PORT ANGELES — Worst to first?
What would have seemed unthinkable just two months ago is slowly morphing into reality for the Port Angeles football team.
After slipping past playoff hopeful North Mason 35-15 on Friday night at Civic Field, the Roughriders find themselves tied with Sequim atop the Olympic League standings.
A year removed from an 0-10 season in the Class 3A Olympic/Western Cascade League, the unbeaten Riders may very well be on a collision course with their archrivals for the 2A Olympic League title.
“What they are doing is awesome,” said Port Angeles head coach Tom Wahl, whose team is off to its best start in 18 years at 4-0 in league and 6-0 overall.
“I believed [we’d be in this position]. I know the kids we’ve got, and I know the coaches that I believe in, and they are doing a great job, both ways.
“The whole Rider community has been fantastic.”
Port Angeles and Sequim (4-0, 5-1) each have two league games to go before an Oct. 29 meeting at Civic.
Yet with both already knocking off the next three teams below them in the standings, their toughest tests may be behind them.
For the Riders, that included Friday’s win over the Bulldogs (2-2, 3-3); one fueled by an opportunistic defense that forced five turnovers and another big night for Keenen Walker
The dual-threat quarterback connected on 13 of 27 passes for 225 yards, one touchdown and an interception and ran for another 121 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries.
“I had all day to throw, and our receivers were getting open,” said Walker, who compiled 300-plus yards of offense for the second straight game.
“We’re just executing really well right now. Good coaching, good line, just good everything.”
Sequim’s coaching staff, fresh off its own 56-28 win Thursday at Kingston, was on hand to watch Friday.
Wolves head coach Erik Wiker predicted “PA, but close” at halftime. Despite the lopsided final score, that’s exactly what he saw.
The game was in doubt as late as midway through the fourth quarter when the Bulldogs’ deliberate flexbone offense was driving down field while behind just 20-15.
North Mason converted three straight fourth-down conversions to get into Port Angeles territory before Skylar Gray recovered a Brody Stromberg fumble at the Rider 42-yard line.
Port Angeles then marched 58 yards on six plays, highlighted by a 38-yard Walker keeper that set up his 1-yard touchdown run.
After Ken Sewell ran in the two-point conversion, the Riders took a commanding 28-15 lead into the final four minutes.
“Our offensive line was doing a really good job blocking all game, but they really stepped it up in the fourth quarter,” Walker said.
Gray intercepted quarterback Charlie Becker on the Bulldogs’ next drive.
With a convoy of blockers giving him a lane along the sideline, Gray returned it 66 yards for a touchdown that set off a wild celebration in the stands and on the sideline.
“I’d just seen the ball in the air,” Gray said. “My buddy [safety Colin Wheeler] was coming across, I said ‘Mine, mine, mine.’ So he let me get it.
“A guy tried to tackle me, so I just spun out of it, and [it was off] to the races.”
Port Angeles got out to a comfortable lead in the first half exclusively running its “Giraffe” shotgun offense.
The pass-first attack featuring lanky wide receivers Ian Ward (6-foot-3), Kyler Morgan (6-3), Rickie Porter (6-2) and Wheeler (6-4) was unveiled in last week’ 55-25 win over Olympic.
It was equally potent in the first half Friday when Port Angeles scored on three of its first four drives as Walker threw for 186 of his 255 passing yards.
That included a 65-yard touchdown strike from Walker to Porter that gave the Riders a 20-7 edge.
Porter finished with three catches for 100 yards.
“[Walker] is getting confidence in his passing, and the line is doing a nice job of giving him time,” Wahl said. “He’s putting the ball out there in a place that they can be caught most of the time.
“We’re pleased with him and he’ll just get better as we give him more reps in the passing game.”
North Mason answered with an eight-play, 69-yard scoring drive of its own, capped by Becker’s second touchdown run of the game, to put the score at 20-15 with 1:38 left in the half.
Port Angeles’ offense bogged down early in the third quarter while switching between the run-first Wing-T and “Giraffe” sets.
The Riders managed to get into North Mason territory late in the third after a pair of hookups between Walker and Ward put them inside the Bulldog 20.
Yet after Ward (five receptions, 80 yards) exited the game with a shoulder injury, the drive stalled and Walker was intercepted on fourth-and-long.
North Mason then began its grinding 14-play drive that ended with the Stromberg fumble, one of five Bulldog turnovers in the game.
“If we want to be a playoff team, a championship team, those are the drives we’ve got to put away,” North Mason coach Jeff Bevers said. “And we put the ball on the ground.
“Against good football teams, those fumbles will hurt you.”
Port Angeles out-gained North Mason 380 yards to 345.
Becker led North Mason with 124 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 18 carries, but was also intercepted three times while throwing for 70 yards.
With the win, Port Angeles avenged two straight losses to the Bulldogs between 2008-09.
“I saw them take their lumps for a couple of years, and I saw some kids grow up,” Bevers said. “Apparently they’ve done the right things to get better.
“Once you start believing in what you’re doing, it’s easy to win.”
Port Angeles 35, N. Mason 15
North Mason 7 8 0 0– 15
Port Angeles 14 6 0 15– 35
First Quarter
NM–Becker 3 run (Bielec kick)
PA–Cristion 2 run (Haskins kick)
PA–Walker 2 run (Brewer kick)
Second Quarter
PA–Porter 65 pass from Walker (kick failed)
NM–Becker 1 run (Williams run)
Fourth Quarter
PA–Walker 1 run (Sewell run)
PA–Gray 66 interception return (Brewer kick)
Individual Stats
Rushing– PA: Walker 12-121, Cristion 5-11, Sewell 1-15, Sullivan 1-1, Martin 1-(minus 1). NM: Becker 18-124, Renne 18-68, Crosswhite 9-47, Bielec 7-23, Williams 3-11, Stromberg 2-2.
Passing–PA: Walker 13-27-1, 225. NM: Becker 5-12-3, 70; Bielec 0-1-0, 0.
Receiving–PA: Porter 3-100, Ward 5-80, Wheeler 3-28, Morgan 2-17. NM: Bielec 2-32, Crosswhite 2-27, Heiter 1-11.