Sigurdson reluctant to compare this team with others

South Kitsap coach D.J. Sigurdson isn’t into historical analysis.

The word “relieved” isn’t in his vernacular after the Wolves’ 28-20 win Saturday against Kamiak at Roy Anderson Field in Purdy that propelled them to the Class 4A state playoffs for the first time in five years.

“Personally it’s important, but every team is their own team,” he said. “I told the kids, ‘Now you have a chance to go do something special.’ It’s not this big sigh of relief that we made it.”

Sigurdson, South’s coach since 1997, and former coach Ed Fisher guided the program to the state playoffs every year from 1980-2002, a state record. South never made state before that run, but the current team was the only streak anyone around the program was interested in.

“This is your team and let’s go as far as we can,” Sigurdson said. “We wanted to win the league championship, we didn’t get that but they responded really well and got it done.”

NO LOSING STREAKS

For the first time since 2002, the Wolves’ schedule won’t feature any multiple-game losing streaks. South (7-3), which plays at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Graham-Kapowsin, lost the season-opener at Kentwood (21-19) and again Sept. 14 at Central Kitsap (49-21). The Wolves then won five consecutive games before they dropped the Narrows League title game Oct. 27 against Olympia (33-14).

“They really responded after that,” said Sigurdson, referring to the CK game. “They’ve shown a lot of maturity at different times.”

South also has its most wins in a season since it finished 9-1 in 2002.

DIFFERENT LOOK

South quarterback Chad Tester completed 7-of-12 passes for 91 yards against Kamiak. That’s not a high volume of passes at most schools, but it is for the run-oriented Wolves.

“In practice all week, we kind of wanted to switch the one-dimensional thought of us (running),” Tester said. “We worked really hard in practice on getting the ball in the air. We switched it up on them — they weren’t ready for it.”

COACHING PATHS

While Sigurdson has spent his entire career as coach at South, Graham-Kapowsin coach Eric Kurle now is at his third school. Kurle, who backed up Billy Joe Hobert at Puyallup and then another future NFL quarterback, Craig Kupp, at Pacific Lutheran, guided Clover Park (1996-97) and Bethel (1998-2004) to winning records before Graham-Kaposwin opened.

“They’re pretty physical and like to run the ball,” Sigurdson said.

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