Wolves eye playoff spot | Football

The Coupeville High School football team can get some revenge, earn a playoff spot and celebrate homecoming with a win over Klahowya Friday night.

The Coupeville High School football team can get some revenge, earn a playoff spot and celebrate homecoming with a win over Klahowya Friday night.

The Wolves (4-3) and Eagles (3-4) have identical 3-2 Olympic League records and square off at 5:30 p.m. at Mickey Clark Field in the final conference game of the season. The winner will take the second seed out of the league into the postseason; the loser is eliminated.

The path to victory for Coupeville will be far from smooth. The Wolves must navigate through one large pothole — the Eagles rolled the Wolves 49-6 three weeks ago.

Coupeville coach Tony Maggio said things will be different this time around.

First, the game is at “our house,” Maggio said. “That two-hour ferry wait was brutal.”

Second, it’s homecoming. The traditional celebration should give the Wolves an emotional edge, according to Maggio.

Next, the score of the last game was deceiving, Maggio said. Three times the Wolves drove inside the Eagle 20 in the first quarter, and three times Coupeville failed to score. Get those points, Maggio said, and it’s a different game. Coming away empty was crushing to the Wolves’ psyche.

And, finally, Coupeville was dinged up. It will be near full strength Friday. In particular, quarterback Joel Walstad is healthy and that means a more consistent passing attack.

Carson Risner, who missed much of the season with a bum knee, is back to anchor the offensive line.

Top lineman Aaron Wright played sparingly at Klahowya but is ready to go.

Fullback/linebacker Lathom Kelley, however, is out this week with a hand injury.

“We will give Klahowya a better run this time,” Maggio said. “I think we will take them.”

To win, Maggio said, the Wolves will need to “tackle better,” be more “feisty” and “cut down on penalties.”