By Declan O’Malley

Journal contributor

Friday Harbor High School student-athletes had an action-packed week from Oct. 6–10, competing in football, soccer, volleyball, cross country, and tennis.

Football

Friday Harbor fell 48-19 on the road to Granite Falls (Granite) High School.

“Granite struck first, and we responded on the next drive. Granite scored again, and Friday Harbor drove down the field but lost a fumble on the 20-yard line. Granite then drove down the field, scoring again, making it 21-7 instead of 14-14, which was a huge turning point in the game,” said Wolverine head coach Shawn Kleine.

Despite the loss, Friday Harbor had success through the air.

“Jackson Feliz and Channing Kleine continued their chemistry, connecting for two touchdowns. Kleine recorded 10 receptions for 108 yards—his fourth game this season surpassing 100 yards,” Kleine added.

On defense, Phenix Thomas led the team with seven tackles. The Wolverines will host Blaine in their final home game on Oct. 17.

Boys Soccer

Friday Harbor’s boys soccer team played two matches last week. On Oct. 8, the Wolverines defeated Lopez Island 3-1 in an inter-island matchup. They followed that with a 2-0 shutout over Providence Classical Christian on Oct. 10, closing the week with a 2-0 record.

Friday Harbor Coach Mike Horn was happy with his team’s effort and offense.

“Riley Miller scored all 4 goals last week against PCC and Lopez with some great supporting play from Forrest Goodremont, Milo Martin, Isidro Churape and Abdul Guzman,” said Horn.

Girls Soccer

On Oct. 8, Friday Harbor faced Lopez Island in an inter-island road match. The contest was tightly contested, with strong defensive play keeping the teams locked in a midfield stalemate. The match went to a penalty shootout, which Lopez won 4-1.

“We were pretty disappointed with the outcome, but there were definitely some bright spots. Goalkeeper Lola Clark had an excellent game, as did defender Frankie Pignatiello. I firmly believe Frankie deserves to be in the conversation for best defender in the league. She is a star player. And credit to Lopez head coach Galen Westervelt; he has his squad competing at a high level and taking major strides forward,” said Head Coach Bryan Leighton.

Volleyball

Friday Harbor volleyball played two league matches last week. On Oct. 7, the Wolverines earned a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Coupeville, demonstrating strong serving, defense, and communication.

Two days later, on Oct. 9, Friday Harbor fell 3-2 in a tight five-set match against Orcas Island. Despite the loss, the Wolverines showed tremendous effort and determination.

“It was a week that highlighted the team’s growth, determination, and commitment to competing at a high level,” said Head Coach Willie Blackmon.

Cross Country

The NW 1B/2B League meet was held Oct. 8 at Friday Harbor High School, hosted at the San Juan Golf & Tennis Club.

Women’s 5,000-Meter Varsity Race

Friday Harbor finished second with 47 points behind Mount Vernon Christian (27 points) and ahead of Coupeville (57 points). Sophomore Flora Compton was the Wolverines’ top performer, finishing second in 20:45.61. Autumn Vaught placed fourth (22:44.47), junior Lyla Frohm 11th (24:08.77), Qwynne Price-Morris 13th (24:53.61), and senior Rylee Drew 19th (30:14.80).

Men’s 5,000-Meter Varsity Race

Friday Harbor finished fourth with 82 points, behind Mount Vernon Christian, Coupeville, and Orcas Island. Senior Neil Gresseth led the team, placing sixth in 18:24.42. Other notable finishers included Harrison Edge (14th), Walter Rovente (18th), Carter Staton (24th), Nick Roberson (26th), Victor Rovente (27th), Dustin Neal (28th), Brian Guerrero (30th), Scott Sears (32nd), Hugo Thompson (33rd), and Hunter Matthews (37th), showcasing the team’s depth.

Tennis

On Oct. 4, Friday Harbor boys tennis played Summit Classical Christian.

“We enjoyed just our second home match this season on a day perfectly suited for tennis—cool and cloudy,” said Head Coach Kyle Loring.

The Summit Archers, another 2B school, traveled from Issaquah to Friday Harbor. After two singles and two doubles varsity matches, the Wolverines came away with a 3-1 victory, dropping only the No. 1 singles match.

“We’re playing some of our best tennis of the season as we continue to improve our fundamentals. We continue to make a large number of unforced errors, but we’re starting to balance those out with more winners,” Loring said.