The Wildcats’ Caped Crusader

Published 9:00 pm Monday, December 11, 2006

OAK HARBOR – Superheroes get their powers from all sorts of sources.

For Spider-Man, it was a fateful bite from a radioactive spider. Wolverine of the X-Men benefited from mutation, a pretty standard route.

But Marshall Lobbestael’s self-induced transformation was simple and inexpensive, requiring nothing more than a homemade stencil and sun rays.

Over the summer Lobbestael, senior quarterback for the Oak Harbor High School football team, cut out a template in the shape of the Batman symbol, placed it on his bare chest and sunbathed in his yard. The result: a do-it-yourself superhero tan on Lobbestael’s pale, Conan O’Brien-like skin.

The Batman mark eventually faded, but Lobbestael never stopped showcasing fantastic, loss-defying abilities that make him The Herald’s 2006 All-Area Offensive Football Player of the Year. The Washington State University recruit passed for 2,783 yards and 34 touchdowns – both school records by a long shot – to lead Oak Harbor to the Class 4A state championship.

OK, so Lobbestael’s gridiron success didn’t really stem from his Batman imitation. But the QB’s quirky personality often relaxed Oak Harbor during tense moments, teammates said.

“He’s pretty goofy,” said Wildcats lineman Matt Johnston, laughing. “(The Batman tan) is about the weirdest thing he’s ever done.”

“I’m just trying to be me,” said the 6-foot-3, 195-pound Lobbestael, who has Superman stickers on his truck, “but it helps loosen up guys in the huddle sometimes.”

Lobbestael’s approach worked wonders. He helped propel Oak Harbor to the 4A title game by making numerous clutch plays in three straight come-from-behind playoff victories. In the playoffs, the Wildcats beat Mariner, Skyview and Gonzaga Prep by a combined total of nine points.

Against Mariner, Lobbestael tossed a game-winning two-point conversion pass to Rodrick Rumble in the second overtime. In wins over Skyview and Gonzaga Prep, he combined to go 40-for-55 passing (72.7 percent) for 545 yards and four TDs.

The QB, a three-year starter, never lost faith.

“He’s not really worried even when we’re (losing),” running back Tony Thulin said of Lobbestael, widely praised for his intelligence and passing accuracy. “He just kind of knows that we’re gonna win.”

“Everyone looks up to him. Whatever he wants to do, we’ll do it for him,” said receiver Jeff Lamont.

Oak Harbor trailed 10-0 against Gonzaga Prep in the semifinals in Spokane, but the Wildcats rallied for a confidence-boosting 14-10 triumph. “Once we won that game and came from behind like that, I think we knew that we could beat anyone in the state,” said Lobbestael.

Oak Harbor proved it on Dec. 2 at the Tacoma Dome when it defeated Bothell 21-14 for the championship. Lobbestael’s numbers weren’t spectacular (10-for-20 for 147 yards and two TDs) but he didn’t throw an interception and recovered a fumble on punt coverage to set up Oak Harbor’s decisive score.

Lobbestael’s “poise and his performance (were) brilliant, considering all the hype. Marshall just went out and played like he has all year,” said Oak Harbor coach Dave Ward, whose squad won the first team state title in school history and finished 13-1.

Besides the previously noted school records that Lobbestael set, he also broke single-game marks for TD passes (six) and passing yards (345), as well as career totals for TD passes (68) and passing yards (5,307).

He threw 14 interceptions in 2006 but was picked off just three times in five postseason games, including no picks in the final two contests.

“I just knew his senior year he was going to have a breakout season,” Lamont said. “It was his last year of playing high school football and he just wanted to go out (strong).”

Lobbestael and the Wildcats were very emotional after the championship victory. They shared hugs and shed tears while celebrating an achievement they will always cherish.

“We’ve never obviously done anything like this before, so we’re never gonna forget it,” Lobbestael said.

Years from now, “We’re gonna watch that game and be proud of ourselves and proud of the season and how we played,” he added.