Yellow Pages
OAK HARBOR — The Oak Harbor Wildcat players won’t get points for variety when they contrast their new coach to the old one.
“The two-a-days are a lot more about conditioning,” senior Stephen Lewis said. “With the new stadium we’re running stairs a lot more. He’s big on that and discipline.”
“He’s more disciplined,” junior Donovan Hunt agreed. “He’s the track coach, so we do a fair amount of running, more than last year. We do a lot of agility work.”
He is Jay Turner, and he is getting his first crack as the head coach of the Wildcats after 12 years as an assistant, including seven as defensive coordinator. As the school’s track and field coach, he has brought that work ethic to the football field — and stadium.
“We’re running more,” senior Gary Goebel said. “We’re using our new facility, running stairs. He’s a track coach, so he knows some good workouts.”
Turner took over for Dave Ward, who resigned after 17 seasons having built Oak Harbor into a perennial power. The Wildcats won the Class 4A state title in 2006, and have reached the state quarterfinals in each of the past three seasons.
A repeat of that feat will be a challenge for this Oak Harbor squad, one that saw the bulk of its starting lineup graduate.
“We’re looking good,” Lewis said. “We’re young, but we’ve got to just keep working hard and we’ll be one of the top teams again this year.”
On offense, the Wildcats will return the blazing fast Hunt (jr., 6-0, 175), who ran for 560 yards on just 72 carries as a sophomore. He averaged more than 10 yards per carry much of the year as a wing. This year, Hunt will move into the running back slot held by Chris Valencia.
“Donovan’s a key for us,” Turner said. “He’s extremely athletic. He broke our school record in the long jump. The guy has got some springs and some speed to him and we’re going to utilize that quite a bit.”
Also returning to the backfield is fullback Lewis (sr., 6-0, 200), who was third on the team with 278 yards despite just 36 carries.
The rest of the skill positions are new faces, including junior quarterback Jay Jordan (jr., 5-11, 160). Jordan brings a different style to the position than predecessors Johnny Encinas and Marshall Lobbestael, who were more pocket passers. Jordan has more scrambling ability and likes to work outside the pocket.
“I’m always up for new challenges. This will be the greatest one so far,” Jordan said. “I’m different. I like to scramble, but I can be a pocket passer. I look up to Johnny and Marshall still, but I’ve got to be myself.”
“(Jay) has come light years in a year,” Turner said. “His arm has gotten stronger, he’s grown a little bit and his legs have gotten quicker. He’s starting to show leadership we need out of the quarterback. We’ve got a pretty strong tradition of quarterbacks ... and I have a feeling Jay’s going to fall right in that line. He’s looked really good in the summer and really good in the fall.”
Chris Neumiller (sr., 6-2, 210) returns at a starter on both lines, and Bennett Richter (sr., 5-8, 200) will once again be snapping the ball.
“We changed up plays a little bit, so we need to make sure we’ve got it down blocking-wise,” said Goebel, a guard. “We’re coming together strong.”
On defense, Lewis also should be a key figure, anchoring an experienced group of linebackers that also includes Goebel and Richter.
“We think Stephen Lewis is someone people are going to notice,” Turner said. “He runs really hard. He’s a tough kid. I think people will notice Nick Rouser. He’s a big lineman and the brother of Jake. Nick’s just a little bit bigger and more raw. I also think people will notice Rashad Smith. He’s a tall receiver with good hands.”
How quickly the new pieces mesh with the old may determine how far the Wildcats get this year. A quick test comes tonight, when former North Division rival Cascade comes to Oak Harbor.
“Our goal is to get in the playoffs,” Turner said. “Honestly, the WesCo North this year is anybody’s shot as to who is going to win it. There’s nobody who’s down and nobody who’s way up on top. It’s going to be a very even year, so we’d like to be competing for a playoff spot.”
• Eric Francis can be reached at 360-416-2131 or by e-mail at
