Unable to take advantage of several golden scoring opportunities, the Coupeville High School football lost to Bellevue Christian 24-12 on homecoming night Friday, Oct. 13, at Mickey Clark Field.
The Wolves, now 1-3 in league play and 3-4 overall, will look to rebound when they host Klahowya (2-2, 2-5) at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20.
Bellevue Christian 24, Coupeville 12
Down 16-12 at halftime, Coupeville drove to the edge of the goal line twice in the second half, setting up first-and-goal, but failed to score.
Some may point to the date — Friday the 13th — and blame Coupeville’s luck on bad juju, but it more likely had to do with the fact the Wolves were playing without two of their most talented players. Out with injuries were leading rusher Sean Toomey-Stout and two-way, all-league star Hunter Smith, who holds several school receiving and interception records.
The lead bounced between BC and Coupeville throughout the first half.
The Vikings booted a field goal in the first quarter to put the first points on the board.
In the second quarter, back-to-back completions from Hunter Downes to Cameron Toomey-Stout resulted in Coupeville’s first touchdown.
Bellevue Christian regained the lead, 10-6, but it didn’t last long. Coupeville’s Matt Hilborn returned the following kickoff 85 yards, and the Wolves led 12-10.
The Vikings finished the high-scoring quarter with a late touchdown. The Wolves’s Shane Losey blocked the extra point, and BC took a 16-12 lead into halftime.
After the two team combined for four touchdowns in the second period, they scored only once, a Bellevue Christian touchdown, in the second half.
Coupeville coach Jon Atkins lamented that the Wolves “had a difficult time moving the ball in the red zone, but liked that, overall, the running game displayed “definite improvement.”
“I thought both Chris Battaglia and Andy Martin ran the ball really hard,” he added. “We kept competing until the end, and I thought that was a movement to the right direction.”
Sean Toomey-Stout and Smith are likely out for the season.
“Injuries are tough,” Atkins said. “(However, they) give an opportunity for the next guy to step up, and we are hoping that by the end of the season we can see what guys want to step up into bigger roles and keep competing.”
Coupeville High School’s homecoming queen and king, Payton Aparicio and Hunter Smith, begin the parade Friday. (Photo by John Fisken)
What would a homecoming parade be without some face paint? (Photo by John Fisken)
