The Oak Harbor High School football team reached the state playoffs last fall for the first time since 2007, and if the Wildcats want to repeat the act, they will have to find replacements for a large and talented group of athletes who graduated.
Gone are 10 seniors who earned all-league honors — six were first-team selections — in 2014.
For coach Jay Turner, it is just a matter of next man up.
“We never think of us as rebuilding,” he said. “Every year is a chance to be successful with new players getting opportunities to show what they can do.”
Turner is also pleased with the returning players’ work ethic after a “great summer of weight training.”
Two all stars, senior Dyllan Harris and junior Princeton Lollar, do return and will head the Wildcats’ efforts this fall.
Harris is a two-time, first-team defensive back. After earning second-team honors as a receiver as a sophomore, he was first-team last season when he led the Wesco North with 600 yards and seven touchdowns on 34 catches.
Lollar, a second-team choice as a running back, finished fifth in rushing in the North with 1,003 yards and 15 touchdowns on 144 carries.
He battered Kennedy Catholic for 214 yards and three touchdowns in Oak Harbor’s 34-14 playoff win.
The pair head a “good core of returning players,” according to Turner.
In addition to Harris, 12 other seniors are back: Michael Corfman (OL/RB), Savion Passmore (RB/DB), Quinn Karney (RB/LB), Taylor Kolste (WR/QB/DB), Dee McKinney (WR/DB), Fred Miller (WR/LB), Cameron Rector (OL/LB), Kevin Reyes (OL/DL), Tyler Snavely (QB), Ryan Valencia (RB/LB), Josiah Welch (RB/DB) and Zoren Yabao (OL/LB).
Kolste and Snavely are battling to replace departed first-team quarterback Clay Doughty.
Karney was fourth on the team in rushing last fall, running for 173 yards and two touchdowns on 36 carries.
Defensively, Harris and Passmore are the leading returning tacklers from 2014 with 21 and 18 respectively.
Other returning lettermen are juniors Lollar, Deandre Bellamy (OL/DL), Josh Coe (WR/DB), Thomas Gilham (RB/DB), John Long (OL/DL), Brycin McIntyre (RB/DB), Josh McKenzie (RB/LB) and Sam Zook (OL/DL).
Key newcomers, Turner said, are senior Grant Gerber (OL/LB), junior Jordan Washington (RB/LB) and sophomores Taeson Hardin (RB/DB) and Weston Whitefoot (OL/LB).
The team’s weaknesses, Turner said, are a lack of experience and depth.
The offensive line, which was a concern coming into the season, is “coming together nicely, but they will be a little undersized,” Turner said.
After finishing second in the division three years in a row, Oak Harbor “tied” for the title with Marysville-Pilchuck last fall with a 4-0 record and went 7-2 overall.
It offered to forfeit the final league game to Marysville-Pilchuck in the wake of the deadly shootings at M-P last October. In response to that act of sportsmanship, Marysville-Pilchuck offered to share the title with the Wildcats.
Arlington is “probably the favorite” to take the North this year, Turner said.
“But, honestly, it’s anyone’s guess as it should be a very competitive and balanced conference.”
Marysville-Plichuck is ranked fourth in the Associated Press preseason state 3A poll.
The goals and expectations for the year, Turner said, are to reach the playoffs and “continue to improve each week.”
Oak Harbor opens the season with a nonleague game at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4, at Monroe.
The Wildcats hope to avenge a 30-27 mistake-filled loss to the Bearcats last year. Oak Harbor out-gained Monroe 444-174 but had seven fumbles, losing four, and a fistful of special team errors.
The first home game is 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, with Ferndale.
