Trent Green has a difficult time believing he’s a senior.
The Darrington quarterback remembers looking at the Loggers seniors during his freshman year and thinking, man, these guys are tall.
“It’s weird. I remember back to freshman year. It doesn’t seem like I’m one of those big kids,” Green said. “I remember the guys seemed huge. But I don’t feel like that now.”
If you ask Darrington head coach Doug Lenker, he says Green is indeed “huge” — a huge part of the Loggers’ recent success, which saw Darrington go from 1-9 in Green’s freshman season to 7-3 last year with a berth in the state playoffs for the first time since 2007.
“He’s pretty much doing everything we’d like him to do, or ask him to do, and more,” Lenker said. “We put a lot on his shoulders and he handles that really well.”
Lenker said Green has always been a leader for the Loggers. His first year, Green was a quiet lead-by-example type. The past two seasons have seen him become one of the main voices of the program.
“I’m trying to get everybody to do as much as they can so we can have one more great season,” Green said. “… It’s (the seniors) last year. I would have given it all for the seniors when I was younger.”
The 6-foot Green has started for Darrington since his freshman year. His head coach said Green has developed into an intelligent, athletic quarterback.
“First and foremost, he’s smart, which is important for the quarterback position,” Lenker said. “He’s athletic, too, and has a good arm. He knows the plays and he knows what everyone else should be doing so he can fix any problems we may have out there. He’s quick and can run. He’s everything you want in a quarterback.”
Green also plays defensive back and is known for making big hits.
“The last couple of years he’s matured at that position and has actually become our best hitter,” Lenker said. “He’s really upped his game when it comes to hitting at that corner position. He had some ESPN-type hits.”
Lenker said the coaches have gotten a little nervous watching their quarterback fly toward an opposing ball carrier at full speed to deliver a bone-rattling tackle.
“We’ll move him out of a drill if there’s a potential situation we don’t like, or a bad matchup. He absolutely hates that,” Lenker said. “He doesn’t complain, but he doesn’t like to be babied. You always worry when he goes after somebody, but that’s what he does. We have to allow him to play.”
Green is one of several Darrington seniors who started as freshmen. They went 1-9 that year, including a 22-7 loss to Oroville in the Emerald City Kickoff Classic.
This season, the Loggers again start at the Emerald City Kickoff Classic, facing the Bridgeport Mustangs at 10 a.m. Saturday at Memorial Field in Seattle. Green wants the team to get off to a good start and ride that momentum to another deep playoff run.
“It’s going to be cool, with the big stadium and everything,” Green said. “The last two seasons we’ve grown a lot. Everybody is getting more into it. The fans, the players, everybody. We’re going to have a strong season.
“I want to make the postseason one more time. It’s going to be tougher this year because they’re only taking two teams (out of the Northwest 1A/2B conference) but I think we’ve still got a shot.”
Lenker said the number of players, as well as the number of wins, has continued to rise in Green’s time with the Loggers.
“We’ve been making progress and I certainly think that we’re going to be as good, or better, than we were last year,” Lenker said. “I’d like to make the playoffs and I’d like to win a league title, which is certainly in our reach.”
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