So Long, Farewell

A family, without a mother but with many fathers and brothers,
is what our team was this year.

Friday night was a big disappointment. We know we can play
better than what we showed against TBS.That is disappointing.

However, if we look at the big picture it was a moment in time
to celebrate the comradeship we have had over many years.

It is sad to leave high school football knowing we will never play
the game together again. However the memories will remain.
I know this because my Dad still reminisces about his playing days.



Alan said it very well in his blog, except for the shitory part.
I'll have to ask him about that word. He must not spell check like I do.



I would like to thank Damian and Mr. Heimbigner for all the articles and pictures about Comet football. This has been a moment in time that I have enjoyed very much.



See you on the hardwood,



Austin Burkhalter, QB

Photo gallery - A bitter end in the bitter cold

Sorry for the delay in getting this on here, it was a pretty late night,

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Naselle Seniors' Football Careers Come to an End

Football is a great game, but I think that the friendships are what really set it apart from other sports. I have known QB/DB Austin Burkhalter, RB/CB Logan Scrabeck, RB/DL Nathan Carlson, and OL/DL Manny Lopez since Kindergarten. Back then we built Legos, laughed over everything, and played football at recess. As time progressed, new friends joined the gang: WR John Hines, WR/CB Jesus Martinez,WR/DB Cody Larson, TE/DE Marcos Herrera, and FB/DL Carson Cooper. And now it has finally caught up with us. The final buzzer has sounded. The last 12 veers, 22 isos, 43 whams have been run. But what great times there were. Football was the best of times for friendship and camaraderie . Eleven best friends all fighting, all clawing, and all struggling for that extra yard or big tackle. Everyone trusting in himself, the man next to him, and in the coaches. And that's what I am going to miss the most, the camaraderie that was built, not over a single season or even since middle school football, but since Kindergarten with Mrs. Swanson, basketball in second grade with Mr. Revis, birthday parties, helping out at the Burkhalter's dairy, and countless other things. I never expected my career under the Friday night lights to end the way it did, but I have had so much fun playing Comet football its ridiculous really.

The 42-8 loss to Tacoma Baptist was a disappointment for sure. We wanted to keep going, to live another day, and to fight another fight. But on Friday night the Crusaders were the better team. I made my share of freshman mistakes, and as a team we had seven penalties. It was definitely not our best showing, but there were some great moments in the game for sure. Down 14-0 at half, we came out of the locker room with a head full of steam and pounded our way to paydirt, good ol' Naselle style, and after the first drive TB had our defense really stiffened in the first half. I don't question the effort of any of the guys. We all gave it our all Friday night. We left a bit of us on the field. Even though we ended the season in disappointment, us seniors really had great Comet careers. Over four years we had a 31-14 (.688) record, and made the playoffs three years in a row. We can look back and say that we were able to make school shitory, compete on the T-dome turf, upset Valley in the quarters, and go 9-1 in our senior regular season (the most regular season wins in Coach Eaton's coaching career). Naselle is, in part because of us, back on the football radar once again, and I don't think Naselle will be off for some time.

At the meeting at center field, I called the coin flip and won. We differed to the second half. WE nearly came up with a fumble on the opening kickoff. But Tacoma recovered and scored on the
drive. Their all-shotgun offense with multiple fakes and their quick passes wove through our defense. We have been notoriously known to give up a quick score to the opposition; It was a matter of time before it caught up with us. However, after their first score, we really tightened up the run defense and forced them to punt several times. We, however were unable to get much going on offense in the first half. Late in the second quarter, the Crusaders took the ball. Pressured for time they went to the air. With twenty seconds remaining in the first half, Tacoma's QB lofted the pigskin into the air. While on its journey through the atmosphere, time seemed to slow. The ball went right through Austin's hands and into the arms of a Crusader for a touchdown. And so we walked to the locker rooms, a little shocked, down 14-0. I was trying to get the boys to believe that we could do it. I knew we could, I think the others did too.
We received the kickoff and went down to what ended up being our only score. I ran in the touchdown from four yards out and Logan scampered to the side for a successful two-point conversion. At this point we had them on their heels. But a big play on third and seven, shifted momentum in their favor. They never looked back. Despite the 42-8 score, the game should have been closer. They scored on a short field due to a lost fumble at least twice. I have to give credit to Tacoma. Their offensive and defensive lines really won the battle in the trenches and gave our sophomore-dominated line a rough time when they would shift a split second before center Nick Zimmerman snapped the ball. They are a good team. I wish, however banal it sounds, that we could have it back.

If you were on the side-lines at the end of the game, you would've seen how much we had put into this team. Almost everyone was in tears before the game even ended. Heck, writing this brings me to tears. We are going to miss every aspect of Friday night under the lights. The community support was amazing through the whole game. Standing on the side, down 42-8, I could hear the ancient "Comet Power" chant and that really hit me. Thanks for your support these four years. It was a great run.

I would like to thank my very supportive and loving parents, Wayne and Becky Erickson. They have come to nearly every one of my games, if not every one. My dad has inspired me since I was a little boy playing in the front yard. His football teams were great! I want to thank my brother Nathan for coming to my games and supporting me this year. We really had some good football talks after the games. Ryan, thanks for coming to my games. Evan, thanks for being supportive and for pushing me. I wish we would have watched film more often. I love you all.
I need to thank my Savior Jesus Christ. He is always there, within me. He fights with me, comforts me, and gives me the strength to do all things. After the game, I thought of one of my favorite verses, Proverb 3:5-6. It reads, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lead not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will direct your paths." I am comforted knowing that I am part of God's bigger picture that can't fully see. Knowing this makes closing this chapter of my life easier. To God be the Glory... win or lose.

Alan "the Diesel" Erickson #35
NHS Fullback and Inside Linebacker
!!!COMET PRIDE FOREVER!!!

Week 11 preview - Nov. 13

It's the night the Comets have been looking forward to since practice 1 in August, the opening round of the 2B state playoffs

Game of the Week

Naselle @ Tacoma Baptist, 7 pm, Friday, Nov. 13, Curtis High School Stadium, Tacoma 

The pieces are placed, the board has been set and its time to make the first move for what could very well be a historic couple of weeks as the Naselle Comets (9-1) face the Tacoma Baptist Crusaders (10-0) in the first round of the 2B state football playoffs Friday night in Tacoma. 

The Comets are faced with a seemingly tough opponent Friday night as the Crusaders are undefeated and ranked 4th in the state — as an aside let me say that while we have published the state rankings on here all year I'm starting to get the feeling that those who vote don't really know these teams all that well. The fact that Naselle has one loss, against one of the best teams in the state, and haven't gotten past 10th place in over a month is absurd, while Napavine has two losses and placed at 8th. But I digress.

Tacoma Baptist have been in the top 5 pretty much the whole season, but the question needs to be asked, why? In college football, rankings are based partly on "strength of schedule," something that obviously is not taken into account in these rankings. The Crusaders faced ONE team all year with a winning record, and that was South Bend. The rest of their competition this year went a collective  17-65, so its easy to see why they only played two close games all year — a 14 point win over South Bend and a 50-43 win over a 2-8 Wright Academy in week 1.

So what else do we know about this Tacoma Baptist team? Well, we know that up until last year they were part of the Pacific League and in 2008 they became part of the  four-team Sea-Tac League, occupied by the likes of Seattle Lutheran, Evergreen Lutheran and Chief Leschi. In fact the last time they played the Crusaders, a 38-16 NHS win in 2007, coach Eaton uttered one of my favorite quotes ever. On a particularly obvious holding call by one of the Christian school players that went uncalled by the ref's, Eaton yelled out "Even Jesus can see that!" 

But while the Pacific League can boast of three playoff teams and four teams with a winning record, the Sea-Tac League can't say as much. While that league has an automatic berth for its top two, only the Crusaders have a winning record — Seattle Lutheran are 4-5 on the year in second place. In fact, aside from Tacoma Baptist's 10-0 record, the rest of the league went 6-21. 

We also know that they score a lot of points, mostly through the air. The Crusaders are averaging 46 ppg, but to put that into perspective, aside from South Bend none of the other teams they played this year have scored more than they've given up — and in most cases those teams gave up points on at least a 2 to 1 ratio. 

They won't have that luxury with Naselle, who scored  361 points this year (8th best in the state at 2B) while giving up just 115 (and a good 30 points or so of that were given up late in games when the JV was on the field).

The Crusaders come into the game having given up only 26 points over the last six games against really bad teams, scoring 46 or more each time.

The Comets come in having won five straight by an average score of 45-11. Last week they clinched their playoff berth with a first half route of Ocosta 39-6 — I say first half because neither team scored in the second half and the Comets subbed liberally as of late in the second quarter. 

And while the offense has been racking up the points, a big part of the success has come on the defensive side of the ball. Here's a little stat that the pass-happy Crusaders may want to take a look at — the Comets haven't allowed a single passing yard or completion in their last two games. 

Now, to be fair, on the flip side, Comets QB Austin Burkhalter has only completed three passes in the last two weeks — but part of this could be due to the fact that he was out of the game before halftime last week. That being said, the Comets are not a pass oriented team, they are a power running team with not only great backs but superb blockers. This was most obvious when the Scrabeck boys — running back Logan and O-lineman Seth — were both named all-league first team this week. Logan lead the Comets in rushing yards with 835 (86 ypg average) and fullback Alan Erickson, or "The Diesel"  as he is referred, powered to 592 yards on the ground. And for good measure, Nathan Carlson, who missed four games, ran for 566 yards in six games (94 ypg). Scrabeck and Erickson also lead the Comets in TDs this season as Logan tallied 14 scores, and Erickson had 10. Burkhalter split his scores down the middle, throwing for 6 and running for 6 more. Jesus "Zeus" Martinez had 6 scores, while Carlson had 5. 

And while a glance at these teams may give the appearance that it may be a high scoring contest, don't bet on it. The closest games the Comets played all year were a 22-20 win over Ilwaco and a 6-21 loss to Valley, both games took place during the four-game suspension of five key players. I have a feeling which ever team is able to do what they want to do will do it a lot. Does that make sense? If the Comets win, I think they roll like they have all year. If the Crusaders figure something out that everyone else hasn't, then I think they could pull away, but I doubt it. 

For those travelling to the game — and if the whole town isn't there I'm going to be a bit disappointed! — here's the directions to get to the stadium. (You may want to go early as a look at Google Earth shows a modest amount of parking at the school). 

Travel north on Hwy 101 for 48 miles, turn right onto Hwy 107 for 8 miles to Montesano. Merge right onto US 12 and travel 37 miles to Olympia. Merge left onto I-5 north, travel 21.5 miles. Take Bridgeport Way, exit 125. Take exit toward McChord AFB and turn left on Bridgeport Way SW and drive 5.8 miles. Turn left onto 40th St. W for half a mile, arrive at Curtis High School on right. 

Estimated travel time, 2.5 hours, 126 miles

*An interesting side note — last year the Valley Vikings beat Tacoma Baptist in the first round in order to face Naselle. This year, if Naselle beats the Crusaders their second round opponent will most likely be, you guessed it, the Valley Vikings.

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

Pigskin Pick'em

Perfect again last week, but that was an easy one. We're now 14-4 on the year

W- Naselle @ Tacoma Baptist

While the stats may point to a close game, I can see the Comets pulling away by the second half.

Complete bracket set for 2B playoffs

After last night's play-in games the bracket is now complete for the 2B playoffs. South Bend beat the central third place team 20-0 and will travel to Kittatas for their first round game. Here is the full bracket with dates, locations and match-ups.

Comets place several on all-league team

NASELLE - Coach Jeff Eaton announced Monday which Comets placed on the Pacific 2B all-league selections as voted upon Sunday afternoon. Running back Logan Scrabeck and offensive lineman Seth Scrabeck were first team selections. On the defensive side of the football Alan Erickson was first-team linebacker, Austin Burkhalter was all-league safety and Robert Eaton and Ryley Queener proved to be super sophs with Seth Scrabeck as they were all-Pacific defensive linemen.
Honorable mention for the second-place Comets were Burkhalter at quarterback, Erickson at fullback, and Manny Lopez, Nick Zimmerman and Queener at offensive line. Jesus Martinez was tabbed as honorable mention at wide receiver and he and Logan Scrabeck earned mention as defensive cornerbacks. Nate Carlson was honorable mention as a defensive lineman for Naselle.

STOP THE PRESSES! Game date has been changed!

Well, as if it weren't bad enough that the Naselle first round playoff game wasn't going to be on Saturday afternoon, now it's not on Saturday at all! The WIAA announced this morning that the Naselle-Tacoma Baptist game is now on Friday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m., and will still be at Curtis High School. No word as to why the game date was changed, but make your travel plans accordingly Comets fans!

2B state playoff preview

We begin our week-long coverage of the Comets first round game with Tacoma Baptist with a look at the road before them to reach the state title game over the next four weeks.

So the Comets are in, locking up second place in the Pacific League and the third seed in District IV.
This is the third straight year that the Comets have made the state playoffs and a look ahead at the road before them that could lead to a state championship game looks eerily familiar.
Last year the Comets began their run to the semifinals on the road against a private Christian school, Seattle Lutheran, which they easily dispatched 34-7. And while they won't be facing the Saints this time (they also beat them in the first round of the 2007 playoffs) instead they will face Tacoma Baptist, a member of the Pacific League until last year when they converted to the much easier Sea-Tac League — a four team league populated by underperforming private schools. In fact, outside of Tacoma Baptist, who went 10-0 this year against weak competition, the other three teams in the league combined record is 6-21.
If the Comets get past the Crusaders this Saturday they will likely have a rematch with the team they beat in last years quarterfinals (and the only team they've lost to this year) the Valley Vikings. Valley plays Concrete in their first round game, a 6-4 team that barely scored more than they gave up (212-201) this year. A Naselle-Willapa Valley rematch would be much anticipated, especially by Naselle fans after the Vikings had their way with the Comets earlier this season. The X factor there would be the fact that the Comets were missing several of their key players in that game. Since then Valley has sent a scout to at least three Comets games, watching them run over all in their path.
If Naselle can once again advance to the semifinals at the Tacoma Dome they may once again match up with the same foe as last year, Napavine, who beat them en route to the state title. Napavine plays the top team from the Northwest 2B/1A league Orcas Island in the first round. Orcas Island are no picnic though, going 8-2 and outscoring opponents 299-77 on the year. Napavine is also 8-2 with similar scoring and defensive numbers. Another possible match-up in the semis could be Central League powerhouse Adna, who are 9-0 this year and have been blowing teams out all year — only giving up 39 points all season, by far the best in the state at the 2B level. They face off against Seattle Lutheran, who got in with a 5-4 record as the second place team in the Sea-Tac League, in the first round.
At this time we are unable to assess the teams coming from the east side of the bracket, as most of the spots are not filled out yet in the 2B bracket. South Bend would play in that bracket if they can beat Mossyrock on Tuesday night in a play-in game. The only way the Comets would face them again is if both teams advanced to the finals.

Continue to quick in throughout the week as the Comets prepare for their opening round game.

ON TO STATE!

This Thursday, we clinched a state playoff berth for the third year in a row. ON TO STATE!!! We are now 9-1 (5-1 league) and looking forward to the first round of the playoffs. We have continually been getting better, overcoming challenges, and powering through the season. Our one blemish, a loss to Valley, came in week five. Since then we have been on a roll and have outscored our opponents 214-34. With our offense clicking and our defense firing on all cylinders, we blazed through Northwest Christian, Seattle Lutheran, North Beach, South Bend, and finally Ocosta to come out second in the Pacific League. Now we are on to our most formidiable opponent yet Tacoma Baptist.

Tacoma Baptist (9-0) is ranked fourth in the AP poll has faced several opponents on our schedule: Northwest, South Bend, North Beach, and Seattle Lutheran. Comparing scores really should have little value, but it is fun to do anyway. Tacoma Baptist scored 174 points against similar enemies while we managed 185. However, Tacoma held them to eight points less, their 34 to our 42. According to the numbers, it should be a hard-fought game. I think it really will. We play this saturday at Curtis High School in Tacoma, Washington at 7:00pm. Come and root on the Naselle Comets as they take on the Tacoma Baptist Crusaders! GO COMETS!!!

Alan Erickson
Naselle LB FB
To God be the glory!

Game recap - Comets clinch third straight playoff berth with easy win

NASELLE - Needing a win to be in the state playoffs for the third straight season, Naselle scored three quick touchdowns in the first period and raced to a 39-6 halftime lead that proved to be the final score over Ocosta there Thursday. The victory secures second place at 5-1 in the Pacific 2B League for the Comets behind Valley and they finish the regular season with a sparkling 9-1 record.
After allowing the only first down of the first three periods for the Wildcats, Naselle's defense forced a punt on the opening possession. Two plays later Nathan Carlson broke free for a 51 yard touchdown gallop and Austin Burkhalter ran in the two-point conversion.
Following a three-and-out the Comets again quickly scored on Burkhalter's eight yard run and Leonel Mendoza's kick for point after. With 30 seconds on the clock Naselle confirmed their reservation in the state playoffs when Scrabeck intercepted a pass and raced 27 yards for yet another first-quarter TD. Burkhalter found Marcos Herrera in the end zone for two points and the score stood 23-0.

Read the full story HERE

Photo Gallery - Comets rout Wildcats to clinch third straight playoff berth

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Week 10 preview - 11/5

This week it's THURSDAY Night Sights as the Comets close out the regular season

Game of the Week

Naselle @ Ocosta, 7 pm, Thursday, Nov. 5, Ocosta High School, Westport 

Though last weeks dominant win over South Bend was exciting and certainly important, it was not quite as significant as the team thought at the time. Following the 22-8 victory the team celebrated its qualification for their third trip to the postseason in three years. Only problem was, they weren't quite there yet.

As was reported here in the preview last week, the win by Naselle (8-1, 4-1) put them in the best position to make the playoffs as the second place team in the Pacific League, but they would still have to beat Ocosta (5-3, 3-2) to guarantee a trip to the first round.

You see, as it stands now Ocosta is tied with South Bend for third place in the league. South Bend will likely beat North Beach tonight. And if somehow Ocosta upsets Naselle it will create a three way tie for second place with all three teams at 4-2 in league (Valley has already locked up the league title). If this were to occur the three teams would meet Saturday in a "Kansas tie-breaker" where they would all play each other for a quarter and whoever wins the most gets the second seed, next best likely the third seed, etc. However, Naselle can make it real easy on themselves and just win tonight, take second and lock up a date with the overrated Tacoma Baptist next Saturday (more about them later).

First things first, lets talk about the Ocosta Wildcats. They come into the game tonight having blown out North Beach last week 38-0. But while their record says one thing, a closer look at how they got there says another.

Fact 1 - They have yet to beat a team that has a winning record this year. In their three losses against Winlock, Valley and South Bend they have lost by a collective score of 98-6 —  and Winlock actually doesn't have a winning record either, 3-6 on the year.

Fact 2 - The teams they have beaten are a collective 6-36 on the year.

Fact 3 - They have scored fewer points then they have allowed. Now sometimes this isn't a big deal, but in their case they have scored 130 points (14 ppg) while giving up 153 (17 ppg). Meanwhile the Comets have scored a league best 322 points (36 ppg) while giving up just 109 points (12 ppg).

Fact 4 - I think we all know that Raymond is terrible this year (0-9, averaging 9 ppg while giving up an average of 45 ppg). By far the closest they came to winning a game this year was a two point loss to Ocosta. Nuff said.

Now, as for the the Comets, I have a feeling they opened a lot of eyes this last week (I know for a fact that Valley had a scout at the game again). The high flying, multiple weapon juggernaut of an offense the Comets have had to make an adjustment to both a physical South Bend defense and a sloppy field thanks to mother nature. What did they do? Oh, nothing short of dominate their biggest rival by having fullback Alan Erickson run for a season high 113 yards and three TDs. By the way, Nate Carlson ran for a season high 162 yards on 16 carries — thats just over 10 yards per run. They also held a strong offense to just over 100 yards, with the South Bend QB going o-fer the night. And the confidence of this team right now is amazing. You definitely hear a lot of things in the post game celebratory huddle, but I heard something after last game that felt less hyperbole and very real. One of the starters said flat out to his teammates "we're going to be state champions." After watching them this year, don't you believe it too?

Couple other notes:

There has been a weather advisory issued for the coast Thursday. This not only means that there may be significant rainfall and wind gusts during the game, but also there is potential for flooding along Hwy 101 in Raymond about the time that many will be heading up to Westport. Keep this in mind as you hit the road and be careful out there.

Naselle remains 10th in the state AP poll for the third straight week, though they picked up a few more votes, 13 in all. Somewhat surprising is that Napavine remains in the top 10 despite now having two losses on the year and Asotin only fell from number three to number seven after their first loss. Tacoma Baptist rose to number four this week after clobbering another cupcake last week. I've got a ton of stuff to write about them next week ...

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

Pigskin Pick'em

2-0 once again last week. We're now 13-4 on the year

W- Naselle @ Ocosta

I haven't picked against Naselle once this season, and I'm certainly not going to start now. Comets make state with a resounding win — despite whatever weather issues may come their way Thursday night.

Happy Birthday Coach

What an awesome game it was Friday night against the South Bend Indians. Thank you fans for your terrific support. It was so inspiring to hear the band playing and the fans yelling.

The pregame was emotional as 10 seniors were playing their last game at Pentilla field. Once the game got started it was Comet football dominance for 48 minutes. We were rolling from the opening kickoff until the final horn. I think we caught South Bend off guard with our intensity. We moved the ball at will although we stalled in the red zone our first 2 drives.

South Bend was unable to move the ball at all their first drive. Their third down pass attempt ended up in a loss of yardage when Bob Eaton III sacked the quarterback.

Half time score was tied at 8. We were very pumped at half time and the Indians seemed a little subdued as we entered the locker room. Our coaches told us the adjustments we needed to make in order to clinch the victory.

The 2nd half started with South Bend getting the ball but they were unable to do much with it. We went on to score 2 more touchdowns and gave up limited yardage to the Indians. As the rain kept intensifying so did our desire to finish the game strong. Final score 22-8. What a great birthday present for Coach Eaton.

Our last league game will be Thursday at Ocosta. We have to beat Ocosta to secure 2nd place in the league. If you can make it to the game we would appreciate your support. (Maybe you could go clam digging before the game like my grandparents are doing).

Keeping it real,

Austin Burkhalter, QB

Game recaps - Comets playoff bound again, Fishermen finish up

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

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

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

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Comet fans of the world unite!

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

Week 9 preview - 10/30

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

Game of the Week

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pigskin Pick'em

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

W- Naselle vs. South Bend

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

L- Ilwaco @ Castle Rock

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

NHS player post - No worries.

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


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

Game on,

Austin Burkhalter, QB

NHS player post - Bustin' Loose

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


Peace out
Austin Burkhalter, QB

Game recaps - Better late than never?

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

Ilwaco 21 - Columbia of White Salmon 42

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

Read the full story HERE

Naselle 59 - North Beach 14

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