Former Wildcats help Cubs beat Oak Harbor / Football

By Jim Waller • September 21, 2019 1:30 am

Ghosts of football seasons past haunted Oak Harbor High School’s present in the Wildcats’ 47-13 non-league loss at Sedro-Woolley Friday, Sept. 20.

Sedro-Woolley is guided by Dave Ward, who coached Oak Harbor for 17 seasons and led the Wildcats to their only state championship in a team sport, winning the 4A crown in 2006. On his current coaching staff are two players from Oak Harbor’s title-winning team, Marshall Lobbestael and Mundo Corrales.

Lobbestael, who went on to play quarterback for Washington State University, is the Cubs’ offensive coordinator and quarterback coach. His current pupil, Sedro-Woolley QB Kaden Plymale, sliced up the Oak Harbor secondary by completing 13 of 17 passes for 198 yards and four touchdowns. He had a 78-yard TD wiped out by a penalty.

In fact, the Cubs’ had four scores erased because of infractions, including a 90-yard pick-6 and a 40-yard run. Twice, however, the mistakes didn’t bite them because they recovered to score on the same drives.

In all, Sedro-Woolley was penalized 13 times for 120 yards. It finished with 385 yards of offense.

Oak Harbor picked up 210 yards, 127 on receptions by Matt Kelley, who hauled in eight passes.

Starting quarterback Cameron Asinsin completed eight of 14 passes for 113 yards but was hurt by four interceptions. Kaito White connected on three of nine passes for 47 yards.

Marcus Arriola led Oak Harbor runners with 33 yards on 13 carries.

Sedro-Woolley (3-0) scored on its first three possessions and led 20-0 early in the second quarter.

The Wildcats’ first score came after a blocked punt, which gave them possession at the Cub 21. Asinsin lobbed a 16-yard pass to Kelley in the corner of the end zone, and the 6-2 junior out-wrestled several defenders for the ball and the TD. Jake Mitten booted the extra point.

By the end of the third quarter, Sedro-Woolley led 47-7. Its final touchdown came on a blocked punt that was recovered in the end zone.

White led Oak Harbor to its second score, hitting three passes for 43 yards. The big play in the 63-yard dive was a 31-yard completion to Kelley to the 2-yard line. Two plays later, Asinsin ran in from the 3 for the touchdown.

Oak Harbor coach Marcus Hughes saw the silver lining after the game, noting the growth of his team and its proximity with success.

“I am upset we lost, but I am not mad,” he said. “We are so close. You may not see that from the stands, but we are one block, one dropped pass from being where we want to be.”

Execution mistakes are part of the growing pains of a new system, he added.

“We hurting right now, struggling,” Hughes said.

He noted that the staff is “still learning” the personnel and is “trying to piece it all together.”

“It’s right there, but then one guy misses a block. We are so close right now, so close.”

Oak Harbor (0-1, 1-2) gets back into Western Conference play when it hosts Stanwood (0-2, 1-2) at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27.