By Michael Carman
Peninsula Daily News

POULSBO — The Sequim Wolves have won more football games this season (three) than they had in the previous two seasons (two).

But don’t let the 3-0 record fool you.

While Wolves coach Erik Wiker was certainly proud of his players efforts after Sequim’s 27-19 win against Kingston, he also let them know they “haven’t done anything yet.”

“It’s a great turnaround, but I don’t think we’ve hit our stride or our potential yet,” Wiker said.

“Some of that is [the opponents’] great play and some of that is us shooting ourselves in the foot, and that’s a little bit of lingering [issues] from last year.”

And Wiker, who saw the Wolves through to seven league titles in his first eight seasons as head coach from 2004 to 2011, knows just a little about what it takes to win consistently.

A win in the Sept. 26 matchup with eighth-ranked and defending league champion North Kitsap Vikings (3-0) will require all his team can muster, and then some.

The Vikings allowed their first three opponents this season to score seven points each. Meanwhile, the Vikings scored 29, 28, and 26 points against those same opponents — Bainbridge, W.F. West and Black Hills.

The Vikings offense has accumulated 879 yards and 40 first downs. Of the total yards, 626 come from rushing — 320 from running back Kyle North alone, averaging 5.3 yards per play.

On defense, the Vikings have allowed a total of 819 yards, 41 first downs. Bob Evans, TJ Jensen and Chris Andrews have been the primary tacklers on the field. And the Wolves need to be wary of Leif Klinger, who has two interceptions so far.

Along with their strong run game and unforgiving defense, the Vikings are getting two starting players back from injuries. Andrew Hecker, a 6-foot-1-inch 178-pound senior, will play corner and wide receiver, according to Vikings head coach Jeff Weible. Austin Nettleton, a 5-foot-9-inch 153-pound senior, returns as a receiver.

The Vikings lost 6-foot-3-inch 230-pound linebacker Chris Tom to a broken leg.

“Besides [Tom] we are very healthy (knock on wood),” Weible told the Herald.

Wiker expects the Vikings to bring plenty to the table.

“North Kitsap is going to be really good,” Wiker said.

“It’s a game of emotion and if they come in and think we aren’t much, or if we go in and think they are going to kill us, that’s more to it than anything else.”

North Kitsap Vikings vs. Sequim Wolves kickoff: 7 p.m., Sept. 26, at North Kitsap Stadium.