A leader on and off the field

Published 9:00 pm Monday, October 3, 2005

EVERETT – Darlene doesn’t spend much time contemplating the finer points of the Wing-T offense.

It’s also doubtful she knows that the Archbishop Murphy High School football team, which executes the Wing-T with laser-like precision, has outscored its opponents 232-25 in its past four games.

But Darlene, 78, of Everett can tell you plenty about how well the 5-0 Wildcats mow lawns, pull weeds and clean gutters.

Michael V. Martina / The Herald Archbishop Murphy quarterback Ben Fritsch (above) organized teammates in an effort to help the elderly with yard work this past summer.

This past summer, more than a dozen Murphy players did volunteer work for local elderly people like Darlene, who uses a wheelchair and has needed help with yard work the past few years.

“Oh my gosh, I couldn’t keep up with them,” said Darlene, who requested her last name not be used. “They did everything. They were here for five hours. They were wonderful.”

Murphy students are required to complete at least 110 hours of service during their high school careers. Sometimes, individuals like Wildcat senior Ben Fritsch go far beyond the mandatory commitment.

Fritsch, a captain on the football team, received a $5,000 award last month as one of two winners of the Qwest Leadership Challenge. Chosen from a field of nearly 100 varsity football players from around the state, Fritsch organized a project that generated more than 450 hours of service. From July 26 to Aug. 30, he and about 15 teammates visited 11 elderly Snohomish County residents.

The soft-spoken Fritsch said that, aside from all the manual labor the Wildcats completed, the most valuable part of the experience was “just getting to meet these people that don’t usually get that much interaction with teenagers, let alone other people. … A lot of the elderly ladies we worked for, they were really neat people. … They had a lot to share.”

Fritsch collaborated with the Everett branch of Catholic Community Services (CCS) to identify people in need. Patty Crum, a CCS program coordinator, said yard-work assistance is greatly beneficial to her clients, but the social interaction is just as important.

“(Elderly clients) love talking to the kids,” Crum said, “because if they had enough family, they wouldn’t be asking us for help.”

Getting people involved in service at a young age is like planting seeds that can strengthen the community for years to come, Crum said. “I’m real proud of them. Maybe they’ll (serve) again when they’re adults,” she said.

Archbishop Murphy football coach Terry Ennis said Fritsch is a quiet, dedicated leader. The two-way starter has been the Wildcats’ placekicker since his freshman year.

“Ben has a very low-key personality,” Ennis said. “He’s one of those people who doesn’t say very much, but when he does, people listen because it’s usually very thought-out and meaningful.”

Ennis was delighted when he found out that Fritsch won the $5,000 scholarship, but the coach said the considerate captain doesn’t seek attention for his service. “He would do it, and you’d never know about it unless you found out accidentally,” Ennis said.

But Fritsch couldn’t hide this honor because it was announced Sept. 25 in front of nearly 65,000 fans during halftime of the Seattle Seahawks televised game at Qwest Field. It was a special, if confusing, moment.

“I was down on the field,” Fritsch said, “and I couldn’t even really hear my name because of all the yelling.”

Loads of classmates and teachers congratulated Fritsch the next day.

“It’s something great for the school,” he said, “because we get recognized for being a great football program, but (also) for going above and beyond in the community.”

“Ben did a magnificent job of organizing students and adults to get this done,” Ennis said. “It turned out to be a great experience for the people they helped, but also a memorable experience for the kids.”

In addition to $5,000 scholarships, Fritsch and the other contest winner, Nate Thompson of Spokane’s University High, each received $500 to donate to their respective service programs. It helps ensure that organizations like CCS can continue reaching out to the needy.

That’s good news for people like Darlene, who require assistance and often can’t afford to pay someone for weekly chores. Darlene said she won’t soon forget the strong, young men who revitalized her property. Before they left her place, the Murphy players presented Darlene with a bouquet of flowers from her hydrangea bush.

Talk about a perfect handoff.