Who will raise the 2004 Island Cup?

updated 11/08/04
About 2,000 people -- arguably the largest crowd attending high school contest in San Juan County's history -- filled the stands and lined both sidelines and much of the end zones at the Friday Harbor High School football field Thursday, Nov. 3. The Friday Harbor and Orcas Island fans, bundled for the crisp fall night in purple and gold, blue and white, cheered as steam rose from the players, drifting into the lights.

With the atmosphere set for a gridiron thriller, the teams didn't disappoint. The visiting Vikings drove down the field and came within a two-point conversion of knotting the game with less than 80 seconds remaining. By stopping Orcas, Friday Harbor (9-0) won the game 14-12, grabbed the Island Cup trophy, clinched the Northwest A/B League crown and secured an undefeated regular season.

"Just seeing that Island Cup on the field, I flat out cried," said senior lineman George Myers. "We're the top teams in the league. To clash like that, I've never felt so much emotion in all my life. Both teams are really good on both sides of the ball."

"I've been waiting for this game my whole life.... beating Orcas my senior year -- awesome!" he continued.

"It's a great feeling," said senior lineman/linebacker Tim Cumming. "Orcas played one heck of a game."

"I've never had a feeling like this before," Cumming added.

"It was a hard-fought victory. I know it's a cliche, but it was a hard-fought victory," said Friday Harbor coach Richard Ledford said. "I'm proud of our team. We're just happy to win that one."

"It was a history-maker," said Orcas coach Dennis Dahl. "It was fun."

Ledford commmended the competition: "Dennis Dahl is an outstanding coach and has a good team."

Dahl was proud of his squad. "We played a good game.... We had chance to win," he said.

"Of course our players were disappointed but they felt good about they're efforts," Dahl said.

Friday Harbor completed league play 7-0 and hosts Ocosta (7-3) at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13 in a preliminary round of the Class 1A State Tournament.

Orcas (7-3) finished 6-1 in conference and gained some invaluable experience for their post-season. The Vikings face Willapa Valley (7-3) at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 9 at Centralia High School.

The Wolverines' and Vikings' potent offenses were racking up the points in games prior to the Island Cup, but the teams' defense dominated the game.

"Both teams were prepared for what the other team does best," Ledford said.

Orcas drove deep into Friday Harbor territory early in the first quarter but the Wovlerine defense held on 4th-and-5.

Friday Harbor's first touchdown was set up by a 35-yard pass from junior Chas Lawson to sophomore Tyler Hart. Ledford then used a bit of trickery, Lawson pitched the ball to senior running back Tyler Roberts who tossed it 15 yards to Hart in the end zone. Junior Dwight Ware's PAT put the Wolverines up 7-0 with five seconds to go in the first quarter.

The Vikings got on the board with 8:22 to go in the second period when senior running back Hunter Easterling went around the end and zipped 6 yards into the end zone.

Friday Harbor came up with a huge defensive stop on the point-after attempt. Junior linebacker David Ahrenius shot through the Viking line and blocked the kick.

Friday Harbor stopped Orcas in the red zone with less than five minutes in the half. The Wolverine defense sacked senior quarterback McLane Stone on a 3rd-and-8, and a pass on 4th down went incomplete.

The Wolverines were moving down the field when the Viking defense showed its savy. Tyler Roberts attempted another halfback pass but senior defensive back Colin Gaylord picked it off.

Orcas advanced to the 50-yard line, but junior defensive back Jesse Woodruff snuffed any last-second scoring hopes by intercepting a pass.

Defense dominated the scoreless third quarter, including a special teams surprise. On a 4th-and-2 at mid-field, Friday Harbor appeared to going for the 1st down but Tyler Roberts booted a quick kick. The ball sailed 49 yards over the Viking defensive backfield and Hart downed the ball on the 1-yard line.

Friday Harbor pounded the ball on the ground until Tyler Roberts capped 75-yard drive by scooting around the end for a 15-yard touchdown run. Ware kicked what would be a crucial PAT and the Wolverines led 14-6 with 8:19 in the fourth quarter.

With four minutes to go, the Viking defense thwarted the Wolverines attempt at a running down the clock. On a 3rd-and-11, Orcas stopped Tyler Roberts one yard short of the first.

The Vikings started their final drive at the Wolverine 46-yard line. McLane Stone threaded the ball 11 yards to Easterling for a first down and hit junior Chandler Stone for another first on 25-yard line. Another 11-yard strike to Easterling moved the sticks.

On 2nd-and-10 on the 13-yard line with 90 seconds to go, McLane Stone hit junior Miles Murphy who was tackled on the 1-yard line.

Tristian "T-Train" Savell, a 270-pound senior running back, slammed through the line to pull the Vikings within two points with 1:17 remaining.

A motion penalty backed up the Vikings to the 7-yard line. A second attempt went unsuccessful, as was an onside kick.

Hefting the Cup after the victory, Ledford compared the marble-based trophy to the home-made barbells his players train with every practice:"It feels like a man-maker."

Who will raise the 2004 Island Cup?

posted 11/04/04

Is this the season Friday Harbor's football team takes back the Island Cup Trophy? Will Orcas keep the Cup for a seventh consecutive year? The answers will come tonight when the Wolverines host the Vikings at 6 p.m.

The 2004 Island Cup Game has the makings of a gridiron classic that will be talked about for years to come. The winners will not only keep the Cup and bragging rights for a year, they will win the Northwest A/B League.

"I know Orcas will be prepared.... Our kids will be ready to play," said Friday Harbor coach Richard Ledford. "I think it will be one heck of a football game."

"We want to test ourselves against a great team," said Orcas coach Dennis Dahl.

Dahl, the Vikings coach since 1990, has built a quality program and his teams regularly make postseason appearances.

"Orcas is well-coached," Ledford said. "Dennis is a great guy."

Ledford has transformed a struggling programs into an unbeaten force this year.

We have a lot of respect for their team and their coach," Dahl said.

Never have the teams met with as high of rankings. Friday Harbor (8-0) is No. 4 in the Associated Press Class 1A poll and Orcas Island (7-2) is No. 5 in the Class B poll.

Both teams boast potent offenses and stingy defenses. Friday Harbor has scored 367 points this season while allowing 66. Orcas is 325-201, but that includes a 54-7 non-conference loss to football powerhouse Archbishop Murphy.

"It may come down to who makes the fewest mistakes.... You never know with high school players," Dahl said.

The Island Cup trophy was first awarded in 1990. Friday Harbor won seven of eight contests but the Vikings dominated from 1998 to until last year. Orcas secured a 20-14 victory by picking off a pass in the red zone. That stemmed a Friday Harbor rally with 28 seconds to go.

The Island Cup was rescheduled from Saturday, Nov. 6 due to the Vikings playing their first playoff game on Tuesday, Nov. 9 in Centralia. Orcas will play the winner of a game between Willapa Valley and North Beach.

Friday Harbor hosts Ocosta Saturday, Nov. 13 in a first-round playoff game.

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