As the 2023 high school football season came to an end, something just wasn’t right for the Peninsula Seahawks juniors.
It was more than just losing three straight games to start the season, including a close 21-20 loss in the Fish Bowl to Gig Harbor. It was more than just going 4-5, marking their first losing season since 2015. It was something else.
“The chemistry on the team just wasn’t right,” said quarterback Mana Smythe.
After the season, Smythe and his then-junior teammates, including running back/linebacker Wyatt Abrigo and wide receiver Hayden Bundy, quickly banded together and took it upon themselves to rebuild the Seahawks’ winning culture. For them, that change began off the field and outside the locker room.
“We just started spending more time with the younger students and that really brought us together,” Bundy said.
That’s when it clicked for the now older players: The team chemistry wasn’t right because they didn’t know their team.
“Last year we practiced just for practice, not to get better,” said Abrigo, who will be selected to the All-South Sound Conference first team in 2023. “Now we push each other in the offseason to improve. We’ve all become one.”
And that’s where the Seahawks’ motto, “11 for 1,” came from, and it could be the push they need to get them over the goal line.
“It was important to build those relationships off the field so that on the field we could hold each other accountable to do our jobs,” said Smythe, who also serves as the team’s all-conference punter.
That accountability will be put to the test early in the season when the Puget Sound League kicks off for both Peninsula and Gig Harbor with the revamped Fish Bowl game at 2 p.m. on Sept. 7. Earlier this year, the Peninsula School District moved the Fish Bowl rivalry from the traditional Friday night game at Roy Anderson Field to Mount Tahoma Athletic Stadium in Tacoma, about a 30-minute drive away.
The Seahawks are still reeling from last year’s loss, in which the Tides overcame a 14-0 halftime deficit and scored a touchdown in the final minute. and secured a 21-20 victory. It was Gig Harbor’s first Fish Bowl win in eight years after the Tides won back-to-back games in 2014 and 2015.
“It got away from us,” said Royal Charles, junior offensive/defensive lineman. “We didn’t play badly, but we became cocky and played with more heart in the second half.”
“This loss has hit us all in some way and spurred us on,” said Smythe, who threw a touchdown at last year’s Fish Bowl, a 5-yard pass to Bundy. He sees this loss as a turning point for the cultural change in the team.
Now, nearly a year later, the Seahawks players feel more prepared and mature for big games like this one.
“(Playing Gig Harbor is) definitely a great way to start the year and it was a great incentive for us to work extra hard knowing they were our opponent in Week 1,” Abrigo said. “A win would definitely give us momentum for the rest of the year.”
In addition to the Tides, Smythe, Bundy, Abrigo and Charles also have their eyes on the regular season finale on October 24 at Timberline.
“We have a score to settle with them,” Smythe said, referring to Peninsula’s 35-0 loss last year.
The Seahawks are optimistic about the 2024 season. They see their front seven as a defensive backbone and boast a strong running game. But they also say it like they see it: The offensive line still needs improvement. Last season, Smythe often had to hustle on passing plays, forcing Abrigo to take on more blocking duties. This year, Abrigo will look to showcase his running skills while Charles, who was named to the All-SCC second team on both sides of the ball last year, and his offensive colleagues focus on creating better openings and protecting Smythe. That should also help Bundy and other receivers have more time to create spacing, giving Smythe a larger window to throw.
Smythe and Bundy are looking forward to senior wide receiver Carson Zimmerman having a standout season. Bundy believes he and Zimmerman can develop into one of the best receiver duos in the state, with Smythe highlighting Zimmerman’s exceptional football IQ.
On defense, Charles will be joined by senior Kyle Williamson and senior transfer Kobe Dejohnette from Spanaway Lake, which will add depth and strength to the defensive line.
There are only three chances to see the Seahawks at home this year. The first game is on September 27th at Roy Anderson Field against Capital. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. But according to the graduating class, this won’t be the last chance to see the newly formed Seahawks.
“We are rebuilding that winning culture this year and hope our younger players can continue it in the years to come,” Bundy said.
