Wolverines sports roundup

By Declan O’Malley

Journal contributor

Wolverine football dominates, volleyball battles on the road, soccer splits results and cross-country runs to a solid finish.

Football

On Sept. 25, Friday Harbor football delivered a dominant performance with a 63-0 shutout over South Whidbey.

“Honestly, it would be really hard to call out any one player in Thursday’s win over South Whidbey. Everyone played well. Our offensive and defensive line controlled the line of scrimmage all night long, and when that happens, everyone plays well,” head coach Shawn Kleine said.

Quarterback Jaxson Feliz connected consistently with receivers Channing Kleine and Ben Baisch, while running back Duncan Bogart found success on the ground. After a 51-yard touchdown was called back for a penalty, Bogart ran the same play again and scored on back-to-back snaps.

On defense, Henry Pope recorded multiple sacks, while Finn Levisheff and Boaz Moses dominated the line of scrimmage. Parker Aylward also tallied his first interception of the season, capping off a strong all-around team effort.

Volleyball

The Wolverines faced a challenging week on the road, falling 3-1 at Mount Vernon Christian on Sept. 23 and 3-0 at La Conner on Sept. 25. Friday Harbor now sits at 3-4 overall and 1-4 in district play.

Boys soccer

On Sept. 24, Friday Harbor boys soccer edged Providence Classical on the road with a 1-0 victory to go 1-0 in league and 5-1 in conference, which puts them in second place behind Orcas Island High School.

Girls soccer

On Sept. 23, Friday Harbor battled league rival Mount Vernon Christian in front of a packed Linde Field crowd, ultimately falling 2-1 against last year’s state runner-up.

Senior forward Stella Carli led the Wolverines early, creating chances before MVC scored late in the first half. The Hurricanes added another goal in the second half before sophomore Lyla Ovenell buried a highlight free kick to cut the deficit. Friday Harbor pressed late and nearly equalized in the final seconds, showing grit against one of Washington’s top teams. They’ll get a rematch Oct. 16 at MVC.

“MVC has been the top team in our league for many years. We showed them — and, more importantly, ourselves — that we are neck and neck with them. With a little more refinement, we can overtake them,” head coach Bryan Leighton said.

Two days later, on Sept. 25, the Wolverines bounced back with a 5-2 win over Coupeville, evening their record at 2-2.

Cross-country

Sept. 24 Northwest 1B/2B League Invite, Orcas Island.

Friday Harbor finished fourth in the boys varsity 5,000-meter race with a team score of 60, just behind Coupeville (58), Orcas Island (56) and Evangel Classical (36). The Wolverines were led by senior Neil Gresseth, who placed seventh overall in 19:21.98. Friday Harbor dominated the girls varsity 5,000-meter race, led by sophomore Flora Compton, who captured first place overall in 21:54.15.

Sept. 26–27, Return of the Salmon Invitational, Osprey Park, Washington.

Friday Harbor girls dominated the junior varsity 5,000-meter race, led by Flora Compton, who finished fourth overall. Sophomore Isabel Bashaw placed ninth in 21:42.80, while sophomore Autumn Vaught finished close behind in 21:46.60. The Wolverines’ top runners set a strong pace and combined with solid performances from the rest of the team to secure a competitive showing in the junior varsity race.

In the boys junior varsity 5,000-meter race, Friday Harbor finished fourth with a team score of 101, trailing Enumclaw (28), Eastside Catholic (79) and Sedro-Woolley (84). The Wolverines outpaced Thomas Jefferson (162), Highline (167), Everett (175), Mariner (182), Mount Vernon (246), Cascade (Everett) (250), Blaine (292),and Granite Falls (373), showing depth and consistency across their JV roster