QUILCENE — There are big changes happening with the Quilcene football program, with six seniors graduating from last year’s 10-2 team and a new head coach replacing Trey Beathard, who had led the Rangers for nine years.
Taking over the program will be Darrin Dotson, who has been an assistant coach for the Rangers and a head baseball coach, so he already knows most of the kids on the team from those jobs.
Beathard was wildly successful in his reign in Quilcene, going 67-23 over nine years, which included a shortened COVID-19 season and repeatedly taking the Rangers to the state playoffs. Quilcene played in the 1B state championship game in 2021 (and Dotson was on the staff that year as an assistant) and made it to the state semifinals in 2018.
“I can’t fill his shoes. I have to find my own path,” Dotson said. He said he personally learned a lot about coaching from Beathard. “Trey and [former coach Byron Wilson] were the godfathers of football.”
Dotson said a feeling of togetherness has always been one of the strengths of the Rangers.
“There’s a different kind of togetherness in Quilcene and Brinnon. A lot of kids look out for each other. There’s not a lot of egos,” he said.
The Rangers also graduated quite a few seniors off last year’s 9-2 squad — Tyler Beukes, Mason Iverson, Taylor Boling and Tyler Wills. The hardest person to replace will be Andrew Perez-Lopez, the team’s starting quarterback, who had more than 1,400 all-purpose yards last year. He was also a stud on defense as a defensive back.
Despite the senior losses, Dotson is happy with 19 kids listed on the roster. “That’s more than I expected,” he said.
Dotson said this year’s team doesn’t have a lot of size, but it does have some quick kids.
“We have more fast race cars than bulldozers,” he said.
One of the workhorses returning to the team is senior Robert Evans, who will likely carry much of the workload offensively. He is listed as a wide receiver and defensive back, but he will also carry the ball a lot. Last year, he had 623 yards rushing.
Also returning is Oliver Hopkins for his senior year. Hopkins is an athletic baseball star for the Rangers. Hopkins has played some quarterback for the Rangers in past seasons and is slated for the QB position as well as defensive back.
“His eyes and composure will be helpful,” Dotson said.
Liam Neziri is another returning senior. Dotson has coached him since he was 7 years old.
“He has a lot of leadership. He is the first to point out his own faults. He will be a good mentor,” Dotson said. He said Neziri, Evans and Hopkins will be the leaders of the team.
Another returning player is Isaac Figueroa, who got a lot of playing time on last year’s team as a freshman. He will play a lot of linebacker.
“He reads the field and sees it really well,” Dotson said.
The roster will be filled out by Ryder Thibodeau-Kjosen, Kayden Lont, Zane Thompson, Tyler Matheson, Logan Carstensen, Shayden Chang-Avelino and Dayton Bremsstrahlung. Thibodeau-Kjosen got some time in last year as a freshman as a 240-pound center and defensive lineman.
“He’s going to be a dude for us over the next couple of years,” Dotson said.
As always, the Rangers will have a lot of brothers on the squad, including Jason and Tristan Naputi, Robert and Wyatt Sexton, and Seth and Eli Simmons.
On Dotson’s staff as assistants will be Jeremy Simmons, Mark Dumond and Brogan Long.
In addition to the changes in staffing and players, Quilcene, after years of being in the Sea-Tac League, is still adjusting to a new league. The Rangers for the time being don’t have Crescent on their schedule, as the Loggers have dropped down to 6-man football. That means playing tough, physical teams such as Darrington, Lummi and Concrete. And, of course, the top dog of the league, Neah Bay.
“Neah Bay is going to be the team to beat,” Dotson said.
Quilcene gets a tough test early on the road Saturday against Lummi and hosts its first game at 1 p.m. Sept. 13 against Concrete.
Quilcene Rangers
• Head coach: Darrin Dotson.
• Last Season: 9-2 overall, 7-1 in the Northwest 1B.
• Key Returners: Robert Evans, WR, DB; Oliver Hopkins, QB, RB, LB; Logan Carstensen, DE, TE; Liam Neziri, QB, RB, DB; Isaac Figueroa, Q, DB; Tyler Matheson, S, WR; Hunter Simmons, C, DE, G.
• Newcomers: Ryder Thibodeau-Kjosen, C, DL; Tristan Naputi, DB, RB; Jason Naputi, DB, RB; Kayden Lont; Zane Thompson, Seth and Eli Simmons, Robert and Wyatt Sexton.
• Strengths: New coach Dotson has been part of the staff as an assistant and has coached baseball in Quilcene, so knows the players. Hopkins is an outstanding athlete. Evans has been a big contributor for years.
• Outlook: Quilcene is almost always tough in the Northwest 1B League with eight winning seasons out of the past nine. The Rangers have some good senior leadership in Hopkins, Evans and Neziri, but have to replace much of their offensive firepower from last year.
• Schedule: At Lummi, 1 p.m. Saturday; Concrete, 1 p.m. Sept. 13; Neah Bay, 1 p.m., Sept. 20; at Charles Wright, 1 p.m. Sept. 27; Muckleshoot, 1 p.m. Oct. 4; at Darrington, 6 p.m. Oct. 17; La Conner, 1 p.m. Oct. 25; at Tulalip Heritage, 7 p.m. Oct. 31.
