Super Kid: Brian O’Donnell, Stanwood High

Q: What is the most important thing we should know about you?

A: I have a twin brother named Kyle. We’re fraternal twins, but we look similar. Every day somebody calls me Kyle. Sometimes I go with it and say, ‘Hey, what’s up?’ It’s OK, my brother has to deal with it, too. Kyle is loud and obnoxious, though, and that’s how some people tell us apart. I can say that. He knows it’s true. Our parents couldn’t handle any more kids than us.

Q: Do you guys do a lot together?

A: We have the same circle of friends and we play football for Stanwood. He’s on the offensive and defensive lines. I play tight end and defensive end. Kyle got more of the athletic ability and I got more of the smarts.

Q: Even so, you received the most fan votes in a recent Herald football player of the week poll?

A: Yeah, I set a school record with 11 receptions for 70 yards, and I got a touchdown in our win over Shorecrest in October.

Q: So what do you want to do after high school?

A: I would like to continue to play football in college, but ultimately I would like to be a sports broadcaster. So I need to go somewhere with a good broadcast journalism program. Maybe Washington State or Boise State or Montana State.

Q: A sports reporter, huh?

A: Yeah, I am the sports editor of our school’s online newspaper, the Spartan Spectrum. I love it, except when I have to get someone else to write the football story because I’m in it. I read the newspaper sports sections, and I read a lot online. If I do make it to broadcast, I’m not sure I could handle play-by-play. I would love to be a pre- and post-game reporter, though. I like watching ESPN. They know their stuff, they are well-spoken and they deliver it with humor.

Q: Along with journalism, what other classes do you have this semester?

A: I have AP (Advanced Placement) calculus and physics, accounting, civics and poetry. I like taking accounting from my basketball coach, Zach Ward, and my teacher, Kathy Redfern, knows how to make calculus accessible. She is great. As far as poetry goes, it’s just another good writing course. I have a good imagination, and I especially like rhymes.

Q: What sort of music do you listen to?

A: I like all genres. Country. Hip-hop. Right now I’m listening to old-school rap by Tupac.

Q: So what do you foresee for Stanwood’s basketball season?

A: I’m 6-foot-4-inches and play forward, but we have some guys who are close to 7 feet and some returning all-league players. We were first in Wesco last year, and I predict we’re going to repeat that. Absolutely. We expect nothing less.

Q: And in the spring sports season?

A: Kyle doesn’t play basketball, but he throws discus and javelin on the track team. I might do track this year with him. Not sure yet.

Q: What are some of your volunteer activities?

A: I help with the Youth Hoops Camp for elementary and middle school kids and I’ve helped coach the summer football at Camp Casey.

Q: Will you miss your twin brother next year?

A: Oh, probably, but we want to go to different schools and see what it’s like to be apart from each other. It’ll be fine.

Q: Is Stanwood a good place to live?

A: My mom is a Lervick. We’ve been in Stanwood for many generations. Some people say it’s boring here, but I love Stanwood and I always find something to do. I probably will want to come back here to live someday.

Herald Writer Gale Fiege, 425-339-3427, gfiege@heraldnet.com

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Penny Clark, owner of Travel Time of Everett Inc., at her home office on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in Arlington, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
In a changing industry, travel agents ‘so busy’ navigating modern travel

While online travel tools are everywhere, travel advisers still prove useful — and popular, says Penny Clark, of Travel Time in Arlington.

(Daniel Berman for The Washington Post)
The Rick Steves guide to life

The longtime Edmonds resident is trying to bring a dash of the Europe he loves to south Snohomish County.

Travis Furlanic shows the fluorescent properties of sulfur tuft mushrooms during a Whidbey Wild Mushroom Tour at Tilth Farmers Market on Saturday, April 27, 2024 in Langley, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
On Whidbey Island, local fungi forager offers educational mushroom tours

Every spring and fall, Travis Furlanic guides groups through county parks. His priority, he said, is education.

Bright orange Azalea Arneson Gem in flower.
Deciduous azaleas just love the Pacific Northwest’s evergreen climate

Each spring, these shrubs put on a flower show with brilliant, varied colors. In fall, their leaves take center stage.

Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

The Grand Kyiv Ballet performs Thursday in Arlington, and Elvis impersonators descend on Everett this Saturday.

An example of delftware, this decorative plate sports polychrome blooms

Delft is a type of tin-glazed earthenware pottery born in Holland. This 16th century English piece sold for $3,997 at auction.

Great Plant Pick: Dwarf Purpleleaf Japanese Barberry

What: Dwarf Purpleleaf Japanese Barberry, or berberis thunbergii f. atropurpurea Concorde, was… Continue reading

Spring plant sales in Snohomish County

Find perennials, vegetable starts, shrubs and more at these sales, which raise money for horticulture scholarships.

Byzantine mosaics
With its beautiful Byzantine mosaics, Ravenna only gets better with age

Near Italy’s Adriatic coast, it was the westernmost pillar of the Byzantine Empire and a flickering light in the Dark Ages.

Artist Libby Hammer picks through bits and pieces collected from Whidbey Island beaches recently at her home in Oak Harbor. (Sam Fletcher / Whidbey News-Times)
Whidbey Island artist collects beach rubble to make Ragamuffin’s Rock Art

Libby Hammer got her start with wood in Tacoma. After moving to Oak Harbor, she shifted to rocks, shells and sea glass.

The 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT has wide fender cladding, a dark chrome grille, and premium LED daytime running lights.
2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz is two vehicles in one

The half SUV, half pickup has a new XRT variant in place of the previous SEL Premium.

Planning for a loved one’s death can make losing them less difficult

Patients and family members deal with many unknowns, including not only the disease process but also the dying process.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.