Braves take it on the chin at Coupeville

La Conner quarterback Ivory Damien accounted for more than 200 yards in total offense, including a 79-yard first period scoring strike to wideout Logan Burks, but the visiting Braves still fell 48-6 to NW2B grid foe Coupeville at Mickey Clark Field Friday night.

Coupeville prevailed on the strength of superior roster depth and a punishing ground attack led by Mike Robinett, who ran for three touchdowns and was effective all night on inside blasts.

The Braves also hurt themselves by yielding six turnovers, a blocked punt and a failed fourth down conversion attempt deep in their territory.

Yet matters weren't all grim for La Conner (0-3) as Damien and Tommy Murdock recorded multiple tackles for losses during what was a typically physical league battle between two longtime rivals.

"I think the thing that I'm most proud of," Braves head coach Charlie Edwards told this team afterward, "is that their coach told me he was impressed by how hard you guys hit. He said you hit like trucks."

Indeed, La Conner kept on truckin' despite repeated time-consuming drives by the hosts.

Coupeville set the tone by marching 65 yards on nine plays on its first series, capped by a 10-yard Robinett TD jaunt.

La Conner gambled on its ensuing possession. The Braves went for it on fourth-and-three from their 24 but C.J. Edwards – who had gained seven yards on the previous play – came up short. The ball turned over to the Wolves, who went up 14-0 seven snaps later via a two-yard plunge by signal caller Logan Downes.

La Conner answered with the first – and most impactful – of a handful of big plays made possible by the scrambling ability and arm of Damien. After stopping Coupeville on a fourth-and-one at the Braves 21, the senior field general threw a perfect long spiral to Burks, who was open deep in the Wolves' secondary. Burks reeled in the toss and dashed untouched into the end zone, trimming the lead to 14-6 with less than a minute remaining in the first quarter.

Damien and Burks followed up in the fourth quarter on a 60-yard pass play to the Coupeville 15, but the Braves' stalled there.

"We did a lot of good things," said Edwards, "and one of them was being able to move the ball."

Unfortunately for La Conner, that yardage too often didn't translate into points.

Coupeville, by contrast, was able to close out drives.

A Wolves' methodical 10-play, 70-yard touchdown march spanned the first and second quarters and gave the home team a 21-6 edge.

The Wolves extended their lead to 28-6 two minutes later courtesy of a 57-yard Jack Porter pass interception return.

The victors tacked on three insurance scores after the break.

La Conner tried gamely to shift the tide as Damien delivered a 17-yard second half completion to Austin McClure.

But after a four-yard Kenai Zimmerman pickup and short receptions by Burks and Edwards a promising Braves series died at the Coupeville 16.

La Conner will look to break into the win column Friday with a non-league matchup at Bellingham.