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
Showing posts with label Player blog post. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Player blog post. Show all posts
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Sunday, September 4, 2011
First Step Taken
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.
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.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
It ended too early...
(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
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
Friday, October 22, 2010
Better late than never... WAY better!
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
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
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Player Blog Post - What we should be, and what we are
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
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
Monday, October 4, 2010
Naselle Player Post - No excuses.
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
Trevin Leeland #57 MLB/LT
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Naselle player post - Last week is over
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
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
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Naselle player post - When it rains, it pours
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
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Naselle Player Post - Some improvements made, some still needed
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
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
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Naselle Player Post - Imperfect Shutout
So at the end of the day the Comets won over the Fishermen 24-0, but that score could have easily been closer, or it could just have easily been 40-0. Both sides made first-game mistakes, but I know I was surprised at how many we made.
Our defense was probably our best part of the night, as we kind of expected. We held Ilwaco to only four first downs the entire night. But, two of those were from penalties. We had practiced against their wing-t offense for what seemed like forever and even with all of our defensive success I can't help but feel like we could've done a few small things better, like capitalizing on loose footballs lying on the grass.
Our offense was a slightly different story. At a glance we had around 330 yds of offense which is pretty decent by most standards, but a closer look shows that we also had 5 fumbles. We scored three times, but if we hadn't turned the ball over twice in the redzone, let alone once in the endzone, we could've easily doubled our score. There is a lot to work on and I know we all will be studying our game film this weekend. I know I made more than my fair share of blocking mistakes and I know what I have to look for and what I need to improve on.
At the end of the night, we still shut out Ilwaco 24-0 and I'm very happy with that. Me and DT/FB Robert Eaton led the team in tackles. I had a sack and a fumble recovery while he had two tackles for losses. Its one of the few times I've been able to to say that I had just as good of numbers as he had and I wont let him forget it until next week! Soph RB Kai Leach had two TDs and Sr RB Leonel Mendoza had 120 rushing yards while averaging around 10yds a carry. Robert had around 70 yds on 13 carries which was also pretty decent. SR Chase Chapman also had a nice yards-per-carry average.
Next week we open at home against Warrenton to finish our non-league games before we start league play with Raymond. Hopefully by then we will have all of our little problems fixed and we will be able to really play Comets football for 48!
Comet DE/RT Ryley Queener #71
Sunday, November 15, 2009
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
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
Saturday, November 14, 2009
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!!!
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!!!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
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!
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!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
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
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
Thursday, October 29, 2009
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
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
Saturday, October 24, 2009
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
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
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Naselle player posts - Week 6
The Comets quickly worked out the effects of a long bus ride to dismantle the NWC Navigators last night. The Navs had the first touchdown and the last touchdown but the Comets sandwiched 47 points in between to get the W.
With the addition of 4 players we were close to full strength and it showed. Manny Lopez had a great game at defensive end and at left tackle as well. Logan Scrabeck continues to wow us with his shredding capabilities. Jesus Martinez ran back a punt return for a TD. Jon Hines showed some skills after catching a pass and running it in for a touchdown. Big Al Erickson had mega tackles and nice yardage for another great game. Robert Eaton was a defensive power house with 11 tackles.
After last week's defeat to Valley we were determined to stay focused and get back to our winning ways. Our next game is at home against Seattle Lutheran. It is a Saturday afternoon game at 2pm.
See you there.
Austin Burkhalter QB
With the addition of 4 players we were close to full strength and it showed. Manny Lopez had a great game at defensive end and at left tackle as well. Logan Scrabeck continues to wow us with his shredding capabilities. Jesus Martinez ran back a punt return for a TD. Jon Hines showed some skills after catching a pass and running it in for a touchdown. Big Al Erickson had mega tackles and nice yardage for another great game. Robert Eaton was a defensive power house with 11 tackles.
After last week's defeat to Valley we were determined to stay focused and get back to our winning ways. Our next game is at home against Seattle Lutheran. It is a Saturday afternoon game at 2pm.
See you there.
Austin Burkhalter QB
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Week 5 — NHS player blog post
Friday night in Naselle, the Comets (4-1, 1-1) hosted Pacific League rival the Willapa Valley Vikings (4-1, 2-0). Naselle has had a tough run with the Vikings, and it was no different this time around.
Willapa returned a short kick to around half-field to start the game and took no time at all to make their way down the throats of the previously super stout Comet defense. Viking QB Matt Friese was like a greased pig Friday night. He avoided several sacks in the first half and snuck his way out of way too many tackles. Missed tackles were probably the main reason we lost the game. However, in addition to the missed tackles, we weren't comfortable on offense in the first half. Our all-senior backfield was making mistakes expected of freshmen. We had several fumbles (thankfully not all lost) and several bouts of miscommunication which led to an unproductive first half.
Matt Friese played great ball for the Vikings. On another drive in the first half he took advantage of our blown coverage twice. The first was to a running back on a wheel route down the sideline for a 30+ yard gain. Our second blown coverage led to Valley's second TD.
At the half, we were down 14-0. In the locker room I could sense the youth, the guys who hadn't played against a quality team like Willapa, let alone be done two touchdowns at half, were flustered and a little confused. They hadn't experienced the gut-wrenching feeling, the "what was I thinking", or the true fear of losing that comes with being down at half. I talked to the guys about how it takes trust in each other on the field to win football games. During the first half we were having some internal issues as well as external. I also mentioned how we needed to believe that we can comeback and win the game. I truly believed we could. The first half was not what most of us would call Comet Football; it was more like Pee Wee. After a few minutes, Coach Eaton came in and gave his talk. He wasn't mad, disappointed sure, but he talked calmly about what we needed to fix on offense and on defense if we were going to tun the game in our favor. He told us how we were going to return to the veer option and basically pound away for the first drive in the third quarter.
We returned the opening kickoff to around the 30 yd line. Everything was looking good, we were ready to move the chains. However, an early fumble stopped our drive quickly. Our defense was not going to give up another score. Valley turned the ball over on downs and once we regained the ball, the pounding began. The veer option became our favorite play for the third quarter as we methodically marched down the field. Our drive took a long time and didn't payoff. Willapa was able stop us eight yards shy of our first touchdown. We actually had some previous trouble in the red zone Friday when Valley stopped us shy in the first half too.
Upon our turnover on downs, Valley marched the ball 92 yards to paydirt. In a way you could say it was a two touchdown gain for the Vikings. We should have scored to make it 14-6 (or 8), but instead Valley was able to run down the throat of our disheartened D and make it 21-0
I was proud of our team for not giving up. Instead of quiting after their final score we marched it down the field to our only touchdown of the game, a pass from Austin Burkhalter to Jesus Martinez. Valley took a knee to expire the time and give us our first loss of the season: 21-6, the exact same score as last year when we clashed in Menlo.
No one ever wants to lose. However, when you lose there seems to be more to learn. The age old "well we still won" excuse is no longer in play because everything you did or didn't do led to a loss. You start to think about why such and such happened and how you can fix it. I know that the sting of the loss is still in our hearts. Its hard to forget. But I also think that the sting is just going to feed the fire in Naselle, it's going to be an eye-opener for everyone, especially the sophomores who haven't really had one of these experiences. We know that this loss hasn't ruined our playoff goal. We have gone to the playoffs the past two years and in each year Willapa Valley got the best of us in the regular season. This is nothing new. Now begins the rest of the season.
Next week we play Northwest Christian. I am unsure of the location of the game. We will be looking to re-group this week and with the return of four of the five suspended players will be at nearly full strength. Go Comets!
Alan Erickson
NHS LB FB
To God be the Glory
Willapa returned a short kick to around half-field to start the game and took no time at all to make their way down the throats of the previously super stout Comet defense. Viking QB Matt Friese was like a greased pig Friday night. He avoided several sacks in the first half and snuck his way out of way too many tackles. Missed tackles were probably the main reason we lost the game. However, in addition to the missed tackles, we weren't comfortable on offense in the first half. Our all-senior backfield was making mistakes expected of freshmen. We had several fumbles (thankfully not all lost) and several bouts of miscommunication which led to an unproductive first half.
Matt Friese played great ball for the Vikings. On another drive in the first half he took advantage of our blown coverage twice. The first was to a running back on a wheel route down the sideline for a 30+ yard gain. Our second blown coverage led to Valley's second TD.
At the half, we were down 14-0. In the locker room I could sense the youth, the guys who hadn't played against a quality team like Willapa, let alone be done two touchdowns at half, were flustered and a little confused. They hadn't experienced the gut-wrenching feeling, the "what was I thinking", or the true fear of losing that comes with being down at half. I talked to the guys about how it takes trust in each other on the field to win football games. During the first half we were having some internal issues as well as external. I also mentioned how we needed to believe that we can comeback and win the game. I truly believed we could. The first half was not what most of us would call Comet Football; it was more like Pee Wee. After a few minutes, Coach Eaton came in and gave his talk. He wasn't mad, disappointed sure, but he talked calmly about what we needed to fix on offense and on defense if we were going to tun the game in our favor. He told us how we were going to return to the veer option and basically pound away for the first drive in the third quarter.
We returned the opening kickoff to around the 30 yd line. Everything was looking good, we were ready to move the chains. However, an early fumble stopped our drive quickly. Our defense was not going to give up another score. Valley turned the ball over on downs and once we regained the ball, the pounding began. The veer option became our favorite play for the third quarter as we methodically marched down the field. Our drive took a long time and didn't payoff. Willapa was able stop us eight yards shy of our first touchdown. We actually had some previous trouble in the red zone Friday when Valley stopped us shy in the first half too.
Upon our turnover on downs, Valley marched the ball 92 yards to paydirt. In a way you could say it was a two touchdown gain for the Vikings. We should have scored to make it 14-6 (or 8), but instead Valley was able to run down the throat of our disheartened D and make it 21-0
I was proud of our team for not giving up. Instead of quiting after their final score we marched it down the field to our only touchdown of the game, a pass from Austin Burkhalter to Jesus Martinez. Valley took a knee to expire the time and give us our first loss of the season: 21-6, the exact same score as last year when we clashed in Menlo.
No one ever wants to lose. However, when you lose there seems to be more to learn. The age old "well we still won" excuse is no longer in play because everything you did or didn't do led to a loss. You start to think about why such and such happened and how you can fix it. I know that the sting of the loss is still in our hearts. Its hard to forget. But I also think that the sting is just going to feed the fire in Naselle, it's going to be an eye-opener for everyone, especially the sophomores who haven't really had one of these experiences. We know that this loss hasn't ruined our playoff goal. We have gone to the playoffs the past two years and in each year Willapa Valley got the best of us in the regular season. This is nothing new. Now begins the rest of the season.
Next week we play Northwest Christian. I am unsure of the location of the game. We will be looking to re-group this week and with the return of four of the five suspended players will be at nearly full strength. Go Comets!
Alan Erickson
NHS LB FB
To God be the Glory
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Naselle player posts - Week 4
Fact: Comets run wild in Raymond
Fact: They scored on their opening drive.
Fact: They never scored again.
Fact: We scored on every possession.
Fact: We won 54 - 8
Fact: We play Valley at home next Friday.
Fact: YOU will be there.
For more indepth information read Mr. Heimbigner's article.
Austin Burkhalter, QB
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Week 3 - Naselle player posts
Tough Game Against Ilwaco
Naselle rose through adversity Friday night, and pulled out a win in a ugly football game at Raistakka Field. This week we took some hits. Monday five players were called into the school office and suspended for three to four weeks. Coach Eaton was given the tough task of replacing the three starters on offense and defensive starters. Six sophomores made up our offensive line Friday night and six underclassmen started on defense. There was obvious youth, however we were able to pull through and win 22-20 over Ilwaco.
This whole week at practice, we had been preparing for the I-formation and for spread offenses, but Friday night the Fishermen surprised us with the Wing-T. Ilwaco got the ball to start the half and fullback wedge worked well for Ilwaco at thee start of the game. It took some time for the D-line (all sophomores) to figure out how to get the much larger Ilwaco linemen on the ground. But once we figured it out we didn't give much.
We scored twice in the first half, and were maintaining a 14-0 lead with around 35 seconds to go in the half when Ilwaco QB slipped a pass though three defenders and into the hands of his tight end. We were content to take a knee and go into the locker room up 14-7.
The third quarter was very very ugly. We didn't gain a single yard of offense. The first play from scrimmage resulted in a Naselle fumble. Our defense managed to hold them, however on the next offensive play I fumbled the ball and Ilwaco recovered again. This time Ilwaco found paydirt. The PAT failed, and we led 14-13. On the ensuing kickoff, Jesus Martinez returned the rock 70plus yards for a Naselle TD. after a two-point conversion we took a 22-13 lead. In the fourth quarter, Ilwaco continued to stop our offense. We managed only 125 yards of offense. We almost gave Ilwaco the game when a snap went over our punter's head. On fourth down, with two minutes to go, Ilwaco decided to try to take the lead with a field goal. However, we were not about to give up our home field. Freshmen Kai Leech had the game saving field goal block! After a first down on offense, Austin Burkhalter took a knee and ran out the clock. We won!
Coach said that every team has a game like this, one with many mistakes, and I believe him. I am glad that we were able to come out on top. It was a great win considering all problems we had internally this week. I was really pleased with the defensive play of DE Ryley Queener (this was his first defensive start), frosh OLB Kai Leech (also first start), ILB Seth Scrabeck (12 tackles), and DL Robert Eaton. These guys really stepped up and played well.
Offensively, Ilwaco did a good job and held us to minimum yardage. Lead rusher Logan Scrabeck ran for 66yards and had a TD. QB Austin Burkhalter also had a offensive TD.
With this win under our belts, we are focusing on our new mission: Raymond, our first league game.
Alan Erickson
NHS LB, FB
To God be the Glory
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