Everett, Wash. Published: Sunday, November 11, 2007
Denied a goal, team huddles
By Scott Pesznecker Herald Writer
EVERETT -- They refused to fall apart when their coach, Terry Ennis, died of cancer in September.
They refused to fall apart this time, too.
The Archbishop Murphy High School football team was supposed to continue a storybook season on Saturday. Instead teammates grappled with anger, shock and disbelief.
The day before, the team learned that it had been ousted from the playoffs -- and much of its perfect 10-0 season was erased -- after it was revealed that one of its players was ineligible because his medical exam had expired after the second game of the season.
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association upheld a Cascade Conference and District 1 board ruling that required the school forfeit most of its season and its playoff victory over Bellingham last week.
"We're angry about the whole decision, we don't think this is a fair punishment," said senior Ryan Bourke, a defensive end and offensive tackle. "But we're not going to get on our haunches and cry about it. We just want to be together and get it off of our minds."
On Saturday, some teammates shed tears and hung out with each other. A couple went to the high school to run sprints and lift weights.
That evening, the team gathered at Everett Memorial Stadium, standing as close to the field as possible without leaving the stands, cheering on their school's girls soccer team in a quarterfinals match against Cedarcrest.
It was a shocking end to a season that started with tragedy. They would have been at the stadium that day playing Mark Morris High School of Longview in a first-round Class 2A playoff game. Their goal all season was to win a state title to honor Ennis.
"They really were emotionally hit hard, and I can't say enough about how they've responded," said Archbishop Murphy Coach Rick Stubrud, who took over for Ennis early into the season.
On Tuesday, the Wildcats plan to return to the stadium and watch the game they would have played in. Bellingham, which the Wildcats beat 28-6 last weekend, will play Mark Morris.
The team didn't know anything was wrong until Friday morning. Before classes started, an announcement over the classroom loudspeakers asked all football players to report to the gym.
"When we got there, it looked like something was really bothering the coaches," said junior JJ Quinlan, who plays tight end and defensive end. "They looked like that when they told us coach Ennis died."
The coaches explained what had happened -- that a player's physical expired and it went unnoticed because it happened just four days before Ennis died, and because the athletic department had moved into a new building over the Labor Day weekend.
Disappointment followed after school during a second team meeting, when the players learned their season was officially over.
"I remember vividly what all the coaches stressed about the subject," said Austin Vander-Wel, a quarterback and defensive back. "It was that life is unfair, and this is just something that will make us stronger in the end. Our team is more than a team. We are a family, and we all will be there for each other."
Several seniors tried to comfort their teammates during the meeting. Bourke told them to be angry together, but not at each other. Quarterback Patrick Kelly talked about what Coach Ennis said in December 2005, after the Wildcats lost in the final minutes to Pullman High School in a state championship game.
Ennis told players at the time that the sun still rises.
"Football might feel like it's everything, but it's not everything," Quinlan said.
After the team meeting, the consolation began. Parents arrived to comfort the kids, bringing pizza to the school cafeteria. The team joined hands in prayer before they left.
Many of the players started their weekend together, hanging out, talking.
"I think people are handling it as best as we can, but it's definitely brought the team together, especially our senior group," said Jake Bos, a senior wide receiver and defensive back.
For Bos, the most difficult thing to deal with is not being able to win a state championship for their fallen coach.
He has faith that this year's juniors can finish this team's business next season.
"They do have another shot next year, and we'd love for them to win a state championship next year," Bos said. "That would be great."
