New Coupeville High School football coach Jon Atkins knows that building a winning program is going to take time, and he believes this year’s team will serve as a solid base for the construction.
“The kids are hungry to change the culture of football at Coupeville High School, and they are a great bunch of young men,” he said, adding, “We have a great staff, and having Coupeville alumni like Brad Sherman and Ryan King make the program that much better.”
The Wolves only won one of 10 games last year and were 1-5 in conference play.
The strength of this year’s team, according to Atkins, is its desire and work ethic, two qualities needed to make this a successful season and to point the program in the right direction.
“Learning a new system and (adjusting to) a new coach can be difficult, but they are flying around and learning, watching film and doing what is needed to make a great team.”
The rebuilding project centers on seven returning lettermen: seniors Clay Reilly (RB, S); Uriel Liquidano (G, LB) and Jacob Martin (RB, LB); juniors Hunter Smith (WR, RB, CB), Hunter Downes (QB) and Julian Welling (C, LB); and sophomore Chris Battaglia (RB, LB).
The group includes “a pretty good back field returning from last year for our team to lean on,” Atkins said.
Downes was the starting quarterback before getting hurt early in the season last fall. In three games he completed 26 of 47 passes for 272 yards.
Martin is the top returning runner, picking up 123 yards on 23 carries.
Smith led the team in receptions in 2015, grabbing 32 for 419 yards and two touchdowns.
Smith was also a defensive standout, earning first-team, all-league honors as a defensive back when he set a school single-season record of seven interceptions.
Reilly earned first-team honors as a punter.
Last year, Battaglia was second on the team in tackles with 56, Liquidano added 45 and Welling 32.
Key newcomers, according to Atkins, are juniors Jacob Zettel (RB, DT), Cameron Toomey-Stout (WR, CB), James Vidoni (DT) and Jake Hoagland (WR, CB); and sophomores Ryan Labrador (T, DT), Jacob Pease (G, DT), Teo Keilwitz (RB, LB), Josh Robinson (G, NG) and Dane Lucero (T, DT).
“We also have some freshmen that should get to see the field in some special teams,” Atkins said. “I think everyone on the roster will contribute this year.”
His greatest concern is the youth up front: “They will have to learn on the fly and get their experience as we go, but they are a great group of young men and seem to really play well together.”
The Olympic League and Nisqually League will combine for the football season, increasing the conference to eight teams.
“Travel is going to be tough, but since this is my first year it’s all I will know,” Atkins said. “It seems to be a balanced league; it will be nice not to have to prep for the same opponent twice.”
Atkins expects some growing pains from his new team and said it will be a successful season if “we improve each week and we stay true as a team to our core values of competition, leadership, family, commitment and toughness.”
The first-year coach is “looking forward to our first game to show off a new-look Wolves football program.”
Coupeville and island rival South Whidbey meet at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 3, at Mickey Clark Field.
