There are several key points to take away from state-ranked Montesano’s 41-20 season-opening non-league victory against Aberdeen at Stewart Field on Friday.

Mostly positive. Some not so positive.

First, the Bobcats are better this year.

Aberdeen looked pretty good on both sides of the ball for most of three quarters. Had it not been for a couple of major momentum-swinging plays on special teams, it would have been a very different game.

I’ll give the Bobcats credit for their resilience as well.

There were two points in the game when it felt that the Bulldogs were about to step on the gas and pull away. Aberdeen made plays to stay within striking distance, first an impressive 69-yard catch-and-run by Kylan Touch in the second quarter which cut Montesano’s lead to 20-12, then a 70-yard halfback pass from Touch to Cameron Hochstetler late in the third frame for a 27-20 Bulldog lead.

The flip side is the Bulldogs overcame a brilliant all-around performance by Touch, and still came away with a 21-point victory. The senior running back racked up 124 rushing yards, 81 receiving yards, 70 passing yards and played a part in two of Aberdeen’s three touchdowns.

Montesano’s offensive line, which is returning only one starter from last season’s senior-laden group, and passing game looked a little shaky at times, but really came through with big plays at other times.

It was fun to watch Kobe Gallinger explode onto the scene with a 57-yard kick return for a touchdown in the first half. The senior receiver also made a great adjustment on a severely underthrown ball down the left sideline and turned it into an 80-yard gain in the third quarter.

Both of Gallinger’s big plays occurred when the Bulldogs had started to get a little flat and needed a boost.

Another encouraging sight for Montesano was Sam Winter’s touchdown reception in the fourth quarter. I think this high-point reception was a foreshadowing of big things to come in the next few years for this talented sophomore.

Carson Klinger was fantastic as usual. The Bulldog senior worked hard for all 180 of his yards and found the end zone twice.

Klinger is proving to be more than just an explosive runner. He is a versatile workhorse back who can help grind it out between the tackles.

Watching how hard Klinger played and some of the hits he took on Friday, all I could think was “Man, he’s going to be sore after this one.”

Another bright spot in Montesano’s running game was Teegan Zillyett showing he can help carry the backfield load. The junior looked comfortable and capable as a runner and scored a rushing touchdown of his own.

Picking up a non-league win over a Class 2A opponent is a good way to kick-off the season, but the road won’t get any easier for the Bulldogs this Friday when they host Sequim.

The Wolves picked up a win by forfeit in week-one because their opponent, Port Townsend, did not have enough eligible players to field a team.

So, unfortunately, we can’t learn anything about Sequim from the results of their first contest.

The Bulldogs did, however, travel to Sequim to take on the Wolves last season. Montesano racked up more than 700 yards of offense in a convincing 66-34 win.

Many of you might remember that game as the day that Carson Klinger could not be stopped. Klinger scored seven (not a typo) touchdowns in the contest. Then a junior, Klinger gained 226 yards and scored five times on the ground, caught a 34-yard touchdown pass and returned a kick 90 yards for another score.

It was one of the most productive performances I have seen by a high school athlete in any sport.

Sequim finished last season with a 7-3 record, its only losses coming against Montesano, North Kitsap (whose only loss in 2016 was to eventual 2A state champion Archbishop Murphy) and Eatonville (in the post-season).

Like Montesano, the Wolves lost most of their offensive line from last season, but are returning some key skill position players.

Sequim runs a spread offense and has several talented receivers, including reigning Olympic League 2A MVP Gavin Velarde. The signal caller for the pass-heavy attack is defending Olympic League 2A Offensive MVP Riley Cowan.

Velarde primarily plays wide receiver, but also will line up in the backfield and take some handoffs. The speedy senior, who also returns kicks and plays free safety, scored 22 total touchdowns last season between offense, defense and special teams. He currently holds school records for career receptions (103), receiving yards (1,732), receiving touchdowns (19) and 100-yard receiving games (eight).

Basically what I’m saying is keep an eye on number 23 for Sequim.

Velarde showed the Bulldogs how dangerous he can be during their matchup last season by returning the opening kickoff 93 yards for a score. He also scored on a 37-yard pass from Cowan later in the contest.

Three of Sequim’s five touchdowns in that contest came via kick returns.

It won’t be easy for Montesano to stop Sequim’s potent offense with as much success as it did last season. The Wolves’ skill players improved as the season went on last year and are a formidable group.

Sequim also was caught off-guard by the Bulldogs’ counters and play action passes in the contest, which left gaping holes for Klinger and the other Montesano backs to run through.

The Wolves should be more prepared for the Bulldogs’ offense this time around.

This may be the toughest test Montesano faces for the next several weeks. The Bulldogs will have to be focused and disciplined to earn a win.

Go Dogs.