Football coach reviews championship game

Editor's note: Titan football head coach Jeff Nelson submitted his thoughts and perceptions of the December 3 championship game in the Tacoma Dome. See last week's paper for the game coverage article.

Overall, we got off to a really poor start. I think some our players were a little overwhelmed by playing in the Tacoma Dome and playing for a state championship. Throughout most of the first quarter and early into the second we made too many mental and physical mistakes to compete with a quality team like Neah Bay.

Eventually, everyone settled down, and we started playing some really good football, competing at a championship level. Early on, we dug ourselves a huge hole, a situation we weren’t used to, and it was just too much to overcome.

At half time we talked about not quitting and playing hard until the game was over, and our players did exactly that. Our players never quit, and they gave everything they had in the second half. As a result, we executed much better and played very well. I am proud of our team and the effort they gave. The loss stings a little bit, but these kids will look back on this in the near future and realize what a great season we had.

Offensively, starting quarterback Colton Hunt had an extremely solid game. He carried the ball 14 times for 99 yards and a touchdown. He also had 12 completions on 18 passing attempts for 167 yards and two TDs. He made some great decisions in the passing game and carried our team.

Marcus King was a very pleasant surprise on offense. He came in for Gaven Elder, who was injured in the first quarter, and played a great game. King carried the ball five times for 72 yards and a TD. He also had three receptions for 45 yards. And he is only a freshman.

Defensively, we were led by Sage Elder, John DeWulf and Joshua Clark. Those three led the team in tackles, and they also accounted for seven tackles for lost yardage. They were very solid all night long.