 24 yard scoring strike to Chandler Chapman. His brother Robert Eaton ran for 108 yards and three scores.

The Comets had 491 yards on offense. Defensively, Levi Wasmundt had nine tackles, Jake Condon madeseven, and Chandler Chapman picked off two passes.

Naselle (4-0, 2-0 league) visits Willapa Valley (3-1, 2-0) on Friday in a game that could decide the Pacific League.

Kalama 41 - Ilwaco 0

The Fishermen were down before they even knew what hit'em Friday night as Kalama blew out Ilwaco 41-0.

The Fishermen's first two offensive possessions ended in fumble turnovers on the first snap, both times leading to easy Kalama TDs. The Fishermen were down 20-0 four minutes into the game.

Kalama's Jake Clizbe ran for 147 yards and scored four touchdowns. With the game easily in hand, the Chinooks chose to attempt on-side kicks after their last two scores, including once up by 41 points and with the mercy rule in effect. Ilwaco recovered the kicks both times.
Ilwaco coachKevin McNulty said. "We got down in the red zone three times andfumbled each time. We made a good team look like a stellar team byour fumbling the ball seven times."

Ilwaco quarterback Eric McMillan, who left the game with a wristinjury, completed 3 of 8 passesfor 75 yards, including a 50-yard strike to Edgar Galvan. The Fishermen also rushed for 118 yards.
On Friday, Ilwaco (2-2, 1-1) visits La Center.

Photo Gallery - IHS vs. Kalama

2011-09-23T22:17:00.000-07:00

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Week 4 preview - 9/23

2011-09-22T13:17:00.000-07:00

Fishermen get a chance to do something they haven't done since 2005 and Naselle faces off with their biggest rival

Ilwaco vs. Kalama, 7 pm, Friday, Sept. 23, Peterson Field, Ilwaco

Last week the Fishermen (1-0, 2-1) did something they hadn't done since 2007 — win back to back games. This week they have the opportunity to do something they haven't since 2005 — get multiple league wins. Ilwaco will host rival Kalama (1-0, 1-2) and will have a legit shot at doing just that.

While the Fishermen couldn't have liked getting blown out by Naselle in their first game, they can't feel too terrible about now, seeing as how the Comets have done that to everybody this year. And since that game, the Fishermen have not given up a single point in two straight wins.

Kalama on the other hand is lucky to have have their one win, which came last week on a last second interception run back for a TD to beat Castle Rock. The Chinooks staked themselves to a 27-13 lead before giving up two scores on special teams mistakes that tied the game. Kalama can score — even in their loss to Woodland in week one they still managed 33 points. Their weakness appears to be on the defensive side, where they have given up 108 points in three games (36 ppg average).

Ilwaco will once again look to capitalize on their quickness in the running game, and in the defensive secondary. Josh Berteaux is having a huge senior year, and Justice Schenk isn't too far behind, as both have reeled off long runs, racked up the yards and scored multiple TDs. Ilwaco's success could be in part because they finally seem to understand the kind of team they have — small and fast — and are using that to their advantage, rather than trying to play like a bigger built team. Senior lineman Elliot Marcus calls it "assignment football" where everyone knows where they're supposed to be and what they're supposed to do, rather than trying to play outside of their skill and size level.

I have no idea why Ilwaco and Kalama are rivals, but the fact is, IHS haven't beaten the Chinooks on the gridiron in more than seven years. This Friday night I have a feeling that the home crowd (which should be extra loud after missing their last home game) will have the players pumped and Ilwaco will put their assignments into play and get that win over the Chinooks.

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

Naselle @ South Bend, 7 pm, Friday, Sept. 23, South Bend

The Comets (1-0, 3-0) travel to South Bend this Friday to face off with their biggest rival, and defending state champs, South Bend. If you thought last week's thumping of Raymond was personal, just wait till Friday night.

South Bend (1-0, 2-1) lost in the season opener at Valley, then beat two pretty bad teams the last two weeks — beating an Onalaska team that has only scored 12 points all year, and blowing out Ocosta — who forfeited their first game this year — via the mercy rule

Somewhat similar to the Comets' QB Dustin Eaton — who is just as big a threat to run as he is to pass — South Bend QB Levi Bale led his team in rushing with 71 yards on four carries last week and three scores. He was also 4-for-4 passing for 69 yards. The South Bend defense has yet to see a line like the Comets have, but were pushed around by Valley in their one loss, to the tune of 437 yards. "We obviously have issues on defense," said South Bend coach Tom Sanchez after the loss.

Last week the Comets racked up nearly 600 yards of offense in destroying a Raymond team that was billed as being Naselle's equal.

In this "golden era" for Comets football that began in 2007, Naselle's highest scoring year was 2009 when they put up 361 points in the regular season. One third of the way through this season, the Comets are on pace to score more than 400 points. And while the Eaton boys are killing it out on the field each week, it's the Comets line on both sides of the ball that has been the key to their success. Ryley Queener, Tanner Hoven, Trevin Leeland, Nick Zimmerman and Seth Scrabeck should be up for co-MVP honors through three games.

This week is the first of the statewide AP poll, which has Naselle at 4 in the 2B class, same as they have been in the Tacoma News Tribune poll since the start of the season. But while you can't really argue with the top four (though I think Naselle and Waitsburg should be one and two), I think it's pretty obvious that whoever votes on the 2B teams probably haven't watched any of their games, as the bottom half of top 10 are 2-1 teams, including Raymond, who were embarrassed by the Comets last week.

* () denotes first place votes, then overall record and number of total votes

1. Adna (3); 3-0; 55

2. Colfax (3); 2-0; 54

3. Waitsburg; 3-0; 50

4. Naselle; 3-0; 42

5. Napavine; 2-1; 29

6. DeSales; 2-1; 25

7. White Pass; 2-1; 18

8. Orcas Island; 2-1; 13

9. Raymond; 2-1; 11

10. Lind-Ritzville; 2-0; 8

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

Pigskin Pick'em

Believe it or not, but I am perfect this year in picks! 5-0 this year

W- Ilwaco vs. Kalama

Kalama's luck from last week will run out all over Peterson Field as the Fishermen run all over the Chinooks

W- Naselle @ South Bend

Always a tough contest, but the Comets got the goods and shouldn't have too much trouble with the defending champs

Game recaps - Week 3

2011-09-17T08:26:00.000-07:00

Naselle 48 - Raymond 20
What first appeared to be a see saw battle between the two most highly touted Pacific League teams soon turned into blowout, as the Naselle Comets beat the Raymond Gulls by four touchdowns.
Dustin Eaton had a ridiculous game at QB, throwing four TDs, running for another and accounting for 427 of the Comets 521 offensive yards. Chandler Chapman and Brenden Greenfield had big games as the recipients of long passes from Eaton. Chapman had a 31 yard TD catch, and Greenfield had two TDs, one of which coming on a 44 yard pass. Robert Eaton was contained on the ground for the first time this season, but was still very much a factor. While he only had 24 yards rushing, he still had two TDs, one coming on a 32 yard pass play. Sam Scrabeck added a score in the fourth quarter.
Defensively, Trevin Leeland made nine tackles, with JesseKimball, Seth Scrabeck and Robert Eaton making eight apiece.
Naselle plays at South Bend on Friday.

Ilwaco 30 - Stevenson 0
The Ilwaco Fishermen won their second game in a row Friday night, when they shutout Stevenson on the road, 30-0.
The Fishermen had no turnovers and Josh Berteaux ran for 196 yards and two TDs. Eric McMillan passed for a pair of TDs, one to Kasey Plato and another to Justice Schenk. Edgar Galvan hit a 31-yard FG to round out the scoring.
The Fishermen finished with 47 rushes for 295 yards. Casey Thompson intercepted a Stevenson pass in thefourth quarter.
Ilwaco will host Kalama on Friday.

Photo Gallery - Week 3, Naselle - Raymond

2011-09-17T00:16:00.000-07:00

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Week 3 preview - 9/16/11

2011-09-15T13:53:00.000-07:00

Naselle opens league play with perhaps the team they'll compete with for the league title, while Ilwaco travels to Stevenson to open Trico League play with hopes of starting a win streak.

Games of the Week

Naselle vs. Raymond, 7 pm, Friday, Sept. 16, Pentilla Field, Naselle

Well, looks like last week's game wasn't as tough as we thought it might be. The Naselle Comets (0-0, 2-0) had no problem dispatching the Knappa Loggers 47-6. In fact, the Comets biggest enemy last week was themselves.

After playing a near flawless first game, the Comets had multiple turnovers, penalty yards racked up and their offense had trouble getting them their 21-0 halftime lead.

The Comets are now entering the most important portion of their regular season schedule — a three game stretch against Raymond, South Bend and Valley . If they can pull off a three game sweep they would essentially wrap up the league by week 5, as the rest of the Pacific League is pretty light weight. This of course could also go the other way. If the Comets lost all three of these, well, I think you can figure out the rest.

Perhaps the most important of these games is the one this Friday, when the host Raymond. Naselle continues to be ranked 4th in the state at the 2B level in the Tacoma News Tribune's weekly statewide rankings. But not far behind in the other's receiving votes (the poll only ranks the top 5 in the 2B level) are the Raymond Seagulls (0-0, 2-0).

Raymond is put together very much like Naselle. They rely on a power running game on offense — last week their two backs both ran for more than 100 yards and two TDs a piece against Valley. Coming into Friday's game the Comets have scored 89 points and allowed only 14, while Raymond has scored 83 points and given up 20. But while the Comets ere beating up on lesser teams, the Gulls more than doubled up on the rival Vikings in a non-league game, 31-14. This was the first time the Seagulls have beaten Valley since 1998.

Obviously the biggest thing for the Comets is to play "their game," but to be successful they have to do it with more precision, fewer mistakes and more focus. If they can do that, the Comets could take a big first step toward their goals this Friday.

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

Ilwaco @ Stevenson, 7 pm, Friday, Sept. 16

The Ilwaco Fishermen (0-0, 1-1) won their first home game in three years last Saturday. The last time they did that was 2008, when they blew out Naselle in week three. That was also the last time the team had a win streak, when they went on the road to Des Moines and blew out Evergreen Lutheran the following week. The Fishermen hope history repeats itself this Friday when they make the long 3-plus hour drive up the Columbia River to Stevenson.

Last week the Bulldogs (0-0, 1-1) won 13-0 over Corbett Charter School, a team in only its second year of football. In week one Stevenson was destroyed by a Tenino team that has already scored 94 points and given up only 6 in two games. The Bulldogs are coming off a particularly good season last year where they went 9-2 (6-0 at home), won the Trico League and lost in the first round of the playoffs. 2010 was their first season with a winning record in more than five years.

So the question is, which teams are we going to see this Friday? The juggernaut Stevenson team that bulldozed their way through the Trico last year or the one that managed just 13 points to beat a tiny charter school team last week? Same goes for the Fishermen. Will we see the team that did just about everything right (we'll get to that) to beat Manson last week, or the one that had serious troubles scoring and stopping Naselle in week one?

As I just mentioned, the Fishermen did just about everything right last week. Their running game was just about unstoppable, with Josh Berteaux runninng 24 times for 164 yards (thats nearly a 7 yard per carry average) and two scores. Justice Schenk ran nine times for 71 yards (thats almost am 8 yard per carry average) and a 45-yard TD. And Tom Odneal ran in a score also. The Fishermen kicking game, something we don't talk about too much, looks really good. Edgar Galvan kicked two perfect extra points, with enough leg to maybe open up the possibility of FGs in the future? The Ilwaco punting was excellent as well. One punt hit at the 1 yard line and bounced out, but the refs called it a touchback.

Now, for the not so good. The Fishermen had a really hard time holding onto the ball, a problem it seems they've had for awhile now. If the Fishermen could have kept those to a minimum, they easily could have scored a couple more. Their passing game is starting to become a liability. For the second week Berteaux started at QB and was later shifted to RB, replaced at QB by Eric McMillan, who completed just two of 10 passes. And while the two completions were good for 39 yards, the incomplete ones didn't look too good. The Fishermen need at least the threat of a passing game to have success against some of the bigger teams they will be facing.

**Also, I just wanted to mention my extreme disappointment in the fact that so few Fishermen fans were there Saturday to see the Fishermen play such a good game. I heard that a lot of people didn't come because of the Rod Run weekend. Seriously? You can't get away from an event that lasts two days to come support your team for two hours? I know that in recent years IHS has worked hard to create a positive aura around its school and its teams. This last Saturday was the finest example of the Fishermen on the football field, for many reasons. Not only did they play very well, but they showed some real sportsmanship and citizenship when Berteaux and Tom Odneal shared the teams ice chest of water with the Manson players late in the game.

The Fishermen will be back at Peterson Field on Friday Sept. 23 in their rival game with Kalama. I think any of you who weren't there on Saturday owe this team an extra loud cheer Friday night.

Pigskin Pick'em

Perfect last week, now 3-0 baby!

W- Naselle vs Raymond

Now is the time for the Comets to start showing what all they can do. I think they will, but this one's going to be tough.

W- Ilwaco @ Stevenson

That long drive is always a factor, though they did win there in 2007. I think the Fishermen have some momentum and is facing a team that is off to a so-so start. I think they get that win and enjoy the long ride home.

Game recaps - Week 2

2011-09-12T09:31:00.000-07:00

Naselle 47 - Knappa 6
The Eaton boys were at it again Friday night as the Comets (0-0, 2-0) overcame sloppy first half play for their second straight blowout win to the start the season.
QB Dustin Eaton had his second straight multi-TD game, running for 104 yards and two scores and throwing for another. His brother Robert ran for 96 yards and a TD. Other Naselle scores include Nick Strange with a 3-yard TD catch, a 43-yard pass interception for TD by Chandler Chapman, a Sam Scrabeck 30 yard scoring pass to Brenden Greenfield and a Paul De Montaudouin 2-yard TD run. The Comets did not give up a score until late in the fourth quarter for the second straight week.
This Friday the Comets jump head first into Pacific League play when they host a revitalized Raymond (0-0, 2-0) team that took down Valley 31-14 on Friday.

Ilwaco 28 - Manson 0
The Ilwaco Fishermen (0-0, 1-1) broke a three year home drought with their first victory at Peterson Field since early 2008 Saturday as they easily dispatched visiting Manson 28-0.
Josh Berteaux led the Fishermen with 164 yards rushing and two TDs. Josh Schenk scored the first TD of the game on a 45-yard run, and finished with 71 yards on the ground. Tom Odneal added a 3-yard scoring run. Of the Fishermen's 301 total yards, 262 were gained on the ground. The Ilwaco defense held Manson to just 73 yards of total offense.
The Fishermen open their Trico League schedule this week when they visit Stevenson, who are also 1-1, having lost in week 1 to Tenino 43-6, and winning this week 13-0 at Corbett, Ore.

Photo Gallery - IHS vs Manson

2011-09-11T20:54:00.000-07:00

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Let's get ready for Knappa RAYMOND!!

2011-09-11T12:07:00.000-07:00

There is a very good reason why teams schedule non-league games at the beginning of the year — to perfect your play before games start counting towards tickets to the postseason.
I'd like to think that we've done a good job this year doing just that. It's a good thing too, because next week we start our league games playing Raymond, who just crushed Willipa Valley 31-14.
They will definitely be our toughest opponent yet, and we will need to use all of our time in practice this week wisely if we want to dominate in this game like we have the previous two.
I've speant a lot of time wondering what I could write about the Knappa game, and I'm having a hard time coming up with anything because all I can think about is tearing apart the Raymond Seagulls on Friday. I know we can destroy them, all we have to do is go out and do it. They're big, fast, strong, quick and physical. We have to be even bigger, faster, stronger, quicker, and more aggresive than we've ever been and I can't wait to show them that's what we are.
As for last Friday, we honestly didn't come out as fired up as we did against Ilwaco, and it showed on the field. Two turnovers and 8 penalties are about as many as we'd like in about 4 games, but it happened all at once Friday. I'm pretty sure we were looking at three 1st and 20's in one quarter alone. But at the end of the day we put up 47 points as opposed to the 6 that they scored late into the 4th quarter on our jv squad.
Our defense was leaps and bounds better than the previous week. I'm pretty sure I could count on one hand the amout of first downs they managed in the game. QB/SS Dustin Eaton and RB/DE Robert Eaton again terrorized Knappa's defense on the ground through massive holes our line opened up. WR/DB Nick Strange made a very tough catch in triple coverage in the endzone. Way to fight for the ball bro. RB/DB Sam Scrabeck stepped in at QB in the second half and his first throw was a beautiful 30 yard fade to WR/DB Brenden Greenfield who once again made the Logger's secondary pay with his speed. All in all, we did many things right, but now all we're focused on is fixing the small things in preperation for our next opponent. Should be one hack of a game!!

— RT/DT Ryley Queener

Photo Gallery - NHS vs. Knappa

2011-09-09T23:27:00.000-07:00

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Week 2 preview - 9/9/11

2011-09-08T13:37:00.000-07:00

Comets to be tested by Oregon heavy weight, while Ilwaco gets their day in the sun

Games of the Week

Naselle vs. Knappa, Ore., 7 pm, Friday, Sept. 9, Pentilla Field, Naselle

The Naselle Comets (0-0, 1-0) have quite a test in their second game of the year when they host the Knappa Loggers Friday night. The 2A school from Oregon will be playing their first game of the season, but if their recent history holds true, the Comets will have their hands full.

The Loggers lost in the state semifinals to eventual state champ Scio last year, after going undefeated in the regular season. Not only did they not lose a game till their Scio match up, but the games weren't even close. Knappa averaged 47.7 ppg while giving up a mere 11 ppg. In fact, the most points they gave up in a single game during the regular season was 16 in a 52-16 win over Gaston. They only allowed 45 points in the regular season, an average of just 5.6 ppg. In 2009 the Loggers pretty much did the same, losing to Kennedy in the semis. And 2008? They won the state 2A championship, giving up just 72 points all year.

But ... and here's the key info — the Loggers are going to be a young team this year, having graduated many of the players that brought them their recent success, including all-state offensive player of the year RB Bryan Sablan. And according to their coach, half of their starting line up will be freshmen and sophomores.

The good/bad news for the Comets is that this will likely be the toughest non-league game they've played since losing to Wahkiakum in 2008. Win, lose or draw the Comets need to remember that it is, in a sense, a preseason game, as we all know the season really begins next week with their league opener against Raymond.

The Comets looked fantastic last week, scoring seemingly at will and shutting down an Ilwaco offense that featured more passing than the Comets usually face.

Naselle were just shy of reaching 400 yards of total offense, racking up 287 yards on the ground and another 103 in the air. Dustin Eaton had perhaps the biggest game of his career, running for 171 yards and two TDs, and throwing for 84 yards and two more scores. His big brother Robert picked up 86 on the ground, two TDs and two two-point conversions.

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

Ilwaco vs. Manson, 1 pm, Saturday, Sept. 10, Peterson Field, Ilwaco

While the Ilwaco Fishermen (0-0, 0-1) didn't get the results they wanted last week, they did show some signs of honest to goodness improvement, especially on the offensive side.

The Fishermen came oh so close to scoring on their first offensive play of the season as QB Josh Berteaux hit Kasey Plato in the flat for what looked like a sure thing TD. Unfortunately, around the Naselle 35 yard line Plato fumbled the ball, turning it over to the Comets.

That aside, the Fishermen offense was fun to watch as they have added a lot of speed and quickness to their plays that can catch a defense off guard. If the QB can get the ball away to receivers quickly (because their line can't hold much), and running backs can get to the outside, they can gain a lot of yards. This was evident on back to back double reverses that led to their only score late in the fourth last week. The switch to Eric McMillan at QB later in the game gave the Fishermen more options, as they could run Berteaux out as a RB or receiver, or even a wildcat QB if they wanted. And of course with a McNulty offense you're going to have some trickeration, as witnessed with the fake field goal attempt they couldn't quite pull off last week.

The Manson Trojans will be making the long trek west to the coast, escaping the 90-plus degree heat for the milder 72 degree partly cloudy forecast of Ilwaco Saturday. The Trojans went 5-4 last year, averaging 19.3 ppg while giving up 23.2 ppg. That was quite a considerable improvement over their previous two seasons when they went 2-7 and 0-9 (in their winless 2008 they scored only 43 points all year while giving up an astonishing 452 points). The Trojans have a new head coach this year, so it is uncertain what kind of offense the team will be running. According to the coach, "We were beggars for players (in previous seasons), because when you lose in football you get beat up too."

Be sure to check back Saturday evening for a game recap and photo gallery

Pigskin Pick'em

Last week guessed about right with the Bear River Battle, off to a good start at 1-0

W- Naselle vs Knappa, Ore.

As good as Naselle looked last week its too hard to pick against them, but I have a feeling this one could be close.

W- Ilwaco vs. Manson

The Trojans won by a lot and lost by a lot lost year, that coupled with the spark IHS showed on offense last week and probably seven hours of travel from central Washington could equal a close win for the Fishermen under the Saturday sun.

First Step Taken

2011-09-04T17:10:00.000-07:00

Naselle Comet Football is back! After a long off-season where the majority of our team thought of not much other than preparing ourselves for the upcoming season, we were finally about to start the journey back to the Tacoma Dome. The Dome is where the season ended for the 10 of us left of the '07 team. We were Freshmen then and after losing in the semi's to the eventual state champion napavine tigers, we swore wed be back playing on that field again and that when we did, we would leave champions. But we didn't go into the bear river battle thinking about our triumphant return to the state tournament. We went in with one thought in mind- completely and unmercifully destroy the team in front of us. I think we were able to accomplish our goals for the night. We did not turn the ball over. We had very minimal penalties. We got the jv into the game decently early which game the young kids good experience. WR/DB Brenden Greenfield had a great game especially scoring on a 60+ run after the catch thrown by QB/SS Dustin Eaton. Dustin himself had an impressive night, rushing for 170+ yards basically in the first half. Robert Eaton gained 80+ yards on the ground also, and he made Ilwaco pay dearly every time they decided to try and bring him down on their own. RB/DB Sam Scrabeck also played very well in his first varsity start at Running Back breaking off twice with long runs/ Personally, I am also very proud of the play by TE/DT Jesse Lopez and RT/DT Adam Jordan. Keep working hard guys. Our Defense was very balanced with our 2 linebackers Trevin Leeland and Jesse Kimball picking up 9 and 8 each, respectively. LG/DT Seth Scrabeck also brought down Ilwaco's ball carrier 8 times. While we put up some impressive numbers, we were not perfect. Their first play easily could've been a score, our line needs to stick their blocks and get down field, and our defense allowed 250+ yards. While our varsity D was able to keep them off the scoreboards, we'll need to tighten down within the next few days. While we're happy to start the year with a big W, our season has just begun and after our film session tonight we will be focused on the next opponent we must tear apart- the Knappa Loggers. They are undefeated the past 2 years in the regular season and have been deep into the post season the past 3 years. We are looking forward to the challenge and improving our game even more. Hope to see you there!

RT/DT Ryley Queener

on a personal side note,
After spending the summer making all the required precautions my coaches and physical therapists have given me the strength and stability required to play this year without an ACL. I've recovered to the point that my arthroscopic Dr. is considering the option of not getting the reconstruction done even after the season is done. I am not the first, nor the last football player to play with this injury. To me, it's simple- If it's in God's plan for me to play football this year, i will. If it's not, i won't.

Game recap - NHS over Ilwaco, 42-8

2011-09-03T10:08:00.000-07:00

NASELLE — The Bear River Battle was settled before the halftime whistle blew Friday night, as the Naselle Comets (0-0, 1-0) showed why they are picked by many to go deep into the postseason this year, by easily handling the visiting Ilwaco Fishermen (0-0, 0-1), 42-8. The Comets led 35-0 at halftime and the second unit offense saw a good deal of action in the second half.

To say that Comets QB Dustin Eaton had a big game would be a misstatement, but to say he had a huge first half would be on the money. Eaton ran for 171 yards and two touchdowns, and added two more TDs through the air, one a 62-yarder to Brendan Greenfield.

But Dustin was not alone, his brother Robert rushed for 86 yards and a pair of TDs, and converted a couple of two-point tries. All in all, the Comets racked up just shy of 400 yards of offense in the season opener.

And while they couldn't keep up on the scoreboard, the Fishermen showed some flash on offense, to the tune of 254 total yards. Justice Schenk had a very nice game at running back, scoring the Fishermen's lone TD on a 35-yard double reverse run late in the fourth quarter. Schenk had 80 yards rushing for the game.

This Friday the Comets will host the Knappa Loggers, a team that has gone undefeated in the regular season the last two years and won the state title in 2008. The Fishermen will host a rare Saturday day game next week, playing Manson High at 1 p.m.

Read a full game story in this week's Chinook Observer

Photo Gallery-Week 1-Naselle dominates IHS in Bear River Battle

2011-09-02T23:19:00.000-07:00

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Week 1 preview - 9/2/11 - The Bear River Battle

2011-09-01T16:44:00.000-07:00

Has it really been nine months since football ended last year? Oooooh, way too long. But the wait was worth it and it's back to the field this Friday night with the fourth annual Bear River Battle.

Game of the Week

Ilwaco @ Naselle, 7 pm, Friday, Sept. 2, Pentilla Field, Naselle, The Bear River Battle

Last year The Bear River Battle was more like the Bear River butt kicking, as the Comets traveled to Ilwaco and handed the Fishermen a 24-0 shutout. The Comets gained 324 yards while holding the Fishermen to just 60 total for the game. It was also a sloppy game, with a combined 9 turnovers and 13 penalties by the two teams.

So what's different this year? Well, for one, the Fishermen should be more capable on offense as they have added speed and quickness. Senior Josh Berteaux will once again be getting snaps at the QB position, most likely when the Fishermen are in wildcat and option formations. Berteaux can throw, but is coming back from a shoulder injury acquired during summer wrestling camp. When Ilwaco wants to throw the ball they will most likely turn to sophomore Eric McMillan, who started six games last year. Senior Matt Wood will likely play fullback, leading the way for running backs Justice Schenk and Nick Hinojosa. WR's Brandon Malmsteadt and Edgar Galvan will give them speed on the outside. The Ilwaco line, on both sides of the ball, is their biggest concern. Senior Elliot Marcus leads the group at right guard. Marcus has trimmed down over the last year and has traded size for quickness.
But what happens when a fast sports car hits a brick wall? That's essentially what the Comets line is going to look like — a big, strong brick wall. The Comets spent their whole summer in the weight room, and they are huge. Couple that with a new five on the line defensive formation that is designed to control the line of scrimmage and move it in the opposite direction. But with all the size in the front, if the opposing teams line can hold long enough for the QB to throw, the Comets one potential weakness on defense may be exploitable — their undersized secondary. Chris Walkowiak and Sam Scrabeck (both will get a ton of carries at running back) will have no trouble keeping up with receivers, but a lack of height could cost them on jump balls.
Perhaps the biggest question mark for the Comets, and it's one that could turn the tables either way, is senior lineman Ryley Queener. He's tall, he's strong, he's built...and he's got a torn ACL. He injured himself early this summer and elected not to have surgery, and instead will be wearing a brace on his affected knee. As of now he's looking good, but in a game all kinds of crazy things can go wrong, so he has to be careful.
On offense the Comets are going to run, run, and probably run some more, though QB Dustin Eaton showed last year that he has a good arm, and back up QB Sam Scrabeck has what looks to be a nice touch on his throws. Robert Eaton was off to a potential MVP season last year at fullback, before being injured in their loss to Valley. He's back this year, and has bulked up in the weight room. That big D-line for the Comets will also being pushing people around at will on the offensive side of the ball too.
For the Fishermen on defense, essentially the same group that powers their offense will also be a strength on D, with Berteaux, Schenk, Malmstedt and Galvan rounding out their secondary. And this being as much a rivalry between the two coaches as much as between the two teams, you can be sure that there will be some chicanery and trickeration involved — my personal favorite was two years ago the Fishermen arrived five minutes before the game starts, having done their pregame warmups at their home field. Ilwaco has also switched up their offense just for the Naselle game a couple times, including a big win three years ago.

Last year stats of note
Naselle
Record: 7-2, the two losses coming in back to back weeks at home to South Bend and Valley. The Comets were 5-0 on the road last season.
PPG: The Comets averaged 24.8 points per game, and allowed an average of 12.2 ppg

Ilwaco
Record: 1-8, The Fishermen won only once last season, an impressive 34-6 win at Neah-Kah-Nie, breaking a nearly two season losing streak.
PPG: Ilwaco scored only 72 points last year, for an average of 8 ppg. They allowed 40 points or more five times and were shutout four times.

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

Pigskin Pick'em

After going 14-5 in predictions in 2009, last year saw a bit of a drop off with a 11-7 record in predictions. Time to polish up the crystal ball and give it another go.

Ilwaco @ Naselle-W

We love this game every year, but the gap between these two teams is pretty noticeable. If Naselle does what they're capable of this one could be over early.

Naselle, Ilwaco get props in preseason previews

2011-09-01T12:16:00.000-07:00

The Comets and Fishermen received praise today in the Longview Daily News football preview.

Yeah, that's Naselle's Robert Eaton dead center on the cover

Naselle was ranked in the TDN's Preseason Power 8 saying,

This is the Comets' year — at least, that's what we're saying in August. Naselle returns enough firepower to hurdle South Bend and Willapa Valley for the Pacific 2B throne, especially if it can get a full, healthy year out of MVP candidate Robert Eaton, a two-way standout and terror in the trenches. Robert's little bro, Dustin, is a steady hand at quarterback and excellent field general at linebacker, while Ryley Queener and Seth Scrabeck are two of the best linemen in the district, at any level.
The stability of Queener's repaired ACL is a major issue. If he stays healthy, the Naselle offense will be almost impossible to keep off the field.
That includes the T-Dome carpet.
Naselle is ranked fourth by the News Tribune.

The Comets also placed multiple players in the Preseason All-Area teams
Offense
OL: Seth Scrabeck, Naselle
Scrabeck has only one gear - forward. He's the stud of a Comets offensive line that cleared the way for lots of success in 2010. This year, he'll again be eatin' defenders for the Eatons - running back Robert and quarterback Dustin.
If things go as planned, he'll have another first-team all-league honor for dessert. It should settle in nicely with his first team selections from 2009 and 2010.

Defense
DL: Robert Eaton, Naselle
Eaton makes his second straight appearance on our preseason first-team defense. An honorable mention selection by Pacific 2B coaches in 2010, Eaton will take on a bigger role on the offensive side of the ball, where he'll be the workhorse at running back.
The only pity is, we won't get to see Robert Eaton the runner take on Robert Eaton the defensive lineman. The universe might not be able to handle what would happen if those two Comets collided.

LB: Dustin Eaton, Naselle
Who knows if it's the hierarchy in the Eaton household, but Dustin will be patrolling the middle of the field to catch anything that slips by his older brother, Robert. And after being selected as a first-team all-Pacific 2B linebacker in 2010, the word is he's pretty good at it.
A second-year starter at outside ‘backer, Eaton will also direct the Comet offense again. The quarterback accounted for 14 touchdowns last season, seven on the ground and seven through the air.

Naselle senior Ryley Queener, who is coming back from a torn ACL this year, was picked for the 2nd team all-area

Illustration by Andrew Gragg / For The Daily News

And Naselle head coach Jeff Eaton (He's third from the left if you were wondering) was given a spot on the TDN's Mount RUSHmore, as one of the local coaches being praised for their running game and how it could lead them to the top of the mountain, so to speak.

Read the TDN's Naselle preview HERE

Ilwaco also placed a player on the All-Area defensive team

DB: Josh Berteaux, Ilwaco
You've gotta to be a really good athlete to compete in the Trico at 5-foot-7, 145 pounds. Good thing for the Fishermen that Berteaux is more than really good. The 2010 second-team all-Trico selection has the quickness to rival any corner in the area, and was also part of Ilwaco's 4x100 track team and cleared 13 feet in the pole vault.
Ilwaco coach Kevin McNulty is mulling a move to quarterback for Berteaux, just to get the ball in his hands more often.

You can read the TDN's Ilwaco preview HERE

Photo Gallery - Preseason practices begin

2011-08-22T11:46:00.000-07:00

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

2011 Naselle football schedule

2011-08-22T11:32:00.000-07:00

The Naselle Comets open their season as the fourth ranked team in the Tacoma News Tribune preseason rankings. They begin their highly anticipated season with rival Ilwaco in the annual Bear River Battle. The Comets have to thank the scheduling gods for the SIX home games they have. But the two back to back road games at defending state champion South Bend and then Valley a week later will likely be their toughest test once again. But seeing as how they could run the table in their other seven games, the crossover game on Nov. 5 could put them into the playoffs once again, after missing out last year.

9/2 - vs. Ilwaco
9/9 - vs. Knappa
9/16 - vs. Raymond
9/23 - @ South Bend
9/30 - @ Valley
10/7 - vs. Pe Ell
10/14 - vs. NW Christian
10/21 - @ North Beach
10/27 - vs. Ocosta
11/5 - Central-Pacific League crossover game

Photo Gallery - Offseason camp at Camp Rilea

2011-07-16T19:38:00.000-07:00

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

2011 Ilwaco football schedule

2011-07-12T14:39:00.000-07:00

As the Ilwaco Fishermen prepare to head off to a three day OTA at Camp Rilea this weekend, thought it was a good time to to post their schedule for the upcoming season.
The Fishermen will begin their 10 game season once again with the Bear River Battle game at Naselle. They host the Manson High Trojans in week two before entering the Trico League season. They end the season with an out of conference, out of state game with Warrenton.

PRESEASON
Mon, 8/29 - Scrimmage @ Montesano

REGULAR SEASON
9/2 - @ Naselle
9/9 - vs. Manson
9/16 - @ Stevenson
9/23 - vs. Kalama
9/30 - @ LaCenter
10/7 - vs. Columbia of White Salmon
10/14 - @ Toledo
10/21 - @ Castle Rock
10/28 - vs. Ridgefield *Homecoming
11/4 - vs. Warrenton, Ore.

Down and out.. But only until september

2010-11-11T09:58:00.000-08:00

Five months ago, me and my teammates were sitting in the back of the bus on our way home after humbling the defending state champions Adna Pirates in the most intense demonstration of Comet Football I've ever seen at our annual spring scrimmage at Ilwaco. I can still remember why we were laughing and what we talked about. It was the start of Comet Football 2010 and we knew that this year had a lot of potential and could be very special. We had high expectations for ourselves as individuals and as a team. My class and the senior class had been in Tacoma one Friday night a few Novembers ago, and we knew what was calling us. We all had our hearts set on a date with whoever from the east side had the nerve to stand in the Tacoma Dome with us on December 4th. We could hear the screams reverberating off of the wooden roof overhead. We could feel the heat rising off of the astro turf. We could see the whole town in one building, demanding the same thing that we were fighting for. I'll be the first to admit that we could almost feel the weight of the rings on our fingers and the weight of the Gold Ball in our hands. September just couldn't come fast enough for us to start climbing that mountain.

Sometimes life sucks doesn't it?

Five months later and were sitting in the back of the bus again after playing a game with the defending state champion Adna Pirates, only this time nobody is laughing and very few words are said. Our hearts were broken, we couldn't hear any more screams, we felt cold inside and out, and I know I felt as alone as I've felt in a long time. And of course, we weren't going to be wearing Championship rings while we put up our Christmas trees this year. I feel like this year we all took our own one step forward and two steps back. I made it as far as second team all-area in the preseason on defense, but by week 6 I was just second team. We lifted from the day after basketball finally ended to the day that football finally started and had probably one of the best lines in the league, but got shut our by the Menlo Midgets (Willapa Valley Vikings) 30-0 on our own field. We had the best FB/DT in the league, but he injured his hamstring half way through the season and never fully recovered. We had high hopes to sweep the league this year, most notably beating both South Bend and Valley at home. Instead, we lost to both teams back to back by an average score of 22-3 and finished in the lowest spot in our league since 2006. As far as us winning the state tournament? We're not even going.
Stewert Field in Aberdeen has got to be the best field I have ever played on, besides the Tacoma Dome our freshman year and Oregon State University's Reser Stadium that me and DE/OL Nick Zimmerman went to for camp this past summer. The wooden stands go across both sidelines and one endzone. I joked to Nick before the game, "This looks just like what we created on Madden, and the Comets always win on Madden." The only blemish I could find in the complex was the giant "A" in the middle of the field. It didn't seem appropriate, and it only fueled the flame that was burning inside us. We knew that we had faced a lot of adversity this year, from external and internal conflicts. Robert was able to return after a 4.5 game absence, but only on defense and even then only on one leg. RB/OLB Kai Leach was suspended 4 weeks ago and was also missed in our wishbone offense. RB/FS Leonel Mendoza had to become an OLB again after we lost Kai, which wasn't hard for him after playing the spot all of last year. What was hard for him was the ankle he injured at the beginning of the year that constantly was slowing him down. TE/DT Jesse Lopez was academically ineligible to play the last two games, forcing us to start Tanner Hovan at TE. Tanner loves football and he filled Jesse's shoes as well if not better than anyone could expect him to. But we still missed Jesse.
All in all, I think we responded well to all of the adversity. With both Rbs and FB out of action, we did something I doubt anybody expected us to do and adopted the shotgun offense, leaving our traditional wishbone offense forsaken. Not only did we discover the "passing" concept of football, but sophomore QB/OLB Dustin Eaton not only rose to the challenge, but excelled beyond any of our expectations at the beginning of the year. He became a legitimate passing threat to the other teams with a plethora of WRs Chris Walkowiak, Chase Chapman, Chandler Chapman, Brenden Greenfield, and Nick Strange (to name a few). As i said before, we replaced our traditional wishbone with a new shotgun-based offense. We utilized our depth chart as efficiently as anybody could. A lot of our adaptability has to come from our coaches perseverance. I don't know how they put up with us sometimes, with all of our "matriculating" across the field (Coach Wirkkala will be so proud i was able to use that six-syllable word in a sentence).
The game against Adna last Saturday didn't go how anybody wanted. Nobody had a perfect game, it seemed to me like on every play i either did what i was supposed to do well, or i failed my assignment. there was no middle ground. Our Defense was very successful for most of the game, keeping them from crossing midfield until the second quarter. A few key mistakes were made such as fumbling the ball inside the redzone, dropping a sure 60+ yard gain through the air, a blown punt coverage that gave great field position to the pirates, and who knows how many missed blocks our line had. Nobody was guilt free of mistakes, and I'll admit that on the last touchdown that Adna scored, i had the ball carrier wrapped up at the line, and had I followed through with the tackle like our coaches have taught me, I slipped off of him, and he crossed the goal line a few yards later. I know what i did wrong, and the cost of my mistake was allowing the last seven points that would be scored against us in 2010. I have to live with that. The referees did miss one significant call that I'll mention. Chris Walkoiak stripped Bubba Lara of the football and recovered the ball inbounds, but the referees were focused on the pile surrounding Lara that quickly forced him out-of-bounds. The only people in Aberdeen that didn't see chris recover the fumble inbounds were the men wearing the black and white stripes. They made the only call that they could in their position, and declared that Bubba's forward progress was stopped before the strip. Everyone knows that this wasn't the right call, but in the officials defense, it was the only option they had. Other than that, I think the officials did a very good job, probably the best we've had all year.
A 21-0 loss doesn't reflect Comet Football in my opinion. I think the game was a lot closer than that and I hope we all know it. It's always hard to deal with ending a season, but the people that its hardest for are the seniors that will never experience Comet football, or really any football, again. Most other sports can still be played when your older, but you can never really play football again, unless your one of the lucky few that make it to college. RB/FS-OLB Leonel "Leo" Mendoza and RB-WR/DB Chase Chapman will not walk onto Rueban Pentilla Field as a player. They will be in the crowd, cheering on the Comets with the rest of the town. Thank you, Chase and Leo, for the memories. I miss you both already and you both mean the world to our team and that doesn't change after the season is over. COMET PRIDE FOREVER.

As for everyone that's left, we have work to do. Like me and nick were talking about on the way home, were the new seniors. Its our last chapter, chapter four. It's finally Mine, Seth, Robert, Nick, Trevin Jesse, Tanner, Jesse, and Beau's senior year. We know what we want, and we're going to do everything in our power from today until next September to make sure that we are fully prepared physically and mentally to do what we've been dying to do since our freshman year, to go back to the dome and this time win! But we cant do it alone, we need the entire team working just as hard as we are. The new Juniors and Sophomores and even the new Freshman need to be in the weight room where they belong. Next year we wont be facing suspensions or academic ineligibility, because they Naselle Comets of 2011-2012 are better than that. Next year, I don't want to be writing a novel in November on how we didn't make it to state, I want to be writing a novel on how we won state in December fopr the first time in over 40 years. And I'll upload a picture of our rings and the trophy by a Christmas tree. But it's not enough to want it, you got to earn it. And i for one am ready to earn our rings! COMETS- WHAT IS YOUR PROFESSION?!?!

Comet RT #71 Ryley Queener

It ended too early...

2010-11-09T22:46:00.000-08:00

(Just for the record, I'm going to try to keep this post as short as possible because it's not necessarily something I want to re-live.)
We went into the game with the most aggression and intensity we've ever had knowing that this was our night. We knew what had to be accomplished. We were told we needed to fight a battle that would be the toughest battle of our life and that we were going to climb a mountain that night. So we played like our lives depended on it. I belive I can honestly say that that was the hardest I've ever played in a football game. I studied Adna plays for hours and figured out what my keys were and did my best in the game at reading those keys and attacking the play and stuffing it in the hole. Defensively, I would say I felt like I did my assignments to the fullest that night. But on the offensive side of the ball, it was heart-breaking. So many prime opportunities that would have been game changers failed to fall through. We just couldn't capitalize when we needed it most. The backs ran hard and we tried to move the ball but we were unsuccessful. There were goals set that couldn't be accomplished this year and knowing that we couldn't finish what we started has to sting a little. I would like to thank all of my coaches for teaching me so much and making our team so successful. I would also like to thank Chase Chapman and Leo Mendoza for being great leaders, teammates, and captains. Not only are they the only seniors on our squad, they are good friends and amazing athletes as well. I love them and will miss playing football with them for the rest of my life. I thank the underclassmen for going to practice every day to give us varsity guys a good look at what were up against every week. But I believe no matter which Comet football player you ask, we would all have to agree that this season just ended too early. See ya next fall. COMET PRIDE FOREVER.

Trevin Leeland #57 MLB/LT

Photo Gallery - NHS-Adna District crossover playoff

2010-11-07T10:42:00.000-08:00

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Game recap - Comets shut out of state playoffs by Adna shut out

2010-11-07T09:15:00.000-08:00

ABERDEEN – For the first time since 2006 Naselle will not be in the state football playoffs. Adna downed the Comets 21-0 in a district loser-out game on a rainy night on Aberdeen’s pristine Stewart Field turf Saturday, Nov. 6. The Pirates escaped poor field position with a late second period six-play, 62-yard drive for a touchdown and scored twice more in the fourth period to put the winner-to-state contest away.
“We had our chances. You guys played a heckuva game, especially on defense, but you can’t lose three starters at this level and expect to win,” Coach Jeff Eaton said.

Adna 0 7 0 14 --21
Naselle 0 0 0 0 --0

Read the full story in this week's Observer

Week 10 preview - 11/5 - District playoff game

2010-11-05T09:44:00.000-07:00

This week it's Saturday Night Sights for Naselle as they try for a fourth-straight state playoff berth

Game of the Week

NASELLE (7-2) vs. Adna (7-2), 7 pm, SATURDAY, Nov. 6, Stewart Field, Aberdeen

After a slow start in what would turn out to be an easy win last week at Ocosta, the Naselle Comets come into their district crossover game this Saturday riding a four game win streak. During that stretch, which began after their back-to-back losses to South Bend and Valley, the Comets have outscored their opponents 148-47, including two games where they gave up only 6 points each. The Comets took down a tough NWC team during this run, but for the most part played the easiest portion of their schedule against teams with sub-.500 records. That will not be the case Saturday night as they face an Adna team that comes with a 7-2 record — their only losses came to undefeated Napavine and one loss White Pass/Morton, ranked second and fifth, respectively, in the state. Oh, and by the way, the winner of this game gets Napavine in the first round of the playoffs next week!

The two teams seem to have a lot of similarities coming in. The Pirates average 23 ppg while giving up 11 ppg. In contrast, Naselle is averaging 25 ppg while giving up 12 ppg. Both got throttled in their two games against the teams ahead of them in the standings, and both took care of business easily enough against their lesser foes. Both teams are also playing a hot hand over the last few weeks. The Pirates have won their last three games by an average score of 39-13, while the Comets have won their last four by an average of 37-12. But here's one major difference between the two — Adna is the defending state champions and have that pride riding on the line coming into the playoffs.

The Comets are a young team, and no one has symbolized the ups and downs that can bring more than sophomore QB Dustin Eaton, in his first year as the starter. At the start of the season Eaton couldn't hold onto the ball to save his life it seemed. The Comets were able to get by thanks to a dominant running game. But then halfway through the season that backfield was tore asunder thanks to injuries and suspensions. That's when Eaton turned it on and took over the offense. Reeling after the back-to-back losses, Eaton ran for 136 yards and three TDs at Pe Ell. The next week he broke all Comet conventions and threw for 172 yards and a score, with another on the ground, in a dramatic fourth quarter comeback win over NWC. The next week he threw for 241 yards and four scores, followed by 184 yards in the air and two TDs (one on the ground) in the final game of regular season. Oh, and don't forget that he has played much bigger than his size at linebacker as well. Coming back to the defensive line this week is Robert Eaton, who has been out since the South Bend game with injuries. A team source said that it is unlikely that he will be lining up at the FB position on offense though, so expect to see Leo Mendoza in that spot for a fourth straight week. Though starting the year as a RB and backup/wildcat QB, Mendoza has had quite a bit of success from the FB position, scoring five TDs in the last three games.
The Saturday night game will cap off a long day of crossover games at Stewart Field in Aberdeen, a stadium that features artificial turf, as is prescribed for all playoff games. In order to prepare to run on the surface the Comets will be traveling to Kalama tonight (Friday) in order to practice on the Chinooks synthetic field.

Driving directions to Stewart Field:
Take Hwy 101 north 54 miles, arrive in Aberdeen, turn right on 101 north for .6 miles, stay straight to go onto S. G St. for .1 miles, turn right onto E. Market St. for .3 miles, turn left onto N. B St. for .5 miles, field on the right

Pigskin Pick'em

1-1 again last week — now 11-6 this year

W- Naselle vs. Adna

I could see the Comets pulling this one out late, maybe similar to the NWC game. Adna is tough, but the Comets have evolved quite a bit since their two losses.

Game recap - Comets tame Wildcats 47-14

2010-10-29T12:13:00.000-07:00

OCOSTA - Naselle jumped to a 27-0 half-time lead and then cruised to a 47-14 Pacific 2B League win at Ocosta Oct. 28 in the final regular season football game of the season. Next for the Comets will be a crossover game against Central League three seed Adna at Aberdeen's Stewart Field Saturday, Nov. 6. The winner of that contest will be in the state playoffs.
Chandler Chapman was the hero for the Comets as the sophomore ran for a touchdown, took a hook-and-ladder pitch for a score, and caught a TD pass from Dustin Eaton. Eaton also ran for a touchdown and Leonel Mendoza ran for two more scores. Sam Scrabeck also ran for a TD in the rout.
In other Pacific action South Bend defeated Northwest Christian 18-6 and Raymond downed North Beach 37-13.

Week 9 preview - 10/28

2010-10-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

Whoops! THURSDAY night sights this week for Naselle

Game of the Week

NASELLE (6-2, 3-2) @ Ocosta (0-8, 0-5), 7 pm, THURSDAY, Oct. 28, Westport, Wa.

Facing a team that is last in the league standings, last in points scored and last in points allowed (in the entire 2B division, 343 this year, 43 ppg) the Comets shouldn't have much trouble wrapping up their regular season schedule tonight. In fact, much like last year when they ended their league season with a win at Ocosta, look for the majority of their starters to be done by halftime.

Facing North Beach last week the Comets poured it on for really the first time this year, blowing out the Hyaks 50-6. But really the most notable thing to be taken from that game is the proficiency with which they moved the ball through the air. QB Dustin Eaton continues to get better each week, this time going 12-18 for 241 yards (that's gotta be some kind of record for the run-happy Comets!), throwing for 4 scores and rushing for another. Chris Walkowiak was the recipient of three of those passes for 96 yards — that's 32 yards per catch!

So while the Comets are padding their stats in Westport, by far the most important game this week will be at South Bend tonight, where the NW Christian Navs will be fighting for a chance to play for a state berth. As it stands right now, NWC is in fourth in the Pacific League at 3-2. Naselle is third at 3-2 as well, though they own the tiebreaker over NWC. And South Bend is in second at 4-1. However, if NWC were to beat South Bend tonight, and Naselle takes care of business, you would have three teams at 4-2, each of which having a tiebreaker on another. In this case the three teams would play off against each other, with the winner getting the #2 seed in the league and an automatic bid to the state playoffs. The second place team in this mini-tournament of sorts would take third in the league and would play a crossover game with the third place team from the Central League next week for the final state playoff berth, on Nov. 6 in Aberdeen at 7 p.m. As it stands right now that third place team is perennial power Adna and would be played at a neutral site. The winner of that game would likely face top-ranked Napavine in the first round of the playoffs. As it would happen, Pacific League champ Valley is playing Napavine in a non-league game to end the regular season this week.

We'll have a more accurate report on all this once the games are played tonight, so check back tomorrow for all the details.

ILWACO (1-7, 0-6) @ Ridgefield (6-2, 4-2), 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 29, Ridegefield

After a tough loss in their homecoming game last week, the FIshermen go on the road to end their season, traveling to Ridgefield to face a Spudders team that is on the rise. Ridgefield upset league-leading Toledo last week and are in third place in the Trico League going into this week. But, with Toledo finishing their regular season at Castle Rock, who looked particularly tough here last week, the Spudders have the opportunity to move up to the second seed going into the state playoffs if Castle Rock were to knock off Toledo.

Despite the loss, the Fishermen scored the most points (16) they have since their 34-6 win back in week 2. Freshman QB Eric McMullan looked pretty good in his first start, connecting on a 62-yard bomb to Bobby Byrd for a late score. Senior Sklar Olson ran for 63 yards, averaging 10 yards per carry. And while the season has been one long lesson in perseverance and character building, you gotta give the student athletes high marks for both as they have hung in there. Many of them will now move on to basketball and wrestling in the next month, teams that advanced to their respective state tournaments just last year.

Pigskin Pick'em

1-1 last week — now 10-5 this year

W- Ilwaco @ Ridgefield

Once again it all comes down to pride for the Fishermen. Ridgefield knows they're going to the playoffs and may overlook the hungry Fishermen

W- Naselle @ Ocosta

Look for the JVs to get in a good amount of playing time in this one, an easy win for NHS.

Game recap - Happy Homecoming as Comets crush North Beach 50-6 on Senior Night

2010-10-23T09:52:00.000-07:00

NASELLE - Dustin Eaton threw for 215 yards and four touchdowns and the Comets rushed for 179 more yards as they flew past North Beach 50-6 at Naselle Oct. 22.
Eaton completed passes to five different receivers and connected on seven consecutive passes during the first half as Naselle built a 38-6 lead before Homecoming and Senior Night were celebrated.
Chandler Chapman, Chase Chapman, Chris Walkowiak, and Leo Mendoza each caught touchdown passes and Mendoza, Eaton, and Chase Chapman ran in others in the lopsided Pacific 2B League victory. Eaton also ran in an intercepted pass for a score and Nick Strange had another interception for the Comets.
Eaton, Jesse Kimball, Mendoza, Jake Condon, Trevin Leeland, Adam Jordan, Ryley Queener, Nick Zimmerman, Seth Scrabeck, and Tanner Hoven all had one or more tackles for loss for the Naselle defense.

Game recap - Rockets spoil Homecoming with 42-16 win over Fishermen

2010-10-23T09:51:00.000-07:00

ILWACO - Skyler Olson ran 53 yards for a touchdown and freshman Eric McMillan connected on a 62 yard pass to Bobby Byrd for another score and Ilwaco converted on both two-point conversions to score 16 second-half points, but it wasn't enough as Castle Rock put 42 on the board for a Trico League win at Ilwaco Oct. 22.
More details will be available in next week's Chinook Observer.

Photo Gallery - IHS homecoming game

2010-10-22T22:01:00.000-07:00

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Better late than never... WAY better!

2010-10-22T15:44:00.000-07:00

FINALLY, we played COMET FOOTBALL for a full 48 MINUTES! Going into this game we were in a position that i never expected to be in. If you told me in august that we'd be playing Northwest Christian for third in the league and that a lot of people around the state might even go as far as to think that we might lose for the first time in history to NWC, I would have laughed. But, things happen and thats the situation we were in. But i don't think anybody anywhere expected a game that ended the way it did. We started the game slower than we would have wanted (what's new?) when we let them score on a huge run on their second play of the night. However, it wasn't long after trading punts that we got on the scoreboard. After our first possession didn't lead to paydirt, i knew that our offense still should have no problem finishing this game and that it would really come down to our defense stepping up (another thing i would have laughed at if you told me that in august.)
So with the scoreboard reading 7-6 our defense wasn't quite able to stop them, as they extended their lead to 14-6. but their defense wasn't quite able to stop us either, as we scored to narrow the gap to 14-12. We got the ball back with some time left in the half to try and gain the advantage. Our offense went down the field, and with seconds on the clock we called a pass with all our receivers going on streak routes. Dustin's pass didn't have quite enough air on it, and it was picked off. It would've been great to be leading at half, but it wasn't a game changer by any means.
Not much happened until we scored again with i think around 5 minutes left in the game (14-18). i know thats over a quarter of the game that we could've used to put the game out of reach, but hey "we like to keep it close". We really needed a stop to get the ball back and finish them. And actually, we did stop them on 4th down... 3 times. All i want to say about those 3 calls on Dustin is that everyone has a job to do and sometimes people make mistakes. A player might miss a tackle, an announcer might mispronounce a players name, a coach might tell tony romo to hold the snap for a game winning field goal in the playoffs, and in this case a ref might make a series of calls that were completely ridiculous and almost cost the better team the game- not once- but three times on the same drive. It was unbelievable.
So we got them ball back with a minute to go and basically the rest of the season on the line, down 21-18. We all knew what we had to do, and we all trusted each other to do our jobs and to do our own. Our first pass was complete for a first down and we got out-of-bounds, stopping the clock. Our next pass attempt failed, just barely over thrown. but the next few were complete, and we capped of the drive with an almost 20 yard pass to chandler chapman. Ironically, this was the same play, same target, and around the same distance that we tried to score on right before halftime. That time it failed, But this time it was flawless and gave us the lead 21-24 with around 30 seconds left in the game!
They do have a great kicker and we knew that they didnt have to make it all the way to the endzone to prevent this game from being over. They never got the chance. They might have passed the 50 yard line with one second left, but a sack on the play prevented any chance of us not leaving with a victory.
This was one of the most incredible games that I've been apart of, maybe even as impressive than some of the 2008 team's comeback finishes against NWC (go figure), North Beach, and South Bend. They don't call Naselle the Cardiac Comets for nothing I guess!
This week is Homecoming and honestly, i could care less. All i want to do is go out there and play Comet Football. Tonight is also Senior night, which is a big deal to us. Thank you Leo and Chase for the memories at our home field.. Comet Pride Forever!

-Ryley Queener

Week 8 previews - 10/22

2010-10-21T15:24:00.000-07:00

Homecoming for both teams this week

Game of the Week

Ilwaco (1-6, 0-5) vs. Castle Rock (2-5, 1-4), 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 22, Peterson Field

Another long season is winding down for the Fishermen, and potentially one of the funnest games of the year is upon us once more — it's homecoming!

The Fishermen had their least fun game in awhile last week, as they fell 54-0 to Trico-leading Toledo.

I know times are tough once again on the gridiron for the Fishermen, but I really hope they aren't giving up. I don't think they are. It's unclear why the JV team has forfeited their final two games of the year, but usually it's because they don't have enough players to fill out the roster. It's common for students to lose interest when success doesn't come. But perhaps the players need to look past the W's and L's and look at the successes they have had.

Look up at the stands and see that the fans — students, parents, friends — have not given up on you. You have one of the best pep bands in the region. Your cheer squad is great, and both keep the crowd alive during the games. They know you're playing hard and appreciate the effort they see. You play in an extremely tough league, where five of the eight teams have winning records, and all of which also averaging at least 27 ppg and only give up an average of 14 ppg.

You've had a bevy of troubles on offense, namely turnovers, that have made it tough to get in the endzone. That being said, you've been IN almost every game, and for a good portion of the game. That shows heart. Sometimes heart is reflected by the scoreboard, but more often not. More often it is shown along the sidelines, in the huddle, getting up after a tackle, and after the game. You don't see heads down, you see guys wanting to get back in the game, thinking the next set of downs is the opportunity to get something going.

And while your team has seen more than its fair share of hard times over the years, look around at the accomplishments your school has had in other athletic endeavors, including golf, basketball, cross country and track, all of which have had great success at the highest levels of competition. Some day, and maybe sooner than later, football will have those same opportunities, but until then, enjoy the time you have on the field. Enjoy the fact that you have the opportunity just to play — and that word is used for a reason by the way.

Homecoming is usually the most highly attended game of the year, and in this case is also the final home game of the year. The fans know what's up, their expectations are not outrageous. They want to see guys playing, playing hard, and playing to have fun. Win or lose, they won't be let down by that.

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

Naselle (5-2, 2-2) vs. North Beach (2-5, 1-3), 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 22, Pentilla Field

Can you say clutch? After an impressive performance in the clutch to win on the road against NWC last week the Comets are that much closer to saying clinch, as in clinch their fourth-straight playoff appearance.

The Comets go into their final two games with sole possession of third place in the Pacific League, as they now own the tiebreaker over NWC. The Comets next two opponents — North Beach and Ocosta — are a combined 2-12 on the season and should be easy work for a Comets team that is starting to play its best football at the right time of the year. Should the Comets win out they would be 4-2 in league. Friday's South Bend @ Valley game will likely decide the league title. Should South Bend lose, and then lose at home to NWC to end the season, they too would be 4-2 and NWC would be 4-2, causing a three way tie for second and third. If this were to happen, South Bend would have the tiebreaker over NHS, NHS would have the tiebreaker over NWC and NWC would have the tiebreaker over South Bend, resulting in a three-way playoff tournament of sorts, likely on Saturday, Oct. 30, to decide second and third, with the second place team automatically advancing to the state playoffs and the third place team playing a crossover game with the Central League for the last state playoff spot. Going into this week, third place in a very strong Central League, is perennial power Adna. Of course if South Bend were to win either game against Valley or NWC the Comets would likely be assured of the third place finish.

Coming to Pentilla Field this week are the North Beach Hyaks, having lost their last two by the identical scores of 6-49. Through seven games the Hyaks have averaged only 13 ppg while giving up 34 ppg. Their two wins came in a one-point win at Seattle Lutheran, 7-6, and a six point win at 0-7 Ocosta.

For the Comets, QB Dustin Eaton has come miles since the beginning of the season. Whereas he looked shaky and uncertain in early games, he has looked downright poised the last two. At Pe Ell two weeks ago he ran for over 100 yards (for the first time) and scored three TD's. Last week, on the road again, Eaton threw for 172 yards (!!) for a 17-yard average per pass and a game-winning TD (he also ran for 48 yards and another TD). Perhaps the best example came after NHS took the lead late in the fourth quarter. With the opportunity to stop an NWC drive and salt away the last minute of the game, Eaton was called for three penalties (only one of which was legitimate in my eyes) that practically gave the Navigators their go-ahead score. On the sideline before heading back to the field, with multiple coaches in his face, Eaton's only answer was "I'm going to score a touchdown!" in a highly emotional voice. And that's exactly what he did. Awe inspiring, especially for such a young player.

The Comets will be without Robert Eaton again this week, as he continues to heal from an injury that has kept him out of the previous two games. Leo Mendoza, who returned from his own injury last week and scored twice, will continue to fill in at FB in two back sets.

Pigskin Pick'em

Boy, hit both nails on the head last week — now 9-4 this year

W- Ilwaco vs. Castle Rock

With pride on the line and facing a team with little to play for, I think Ilwaco pulls a small upset and gives the big crowd something to cheer about

W- Naselle vs. North Beach

This should be an easy one as the Comets come down the stretch looking better each week

That's Comet Pride for 48

2010-10-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

With the exception of seniors Chase Chapman and Leo Mendoza running hard in the backfield, we started out pretty slow in the first half only scoring twice with no 2-point conv. or PAT's (my bad). It wasn't a bad half by any means but you could tell that we needed to pick up the intensity. When we looked up at the scoreboard which read 14-12 in favor of NWC, we all knew that we should have put at least one more score on the board before halftime. But oh well, too late. We came out in the second half and delivered. Not only did Dustin pass well, he ran the option and Wildcat well too. Leo had some hard runs and would have broke two of them had he not tripped over his left tackle (my bad again). Freshmen Brenden Greenfield and Chandler "Bob" Chapman had phenomenal games catching the ball. Brenden had some key catches which got us long 3rd down conv. and Chandler had the game-winning catch from about 20 yards out. When NWC scored that TD with 1 minute left, us linemen looked at each other, nodded, and all knew what had to be done on the next offensive series. We thoroughly marched down the field and scored with time to spare. We had performed an awesome feat but we needed to finish it. And so we did. We had good coverage all over the field and we put the nail in the coffin when Nick Zimmerman sacked the Gators QB to end the game. We had officially shown everybody who watched that game what Comet Football was all about and how to play with Comet Pride for 48 minutes.

Trevin Leeland #57 MLB/LT

Photo gallery - NHS @ NWC

2010-10-16T14:33:00.000-07:00

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Game recaps - Comets cardiac comeback crushes Christians 24-21

2010-10-16T12:27:00.000-07:00

RAINIER - Sophomore Dustin Eaton tossed a perfectly thrown touchdown pass to classmate Chandler Chapman with 32 seconds remaining to earn Naselle a 24-21 come-from-behind Pacific 2B victory at over Northwest Christian Friday, in a game played at Rainier High School stadium.
Naselle had trailed 7-0 and 14-12, but went ahead for the first time with 5:03 remaining when Eaton ran five yards for a touchdown. The Navigators put together a 65-yard drive, thanks in part to 50 yards of penalties assessed from the South Sound officials.
Not to be laundered by yellow hankies, Eaton brought his Comets back with three completions good for 51 yards in what amounted to the NFL's two-minute drill. Leonel Mendoza ran for a pair of touchdowns early and gained 71 yards in 12 carries. Eaton added 48 yards rushing and was 10-17 for a career-high 171 yards.
Coach Jeff Eaton had praise for his line of Trevin Leeland, Seth Scrabeck, Nick Zimmerman, Jesse Kimball and Ryley Queener. "They only got to Dustin once in the pocket, thanks to our line. We threw a season's worth of passes tonight, but we needed every one of them," said Eaton with a huge smile and a sigh of relief.
The huge victory gives Naselle sole possession of third place in the Pacific as they improve to 2-2 in league and 5-2 overall. The Navigators are also 2-2 and drop to fourth place.

Game recap - Toledo first-quarter explosion leads to 54-0 win at Ilwaco

2010-10-16T12:26:00.000-07:00

ILWACO - Toledo scored early and often as they went ahead 34-0 after the first period and then cruised to a 54-0 Trico League win over the Fishermen at Peterson Field Friday. The Indians had 359 yards of total offense to 118 for Ilwaco, with 319 of those yards coming on the ground.
Josh Berteaux was the leading Fishermen rusher with 45 yards in 12 carries and halfback Austin Woodby completed a 30 yard pass to Justice Schenk. After Toledo's touchdown in the third period a running clock was used as the score was 47-0 and the running clock is employed when one team has a 45 or more point lead.
Ilwaco is now 0-5 in the Trico and 1-6 overall, while the league-leading Indians are 5-0 and 6-1 for the year.

Week 7 preview - 10/15

2010-10-14T16:40:00.000-07:00

Do or die for Naselle on the road while Ilwaco faces league leader Toledo at home

Game of the Week

Naselle (4-2, 1-2) @ NW Christian (4-2, 2-1), 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 15, Lacey, Wa.

Despite the fact that they have three games left, the Comets whole season comes down to their game in Lacey against NW Christian Friday night, simple as that.

They win the game, they put themselves into a third-place tie with NWC, with the tie-breaker over them, and two games left (which they should win) against the two worst teams in the league. If they lose, they could never catch back up as NWC would own the tie-breaker, even if they lost in their final game at South Bend (which they likely will). The third place team will play a crossover game with the Central League third place team for the final state playoff spot.

The Comets (4-2, 1-2) got back on track last week after two straight losses with a solid win at floundering Pe Ell — though the bumbling referee crew did everything they could to make it that much harder. Sophomore QB Dustin Eaton came alive after coming under fire early in the season for suspect play. With the Comets two leading rushers out last week Eaton looked like a certain quarterback from years back (Kyle Burkhalter) when he took off running time and again, scoring three TDs, and scoring his first 100 yard game, while operating a wildcat, option-read offense. RB Leo Mendoza is set to be back on the field this week, giving their offense some added dimension. It is unclear whether FB Robert Eaton will return this week or not.

This has been by far the most successful season in the short history of the NWC football program (4-2, 2-1). In their previous four seasons they went a combined 6-32. So far they have blowout wins over 0-5 Rainier Christian, 1-5 Seattle Lutheran, 2-4 Ocosta and got by a feisty 1-5 Raymond team in a shootout. Their two losses have come against the 1-5 Tenino, and last week at Valley, where they put up a good fight in a 36-19 loss.

The Navigators have scored a lot of points (against Swiss cheese D's for the most part), to a 30 ppg average, but have also given up more than their fair share, 15 ppg on the year. However, that average has been doubled over their last two games.

The Comets scoring is down this year, having just crossed the century mark last week (103 points total), for an average of 17 ppg. However, if you take away the two games against South Bend and Valley where they only scored 6 points, the Comets are averaging a more respectable 24 ppg in their four wins. Last weeks 27 was the highest output yet this season. The Comets are 3-0 on the road this year, while NWC is perfect at home.

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

Ilwaco (1-5, 0-4) vs. Toledo (5-1, 4-0), 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 15, Peterson Field

Good lord, that long bus ride up the gorge can be a killer, as the Fishermen found out last week when visiting White Salmon. The Fishermen went in with a real good chance at a win, and left two hours later (for the four hour bus ride home) with an 8-42 loss. *See sidebar below

Prior to last week the Columbia Bruins had scored only 33 points over the first five weeks, and then drop a 42 point bomb on the Fishermen, nearly matching their worst outcome of the season, a 45-8 loss to Kalama in week four.

Skyler Olson had a pretty good game, rushing for 76 yards on 10 attempts (7.6 ypc) and had a 93-yard kick return for the Fishermen's only score, and QB Josh Berteaux completed just under 60 percent of his passes, but only for an average of 6 yards per. The Fishermen came close to scoring two other times, but lost another fumble on the Bruins 15 yard line and the clock ran out on them on the Bruin 1 yard line to end the game. The Fishermen gave up 311 yards on the ground and another 90 in the air.

Things don't get any better for the beleaguered crew as they come home to an undefeated Toledo team who are atop the Trico League, are averaging a league-best 30 ppg and giving up 14 ppg. The Fishermen on the flip side have the league's lowest scoring offense, averaging only 9 ppg. Toledo come in after knocking off the other previously unbeaten Trico team, Stevenson, last week, 33-0.

** So this leads me to a rant that I've been thinking about for quite awhile now — Why the hell are teams located that far apart still in the same league?

The Trico League is made up of eight teams, five of which are located between Longview and Vancouver, as well as the far flung places like Ilwaco, Stevenson and White Salmon. A bus ride from IHS to Stevenson is a total of 294 miles and at least six hours on the road roundtrip. An away game at White Salmon, like last week, is a whopping 342 miles and nearly eight hours on the road! Last week they didn't get back until after 2:30 am.

The other 1A league in District IV is the Evergreen League, made up of mostly teams from around Grays Harbor county and a few along the southern I-5 corridor. And then there's Forks. Forks! That vampire-loving northern Washington town, that is still a 5 hour roundtrip for an Evergreen team like Montesano.

Granted there was some team shifting last year as a few teams either dropped down to 1A, moved up to 2A, etc., but none of that made Ilwaco's travel schedule any easier. Put this into contrast with the league Naselle plays in, the 2B Pacific League, all of their foes are in Pacific or south Grays Harbor counties, save for NW Christian, located in Lacey — 200 miles roundtrip and 4 hours on the road total. A two hour bus ride is not unreasonable, but when you start adding more and more hours to that it gets a little ridiculous, not only for the athletes, but for transportation costs.

Why can't Ilwaco be placed into a restructured Evergreen League (with Forks moving to a northern Washington league and Rainier into the Trico), that way their longest drive would be a two hour trip to Tenino once a year. And while we're at it, let's take this a step closer to home — what happened to natural rivals? I know that IHS' enrollment is still just a tick too high to be placed in the 2B Pacific League (probably not for too much longer though), but wouldn't it make sense if they were? They are the only high school in the county that isn't. Between the teams in Pacific, Grays Harbor and Wahkiakum counties, you can't tell me they couldn't reshuffle the deck and come up with leagues that are feasible athletically, economically and in the way of travel time.

These leagues need to be reassessed with travel time and distance in mind, because it can't be any better for the likes of Stevenson and White Salmon who have to come here, especially after a blowout?

Pigskin Pick'em

Comets come thru, Fishermen, eh, not so much— now 7-4 this year

L- Ilwaco vs. Toledo

Hate to say it, but this one could get ugly

W- Naselle @ NW Christian

This is going to be a tight game, probably the best in the Pacific League this week. But with their season on the line I think the young Comets get by in a close win.

Game recap - Big first half powers Comets past PeEll 27-6

2010-10-09T11:02:00.001-07:00

PE ELL - Naselle ran 33 plays to 12 for PeEll in the first half and Dustin Eaton rambled for three touchdowns and a two-point conversion as the Comets trounced the Trojans 27-6 in a non-league football game there Friday. "We scored on three long drives in the first half," Coach Jeff Eaton said. "Our sophomores came through and our line played exceptionally well, especially in the first two quarters."
Eaton ran for 136 yards and passed for 53. Chandler Chapman had two interceptions and two receptions. Nick Zimmerman recovered a pair of fumbles and Kai Leach ran for 29 yards and another touchdown. Jake Condon led Naselle with seven tackles, including a sack for a 12-yard loss. All are sophomores.
Naselle is now 4-2 on the season and remains at 1-2 in the Pacific League. The Comets will travel to Lacey to play Northwest Christian next Friday. The winner of that game will take over third place in the Pacific. Raymond snapped a 20-game losing streak by pounding Ocosta 63-6, Valley out-lasted Northwest Christian 36-19, and South Bend bombed North Beach 49-6.

Game recap - Bruins bag 42-8 Trico League victory over Ilwaco

2010-10-09T11:01:00.001-07:00

WHITE SALMON - Ilwaco lost 42-8 to Columbia of White Salmon in a Trico League football game there Friday. Skyler Olson scored on a 93 yard kick off return following the Bruins' second touchdown. The Fishermen arrived back at Ilwaco at 2:35 a.m. so no other details are available as of now.
In other Trico League games Toledo took over sole possession of first place by blanking Stevenson 33-0, LaCenter pounded Castle Rock 40-13, and Rochester rocked Kalama 38-18. Ilwaco is now 1-5 overall and 0-4 in the Trico, while White Salmon improves to 1-3 in league play.

Photo Gallery - NHS @ Pe Ell

2010-10-09T10:59:00.000-07:00

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Week 6 preview - 10/8

2010-10-07T15:12:00.000-07:00

Get on your traveling shoes, pack up the car, we're going on a road trip!

Game of the Week

Naselle @ Pe Ell, 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 8, Pe Ell High School

Naselle (3-2, 1-2) could not have played much worse than they did the last two weeks, scoring only 6 points while giving up a total of 44 in back to back losses at home to the two best teams in the Pacific League — South Bend and Valley. The Comets haven't lost two games in a row since 2006 — which was also the last time they lost two home games. Not surprisingly, that was the last year they had a losing record.

This losing streak has caused the coaching staff to apparently reorganize the line-up in an effort to get healthy and rediscover their mojo.

Perhaps their two most explosive players, FB/DL Robert Eaton and RB/S Leo Mendoza, are out this week to rest injuries suffered over the last two games. This creates some serious holes on both sides of the ball. On offense, these two had been the most productive ball carriers on the team this year, and Mendoza has been successful while playing QB out of the wildcat formation. On defense, Eaton helps make up the line that for most of the season has held opponents running game in check, while Mendoza is by far the biggest player in the secondary as the lone safety, backing up a pair of shorter CB's. Kai Leach, who has had some success at RB this year, is being moved to FB. This seems an odd choice seeing as how he is a speed back who is not very large in his physical stature. The Chapman brothers — Chase and Chandler — are being moved to RB. On the defensive side of the ball, Jesse Lopez is being moved off the D line, replaced by Tanner Hovan, while Ryley Queener is being replaced on the line by Jake Condon.

So will these changes lead to victory for the Comets? Well, this week it probably will as they face awful Pe Ell Trojans (0-5) in a mid-season non-league game. The Trojans have scored only 22 points all year, while giving up 176 (and average of 35 per game). They have also been shut out three times this season, including the last two weeks. One thing to keep in mind? It is supposed to rain tomorrow night, and the Comets have had a pretty difficult time hanging onto the ball this year.

A win Friday could get Naselle back on track as they prepare for the most important game of their season at Northwest Christian, currently the second place team in the league. The Comets need to win out in order to put themselves into one of the top three places in the league and at least have the opportunity to play their way to a state playoff spot in a crossover game. The Crusaders face league-leader Valley this week and will play South Bend on the final week of the season. South Bend will play for league superiority the week before in Menlo.

**NOTE: To kind of make up for us dropping the ball last Saturday in terms of coverage reports, Observer photojournalist Damian Mulinix will be attending a rare away game and posting a photo gallery.

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

Ilwaco @ Columbia of White Salmon, 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 8, White Salmon High School

The Fishermen (1-4, 0-3) have a heck of a chance this Friday. Chance to what, you might say? A chance to get their second win of the year. A chance to get their first league win since 2007. Chance to see some returns on their exceptional efforts they have put forth this year on defense.

Aside from the blow out loss at Kalama in week four, 45-8, the defense has been stout, holding league leader Stevenson to 23 points (they average 30 ppg) and LaCenter last week to 21 (they average 25 ppg).

This week they travel to White Salmon to face a Columbia team that has scored only 33 points this year, while giving up a Trico League worst 198 (an average of 40 ppg!).

The Fishermen offense hasn't inspired much confidence this year, but they did put up the points the last time they faced a lesser adversary — 34-6 win at 0-4 Neah-Kah-Nie back in week two. Josh Berteaux's debut at QB was inauspicious, 0-2 passing and 20 yards on 10 run attempts, but new RB Skylar Olson did rip off an 80-yard run for a TD late in the game.

Pigskin Pick'em

Both teams lose last week, bad for them, good for my picks— now 6-3 this year

W- Ilwaco @ Columbia of White Salmon

Fishermen have a chance at a multi-win season, I think they take it

W- Naselle @ Pe Ell

Comets get back on track with a possible blow out, giving them plenty of time to plan for NWC next week

Player Blog Post - What we should be, and what we are

2010-10-07T14:06:00.000-07:00

We are supposed to be 5-0, set to win the league championship outright, overpowering every single team on our schedule, Scoring 50 points a game (except maybe south bend), on pace to have three 1,000 yard rushers, a defense that shuts out nearly every team, special teams that destroy our opponents in the field position battle, an offensive line that not only knows who to block 100% of the time but blocks said person 100% of the time, and our jv's should be in the game by the 4th quarter at the latest. That is the kind of talent that i have believed that the Naselle Comet football team had at the beginning of the year, and the kind of talent we still have.
But that is not the season we've had so far.
I could go into detail about everything that we are doing wrong but i would probably bring some people to tears and quite frankly i am sick and tired of thinking about what we did wrong every week just to turn around and make the same stupid mistakes next week. I AM AS GUILTY AS ANYONE OF THOSE MISTAKES. But we all need to be held accountable for what we do wrong, as individuals and as a team. Captains- please tell us not just that we are doing something wrong but could you please tell us what we are doing wrong and how we can fix it? Please lead us? Thank you. As Trevin said, we have an amazing coaching staff and yes I believe they will do everything they can to help us but i think that the biggest problem is that we need to learn to help ourselves. We have some changes in the line up. DL/FB Robert Eaton and RB/FS Leonel Mendoza are out to rest injuries and RB/OLB Kai Leach is now FB/OLB Kai Leach and all-purpose players Chase and Chandler Chapman are the new RBs. DL/TE Jesse Lopez Has been replaced by DL Tanner Hovan. And DE Jake Condon is replacing myself. Hopefully these changes will put the best players on the field and more W's in the Comet's favor. We have another 5 games left in our regular season. The first 5 were inexcusable, but i want to remember them down the road and be able to say "This is what went wrong. This is what we did to make it better. Here is where we ended up." The shining lining of the whole situation is that we do have 4 regular season games left before the district crossover. I sure hope we decide to play comet football by then. I believe we can do it if everyone else does.
Comet RT #71 Ryley Queener

Naselle Player Post - No excuses.

2010-10-04T21:39:00.000-07:00

Friday October 1st was the first night that the Naselle Comets got beat on the offensive line and it was painful to watch. I would like to say that I played well Friday night but I would be lying to everybody including myself. What the Comet fans saw that night was just a bad night of football. We did not give up, things just happen to go Valley's way. Matt Friese played well on offense. Enough said. We had a hard time stopping him. The momentum was favoring Valley after a Comet injury and it seemed to stay on their side for the remainder of the contest. To me, that Friday night was a nightmare. What we need to do is wake up from it, smell the coffee, and play hardnosed, Comet football. I have full trust in my coaches that they will help us achieve our goals we set at the beginning of the season. I wouldn't have any other coaching staff in the state. They are all excellent teachers and great guys all around and I believe that they will never quit on us. They know what needs to be done and they will do whatever it takes to win. Overall October 1st was another night that we need to put behind us. We just need to play Comet football for 48 mintues every snap of the ball of every game. No excuses.

Trevin Leeland #57 MLB/LT

Week 5 preview - 10/1

2010-09-30T14:17:00.000-07:00

Both teams face tough home games this week

Game of the Week

Naselle vs. Willapa Valley, 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 1, Pentilla Field

By losing to South Bend last week, Naselle (1-1, 3-1) has put themselves in a tough position going into perhaps an even tougher game this week against the Valley Vikings (2-0, 3-1).

After falling in week one to South Bend, in a non-league game 24-0, the Vikings have been red hot. In the last three weeks they have outscored their opponents 129-35. The bad news for Naselle? A lot of those points came through the air as well as on the ground.

The Comets showed last week that their defense can control an opponents run game and keep it out of the end zone. The problem for the Comets came when South Bend figured out that they could take advantage of the Comets undersized cornerbacks and threw a couple of pop-ups to their taller receivers that turned in two TDs.

So what will the Comets do this week when they face a QB like Matt Friese who throws for an average of 112 yards per game? If they reshape their D to try and shut down the pass attack the Vikings can simply hand it off to an equally potent weapon in running back Michael Neumeyer, who averages 112 yards on the ground and has rushed for 8 TDs thus far (he also averages more than 20 yards per catch).

The Comets offense looked terrible last week and face a Vikings D that only gives up an average of 15 ppg, while scoring an average of 32 ppg. And if you take out the shutout loss to South Bend and look at how they've scored all their points in three games, that average rises to 43 ppg.

Prior to last week the Comets had been averaging more than 300 yards on the ground per game, but saw that fall to just 192. Their leading rusher was QB Dustin Eaton with 46 yards. FB Robert Eaton was held to 31 yards after averaging 121 yards per game, while Leo Mendoza and Kai Leach were essentially non-factors.

The limited success the Comets did have came through the straight up passing game, with Eaton going 5-for-9 for 67 yards, including a 25-yard reception by Mendoza for Naselle's only score. The Comets were finally able to hold on to the ball, giving up only one fumble, after coughing it up 16 times the first three games. Now if they can just move that ball in a productive fashion down the field.

PACIFIC LEAGUE NOTES: Valley is currently tied for first in the Pacific League with South Bend. The Vikings have perhaps the best chance of winning the league title outright as they face South Bend at home in their final league game of the year. However, if Naselle were to beat Valley and then Valley beat South Bend (and all three run the table in their other league games) you would have another co-champion situation like you did in 2007.

But forget about all that for a second. Naselle is still very much alive for a playoff berth, regardless of whether they are number one or not. The Pacific League gets two automatic berths to state for it's top two teams tis year. The third place team plays a crossover game on Nov. 5 with the third place team from the Central League, with the winner going to the playoffs. NW Christian are currently in third place, but have yet to play South Bend, Valley or Naselle.

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

*NOTE: The will be no photo gallery this week as Observer photojournalist Damian Mulinix will be out of town attending the annual WNPA awards ceremony Friday night.

Ilwaco vs. Ridgefield, 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 1, Petersen Field

As if facing one of the top teams in the Trico League wasn't tough enough, the Ilwaco Fishermen (0-2, 1-3) will be doing so with a new body taking the snaps Friday.

Josh Berteaux was moved to QB this week after playing the first four games at running back. How this will affect the double wing offense the team has run this year is yet to be seen, but Berteaux is a playmaker, even though he is a bit undersized. Don't be surprised if you see more option runs and wildcat-like formations this week as the team tries to find its bearings. One thing you probably won't see is much of a pass game as apparently Berteaux does not have much touch. The few times the Fishermen have put it in the air this year, Bobby Byrd and Kasey Plato have made some productive catches, but it would likely have to be someone else getting the ball to them. One other point about the Fishermen O — If you take away the 34 points they scored at Neah-Kah-Nie three weeks ago, the Fishermen have scored only 8 points the rest of the year and have been shutout twice in four weeks.

The Trico League is tough this year. Period.

The top five teams are either 4-0 or 3-1, and all of them average nearly twice as many points as they give up. LaCenter (1-1, 3-1) is one of those teams — 26 ppg average, while giving up 13 ppg. The Wildcats beat an equally good Ridgefield team last week, 27-13, while Ilwaco was blown out on the road, 45-8 at Kalama.

TRICO LEAGUE NOTES: Coming up this month the Fishermen will have a good chance at netting a few more wins this season as they face the two teams below them in the Trico League: Columbia of White Salmon and Castle Rock. Next Friday the Fishermen will travel up the gorge to White Salmon to face a team that is 0-4 and is losing by an 8-44 average score each week. The Fishermen will play their homecoming game Oct. 22 against Castle Rock, a perennial Trico League favorite, who are having a down year in 2010, 1-3 record and losing by an average score of 12-23 each week (Ilwaco's average score is 11-25). Castle Rock haven't lost more than three games in a season since 2004.

Pigskin Pick'em

What the heck? 0-2 last week, dropping me to 4-3 this year

L- Ilwaco vs. LaCenter

Tough visiting team and personnel changes don't bode well for Fishermen

L- Naselle vs. Valley

Wish I could another way on this one, but after how the Comets looked last week it'd be pretty hard to pick'em over a really good Valley team. Hope they prove me wrong, but the Comets haven't beaten the Vikings in the regular season in the last decade.

Naselle player post - Last week is over

2010-09-30T12:04:00.000-07:00

Last friday we lost what many would consider the biggest game of our regular season. In a lot of ways they were right. And as much as I wish I could say that we won and worked out all of the problems that we've had all year, I can't.
We lost 14-6 to South Bend and now they have almost a clear shot to the league championship. The only team left to likely get in their way is Valley, who they already beat 24-0 in a non-league game earlier this season. Even if Valley does beat them and we win the rest of our games, both of us will be 5-1 in league and they will win the championship for having the tie-breaker over us.
There isn't avery good chance for us to win the league championship outright. But Naselle Comet teams in the past have had a lot of success without winning the league championship. The 2008 team is probably the best example. I have absolute confidence that we can turn everything around and play Comet football again. We already are on the right path. We turned the ball over once last Friday. Admittedly that gave them the first score of the night right before halftime and definitely was pivotal in the outcome, but one turnover is much better than the five per game we were averaging in the first three weeks.
The bottom line is while this loss was huge and hard to deal with, we have to deal with it. I'm doing my best to recognize what I did wrong and improve in those areas. We all need to be better as a team and the only way to do that is to deal with our own problems and help each other get better. If we can do that then i don't think there's a team out there we can't beat. I have my teammates' backs and they have my support 100%. I hope they can say the same to me.

Comet DE/RT Ryley Queener #71

Week 4 recap - IHS downed hard by Chinooks, 45-8

2010-09-25T13:49:00.000-07:00

KALAMA - Coach Kevin McNulty didn't pull any punches when he described Kalama after the Chinooks had run past the Fishermen 45-8 there Friday in a Trico League game. "They shut us down. They are just a better team. Their speed was just too much for us," he said.
The Chinooks had 459 yards of total offense, 329 of that on the ground and 227 yards rushing in the first half alone. Kalama had three touchdowns and a 19-0 lead while Ilwaco had but four yards of offense in the first period. The Fishermen finished with 129 total yards.
Nick Cox tossed a touchdown pass in the fourth period to Kasey Plato and then ran in the extra point for Ilwaco's only scoring. Taylor Odneal was the Fishermen's leading ground gainer with 45 yards rushing. Kalama is now 3-1 and 2-0 in the Trico, while Ilwaco falls to 0-2 in league play and is 1-3 overall.

Week 4 recap - NHS can't catch up to South Bend, 14-6

2010-09-25T13:48:00.000-07:00

By KEVIN HEIMBIGNER
Observer staff writer
NASELLE - A pair of touchdown passes and a stingy South Bend defense gave the Indians a 14-6 victory over the Comets Friday in a Pacific 2B showdown for league supremacy. "We didn't respond very well to down-and-distance situations and our pass rush wasn't there when we needed it," a disappointed Coach Jeff Eaton said.
"I'm proud of our effort and we were able to smash their veer offense, but they connected on key plays that we should have responded to better." Naselle had been averaging over 360 yards per game on the ground, but the Indians held them to 123 yards rushing in 38 attempts.
Naselle's only turnover of the game, a fumble on their 13 yard line, led to a 12-yard pass for touchdown with 1:13 remaining in the first half. The Comets were able to recover four South Bend fumbles and time and again turn the speedy Indians away from the end zone.
However, a potential Naselle touchdown pass was overthrown mid-way through the third quarter and South Bend took over possession of the football on downs. The Indians were able to put together a 12-play, 75-yard drive that overcame three penalties to score their second touchdown and take a 14-0 lead with 9:24 remaining in the contest.
The Comets finally crossed the goal line with 41 seconds remaining when Dustin Eaton found Leo Mendoza on a 25-yard pass play near the right sideline. The run failed and the ensuing on-side kick skittered out of bounds giving the Indians the victory.
Naselle is now 3-1 and 1-1 in the Pacific, while South Bend improves to 3-1, but is 2-0 in league play.

Photo Gallery — NHS vs. South Bend

2010-09-24T23:11:00.000-07:00

Photos by Damian Mulinix

Week 4 preview - 9/24

2010-09-23T15:17:00.000-07:00

The Comets prep for perhaps the biggest game of their regular season while Ilwaco heads to the field turf of Kalama

Game of the Week

Naselle vs. South Bend, 7 pm, Friday, Sept. 24, Pentilla Field

For those of us who always look forward to the Naselle-South Bend game each year, it feels a little early in the season to be having such an important game. The last six years the game has taken place within a week of Halloween, but here we are the last Friday of September and both teams are facing perhaps their biggest game of the regular season. To say that a loss this early could greatly effect either teams chances of making the postseason may be a little premature. But to say that the winner would have a much easier task along the way wouldn't be a stretch at all.

The Comets (1-0, 3-0) have beaten South Bend (1-0, 2-1), the last three years — and as fate would have it, Naselle made the playoffs each of those years. In every case the game was a decider for both teams.

South Bend come into the game as the odds-on favorites to win the league. They are ranked 5th in the state in the first statewide AP poll of the year (Naselle is in a tie for 10th in the poll), despite having one loss, which came two weeks ago in a shootout with 1A Onalaska, 21-32. South Bend bounced back in a big way over league punching bag Ocosta, 35-0 last week. That being said, South Bend has already shut out the Valley Vikings (the other perennial league favorite) in week one. The visitors bring with them a mighty good offense to go with that stiff D.

They average 27 ppg on offense, led by QB Levi Bale. And just like the Naselle attack, in South Bend the QB is not really a passing position. While Bale has only thrown 3 for 19 for 52 yards this year, including a TD, he has ran for 236 yards and five TDs.

The Comets offense — might as well call it a ground game as they have only attempted 9 passes in three games — has been beyond productive, it's been downright dominant. In three games they have run for 1,061 yards (354 ave. per game).

And to say that fullback Robert Eaton is off to a good start would be an understatement. If you just look at the numbers thus far you'd easily put him in the race for league MVP — and who knows who long its been since you could say that about a fullback? In his first three games he's ran for a total of 363 yards (a 121 per game average) and 5 touchdowns. He's joined in the backfield by a pair of equally productive tailbacks — Leo Mendoza had 226 yards in two games before an injury last week, and Kai Leach has 265 yards in three games to go along with a pair of TDs. And according to a team source, Mendoza does plan to play Friday night.

The Comets biggest problem, and it could potentially be their downfall one of these nights if they can't get it squared away, is the turnovers, especially lost fumbles. Naselle has turned the ball over 16 times in three games.

Yes, 16 times.

In three games.

It's amazing the coaches have not burned holes through the top of their hats. And these aren't strips or interceptions, these are unassisted fumbles a lot of the time, which makes it that much more frustrating. There is no way they can continue to turn over the ball five times per game and expect to beat quality opponents like South Bend and Valley.

The X factor of the game? Due to a quirk in the schedule, Naselle is hosting the annual rivalry game for the second straight year. That doesn't mean that South Bend won't be packing their side of the stands (and all around the track and field) with as many of their crazy, loud, obnoxious fans as they can, so make sure to bring your loudest friends and relatives. Have a loudmouth cousin or nephew that doesn't want to drive? GO PICK THEM UP, they are needed!

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

Ilwaco @ Kalama, 7 pm, Friday, Sept. 24

After a sobering loss at home last week to Stevenson, Ilwaco (0-1, 1-2) heads to Kalama where they hope four quarters on field turf will help them hold on to the ball better. Nine turnovers in three games (they had none in their win at Neah-Kah-nie too weeks ago) have really kept them from getting much going on offense — last week they turned the ball over twice when standing on the goal line alone. And while they have lost nine balls, they've come darn close to several more.

Ilwaco also had the unfortunate timing of running into a buzzsaw of a Stevenson team last week, which has yet to give up a point this year — the only team in the 1A division, and one of three teams in the state to be pitching a shutout three weeks in.

The Chinooks (1-0, 2-1) are one point away from being perfect this year — their lone loss coming at Hoqiuam two weeks ago, 21-22. They haven't had a ton of success in the way of offense, averaging 19 ppg, but their defense has been tough, giving up an average of 14 ppg, which includes holding Castle Rock to just six last week.

And while the Ilwaco offense could only muster 96 yards last week (and only 66 in week one), the defense has continued to hold strong. The Fishermen have given up 53 points in three games, putting them in the middle of the pack in the 1A division in points allowed (an ave. of 18 ppg).

The Fishermen have once again changed up the look of their offense, adding a lot of motion and movement by the backs, but couldn't seem to get it going consistently last week. It's a shame to see the offense stuttering, as they have guys who can do great things if they get on track. Josh Berteaux, for example, is a playmaker, plain and simple. Give him the ball as a back or a receiver and he'll make things happen. But, to their credit, they haven't given up. Look at the sidelines and you don't see heads hung low and bickering, you see guys out there hustling and trying to make plays till the buzzer sounds, and you gotta respect that. One of these nights that kind of effort will be rewarded again, just wait and see.

Pigskin Pick'em

1-1 last week after Ilwaco pulled a donut, 4-1 this year

L- Ilwaco @ Kalama

While the road was the answer last time in Rockaway Beach, I don't think the Fishermen wlll be as lucky on this road trip against a strong Kalama team.

W- Naselle vs. South Bend

If I could've picked a tie in this one I may have as I think this will be a real test for both these teams and will be a tight game to the final buzzer. But, home field trumps, so going with Naselle in a close one.

Naselle player post - This IS the turning point..

2010-09-21T21:58:00.000-07:00

Friday September 17th was the day that I truly realized that we haven't been playing the way we all know how to play. It was a day that I'd like to forget, but need to remember. I need to remember my missed blocking assignments, my terrible backer stance, and the score. It was a win but it's nothing that I'm proud of. Many people may be looking at the things we did wrong in that game but we also did many things right.

1. We held them to one score.
2. We had younger guys step up and play at the varsity level. (Quite well I might add.)
3. We refused to give up on a play and we were rewarded a turnover for it.
4. We delivered when it mattered most.
5. We beat them in the trenches.
6. We battled to the very end.
7. Our backs started running with authority in the second half.
8. We won 20-7.

Those are just a few of the many things we did right on Friday September 17th. This next Friday night (September 24th) we play the league favorites. The South Bend Indians. I am beyond excited for the 24th. That night is when the Naselle Comets begin the turning point for the remainder of the season and take another step closer to the state championship. We are going to play how we were taught to play and that's that.

Trevin Leeland #57 MLB/LT

Naselle player post - When it rains, it pours

2010-09-18T14:07:00.000-07:00

I think this might be the worst you can feel while still being 3-0 and still averaging roughly 350yds on the ground every game and winning 20-7 in a league game.

We have all the weapons we need. We have a strong line, fast running backs, a bulldozer full back, a very stout defense in everyway, and i feel like we should be very dominate. However, i think we are also leading the state in turnovers with i think 15 in the past 3 games. The way we are playing is inexcusable. I know i have made way too many mistakes myself, but we all need to turn it around right now. We have yet to play up to our potential this year, and now we have to play one of if not the best team that we'll play in the regular season (South Bend this Friday).

I played my worst game of the year so far, against an offense that i should've exploited. Hopefully it was the worst of the entire season. I feel like i personally failed and that is also inexcusable. But there's nothing anybody can do about how they played yesterday now. All we can do is pick ourselves up and try and make ourselves better this week, again. Hopefully this week well get it right.

Comet LE/RT #71 Ryley Queener

Game recap - Comets 3-0 after league win

2010-09-18T07:54:00.000-07:00

RAYMOND - Naselle had too many of what Coach Jeff Eaton called "blown opportunities" for his liking, but in the end it was a Raymond fumble deep in their territory late in the game that sealed a 20-7 Pacific League victory over the Seagulls there Friday.
"We fumbled nine times and lost five of them," Eaton lamented. "It seemed like we lost all nine because just about every time we would get into the Red Zone we'd turn the football over, and it wasn't just one kid. Most of our backs lost the handle."
Fortunately for the Comets the stalwart line of Trevin Leeland, Seth Scrabeck, Nick Zimmerman, Jesse Kimball, Ryley Queener, and tight end Jesse Lopez opened enough holes in Raymond's defense for Naselle to amass 329 yards rushing. Five Comets ball carriers toted the pigskin 58 times for an average gain of 5.7 yards per carry.
In the first period it was all Naselle as they drove for Robert Eaton touchdown from five yards out. In the second period Robert Eaton again crossed the goal line from 25 yards out, but the Comets could have had at least double the 12-7 lead they enjoyed at intermission had they not turned the ball over.
Late in the game Naselle recovered a Gull fumble and Dustin Eaton's pass to Jesse Lopez for 14 yards resulted in an insurance touchdown. Chase Chapman's run for extra point made the final tally 20-7. Lopez caught another pass for 29 yards from Dustin Eaton in the contest.

Game recap - Fishermen turnovers pave way for Stevenson 23-0 shutout

2010-09-18T07:43:00.000-07:00

By KEVIN HEIMBIGNER
Observer staff writer

ILWACO - A pair of costly fumbles within 1:11 of each other in the first period helped Stevenson to a 9-0 halftime lead and the Bulldogs scored twice in the third period to earn a 23-0 Trico League win at Ilwaco Friday. The first fumble went to the end zone for a safety at the 5:40 mark and three plays later the Bulldogs recovered on the 17 yard line and punched it in on two running plays and a penalty.
Kasey Plato had a monster game defensively for Ilwaco as he had five tackles for loss and also caught a pass from Nick Cox on offense for the longest gain of the night, 23 yards. Brandon Nutter also had two of the Fishermen's dozen tackles for loss. Cox was five of 10 passing with one interception. Josh Berteaux gained 35 yards on 12 rushes and caught a pair of passes for 15 yards.
Stevenson scored on a 60-yard, six-play drive to open the second half following a foiled onside kick. Later with 39 seconds left in the third the Bulldogs punched in a score following two short Fishermen punts. Ilwaco is now 1-2 on the year and 0-1 in the Trico, while Stevenson is 3-0 and 1-0 in league play. The Bulldogs have out-scored their opponents 101-0 in their three victories.

Photo Gallery — IHS vs. Stevenson

2010-09-17T22:42:00.000-07:00

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Week 3 preview - 9/17

2010-09-16T11:39:00.000-07:00

After breaking their winless streak last week, Ilwaco looks to continue the trend at home, while the Comets hit the road to open league play

Game of the Week

Ilwaco vs. Stevenson, 7 pm, Friday, Sept. 17, Peterson Field

As the final seconds ticked off the clock at Rockaway Beach last week you gotta wonder what was going through the minds of the Ilwaco players. Joy? Disbelief? Rejuvenated hopes for the season?

This may sound like hyperbole, and in some ways it is, but there is a portion of the team that had never won a game in their high school career, and many others who had seen limited success almost two years ago (when they last won a game).

The Fishermen (0-0, 1-1) totally dominated the Neah-Kah-Nie Pirates last Friday to the tune of 34-6. The Fishermen continued to keep it on the ground, racking up 315 yards with multiple players putting up good stats, and four different players scoring including QB Nick Cox twice.

They will need to bring some of that offense to keep up this week with a red-hot Stevenson (0-0, 2-0) team coming to town to open the Trico League season. So far the Bulldogs have outscored their opponents 78-0, albeit to less-than-stellar opponents — last week beating a start-up private school and the week before beating a Tenino team that has occupied the bottom portion of the Evergreen league for the last few years. The Bulldogs possess a good offense and can hurt you through the air as well as on the ground. The QB, Zach Castro, can run and throw with equal success, as he did last week to the tune of 77 yrds on the ground and another 132 through the air, rushing for two TDs while throwing another for 89 yrds. The Bulldogs have multiple running backs that can get in the endzone and apparently have a very strong defensive line as well, which may be able to stuff up the Fishermen's double-wing pound the ground game.

Perhaps the equalizer? Looks like the stormy, rainy weather will continue into tomorrow night, which usually means a reduction in pass completions, making it perhaps a battle of who can run the ball better in the slop.

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

Naselle @ Raymond, 7 pm, Friday, Sept. 17, Raymond

Those who weren't there to watch it might have thought that last week's home opening win by the Comets (0-0, 2-0) was an easy one, but they'd be wrong. After a really fast start, scoring twice in the first quarter, the Comets did not score again until a couple minutes into the fourth quarter. Not that they didn't have their chances, but they let them slip away, literally. The Comets continued the unfortunate trend of fumbling away the ball — 10 times in two weeks. By the fourth quarter though the Comets had pretty much shut down the Warrior offense — only giving up a kickoff return — while the offense pretty much had its way. Throw in a couple of really head-scratching calls from the officials and multiple players cramping up again late, and you have a game that was a lot closer than the score implied at the end.

Now let's get to the good stuff. When the Comets did hold onto the ball they ran, and ran, and ran some more. Three players rushed for more than 100 yards — Mendoza, R. Eaton and Leach. Fullback Robert Eaton had a career night, rushing for 156 yards and three scores. And when young QB Dustin Eaton went down with cramps late in the third quarter, senior Leo Mendoza stepped in to run the "Wild-Comet" offense, and did so very well, scoring in the fourth quarter on a 14-yard run. Leach should have been given a TD score as the game expired, but once again the refs blew an easy call (one of four on the night).

This week the Comets go on the road to open the Pacific League season at Raymond (0-0, 0-2), which has lost their first two games by a combined score of 13-59. The Gulls have been the league punching bag for awhile and went 0-10 last year. So while the Gulls may not put up much of a fight, perhaps the Comets biggest challenge Friday is not beating themselves.

Pacific League Notes:

• The Comets are the only team in the league to have not lost a game thus far, as South Bend lost last week to Onalaska.

• The 12 points the Comets have allowed are the least in the league, with NWC close behind with 17 allowed. Meanwhile, Ocosta has already given up 91 points while only scoring 12.

• Though a Comet player mentioned last week that the team was in the 2B state rankings, I have yet to be able to confirm that. From what I've seen, Colfax is tops with Napavine right behind (both undefeated), while the rest of the top 10 have at least one loss, including third-ranked South Bend.

Pigskin Pick'em

Called the Ilwaco win last week, oh-yeah, 3-0 this year

W- Ilwaco vs. Stevenson

I think Stevenson's record and scoring differential are deceiving and the Fishermen have a shot at back-to-back wins

W- Naselle @ Raymond

Not a question of if but probably more like by how much

Naselle Player Post - Some improvements made, some still needed

2010-09-11T15:05:00.000-07:00

Last week we beat the Ilwaco Fishermen 24-0 in a less than perfect showing of comet football. This week we beat the Warrenton Warriors 26-12 and we did play a lot closer to our potential. However, we were still far from the outcome that we were hoping for.

On offense, we improved our blocking assignments throughout the week and throughout the game and it showed when we gained almost 375 yards pretty evenly between 3 ball carriers. We played a much better team this week and gained around 50 more yards than last week. Our backs did a much better job running, especially FB/DT Robert Eaton who led with 152yds and 3tds. We still have yet to complete a pass this year however. Although we are definitely a run-first team, we must be able to develop at least some sort of passing attack. The biggest concern that still remains to be fixed is our turnovers. Our team as very high goals for ourselves as a team and as individuals and to accomplish those goals we must be perfect. Turning the ball over is unacceptable.

On defense we didn't do quite as well as last week. Holding a team to 60 yards and 4 first downs like we did to Ilwaco is amazing. Letting a team gain 229 yards (most of which came in only a few plays) and a kick returned for a touchdown isn't as impressive. Warrenton was quite a bit tougher than Ilwaco, but once again the final score failed to show our full capabilities. Our defensive line, for the most part, is where a lot of our strength lies. According to our stat keepers, I led the team with 10 tackles (including 2 sacks), DE/C Nick Zimmerman had 9 tackles (plus a deflected pass), and Robert Eaton had 8 tackles. When our defensive line averages as many, or more, tackles as our line backers then you know were doing our jobs. However, we are not doing our absolute best yet. I know I am as guilty as anybody for missed tackles but we can not do that and expect to accomplish our goals.

On a side note it seemed like we reached the endzone BEFORE fumbling the ball on the last play of the game.. Kinda like when QB/LOLB Dustin took the ball from Robert on a veer play and ran into the endzone in the first quarter. Too bad the officials saw robert get tackled and blew the whistle. We did score on the same series but it was still irritating.

Comet LE/RT #71 Ryley Queener

Week 2 recap - IHS @ Neah-Kah-Nie - Fishermen break winless streak with dominant win

2010-09-11T14:48:00.000-07:00

ROCKAWAY BEACH, ORE. - Defense wins championships and Ilwaco's stalwart stoppers held Neah-Kah-Nie to a mere 58 yards of total offense while racking up a 34-6 victory over Neah-Kah-Nie there Friday. The Fishermen have gamely worked to stop a 16-game losing streak that harkens back to 2008 and their hard work paid off against the Pirates as Ilwaco rambled for 321 yards of total offense, 315 of which came on the ground.
Ilwaco is now 1-1 on the year and the Pirates are 0-2.

Ilwaco 8 14 6 6 --34
Neah-Kah-Nie 0 0 6 0 --6

Week 2 recap - NHS-Warrenton - NHS running attack, defense whips Warriors 26-12

2010-09-11T14:43:00.000-07:00

By KEVIN HEIMBIGNER
Observer staff writer
NASELLE - A punishing running attack led by three Comets who gained over 110 yards apiece and defensive adjustments that held an explosive Warrenton team to one touchdown from scrimmage earned Naselle a 26-12 non-league victory over the Warriors at Reuben Penttila Field Friday.
Robert Eaton scored twice in the first half on runs of 18 and four yards, but his best effort came in the fourth period when the junior fullback followed his stalwart line for 60 yards and six first downs. He scored his third touchdown with 5:26 remaining.
Leonel Mendoza gained 111 yards and also scored in the fourth period when he was pressed into action as quarterback in the Wildcat formation. Kai Leach gained 110 yards behind the Comets line of Nick Zimmerman, Seth Scrabeck, Jesse Kimball, Trevin Leeland, Ryley Queener, and Jesse Lopez.
Defensively Mendoza picked off two passes and Calvin Zimmerman recovered the opening kickoff for the Comets. Cornerbacks Chris Walkowiak and Chase Chapman helped limit Warrenton to 7-14 passing. Reserves Tanner Hoven, Jake Condon, and Chandler Chapman played key roles when several Comets went down with muscle cramps in the late going.
Dustin Eaton led all tacklers with nine, while doubling as quarterback. Robert Eaton, Queener, Zimmerman, and Scrabeck had eight tackles.

Warrenton 6 0 0 6 --12
Naselle 14 0 0 12 --26