It didn’t take the Coupeville High School football team long to put a positive stamp on the Jon Atkins era.
The Wolves, in Atkins’ first game as head coach, walloped rival South Whidbey 41-10 Saturday, Sept. 3, at Mickey Clark Field.
“The kids were eager to put the past behind them and develop a new culture for Coupeville football,” Atkins said. “The kids are glad they are moving forward. For the town and the kids, it is a big deal beating South Whidbey.”
The Wolves won the coin toss, elected to receive and marched into the end zone to begin the rout. Senior Jacob Martin carried it in from 39 yards out and Clay Reilly booted the point after.
Minutes later quarterback Hunter Downes punched it in from the 1-yard line for another Coupeville score. Then, before the close of the first period, he hit Hunter Smith with a 19-yard pass for six more.
That gave the Wolves a 20-0 lead heading into the second period.
Coupeville tacked on one touchdown in each of the following quarters.
South Whidbey finally go on the board with a safety in the third quarter when a Coupeville snap flew over the punter’s head and out of the end zone.
The Falcons scored again in the final minutes.
The Wolves were able to thump the Falcons even though they lost the turnover battle 5-2 and gave up the safety, thanks in part to a stout defense that refused to allow South Whidbey to take advantage of the miscues.
“The defense (led by coordinator Ryan King) was phenomenal,” Atkins said, “especially for the kids playing a new system.”
The offense wasn’t bad either. The Wolves chose to receive rather than defer after they won the coin toss because “the offense had been working really well all week in practice,” Atkins said.
Leading 20-0 after the first quarter, Coupeville demoralized South Whidbey when Martin zipped through the Falcons on a 70-yard TD romp in the second period.
The Wolves made it 34-0 in the third quarter on another big play, this time Downes connected with Smith for a 55-yard TD toss.
After South Whidbey scored its touchdown, Smith damped any joy the score gave the Falcons by returning the ensuing kickoff 76 yards for the game’s final TD.
That also wrapped up an outstanding all-around game for Smith. The junior caught four passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns, returned a kickoff for a score and picked off two Falcon passes.
Martin led all rushers with 129 yards on 11 carries; Reilly added 33 on five runs.
Downes hit 4-of-8 passes for 98 yards; he was intercepted twice.
Martin, Reilly and Teo Keilwitz led the defense with six tackles each. Martin also had a sack and four tackles for a loss. James Vidoni had two sacks and Uriel Liquidano one.
Coupeville heads to La Conner for a 7 p.m. game Friday, Sept. 9. The Braves opened the season with a 56-14 win over Friday Harbor.
