If Hudson’s Bay’s football team is a locomotive, think of first-year head coach Ray Lions as its new conductor.
The senior-heavy group, playing for their third coach in four seasons, continues to speed down the tracks despite the hiccups of coaching changes thrown their way.
But those tracks, the seniors say, are in the right direction.
Just look at the past two seasons: A three-win improvement from 2015, and the 5-4 record in 2016 was the program’s best since 2002.
That’s fine and dandy, senior Myles Artis said, but learning how to handle success is the biggest hurdle the Eagles have to overcome.
“We haven’t achieved anything yet,” he said.
The Eagles know how close they were to reaching the postseason a year ago, not only losing to Kelso in a would-be playoff-clinching game in Week 9, but watching Evergreen win a three-way tiebreaker to secure the 3A Greater St. Helens League’s final postseason berth.
They’re not interested in becoming an ‘almost’ team again, Artis said.
“We’re trying to get over that hump and show people what we can do,” he said.
Under Lions, that’s what Bay hopes to accomplish. The 36-year-old ex-two-sport All-American at Linfield College isn’t changing what’s been working offensively. He’ll continue utilizing the skill-position athletes he has watched from afar coaching Ridgefield’s defense the past five seasons.
And he got a big glimpse early at summer team camp. The Eagles drew a lot of praise not only from Linfield’s coaches, but coaches at other high schools.
One of them was Washington native Drew Bledsoe, a 14-year NFL veteran quarterback who now is the offensive coordinator of his son’s high school team, Summit of Bend, Ore.
The Eagles scrimmaged the reigning Oregon 5A state champions, and Bledsoe went out of his way to praise Bay’s players afterward on their competitiveness, drive and how they played the game the right way.
For Lions and his staff, that was the highlight of the camp … from a Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots, of all people.
“That’s a testament to the work we’ve put in the off-season,” Lions said. “When you hear that from Drew Bledsoe, you know you’ve done things right.”
2016 Record: 5-4, 2-3. Tied for third in 3A GSHL
Best State Finish: Quarterfinals in 1999
Projected Starters
Returning All-League selections in bold
QB Brian Perez 5-11 180 Sr.
RB Marco Cadiz 5-9 150 Sr.
WR Carter Morse 6-1 175 Jr.
WR Julio Vara 5-3 140 Sr.
WR Quadrese Teague 5-7 165 Jr.
TE Myles Artis 6-2 190 Sr.
OL Logan DeGrandpre 6-2 235 Jr.
OL Levi Grahnert 5-9 190 Jr.
OL Angel Terry 6-0 310 Sr.
OL Enrique Leon 5-10 225 Sr.
OL Victor Montez 5-10 245 Jr.
* * *
DL Myles Artis 6-2 190 Sr.
DL Enrique Leon 5-10 225 Sr.
DL Angel Terry 6-0 310 Sr.
DL Logan DeGrandpre 6-2 235 Jr.
LB Daniel Berdogin 5-8 170 Jr.
LB Akilotoa Kaumatule 5-9 185 Jr.
DB Carter Morse 6-1 175 Jr.
DB Julio Vara 5-3 140 Sr.
DB Elijah Fishel 5-9 165 Sr.
DB Marco Cadiz 5-9 150 Sr.
DB Quadrese Teague 5-7 165 Jr.
Coach: Ray Lions (first year)
Schedule
Home games at Kiggins Bowl
League games in bold
Sept. 1 La Salle (Ore.) 5 p.m.
Sept. 8 at Rochester 7 p.m.
Sept. 15 at Evergreen 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 22 Woodland 5 p.m.
Sept. 29 Mountain View 8 p.m.
Oct. 6 at Prairie 7 p.m.
Oct. 13 Mark Morris 7 p.m.
Oct. 20 Fort Vancouver 5 p.m.
Oct. 27 at Kelso 7 p.m.
