Glacier Peak quarterback Kevin Campbell guides prolific passing attack

Published 4:37 pm Monday, October 25, 2010

SNOHOMISH — The question often pops into Kevin Campbell’s brain: “What if I had quit?”

As recent as last season, Campbell considered giving up football. Standing 5 feet, 9 inches and weighing about 160 pounds, the Glacier Peak High School senior is noticeably undersized compared to most players on the gridiron. It’s always been that way.

“When I was younger I never really liked football,” Campbell said, “mainly because I was still really small. I wasn’t a huge fan of contact.”

After repeatedly thinking he would take off his helmet and pads for the final time, Campbell stuck with it. These days, he doesn’t regret his decision a bit.

A first-year varsity-team starter, Campbell has put up incredible numbers as quarterback of the state-ranked Glacier Peak football team. Through eight games this season, Campbell has passed for 2,472 yards and 30 touchdowns for the 7-1 Grizzlies, ranked Class 3A No. 9 by the Tacoma News Tribune.

Campbell’s yardage total is No. 1 in the state, regardless of classification, and his TD total is best among big-school QBs, according to MaxPreps.com.

“He’s done a great job. He’s done everything I wanted and more,” Glacier Peak coach Rory Rosenbach said of Campbell, who was the Grizzlies junior-varsity quarterback the past two seasons.

Going into 2010, Campbell had the huge task of replacing prolific QB Zach Richter, who in two years guiding Glacier Peak’s fast-paced spread offense threw for 5,476 yards and 53 TDs.

“I felt like I had some big shoes to fill,” said Campbell.

Get this: So far, Campbell has been better than Richter, an Associated Press all-state first team pick in ‘09. A comparison of Campbell’s first eight games this season with Richter’s first eight games last season shows that Campbell has passed for more yards per game (309 versus 264), more TDs (30 versus 23) with a significantly better completion percentage (69.6 versus 62.7).

Campbell is 183-for-263 passing with 11 interceptions — the same number of interceptions Richter had through eight games last year in 14 fewer passes.

How does the diminutive Campbell do it?

“He is not the biggest guy and he doesn’t have a great arm,” coach Rosenbach said, “but he throws on time, he has great accuracy and he is very smart. He’s every bit as smart or smarter than Zach was.”

Intelligence and split-second decision-making is crucial for any QB in Glacier Peak’s exciting no-huddle offense. But Campbell pointed to others, not himself, when asked to explain his success.

In addition to praising Glacier Peak’s revamped offensive line, which features only one player who started last year, Campbell complimented the team’s fantastic wide receiver duo: Third-year starters Tanner Southard and Jack Bonner. The 6-3 Southard and 6-4 Bonner “make me look good,” said Campbell.

The primary recipients of Campbell’s passes, Southard (42 catches, 966 yards, 15 TDs) and Bonner (58 catches, 865 yards, nine TDs) are among the most productive receivers in Washington. Southard leads the state in yards and touchdowns, according to MaxPreps.

“They both have great hands,” Campbell said. “I don’t have to worry. I can throw it up and they’ll catch it.”

Southard and Bonner have played sports with Campbell since they were in elementary school. The receivers — both third-year starters — said they knew Campbell would excel at the varsity level once he got an opportunity.

“I knew he could make all of the throws Zach did,” said Bonner. “Everybody on the team knew that (Campbell) could succeed but he just hadn’t proven it because Zach had been the starter the past two years.”

“We knew he was the guy this year,” Southard said.

In his most recent outing, Campbell was 20 of 29 for 291 yards with five TDs and no interceptions. He did that in barely more than two quarters in a Western Conference 3A win over Shorewood.

On Thursday, Campbell leads Glacier Peak — which is 6-0 in league games and already clinched the Wesco 3A title — against Everett (4-2 Wesco 3A) at Everett Memorial Stadium. The Grizzlies will try for the first unbeaten league season in the program’s three-year history.

If things don’t go perfectly for Campbell early in the game, coach Rosenbach won’t fret. This season Rosenbach has seen Campbell learn how to bounce back from mistakes and adversity — challenges that sometimes derailed Campbell in previous years.

“In the past, when something bad would happen to him — throw an interception or take a big sack — he would take it hard,” said Rosenbach. “It’d take him awhile to recover, and sometimes he wouldn’t recover. But he has really just got it figured out. It doesn’t bother him anymore.”

Not bad for a young man who doubted his ability for so long and almost quit playing.

Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/heraldnet/doubleteam and follow Cane on Twitter at MikeCaneHerald.