When Josh Seymour took a teaching job at Willapa Valley High School and joined the PWV football team coaching staff, he never anticipated being a head coach at all, yet alone taking over midseason.
He admitted there was a ‘surprised’ reaction initially. Then his focus went to his team.
“We needed to come together as a team and coaching staff,” Seymour said. “Knew it was the right thing to do.”
The Titans gave their interim head coach his first career victory in improbable fashion.
Down 20 points in the second half, PWV rallied to force overtime and leave Ellensburg with a 34-28 double overtime triumph over Lake Roosevelt on Saturday afternoon.
“It wasn’t looking good at the beginning,” Seymour admitted. “Drive, (pretty hot) weather, had some injuries, all the excuses in the world. One thing you can always count on with PWV kids is they’re fighters, they’ll never quit.
“That encompasses what this team is about.”
Last week featured a 19-point loss to Toledo and what turned out to be the final game for former head coach Nate Smith. Pe Ell athletic director Keith Shepherd stated that Smith, in his second year at the helm, resigned on Monday due to personal reasons.
Seymour was immediately named interim and the players found out on Tuesday.
“Kids were a little shocked,” Seymour said. “They were excited to show everyone they could come together as a family, rally together. People might write you off because of the situation, but we still have a lot of talented players. Do the best you can with the cards you're dealt.
“For being a bunch of teenagers, they handled it better than you could ask kids to handle that.”
After the PWV defense halted the Raiders in the first OT period, Cody Mican found the endzone on a 4-yard sweep play that capped the comeback and moved the Titans to 2-2 on the season.
Next week begins C2BL West play for the Titans when they host Raymond/South Bend. Even with a new voice, the goals they set in fall camp remain unchanged.
“Make the playoffs, have a home playoff game,” Seymour said. “Once you get in the dance, you never know what can happen.”
