FOOTBALL
Coach Roberts is back in the saddle again
By Gary Henley
Seaside Signal
GARY HENLEY/SEASIDE SIGNAL
Gio Ramirez is already striking the “Heisman” pose, as he
makes the switch to running back.
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Jeff Roberts is back for
more, and looking to pick up
where he left off.
Well, maybe not right where
he left off. In his last year as
the Seaside football coach, the
Gulls were a disappointing 1-4
in league, just two years after
going 8-3 and making the state
playoffs.
Roberts stepped down fol-
lowing the 2015 season to fo-
cus on his job as the Seaside
principal, but Chad Smith left
the post after 2016, which is
why Roberts is back in the sad-
dle again.
And he’s got work to do, as
Seaside finished 0-5 in league
last season.
On the plus side, the Gulls
have four returning all-league
players, including a running
back and a receiver. And after
missing much of last season
with an injury, their quarter-
back could be one of the best
in the Cowapa League.
The Cowapa
In his previous four years
with the Gulls (2012-15), Rob-
erts’ best record in league was
3-2, accomplished in 2013 and
‘14. It’s a tough league, with
the challenge always being the
same three teams — Astoria,
Banks and Scappoose.
“The history of the league
the last five or six years, (the
league title) runs through
Banks and Scappoose, with us
and Astoria battling it out the
last few years,” Roberts said.
It’s going to run through
Astoria this year, as the Fish-
ermen are the defending
league champs with a 5-0
mark in league play last year.
The Fishermen have won
nine of the last 11 Clatsop
Clash meetings, although
Roberts is quick to note,
“Howard (Rub) and I are 2-2
against each other,” he said.
But, “We’ve got some making
up to do. We didn’t perform
well last year (a 50-12 Astoria
win), and the kids are hun-
gry. It left a bad taste in their
mouth, and that’s a huge mo-
tivator for some of these kids.
They’re hungry and ready to
roll, and we look forward to a
real successful year.”
The Gulls
Big offensive lines always
equal big success. The Gulls
had a big line when Roberts
had Calvin Pollard in the back-
field during his last stint as
coach. And they’ve got anoth-
er big line this year.
Seaside’s strength, howev-
er, is “Our overall athleticism,”
Roberts said. “Even the guys
up front. It reminds me a lot
of the 2013 class, when (Aar-
on) Tadei, Andrew Owens …
Kevin (LaCoste) and Calvin
(Pollard) were juniors — it
reminds me a lot of that class
from an athletic standpoint.”
Although, he said, “I had
the luxury of handing the ball
to Pollard 30 to 35 times a
game, and we’re just not built
that way this year. With that
being said, I’ve got a lot of
kids to hand the ball to and
not have to rely on one kid to
tote the ball that many times.”