Fall sports preview: Sequim High School Football

2015 record: 5-3 overall, 3-3 (tied for third in Olympic League)

Head coach: Erik Wiker (13th season)

Top returning players: Gavin Velarde (WR/DB), Riley Cowan (QB), Keeshawn Whitney (RB), Josh Benson (OT/DL), McKenzieStockdale (C), James Thayer (OG/LB), Kyler Rollness (WR), Rudy Whitehead (WR/LB), Hayden Gresli (RB/ LB), Michael Larsen(OT/DL), Tyler Conn (RB/LB), Beau Bernsten (DL), Brenden Lauritzen (OG), Curtis Gorr (WR), Masen Larsen (OG)

Key addition: Payton Glasser (WR)

Last fall, after a hyper-competitive season saw two teams break away from the pack and three others finish in a virtual tiefor third, the Olympic League is due for a shakeup.

Sequim coach Erik Wiker says a number of senior-laden squads in 2015 — including his own — may fill the league with so-called “x-factor” teams, ones that could challenge for a postseason spot or flounder at the league’s depths.

Wiker likes his Wolves’ chances, however, particularly with the talent and spread offense Sequim brings the gridiron eachFriday night this fall.

“If they can’t stop our pass, we’ll do that all day,” the 13th-year Sequim coach says. Or, the Wolves will bank on someyoung running backs to grind it out on the ground.

“I think we have an ability to do (mix it up), which I don’t think most teams do,” he says.

While the Wolves lose a number of key seniors to graduation, they get back all-everything Gavin Velarde. As a sophomoreVelarde led the team with 41 receptions (25 more than the team’s No. 2 pass-catcher) for 690 yards and six touchdowns,and added 322 yards and six scores on just 33 carries out of the backfield.

Those numbers, plus several game-changing kickoff and punt returns, earned him all-Olympic League first team honors aswide receiver and kick returner.

Sequim also sees the return of sophomore quarterback Riley Cowan, who threw for 1,160 yards, 11 touchdowns and eightinterceptions while briefly splitting time with senior Nick Faunce last year. Cowan was named to the all-Olympic League firstteam, the only freshman to earn an all-league honor.

This season, Wiker says, Sequim coaches will let up on the reins with the young signal-caller and allow him to freelance abit if the quarterback sees an opportunity to exploit the defense.

“He’s smart and he tries hard,” Wiker says of Cowan.

Cowan will likely often see three- and four-receiver sets, with Velarde, seniors Curtis Gorr and Rudy Whitehead, sophomore Kyler Rollness and newcomer Payton Glasser on the wings.

Wiker says Sequim has the “best running backs we’ve had in a while. Last season, the Wolves had a trio of senior backsleading the ground game in 2015 led by Arnold Black Langston (381 yards, 6 TDs). But injuries derailed seasons by MarkFeeney (331 yards, 3 TDs) and Brandon Stamper (99 yards).

This year, taking the lead is sophomore Keeshawn Whitney, who saw brief action on the varsity squad last year, along withjunior backs Hayden Gresli and Tyler Conn.

Anchoring the offensive line are senior guards James Thayer and Michael Larsen, with Masen Larsen and 6-foot-4, 300pounds-plus Josh Benson holding down the offensive tackle spots.

Along with trio of running backs, the Wolves lose all-league linemen Zach Hebert and Jack Ellison, wide receiver NoahChristensen, linebacker Chris Whitaker and defensive back Kane Stoddard to graduation, along with regulars Ian Dennis,Ethan Richmond, Michael Shimer, Matthew Schock and Nathan Allison.

“A lot of (teams) were senior-loaded last season,” Wiker says.

In 2015, Sequim went 2-0 in non-league games before going 3-3 in Olympic League play and missed out on the playoffs, falling in a heart-breaker to Bremerton in the season’s final week.

“They worked hard all offseason,” Wiker says of this year’s Wolves, and that they are a positive bunch in early seasonpractices.

Sequim opens up their 2016 season Sept. 2 at Port Townsend, then opens their home schedule Sept. 9 against 1Apowerhouse Montesano (lost to King’s in 1A state semifinals last year).

SHS Football — 2016 season schedule

Sept. 2 — Sequim at Port Townsend, 7 p.m

Notes: Port Townsend owns an edge in the head-to-head matchup all-time, 44-39, with five ties, but Sequim has won thepast six matchups, winning each season from 2002-2007 … a resurgent Redhawks squad went 10-0 with six shutouts andoutscoring opponents by an average of 42 points per game. They lost in the first round of the 1A state playoffs to eventualrunner-up King’s, 24-7.

Sept. 9 — Montesano at Sequim, 5 p.m.

Notes: Teams haven’t played since 1945 (Montesano won) … the Bulldogs went 9-3 in 2015, falling to King’s in thesemifinals of the class 1A state tournament.

Sept. 16 — Sequim at Centralia

Notes: A matchup between these teams never materialized in 2015 after a threat of violence shut Centralia’s after-schoolactivities. The Tigers edged SHS 34-28 in overtime in 2014, the first of three straight OT games for the Wolves … Tigerswent 3-6 in 2015, falling to Hockinson 54-14 in a postseason game … the teams have played just twice, including a 2Astate playoff game in 2008.

Sept. 23 — Sequim at Bremerton, 7 p.m.

Notes: Bremerton denied Sequim a playoff spot with a 27-20 win in Bremerton last fall. The Knights have won each of thepast three matchups by seven points or less … Knights own a 10-6 all-time series lead … Bremerton rebounded from an 1-5 to finish 3-3 in league play and earn a postseason game. They lost to Lindbergh, 28-17 … Sequim owns the all-timeseries lead, 10-6.

Sept. 30 — North Kitsap at Sequim, 7 p.m.

Notes: After back-to-back Olympic League titles, NK finished second to Olympic in 201 5 … Vikings knocked off Sequim27-10 and have won past five meetings … NK went 8-4 overall, winning two postseason games before losing 27-0 toArchbishop Murphy in the state 2A tournament quarterfinals … NK leads the series 34-11, with two ties.

Oct. 7 — North Mason at Sequim, 7 p.m.

Notes: Sequim drubbed the Bulldogs 48-6 last fall, with freshman quarterback Riley Cowan who threw for 284 yards andfour touchdowns … the Belfair team was 1-5 in league (second to last), 1-9 overall in 2015 — their lone win coming againstPort Angeles … Sequim is 25-9-1 against the Bulldogs all-time.

Oct. 14 — Sequim at Olympic, 7 p.m.

Notes: The Trojans are the defending Olympic League champs, topping Sequim 48-7 on their way to a 6-0 league markand 10-1 record overall. Their only loss came to Sedro-Woolley, a 34-14 defeat in the first round of the class 2A statetournament … Trojans hold a 15-3 all-time series lead over the Wolves.

Oct. 21 — Port Angeles at Sequim, 7 p.m.

Notes: Sequim broke Port Angeles’ two-game win streak in the Rainshadow Rumble series with a 49-6 rout last fall … PAhas an advantage in all-time series at 52-21, with six ties … Roughriders struggled to a 1-8 record last fall, their only wincoming in a non-league, 27-18 decision against 1A Vashon.

Oct. 28 — Sequim at Kingston, 7 p.m.

Notes: The Wolves edged Kingston 13-10 for their second consecutive win against the Bucs … SHS is 7-2 since seriesbegan in 2007 … Bucs finished 3-3 in league and 3-7 overall, dropping a 47-7 postseason game to Steilacoom.