Josh Bayne caught the attention of his Olympic League opponents this season, now he hopes to get the attention of a few college coaches.
Bayne, a senior running and defensive back, was selected the conference’s Most Valuable Player for the 2014 season.
It’s easy to see why.
He carried the ball 143 times for 1,528 yards (a 10.69 average) and 15 touchdowns and caught 31 passes for 460 yards and 10 more scores. He also completed the only pass he threw, and that went for 43 yards.
Defensively, he led the team with 77 tackles and had six interceptions and four fumble recoveries.
Shining brightest among his many standout individual game performances was his final game as a Wolf. In Coupeville’s 55-38 win over Bellevue Christian Nov. 7, Bayne ran for 311 yards on 19 carries, grabbed two passes for 40 yards, returned a kickoff for 16 yards, recorded seven tackles, intercepted a pass and returned it 24 yards and recovered a fumble. He also scored six touchdowns.
That effort earned him the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association’s state 1A Player of the Week award.
Earlier in the season he rushed for 306 yards against Chimacum and 218 against South Whidbey.
Bayne, a four-year lettermen and team captain, showed his versatility during his career. As a freshman, he played wide receiver; he was the starting quarterback as a sophomore; and last season he split his time between QB and running back.
Bayne credits his breakout senior season on offense to playing one position for two years in a row and to his coaches, “who taught me well.”
He also credits his coaches for teaching him “to read keys” for his ball-hawking skills on defense.
Coach Tony Maggio said, “He has the best vision I have seen for a running back.”
That vision blended with patience, speed and balance make Bayne an outstanding runner, according to Maggio.
Bayne said he would consider playing college football if given a scholarship, but few schools have shown interest because of his size (5-foot-10, 150 pounds).
He is also a standout baseball player and would consider playing that sport in college as well: “We’ll see this season comes along.”
“For now,” he said, “I am focusing on academics.”
That focus has resulted in a 3.83 grade point average.
