Overcoming big plays by Northwest Christian, the Coupeville High School football team won 32-24 Friday, Oct. 11, at Tenino High School.

The win was Coupeville’s third straight and raised the Wolves’ record to 4-2. The schedule, however, is about to get tougher. Coupeville’s victories have come against four teams that have combined to win only one game this season.

The Wolves face South Whidbey in the annual Bucket Game at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, at Mickey Clark Field. The Falcons are 4-2 this season. One of those wins was 7-3 over Friday Harbor, a team that defeated the Wolves 53-7.

“They (South Whidbey) are a really good, big, physical football team and it’s going to be a good game,” Coupeville coach Marcus Carr said.

After that is a game with 2A Anacortes. The Seahawks, like Coupeville, are dealing with a small roster; therefore, they are playing smaller schools or 2A junior varsities. Anacortes is 4-1 with its only loss to unbeaten Lummi Nation.

Coupeville wraps up the season at Bellevue’s 3A Interlake High School, which owns a 1-5 record in the tough Kingco League.

Coupeville 32, Northwest Christian 24

Lacey’s Northwest Christian, which includes some players from Life Christian Academy, dialed long distance for three first-half scores to go up 18-14 at halftime.

The Wolves actually scored first when Sean Toomey-Stout hauled in a 27-yard TD pass from Dawson Houston. The PAT kick was blocked.

Northwest Christian responded with a 73-yard run to knot the score.

Coupeville regained the lead when Toomey-Stout and Houston combined for another touchdown, this one from 21 yards out. Andrew Martin ran for the extra points, the only successful conversion by either team all night.

The Wolverines immediately responded with an 82-yard kickoff return, and then followed that with an 81-yard run to go into the locker room with an 18-14 lead.

Coming back from that deficit “showed that our team learned how to handle adversity,” Carr said.

Coupeville scored three consecutive touchdowns after the break to take a 32-18 lead.

Martin caused a fumble which Toomey-Stout recovered, and then the Wolves turned that into a touchdown when Houston threw 14 yards to Gavin Knoblich, putting the Wolves on top for good 20-18.

The Coupeville defense, which pitched shutouts in the previous two games, came up with a pair of turnovers to thwart the Wolverines’ comeback attempt.

First, Toomey-Stout picked off a pass in the end zone, then Martin caused another fumble.

Houston threw 37 yards to Knoblich, setting up a 5-yard Martin TD run, making it 26-18.

Coupeville scored its final touchdown just seconds after the previous score. The Wolves recovered an on-side kick and then Dakota Eck raced in from 47 yards out to bury the Wolverines.

Northwest Christian tacked on a score with six minutes left but never regained possession as the Wolves picked up several first downs to run out the clock.

“Our defense was outstanding in the second half, only giving one score and forcing several turnovers,” Carr said. “Our team is showing us more and more every week. They are starting to believe in each other and you can see it in practice and in the games.”

Martin, taking over for an injured Ben Smith at running back, finished with 109 yards on 25 carries, and Eck added 91 on 14 rushes. Houston threw for 165 yards and three scores; Toomey-Stout had two TD catches and 110 receiving yards.