High Schools

<< Previous   of   Next >> Judy Stanley / The Herald  (click to enlarge) The Granite Falls High School football team will run the play "Tooth Right 43 Lead" on their first play from scrimmage this season in honor of assistant coach Joe Montooth, who died over the offseason.   ADVERTISEMENT   HIGH SCHOOL SCORES AND SCHEDULES: By sport: BaseballBoys basketballBoys golfBoys soccerBoys swimmingBoys tennis Boys trackBoys wrestlingCross countryFootballGirls basketballGirls bowlingGirls golfGirls soccerGirls swimmingGirls tennisGirls trackGirls wrestlingGymnasticsSoftballTrackVolleyballWrestling By date: November 18 November 19 November 20 November 21 November 22 November 23 November 24 November 25 November 26 November 27 November 28 November 29 November 30 December 1 December 2 December 3 December 4 December 5 December 6 December 7 December 8 December 9 By school: Archbishop Murphy Arlington Bothell Cascade Cedar Park Christian-Everett Cedarcrest Concrete Coupeville Darrington Edmonds-Woodway Everett Friday Harbor Glacier Peak Grace Academy Granite Falls Highland Christian Prep Jackson Kamiak King's La Conner Lake Stevens Lakewood Lopez Island Lummi Lynnwood Mariner Marysville-Pilchuck Meadowdale Monroe Mount Vernon Christian Mountlake Terrace North Sound Christian Oak Harbor Orcas Island Shorecrest Shoreline Christian Shorewood Snohomish South Whidbey Stanwood Sultan Tulalip Heritage    • Stadium map By league: Cascade Conference Non-conference Northwest 1A/2B Northwest 1B Northwest 2B Wesco Wesco 3A Wesco North Wesco South STANDINGS: Select league Cascade Conference baseball Cascade Conference boys basketball Cascade Conference boys soccer Cascade Conference boys wrestling Cascade Conference football Cascade Conference girls basketball Cascade Conference girls soccer Cascade Conference softball Cascade Conference volleyball Northwest 1A/2B baseball Northwest 1A/2B boys basketball Northwest 1A/2B boys soccer Northwest 1A/2B boys wrestling Northwest 1A/2B girls basketball Northwest 1A/2B girls soccer Northwest 1A/2B softball Northwest 1A/2B volleyball Northwest 1B boys basketball Northwest 1B boys soccer Northwest 1B girls basketball Northwest 1B girls soccer Northwest 1B volleyball Northwest 2B football Wesco 3A Football Wesco North baseball Wesco North boys basketball Wesco North boys soccer Wesco North boys swimming Wesco North boys tennis Wesco North boys track Wesco North boys wrestling Wesco North football Wesco North girls basketball Wesco North girls soccer Wesco North girls swimming Wesco North girls tennis Wesco North girls track Wesco North softball Wesco North volleyball Wesco South baseball Wesco South boys basketball Wesco South boys soccer Wesco South boys swimming Wesco South boys tennis Wesco South boys track Wesco South boys wrestling Wesco South football Wesco South girls basketball Wesco South girls soccer Wesco South girls swimming Wesco South girls tennis Wesco South girls track Wesco South softball Wesco South volleyball CONTACT THE HERALD Report scores and results to 425-339-3470 or 1-866-6-SCORES (Call after 4:30 p.m.) E-mail information including items for Tuesday's Communities Sports Roundup and Thursday's Outdoor Calendar, to sports@heraldnet.com Kevin Brown, Sports Editor kbrown@heraldnet.com   Published: Tuesday, September 1, 2009 Granite Falls football players will be giving their all for ‘Coach Joe' The Granite Falls football team is dedicating its season to longtime assistant coach Joe Montooth, who died in his sleep just weeks before practice began By Mike Cane Herald Writer GRANITE FALLS — Every time Dylan Wold walks into the weight room at Granite Falls High School he half expects to see Coach Joe. Wearing his trademark worn-out, ugly orange shorts, big Joe Montooth was always there barking at the football players to push themselves to get ready for the upcoming season. But Montooth is gone. The void sometimes overwhelms Wold and his teammates. “You look over and he's not there,” said Wold, a junior running back/linebacker. “It hits you pretty hard, pretty quick.” Montooth, who would have been the team's offensive coordinator, died in his sleep July 26. He was 46. Losing Coach Joe, who struggled with diabetes and had heart problems, deeply shook the Granite Falls football players, their coaches and their parents. This would have been the California native's 13th year coaching in town. Everyone, it seemed, knew and liked him. “There's guys who never played football in their life who (said), ‘Hey Coach Joe, how you doing?'” said Zach Jones, a senior on the team. Montooth knew football, but his influence on youngsters went beyond X's and O's. He often invited players to stop by his house and talk — about sports, life, anything. “He was a best friend and a father figure, not just a coach,” said Wold, one of several players who were close to Montooth. “Whenever you need him, he's there,” Jones said. “He gives you advice for everything.” At times, Montooth had more than a dozen athletes hang out at his home. “A lot of people say their door is open. Joe's was open,” said Granite Falls head coach Tracey Bechtholdt, one of Montooth's best friends. Because Coach Joe meant so much to them, the Tigers dedicated the 2009 season to him. Their first game is Friday against Seattle Prep at Hi Jewell Stadium in Granite Falls. Every time they score this year they will meet in the end zone and point skyward, in Montooth's honor. “Whenever one of us starts getting down,” Jones said, “we always say, ‘Come on. What would Joe want? Let's pick it up for him.'” Granite Falls will unveil perhaps its most touching tribute in the season opener. In addition to sharing a moment of silence before kickoff, the Tigers will use a play called “Tooth Right 43 Lead” on their first offensive snap. Renamed in honor of their beloved assistant coach, the no-nonsense, wishbone-formation play was Montooth's favorite. “We had success with it and Joe firmly believed in that one,” coach Bechtholdt said. “That was his bread-and-butter play.” It will be the second time Granite Falls has run the play in honor of Montooth, but the first against an opponent. On July 30, at Montooth's memorial — which was held at the team's packed stadium — Granite Falls players wearing team jerseys closed the ceremony by lining up on the field, calling the special play and walking the ball into the end zone. Wold was the ball carrier then. He'll take the handoff against Seattle Prep, too. In addition to the saddened players and coaches Montooth left behind, there is his immediate family: Montooth's wife, Teri, and their daughters, 16-year-old Alix and 7-year-old Sidney. Community members immediately reached out to them after Montooth's death, sending donations and sympathy cards. Montooth, who worked as a door and cabinet salesman, would have made a few thousand dollars coaching this fall, Bechtholdt said. Joe Gelakoska, Granite Falls' new offensive coordinator, will make sure that money goes to the Montooths. Taking over Montooth's role on the coaching staff, Gelakoska decided to donate his season salary to the Montooth family. Gelakoska — known to Granite Falls players as Coach G, because there was only one Coach Joe — downplayed the significance of his gesture. But it impressed others. “That's the character of our entire staff,” said Bechtholdt, the head coach. Granite Falls players are getting used to Gelakoska. He is part of the team, but he didn't replace Montooth. That's not possible, they said. Besides being loud and demanding, Montooth was always supportive. “He firmly believed in each and every one of us,” Wold said, “even before we believed in ourselves.” Jones still gets chills thinking about how many evenings he spent at Montooth's house. Coach Joe often talked about how badly he wanted to see Jones play in college, Jones said. “Him and I talked about that a lot,” Jones said. “I'm playing for him.” Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at www.heraldnet.com/doubleteam. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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