By Oly Archibald
PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles Roughriders football team, heading into their biggest season in years, will have one final practice today then board the team bus and head to Blaine for the season opener against a very veteran Borderites team Friday night.
Third-year Head Coach Dustin Clark has named his starting line ups with no surprises on offense but one newcomer and a position change on defense. The Roughriders offensive line will average 6’2″ 240 pounds with senior right tackle Wyatt Leitz tipping the scale at 6’1″ 300 pounds. The left tackle will be junior Conner Martin. The guards will be seniors Tanner Flores and Trevor Martin. The all-important center position will be held by sophomore Hunter Flores. The Roughriders are blessed to have one of the best tight ends in the league in senior Ezra Townsend.
The QB for the 3rd straight season will be three-sport star 6’2″ 180-pound senior Parker Nickerson. Nickerson will hand off to the elusive senior tailback Kason Albaugh and fullback senior Jason Hawes. Hawes is a “weight room-acholic” who has worked his way up to where Big Sky schools are taking notice. Hawes has a well-built 6’2″ 215-pound frame. When Nickerson airs it out down field, he will look for wide receivers juniors Blake Solhberg and Kaiden Point.
After watching last year’s Port Angeles – Blaine tape, first-year Blaine Head Coach Andy Olson says he was impressed with Nickerson and Hawes.
The defense is the big question for the Roughriders, who gave up 33 points per game last year but improved significantly at the end of last season. Most starters are back on defense. Coach Clark has given high praise to his two defensive ends in Tanner Flores and Trevor Martin. Junior nose guard Conner Martin, at 6’2″ 280 pounds, will anchor the defensive line. The Roughriders are blessed to have Ezra Townsend and Jason Hawes as inside line backers. Seniors Landyn Jones and Kason Albaugh will be the outside linebackers. In the secondary Parker Nickerson moved from safety to cornerback with Blake Sohlberg at the other corner. Safety Tanner McLean, a 5’10” 170-pound senior, will be the new kid on the block. McLean did not get a lot of playing time last year but has worked hard to earn the all-important safety spot.
Roughriders Blake Sohlberg and Jason Hawes, seen here on a Newsradio KONP post game show, are expected to have big years
Kick-off and punting duties will belong to A.J. Martinez, a 5’9″ 178-pound senior. Field goals and extra points will be handled by Blake Sohlberg. Jason Hawes and Kaiden Point will be the kick returners.
—
In soccer action today the 2nd ranked men’s Peninsula Pirates soccer team at 2-1 will host Lane college at 1 pm at Sigmar Field.