Had it not been for those three losses — by a combined total of just six points — the Seahawks would have been playoff-bound last season for a second year in a row.

Head Coach Darrin Scheffer and crew know they have a formidable task ahead in opening the 2012 season on the road, though not far from home, against the Seahawks, this Friday, Aug. 31. That’s right, season opener in August.

It’s not the Seattle Seahawks we’re talking about, of course. It’s the Anacortes Seahawks, a Division 2A team which, following last year’s near-miss 4-6 season, is now two years removed from its milestone playoff run, reaching the quarterfinals of the state tournament for only the third time in school history. Kick off is 7 p.m., in Anacortes.

“We’re starting off the season with a bang, no doubt about it,” Scheffer said. “We’re going to go out there and play our hearts out. The kids are excited.”

In Anacortes, the Wolverines will have a team from a bigger school and a tougher league on their hands. The Seahawks battle the likes of Ferndale, Lyden and Sehome on a regular basis and enter the 2012 season with glory days to recapture. The Wolverines will be looking for a win and for momentum to improve on last year’s 3-7 mark.

A victory on the Seahawks home field, where no Friday Harbor team has played in 15 years or better (equal to Scheffer’s tenure with the team) could set the Wolverines on the right course.

In addition to the Seahawks, Friday Harbor has two other new opponents on its 9-game regular-season schedule. The addition of Blaine and Mount Baker — former Division 2A schools competing on the 1A level this year — means the Wolverines play against their more recent Whatcom County rivals, Lynden Christian, Meridian and Nooksack Valley, only once this year.

Following Friday’s season-opener in Anacortes, the Wolverines are home to host Lynden Christian, Sept. 7, at 6:45 p.m.