A strong all-around game carried the South Whidbey High School football team to a 26-6 win over visiting West Seattle Friday, Sept. 13.

The Falcons, now 2-0 in the young season, travel east to face Chelan, also 2-0, at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20.

This is the fourth time coach Mark Hodson has taken his troops to Chelan during his coaching tenure.

“When I saw the schedule last year, I said we need to get a 509 game,” Hodson said. “It is nice to get the kids off the island.”

The trip is a team-building experience, he added. The Falcons will spend the night in the community gym after the game.

Hodson called the West Seattle contest “a good, fun game.”

South Whidbey jumped on the Wildcats, a 3A club, early. First, Carl Henri Chapman ran in from the 12-yard line for a score and Kole Nelson booted the PAT.

Then Billy Rankin returned an interception about 30 yards for another first-quarter TD.

The Falcons also had a touchdown called back in the period because of a penalty.

In the second quarter, Chapman struck again, this time from the 6.

Rankin tallied the final touchdown, scoring on an 8-yard reverse midway through the third period. Nelson, again, converted the point after.

Nelson, the starting quarterback, finished the day hitting 15 of 27 passes for 110 yards. Brady Hezel followed by going 4-for-6 for 20 yards.

The two QBs spread the tosses around to 10 receivers, led by Alex Black, who had three catches for 22 yards.

Chapman, who Hodson said had “a great game,” rushed for 92 yards on 27 carries.

“The defense played great,” Hodson said. “From snap one our kids were aggressive.”

Bodie Hezel collected an interception to go along with Rankin’s pick-6.

“The D line dominated,” according to Hodson, noting that Kobe Balora “probably had the best game of his career.”