sports CORRESPONDENT

What a team, those Highline Pirates - the laughing stock of the league of late. But guess who may have the last chortle this season?

"Winning just one would be nice this season but we are wanting to win more," said 6-2, 175, linebacker Justin Gibson, a captain on the team.

"Breaking our losing streak is the first step," said 6-0, 180 Zach James, a sophomore captain and lineman.

Why could success come so suddenly from what has been a horrific last few years for this team where fans don't come, except the ones that have to, like the parents.

The Pirates have a new coach, a quite-successful-in-the-past new coach, and he should really change things around for last year's Seamount League doormat that was a winless 0-9.

But just gander at that new head coach Mike Brown's track record for football in the long past and the coming meaning of this season could be very clear.

The players certainly see a clear difference already and the season has not even begun. It begins at Highline Memorial Sept. 7 against Granite Falls and the first league home game will be Sept. 16 against Hazen.

"Coach sets really tight rules, gives us good guidelines to follow," said Trevor Caldwell, a captain and 5-9, 150 quarterback on the Pirates.

"The coaches know what they are doing," said Tyler Wekell, a captain, too, and 6-0, 180, playing center on offense and defensive end on defense.

That's to say things were not so organized before?

"We're not confused, not interchanging coaches," said Caldwell.

"I will have things that are set up for kids maybe who are not as big and fast," said Brown.

Players like Caldwell, who is now the listed at quarterback, will see plenty of action it sounds like at other spots, with this simple offense that so many can run.

"Right now, I know what six positions are," said Caldwell.

"We are all pretty well rounded," said Justin Gibson, a captain who will play inside linebacker.

"The plays are simple," said Brown, who comes to the Pirates with 35 years of football experience, including a Kingbowl state championship 3A win in 1991 and a runner-up performance the year after that, with Mercer Island. He also, if you want to hear more, coached Newport when they dominated, winning 57 of 64 games while Brown was there.

So, the plays are simple. There must be something that is not so simple.

"The blocking is complex," said Brown. "Our system will be set up so there is no one that needs a playbook. There are no playbooks for the players on the field."

So, this team could do what the Cincinnati Bengals did and almost upset the highly favored San Francisco 49ers in the 1988 Superbowl -with a no-huddle offense that Bengals coach Sam Wyche brilliantly orchestrated.

"We could do that. We won't to start out but we can," said Brown.

Sounds like the Pirates can make some noise in this league this season, something they've made more of a pip squeak than anything else in the recent past.

"Players to watch will be ones like Isaac Cameron, who has shown ability to flash through the holes of blocking linemen as he plays halfback, or, maybe quarterback, or, even wide receiver.

And, on defense he is slated at safety, but the 6-2, 185 speedster could be a linebacker or defensive back or defensive end if Brown does things perfectly in line.

Others to watch will be Danny Hignite, a 5-7, 165 halfback or fullback.

Offensive linemen like Wekell, according to Brown, will be big players for his schemes.

"He is the ASB president, too," said Brown.

There will also be Eric Skagen , a 6-1, 260 pound junior guard to watch out for, and Dan Pizarro, at 6-0, 250. Bryce Henley, an offensive tackle, will demand some watchful attention, too, for other teams as Brown notices his skills already showing strong. Tight end Andy Paulsen will be a 6-0, 175 force, playing outside linebacker and a few other positions on defense. Justin Gibson will be a primary middle linebacker, stuffing the run of foes. He is 6-1, 195.

Things are different now. There were 25 players to start the hell week back in mid-August, otherwise known as two practices, or, a.k.a., "two-a-days" workouts with morning and afternoon grueling practices.

"There are 45 players now. We've actually had more players join since we started," said Gibson.

"Everyone is telling everyone," said Wekell. "It's actually a fun program now. Everyone knows 3-4 positions. We've had two pizza parties, two barbecues since June as a team."

"We had maybe eight players that would at most come out summertime for weight room training and running summer practices," said Gibson. "This year we had a lot more than that."

"There was a core group of about 13 that came out during the summer, that has really paid off for us," said Brown. "It's made a huge difference to have had all those kids come out and give up their summers."

So, the team is set, not too many superstars, not any really. The quarterback, Anthony Watkins is about the fastest player and the closest to 'super' the Pirates have, but he is out for a while from a broken hand.

"He will be a player," said Brown. "Fast is what we are looking for from our quarterback."'

The Oklahoma Sooners play that well as anybody, beating most teams in the country with it under Barry Switzer. But Brown did not learn that style from Switzer. He did learn it from somebody however.

"Coach Bill Bloomer installed this offense," said Brown. "He is a major influence in my coaching. He only ran three or four plays and that is what we are going to run. It's a no-mistake offense. If someone gets hurt, you can just plug in another guy."

Plug. Sounds like a good word to describe Brown's electrifying offensive potential.

"I like what I see out there," said Brown. "The other coaches do, too."

Other coaches are Mitch Johnson as defensive coordinator, John Peters as defensive back and running backs coach, Marshall Jones as linebackers coach, Gary Manus as freshmen coach and linemen coach and Kevin Tessadoro as coach of freshmen running backs and wide receivers.

Dave Pennington played under Brown as a quarterback when they won the Kingbowl at Mercer Island.

"He's going to help out with the offense and defense," said Brown. "He brought us the film of the wishbone offense from when I was coaching there. It is a identical offense to the one we run. I can't tell you how much that has helped us out."