ARLINGTON — The Arlington Eagles are preparing for their first game against Marysville-Pilchuck, and they’ve got some returning talent and newcomers to help them this season.
“We are returning two starting linemen on offense and returning three receivers and that’s it for offense,” said head coach Greg Dailer. “Defensively, we have two on the defensive line and one linebacker, and then three out of our four of our secondary, so we’ve got six returning on defense. Our secondary should be a strong seat for us, and the defensive line should be strong for us as well.”
The Eagles went 5-6 in 2012 and made it through two post-season games. Skylor Elgarico graduated in the spring, as did John Decker and A.J. Passalacqua.
“Well, our running back situation is a little new,” said Dailer. “Jared Alskog started as a corner and Alex Hayward, a junior, both kind of came on this season. We have a decent battle going between our sophomore quarterback Bairmuid Murphy and junior Cameron Scrimgeour. Scrimgeour is doing really well and Bairmuid was sort of a surprise talent.”
On the first day of practice, Wednesday, Aug. 21, Dailer spoke to the team about their goals.
“You know what I see when I drive to work?” he asked them. “Mount Pilchuck. And every time I see it, I think, ‘We climbed that this summer, together.’ Anyone can climb it if they choose to do it. Just like we can take down Marysville-Pilchuck if we choose to do it. But it’s not one guy that wins the game. Don’t go into a game thinking, ‘Oh, this guy is really good.’ Ask yourselves, ‘Are they as good as we are?’ We have to choose to be number one.”
The Eagles are hoping to improve their record from last season and focus on immediate goals before thinking about another state championship try.
“I think that we have high expectations as a group and we feel we should compete for the Wesco North title this year. That’s the whole team’s focus right now,” said Dailer. “We have Marysville-Pilchuck for our first opponent and they will give us a good idea of where we are.”
Arlington will host the Tomahawks at John C. Larson Stadium on Friday, Sept. 6, at 7 p.m.
Regal Eagle Auction
The Arlington Gridiron Club is hosting its annual Regal Eagle Auction on Saturday, Sept. 7, to raise money for scholarships and equipment to support the Arlington High School football team.
“This is our annual auction,” said Diona Ries, event coordinator. “We have a silent auction and a live auction, and we will also have a band called, ‘Last Call’ playing live music. They are a local band who played at the 3-on-3 X-travaganza.”
The auction begins at 5 p.m. at the Arlington Boys & Girls Club, and attendees must be 21 years or older as tickets include two drink coupons as well as a catered dinner. There will also be a Dessert Dash following the meal.
Donations came in from local businesses as well as community members who wanted to support the local football program.
The Blazing Onion restaurant, Action Sports, Flowers by George, Paraiso Mexican Restaurant, Stillaguamish Athletic Club, KRKO Sports Radio, Eagle Family Dental, Seattle Seahawks, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, Studio 5, Angel of the Winds Casino and Scott Stayer, D.D.S., have all donated to the cause so far, though the Gridiron Club is still accepting donations.
“We have many more to come along, with many Eagle families who are donating,” said Ries. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
The auction funds directly support the Eagle football team, including for buying new equipment, preparing college scholarships and team camp scholarships. The Gridiron Club is a booster club organization for the Eagles and its objective is to encourage support for the AHS team.
The cost of the auction is $35 for a single ticket and $60 for a couple. To purchase tickets, mail a check noted with “Auction” to the Gridiron Club at P.O. Box 510, Arlington, WA 98223.
