Player to watch: M-P’s Austin Denton

Published 12:20 pm Friday, September 11, 2009

Marysville-Pilchuck senior running back Austin Denton was thrust into a starting role last season when the Tomahawks lost their first-string back to an injury. All Denton did with the opportunity was lead the conference in rushing with 1,565 yards.

Now the outright starter, Denton is determined to get M-P back to the playoffs. “For as successful as he was last year, he’s pretty humble,” M-P head coach Brandon Carson said. “…This year everybody knows who he is.” Denton must adjust to a new offensive line, but that shouldn’t be a problem for the 5-foot-11, 200-pound bruiser, who has received interest from football programs at Portland State University, Central Washington University and Whittier College in suburban Los Angeles, among others.

HOW I SPENT MY SUMMER VACATION

Despite being a standout on the gridiron, Denton’s focus during the summer months was baseball. Sure, he participated in M-P’s summer football workouts and weight-lifting sessions, but baseball took up the majority of his time.

“Every day was baseball,” said Denton, who played for the Seattle Stars select team. “… I went to a couple football workouts.”

For his summer vacation, the Stars traveled to San Diego for a tournament — the team finished in eighth place, said Denton, who was an All-Wesco North selection this past season as a center fielder.

BREAKING IN A NEW OFFENSIVE LINE

Denton ran behind a big, experienced offensive line last season, helping him eclipse 1,500 rushing yards. Now, M-P has to replace much of the line because of graduation, but that doesn’t worry Denton at all. “I don’t think it’ll be much different (running behind a new offensive line),” he said. “They (the new linemen) are bigger than the line last season.” The new crew took the summer to get in shape and build camaraderie. “They were all at the workouts this summer,” Denton said. “Every kid was there. They’ll be well-trained for the first game of the season.”

The relationship between a runner and his blockers is crucial in football, and Denton said he and some of the new lineman played select football together in their younger years. “We’re actually all pretty close, we’ve got pretty good chemisty,” Denton said.

PARTNERS IN PREGAME RITUALS

Some players sit quietly at their locker, others play games or listen to music prior to kickoff — Austin Denton rocks out. Before most games, Denton and his best friend — M-P defensive end Brennen Steinbaugh — head to a parking lot to rock out for 10-15 minutes, Denton said. Their music of choice: Popular hardcore rock bands such as Atreyu and Metallica.

Because they’re out in public, the two players are certain to get a few odd glances. Last season, the two players, dressed in M-P shirts, were rocking out in the parking lot of a grocery store when they were approached by a woman who had noticed their attire. The woman turned out to be the mother of Monroe’s starting quarterback — M-P’s opponent that evening. “It was kind of embarrassing,” Denton said.

FAMILY MOTIVATION

Denton’s uncle, Edward Denton, died Sept. 5, 2007, at the age of 46, following a series of sudden heart attacks. His unexpected death was hard on the entire family, but especially on Austin. Edward strongly supported his nephew by attending as many baseball and football games as possible, Denton said. “He motivates me a lot,” Denton said. “It (Edward’s death) was really tough … it was really hard on me and my dad; my whole family.” Denton made his first varsity start last year on the first anniversary of his uncle’s passing. He ran for 208 yards and four touchdowns that night.