Anacortes football taps new leader after Justin Portz steps down to become school athletic director

Justin Portz had an important decision to make last spring: Remain the football coach at state-contending Anacortes High School or resign to become the new athletic director.

Portz chose the latter, leaving a void in the program.

But the Seahawks knew who to turn to - fifth-year staff member Travis Anderson, the team's assistant head coach and offensive coordinator from a year ago.

It's not too often a first-year coach gets to take over a team that is expected to be playing in late November, but Anderson, 30, is ready to take on the challenge.

"We're just going in with the mindset – we're hearing all the buzz – to not worry about what other people think, but just be competitors in everything we do," Anderson said.

Anderson called it a "dream scenario" with Portz now in the building as an administrator.

"It doesn't get any better to have that support system still in the school," Anderson said. "He's still going to be at practice and I dare someone to keep a headset away from him on game day."

Portz no longer commanding the sideline is just about the only major change for the Seahawks this fall.

Anderson, a Kansas native, said it'll be business as usual as the rest of the coaching staff remains intact. Anacortes is also returning its core group of talent from a season ago that includes quarterback Rex Larson, running back Brock Beaner and wide receiver Brady Beaner.

"We are who we are," Anderson said. "We're not making a ton of big changes, it's just titles that are getting changed."

A former standout Missouri Western State University (NCAA Division II) lineman, Anderson was a Kansas City Chiefs' rookie mini-camp invitee before he spent one season as a graduate assistant at his alma mater.

Anderson and his wife moved out to Washington in 2019 when he took a job with the city of Anacortes park and recreation and she became a police officer hire in the city of Burlington.

He initially joined the Seahawks' staff later that fall when the school canceled all varsity football under former coach Chris Hunter. He stayed on under Portz - and in his own words, considers himself a player's coach.

Anderson hopes to just keep momentum from last season rolling after he Seahawks had a chance to claim the 2A Northwest Conference title, but fell to eventual two-time state champion Lynden.

A loss to North Kitsap in the quarterfinals of the WIAA Class 2A playoffs put an end to a stellar season in the team's first year back competing in the conference.

While the obvious goals are a conference championship and deep postseason run, Anderson said they're going to take things one day at a time.

"The end goal matters, but it's all those small steps in the process to get to that end goal," he said.

(Featured photo by EJ Harris Photography)