BATTLE GROUND — It was another playoff game, another playoff victory for the Hockinson Hawks last week.
Coach Rick Steele was giving the post-game talk to his players when he realized something was different. The Hawks were pleased with their effort, with the result, but they were not celebrating nearly as much as they did last year when they won in the playoffs for the first time in program history.
Steele wondered why.
An unknown player spoke up: “We have more games to play.”
The Hawks are not content with their second consecutive trip to the Class 2A state football quarterfinals. Hockinson (11-0) faces Sedro-Woolley (8-3) at 4 p.m. Saturday at Battle Ground’s District Stadium, with the winner advancing to the semifinals.
A year ago, the Hawks seemed satisfied just making it to this round. This season, this is just a step toward the ultimate goal.
“The mindset last year is we all just focused on winning a playoff game,” senior Peter Schultz-Rathbun said. “Once we did that, we were happy with that.”
Hockinson won the district cross-over playoff game last year, rallying from 21 points down in the fourth quarter. The next week, the Hawks won a close game in the first round of state.
From there, they traveled to Bellingham to face Lynden and, well, the game was over in a hurry. The Hawks just were not ready.
“It was very apparent when we showed up at the stadium,” Steele said. “Lynden just treated it like any old football game. We didn’t know what to expect because we’d never been there before. The kids were talking. ‘This is nice. I’ve never played in a stadium this big before.’
“Lynden came out of the locker room and our kids were just watching them. The whole atmosphere got our kids out of the comfort zone. It was almost like the last thing they were thinking about was a football game.”
Schultz-Rathbun acknowledged the team was nervous.
Now, instead of being tight and nervous, the Hawks are focused.
“The goal all along has been to go all the way,” Schultz-Rathbun said.
This focus does not mean the Hawks are guaranteeing a win over Sedro-Woolley, the defending state champion. The Hawks just believe they belong among the elite in the state.
“Last year, we weren’t experienced at this level,” senior Kedrick Johnson said. “We were scared and not as confident. This year, we have a lot more confidence, and we’re hungry.”
The Hawks won four league titles in previous years without winning the Week 10 district crossover. They got their break-through last year, but after losing in the quarterfinals, they returned to the field looking for more in 2015.
It started with the regular season and a near-complete destruction of the Class 2A Greater St. Helens League. Hockinson had seven shutouts and only had one close game, a 17-7 decision over Ridgefield.
The challenge for Steele and the coaching staff was to keep the Hawks focused on the long-term goal after winning so convincingly week to week.
“We now know what state-level competition is, so let’s quit playing 2A GSHL-level,” Steele said. “Let’s play at a level required for state-level type of play.”
Which is why there were no let-downs during the season. 28-0. 42-14. 49-0. 48-0. 49-0, etc.
“We always wanted to keep the flow going,” Johnson said. “We never wanted to slow. We made sure everybody was still hyped.”
This is the new mentality for the Hockinson Hawks.
“We don’t stop,” Johnson said.
