By JACKY MILES
For The Beachcomber

Last Saturday the sun was shining, the Cook Shack was grilling and the fans were filling the stadium after a cheerleader parade through town. Fans couldn’t ask for a better day for Pirate football.

The team of 32 players and the new coaching staff made their way onto the field to face their spirited opponents, The Orcas Island Vikings.

The first quarter started off well. Six minutes into the game Nick Amundsen, the Pirate’s quarterback, ran the ball in for the first touchdown of the game. The Viking defense struggled to read the Pirate offense, and they soon realized the Pirates showed up ready to play when Clyde Pruett intercepted a pass and scored the second touchdown in the first quarter.

The second quarter looked promising for the Vikings as they made it on to the score board, earning a touchdown off a kick return. But soon enough the Pirates answered back. Chester Pruett’s defense was on fire as he caught an interception, returning the ball to the Pirates once again. On offense, Sam Schoenberg bombed a 50-yard pass down the field to receiver Ezra Lacina for the third Pirate touchdown. As they ran into the locker room for halftime, only inches ahead of the crowds heading down for a snack, the score was Pirates 21, Vikings 7.

The Pirates got the fans on their feet early in the third quarter with another touchdown. Freshman Bryce Hoisington  read the Vikings quarterback perfectly and made a very important tackle, keeping the Vikings from scoring. The defense was doing its job well, preventing the Vikings; it looked to be 28-7 entering the fourth, when in the last seconds of the third quarter, the Vikings blocked their own punt return, leaving Evan Anderson an opportunity: He scooped up the ball and ran it in for the score.

A high snap on the point after looked like disaster as it bounced off the holder’s hands, only to be caught by kicker Austyn Heit who ran it in for two points. The score at the end of the third quarter was 36-7.

The fourth quarter picked up for the Vikings as they ran the ball in for a touchdown, dragging a Pirate defender across the goal line with one leg. The Pirates made one thing perfectly clear: They were not going to make it easy for the Vikings to score. In the end the Pirates pulled together two more successful drives, with touchdowns by Winter Krimmert and Nick Amundsen. The Pirates finished the game with a 50-14 victory.

The Vashon Bounty Club treated the Vikings, Pirates and cheerleaders to a picnic after the game. Though defeated, the Vikings were great sports and expressed their appreciation for Vashon hospitality and good sportsmanship.

Coach Kelvin Goliday later commented on the game.

“It’s a young team with new staff and a new system. There were some mental errors we need to get rid of; other than that, they played well. The team is excited.”

— Jacky Miles is the mother of a Pirate football player.