Facing off against the Coupeville High School Wolves last Friday, Vashon Pirates football team cobbled together a safety, a touchdown and some impressive defense. But it wasn’t enough, as the game ended with a 27-8 loss.
The Pirates had many key players out or ineligible for the season’s second game, which they played at home. That meant freshman Will Weber had to step up in his first game as quarterback. Jayce Aberthal moved from wide receiver to center, and Aidan Green played H-back.
With so many players in positions they hadn’t practiced over the early part of the season, it wasn’t an ideal scenario.
“It was out of necessity because we don’t have a lot of depth,” said Coach Clay Eastly. “We put them in a hard position, and there were ups and downs. Will did great considering it was his first-ever game as a quarterback.”
In the first half, the Pirates got a safety, putting two points on the board. The first quarter also saw Richard Rivas-Gutierrez pulled off the field with an ankle sprain. That meant an uphill battle for the rest of the game, and Eastly said the team rose to the challenge.
“In the second half, the defense played great, with lots of sacks,” he said. “Jack Cunningham, Martin Ellison and Ryan Nelson played spectacularly on defense and really well at offense. Defensively, I think we played really well the entire game.”
It was the third quarter when the Pirates scored a touchdown, with Weber hitting Cunningham on a post for a touchdown pass. While the game wasn’t what it could have been, Eastly said it was valuable, particularly for the newer players.
“They are learning what it takes to play varsity football,” he said.
Eastly is already looking ahead to the next game, which is against Cedar Park Christian School.
“This upcoming week, we’ll have a few more players eligible — which will help us a lot,” he said, noting that he will look to the team to more consistently focus on offense in that game, set for 7 p.m. Saturday at Juanita High School.
— Anne Higuera is the mother of a Pirate football player.
