Scappoose coach Sean McNabb reflects on career milestone, Cowapa title race
Scappoose coach Sean McNabb is at 201 wins and counting following his team’s 41-0 victory over Seaside that left Scappoose alone atop the Cowapa League standings.
“Two hundred means I have been around for a while, for sure!” said McNabb, who has a 201-73 record in 24 seasons at Scappoose. “I reflect on the previous head coach, Keith Eeds — I was an assistant for him for six seasons, and he was a great mentor. I owe him a lot for the trust he put in me.
“It also makes me think of the great players who have come through here. Some of them have kids that I teach now. The community, the admin, the players and the staff that we have, Scappoose has been a great place to teach, coach and raise a family. I also think about my wife, Mary, and our three boys, all the games she would take them to, and then of course getting to coach them. What a ride!”
Scappoose returned to the Cowapa last year after spending four seasons in 5A. Before leaving the Cowapa, Scappoose had won four of the past six league titles — including their final season in 2017 — and losing to Tillamook in the de facto league championship game last year has motivated the team to bring the title back home this fall.
“Finishing second to Tillamook didn’t sit well with our guys,” McNabb said. “Our group started talking about bringing the trophy back as soon as the season was over. It’s a huge deal to our group to be league champs. Our strength coach, Joe Nowlin, has done a great job in the weight room. Everyone buys in and puts in the work.”
That includes Joe’s son, Max, a junior in his second season as the starting quarterback. He’s already approaching his full-season numbers of a year ago in half the games, throwing for 1,544 yards and 18 touchdowns and completing more than 72% of his passes (140 of 194).
Max Nowlin (Scappoose) photo by Dan Brood
To think, McNabb wasn’t sure Nowlin would be the starter entering camp last year after Nowlin didn’t play as an eighth-grader because of COVID, then missed his freshman season because of injury.
“Max has worked as hard or harder than anyone we have ever had here in Scappoose,” said McNabb, who coached former NFL signal-caller Derek Anderson earlier in his tenure.
“I was very impressed by the poise and confidence he had being a sophomore. He put on 30 pounds and grew a couple of inches in the offseason, and he also got faster and stronger. He is able to get out of the pocket and extend plays this season, and this was something he struggled with as a sophomore.”
Scappoose has the annual 7-Mile War rivalry game with Columbia County neighbor St. Helens this week before Tillamook comes to town in Week 8 for what again should decide the Cowapa title.
Sean McNabb photo by Rockne Andrew Roll
