Every high school football team enters September with aspirations of establishing its unique legacy. At Hudson’s Bay, 2014 is sure to be a landmark season for two significant reasons.
For the first time, Hudson’s Bay is not one of the big schools in the area. The Eagles will play in the Class 2A Greater St. Helens League. It is a change that might not thrill Bay fans who remember when the school was competitive with the biggest schools around. But the change is fine with the players.
“I feel like we can compete with any team” in the league, senior running back and linebacker Nehemiah McDougal said.
In recent seasons that has not been the case at Hudson’s Bay. The Eagles have two wins in the last three years — including a come-from-behind victory over Ridgefield last season.
The challenge of turning around the program has been handed to two men. Andy Meyer and Rick Skinner were hired in the spring as co-head coaches. In the mid-2000s, they were assistant football coaches together at Hudson’s Bay. Meyer will coach the offense, Skinner the defense.
Meyer coached Hudson’s Bay boys basketball to two district titles before leaving in 2012 to become the athletics and activities director at Alki Middle School. He has returned to Hudson’s Bay this year as a career guidance counselor.
Skinner was the first baseball coach at Hockinson High School and most recently was the head baseball coach at Centralia College. He teaches physical education at Hudson’s Bay.
“We’ve actually both had a lot of experience going into programs that needed a little jolt,” Skinner said.
One of the first things they did to spark new excitement in the program is place a premium on accountability.
“We realize how big of an impact it is not to have your friends at practice,” senior receiver Anthony Sanchez said, explaining the expectation that every player hold his teammates accountable.
The early results are encouraging to the coaches. About 70 players turned out for the start of football practices.
“There is a night and day difference in the attitude and the effort from when we started in the spring,” Skinner said. “They want to win, and their effort shows that.”
Sanchez, who plays receiver and defensive back, said that practices aren’t much different with two head coaches.
“One thing I like about it is each coach has one thing to concentrate on,” Sanchez said.
As challenging as the recent past has been for Hudson’s Bay football, the struggles are not imprinted on the young players entering the program, according to McDougal, who plays running back and linebacker.
“The great thing about our team is we have a lot of younger guys who aren’t afraid to step up and compete,” McDougal said. “In a tackling drill, they see (veterans) doing it and they step up and do the drill with the same amount of energy,”
Sanchez is optimistic that the Bay student body will get behind the team. Opening the season against rival Fort Vancouver on Friday should generate interest in the school.
Playing Fort Vancouver to open the season is a break from tradition. The rivalry has typically closed the season, but with the Trappers still in Class 3A, the Peace Pipe will be decided on opening night.
Then again, given recent history, a break with tradition might be good at Bay.
Sophomore center Jared Bacon, who played varsity as a freshman, said the Eagles can establish a new tradition if they commit to constant improvement and if look out for each other.
The new persona opponents will most notice each Friday?
“Discipline,” Bacon said. “And a winning mindset,”
