POULSBO — Jeremiah Doehne’s thirst to beat Bainbridge Island in football began around the time he made his first tackle.
“I remember playing Bainbridge Island in Pee Wees and losing two championship games back to back. That’s where it all started,” Doehne said last week.
The North Kitsap High School running back will get his shot to make up for it on Friday, as the Vikings kick off the season with a 7 p.m. game at Bainbridge Island’s field.
The game between the Vikings and Spartans is an old rivalry made new again. The two teams haven’t met on the football field for several years but agreed to play a non-league match when the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association voted to move the date of football’s first practice back, allowing teams to add a 10th game.
“When we first heard about it, we got chills,” said Vikings’ junior quarterback Jared Prince.
Head coach Jerry Parrish is more even-keeled about the players’ excitement over the opener.
“I hope they get more excited when they get into league,” Parrish said.
The Vikings go into the 2003 season hoping to build on last year’s success, when they reached the playoffs before being eliminated by Bellarmine Prep in the first round.
North Kitsap has graduated some key players from that team — most notably running back James Smith and linebacker/offensive lineman Chris Carlsen, both of whom will play college ball — but returns several, and the coaches and players are optimistic they will compete when league play begins.
It starts with Prince, whose sophomore campaign yielded more than 1,000 yards through the air and helped NK to a 5-4 record.
The 6-foot-3 Kingston Junior High alum spent some of the summer at football camps, working on his accuracy.
“We’ve been fortunate in the last few years to have some pretty good quarterbacks,” Parrish said. “He may have a better total package of football than all the others.”
On the offensive side of the ball, Prince will be aided by Doehne, who scored four touchdowns in his first six games last season, along with Nic Stearns and Andy Sturza, who will also run the ball. A young group of receivers will be led by newcomer Bryce Darrow, who is a senior but will play his first year for NK.
Offensive lineman Bobby Thompson said the line is ready as well.
“The fourth quarter is going to be successful for us,” Thompson said. “Our conditioning is way beyond what it’s been in the past. Everyone’s playing intense, like their hair’s on fire.”
Coaches are expecting a similar intensity out of the defense, which will be guided this year by new defensive coordinator and West Sound Orcas defensive back Dave Snyder.
The defense will boast several familiar names, including Prince and Doehne, who play defensive back; It will also be fueled by others such as linebackers Jacob Snell and Sam Thomas.
Younger players, including running back Jerrell Smith, quarterback Jeff Ottele and tight end Joel Guido will add depth.
