By Oly Archibald
PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles Roughriders football team, now 2-4 on the season, hits the road Saturday night for Whatcom County, where they’ll take on the 3-3 Squalicum Storm at Civic Stadium in Bellingham.
Civic Stadium, once home to the Western Washington University Vikings, has seen its share of future NFL players — including former UW and Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker.
The Roughriders are coming off a tough 14-13 overtime loss to Bainbridge, which picked up its first win of the season.
Squalicum, meanwhile, is much stronger than its 3-3 record might suggest. Two weeks ago, the Storm stunned top-ranked defending state champion Anacortes, 24-21, and last Friday led second-ranked Lynden 17-10 at halftime before falling 27-17 after the Lions scored 17 unanswered points.
The Storm are led by senior wide receiver Ash Asbjornsen, a 5-11, 170-pound playmaker who caught a school-record 13 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns in that win over Anacortes. Asbjornsen ranks third in Whatcom County with 456 receiving yards and also returned a blocked punt for a touchdown against Lynden.
Squalicum’s Ash Asbjornsen, a record-breaking wide receiver, has 456 receiving yards on the season.
Quarterback Cole Burke, a 6-2, 195-pound senior, threw for a school-record 292 yards against Anacortes, completing 26 of 35 passes for two scores. Placekicker Elias Larranaga is second among Whatcom County kickers with 29 points.
Squalicum quarterback Cole Burke led the Storm’s upset of top-ranked Anacortes, throwing for 292 yards and two touchdowns.
The Storm have impressive wins this season, including a 67-0 rout of Marysville-Pilchuck and a 56-7 victory over Stanwood. They’re averaging 30 points a game while giving up about 20. Port Angeles averages 16 points per game while allowing 26.
Kickoff from Civic Stadium is set for Saturday night, and you can hear it live here on Newsradio KONP.
Roughrider running back Dylan Mann and quarterback Carson Waddell, seen here on the KONP Postgame Show, will need big performances to upset the Storm in Bellingham.
In other sports today — Port Angeles tennis travels to Bremerton, while Sequim heads to North Kitsap, both starting at 4:00.
In girls’ soccer, Port Angeles hosts Olympic at 7:15, while Sequim faces a tough test at home against fifth-ranked Bainbridge at 7:00.
In volleyball, Bainbridge visits Sequim, and Port Angeles entertains Olympic — both matches start at 6:30.