The Gig Harbor Tides made a statement at the 2014 Battle in Seattle, so coming back and winning in 2015 seemed very possible as they returned a good chunk of their team.
Things were a bit tougher this year as other Battle in Seattle teams featured some of the top athletes in the country, but Gig Harbor played tough and in the end came away with a second straight championship.
“It’s a really good feeling,” Gig Harbor QB Davis Alexander told NEI. “I think some of the guys including me wanted to prove that it wasn’t a fluke for us to win it last year and prove that we can be really good. I think our teams mindset and chemistry is really special.”
Gig Harbor went undefeated through the round robin with wins over the Prosser Mustangs, Barton Football’s Underclass team and Barton Football’s top Washington team. Going undefeated they received a #1 seed and first round bye in the single elimination portion of the event.
From there, Alexander really took over as Gig Harbor defeated some of the tournament’s top teams, with a couple of the nation’s top QB’s. First they eliminated Jacob Sirmon (’18) and BFA’s Underclass team, followed by Jacob Eason (’16 – Georgia commit) and Ford Sports Performance, then they topped NW Alumni team and Robert Kvinsland (’15 Idaho State signee).
Alexander was magnificent all day, but he took it to a whole new level in the elimination round and ended up taking home a second straight Battle in Seattle MVP.
“It’s always cool to be recognized for an award, but I always gotta give it to my boys, they just make me look good,” Alexander said.
In the last year, Alexander went from a relative unknown, to winning the 2014 Battle in Seattle MVP and championship. He followed that up with a Narrows League Championship and League MVP, and now repeats as Battle in Seattle champion and MVP.
“It’s been a really humbling experience,” Alexander said. “I’ve felt like I’ve had to prove myself a lot because I’m not the prototypical QB size but I’ve felt I’ve done some good things and opened some eyes.
“I’m just trying to help lead our team to something special and doing something we’ve all been wishing for, state championship. Hoping I get a couple offers along the way.”
This truly was a team effort for Gig Harbor, and with Alexander at the helm, you can expect big things from the Tides this coming season.
Gig Harbor Battle in Seattle Roster
(* indicates two-time champ)
*Dre Brazier (DB/OLB – 2016)
*Keyell Davis (DB – 2016)
*Noah Samsen (Slot – 2016)
*Dylan Lindmark (Slot – 2016)
*Alex Bouterse (LB – 2016)
*Cory Condon (DB/WR – 2016)
*Kale Wong (FS/WR – 2016)
*Davis Alexander (QB – 2016)
*Adrian Valona (RB – 2016)
Bailey Weir (DB – 2016)
Kyle Olson-Urbon (WR – 2016)
Roman Havens (DB – 2017)
Zach Davis (DB – 2017)
Andrew Johnson (WR/LB – 2016)
Michael Lebaddie (LB/RB – 2017)
Shawn Kimball (Slot – 2017)
Way to go boys! We're very proud you!