By JIM WALLER
jwaller@whidbeynewsgroup.com
Let the fun begin.
After trampling visiting Rogers 53-21 in a non-league game Friday, the undefeated Oak Harbor High School football team now faces Squalicum in a contest that will go a long way in determining the Wesco North champion.
Four games into the 2016 season, the division is settling into two groups — the contenders and the pretenders. Oak Harbor, Squalicum and Ferndale are all 4-0, while Arlington is 2-2 and the other three schools (Marysville-Pilchuck, Marysville Getchell and Stanwood) are 1-3.
Squalicum was ranked third, Ferndale fourth and Oak Harbor seventh in last week’s 3A AP state poll.
Oak Harbor plays in Ferndale Oct. 14, and Squalicum hosts Ferndale Oct. 22.
Squalicum holds the early conference lead with a 2-0 record after defeating M-P and Stanwood. Oak Harbor and Ferndale are 1-0 in Wesco play.
The Oak Harbor-Squalicum showdown is 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30, at Bellingham’s Civic Stadium.
After middling success in football since opening in 1998, Squalicum is enjoying a strong three-year run. The Storm went 9-3 in 2014 and 11-1 last fall, reaching the state 2A quarterfinals each year. This is the school’s first year in the 3A classification.
Squalicum is led by dynamic Ben Peterson, who earned the league’s Most Valuable Player award last fall when the Storm played in the Northwest Conference. Peterson, a slot back, is the Storm’s leading receiver and kick returner; he also handles the kicking duties and occasionally runs the ball. Two weeks ago he played some quarterback. On defense he is an all-league back.
Triston Smith, a junior, is the team’s top rusher, and senior Garrett Sorenson returns as the Storm’s QB.
In Friday’s win over Stanwood, Smith rushed for 189 yards and Peterson returned a kick off 94 yards.
The Storm score an average of 46 points per game and give up 14. Oak Harbor’s numbers are similar, 44 and 16.
One of Squalicum’s strongest assets is it quickness, according to Oak Harbor coach Jay Turner.
“They have the most team speed of any team we will see this year,” he said.
OH 53, Rogers 21
The Wildcats used their usual M.O. in dispatching Rogers of Puyallup.
Oak Harbor rushed for 531 yards, led by Princeton Lollar with 282 on 21 carries. Teason Hardin added 175 yards on 10 carries before leaving with an injury early in the third quarter. TJ Hollins-Passmore had 82 yards on 13 runs.
‘“Princeton played really well,” Turner said, noting that Rogers put nine players in the box to try to slow him down.
“The offensive line was punching some nice holes,” he added.
“Rogers came out and did some things we haven’t seen before, and coaches Peter Esvelt and Mike Fisher made some adjustments. Fortunately we have some smart kids who were able to handle it.”
Gabe Salinger made his first start at quarterback, replacing an injured Jordan Bell, and hit three of six passes for 15 yards. Bell is out for at least another month with a shoulder injury.
Rogers’ offense went the other route — through the air. A pair of quarterbacks combined to toss 46 passes for 220 yards.
“Rogers can throw it a little bit,” Turner said, and had some successes because Oak Harbor had “some injuries in DB land.”
“We put a lot of pressure up front and forced them to keep kids in the backfield to protect,” he added.
Lollar scored on an 18-yard run in the first quarter, then the Rams evened the score early in the second quarter.
Lollar, with TD runs for 45 and 23 yards, and Hardin, with a scoring sprint of 66 yards, gave Oak Harbor a 27-7 lead. Rogers added a TD just before half time.
Lollar and Hardin each had 37-yard runs for scores in the first part of the third quarter. After Rogers scored for the final time, Lollar scored again from the 1-yard line to make it 47-21.
Salinger tossed a four-yard TD pass to Kyle Nickols in the fourth quarter.
Josh Coe converted five of eight PAT kicks.
