MARYSVILLE – The obvious star is missing at Marysville Pilchuck’s football practice.
But current University of Washington cornerback Austin Joyner is hardly the only key player from last year’s Tomahawks team who’s moved on.
Running backs Killian Page, Hunter Trueax and JJ Valencia, linemen Bryce Vitcovich, Corbin Ferry and Keenan Darby, and key defenders Drew Hatch and Nic Alonso all graduated.
It leaves quite a few holes on the Tomahawks’ depth chart.
“We only have two starters back on both sides of the ball,” Marysville Pilchuck head coach Brandon Carson said. “We’re going to have to have some inexperienced and younger guys step up and fill those roles. Obviously, you can’t compare them to some of the guys we lost.”
Joyner was the Washington State Gatorade Player of the Year and a big part of Marysville Pilchuck’s run to the Class 3A state semifinals. Page also rushed for more than 1,700 yards.
All were key pieces for a Marysville Pilchuck team that pushed Bellevue until the end in the Tacoma Dome.
Now it’s time for a new batch of Tomahawks to show what they can do.
“Early in any season with most football programs everybody’s really, really excited,” Carson said. “They’re excited because now’s their time to get on the field on Friday nights. They’re excited to see what they can do. And we’re excited to see what they can do.”
There is some experience coming back for Marysville Pilchuck. Senior quarterback Erik Lind and fellow senior lineman Sam Watson will lead the Tomahawks’ offense, and linebackers Dylan Boomer, Daryl Cerdino and Tyler McDonald will help anchor the Marysville Pilchuck defense.
“Personally, I just want to be a good leader for this team,” Watson said. “Just be the best captain that I can. Just do anything I can to make this team better. If I can just help this team out any single way to keep this program the way it has been, that’ll be a great senior year for me.”
Not having last year’s seniors around has been odd for Lind, but he’s excited for the Class of 2016 to leave its own mark on the Tomahawks.
“It is kind of weird not having them around because you’ve played with all those guys since you were little,” Lind said. “It feels weird but now it’s our turn. We’re seniors. It’s our time to shine.”
With the All-Wesco 3A running backs departing, it might be time for the Marysville Pilchuck offense to mix in more of an aerial attack.
“Having him back, I think we’re going to put more on his shoulders,” Carson said. “Last year was a little different because we had a lot of really talented running backs and we didn’t need that from him. This year we’re going to ask more of him.”
Lind is OK with that.
“I definitely would love to do that more,” he said.
Watson said that with the key departures everyone in the league is going to want to top Marysville Pilchuck.
The Tomahawks are up for the challenge.
“I’m sure everyone and their mom is going to think that (they’ll beat us),” Watson said. “But I have the utmost confidence in our team this year. We have a lot of young guys that are going to step up and I think they can. It’s hard to replace the nation’s best running back but I think we can make something work.
“The last couple of years we’d be third (down) and whatever and we’d say, ‘Let’s just give it to Joyner.’ This year, especially now that we’ve lost Joyner, that target on our backs has gotten so much bigger. Every single person we play this year is going to want to take us down.”
However, Marysville Pilchuck plans to remain a force for years to come.
“I definitely want to win Wesco,” Lind said. “I really just want to keep the MP legacy going. A lot of people think we lost Joyner and Page so we can’t do it now. But I know we definitely have the personnel and the heart to do it.”
Marysville Pilchuck Tomahawks
Head coach: Brandon Carson (ninth season)
Key returners: Erik Lind, QB, sr.; Sam Watson, OL, sr.; Tyler McDonald, TE/LB, sr.; Daryl Cerdino, RB/LB, sr.; Dylen Boomer, LB/DB, sr.
Coach’s quote: “Each and every kid, once we get their roles defined, are going to have to be effective in the job that we do. If they do that, we should be OK. Our goal, like it is every year, is to get into the playoffs and we’ll see what happens.”
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