All-Area Defensive Player of the Year: Glacier Peak’s Iain Black

Published 6:46 pm Thursday, December 10, 2015

Having played perennial state power Bellevue three times in the previous four seasons, the Glacier Peak football team was more familiar with what the Wolverines wanted to do offensively than just about any team in the state when the two teams met in Week 5 of the regular season.

But even the Grizzlies hadn’t seen everything.

On the Wolverines’ first offensive possession, they ran a play the Grizzlies had never seen — in a game or on film — and it resulted in a touchdown.

When the Grizzlies came off the field, the GP coaching staff wanted to talk adjustments, but it wasn’t necessary. Inside linebacker Iain Black had already made them.

“He said, ‘Don’t worry, I’ve got it. That won’t happen again,’” Glacier Peak head coach Rory Rosenbach said.

Later in the game the Wolverines tried the play again. This time, Black stuffed it for a 5-yard loss.

Black was the anchor of the Glacier Peak defense all season and he helped the Grizzlies advance to the Class 3A state quarterfinals. For his efforts, Black is The Herald’s 2015 Defensive Player of the Year.

“In my opinion, he’s the best linebacker that I’ve ever coached,” Rosenbach said. “The stuff that he does, I don’t know how he does it. I don’t know how he sees it as fast as he does and how he gets through where he gets through.”

Black is not big for a linebacker — he stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 185 pounds — but his speed, intelligence and instincts make him stand out.

“He sees something one time and he says, ‘OK, I know what this is. If they do this again, I’ve got it,’” Rosenbach said.

“The kid is as good of a football player as I’ve ever coached and I think this is my 18th year,” GP defensive coordinator Steven Hannan added. “He’s the best inside linebacker I’ve ever seen on a high school football field, anywhere.”

Instincts are important, especially against a team such as Bellevue. The Wolverines’ Wing-T offense is designed around misdirection and their opponents often outthink themselves.

“I have my eyes on the backfield and I feel like I can kind of see the plays develop pretty well,” Black said. “I kind of get a feel for where the ball is going.”

In two games against Wolverines this season, Black recorded 29 tackles. The Grizzlies trailed 10-6 in the first meeting when Black left the game with an injury. Without Black on the field, Bellevue added two late touchdowns and won 24-6.

“We’re a really good defense without him,” Rosenbach said, “and I think this was a great defense and an elite defense with him.”

The loss to Bellevue was the Grizzlies’ first of the season, but they bounced back to win their next six games, setting up another meeting with Bellevue in the 3A state quarterfinals.

This time the Wolverines won 35-14, ending the Grizzlies’ season.

“We’ve been talking about playing Bellevue since we were freshman,” Black said. “Once we saw our class and the talent we had and what we could do, we knew if there was anyone that was going to be able to take a shot at them, it was going to be us. I wanted to beat Bellevue more than anything I’ve ever wanted.

“It’s not a good feeling (to lose), but I know that me, and all the other guys, put everything that we had out on the field so I’m sure we have no regrets,” Black added. “I know I don’t have any regrets from that game.”

It wasn’t just the games against Bellevue where Black shined. He was a unanimous All-Wesco South first-team selection and finished the season with 71 tackles, 2½ sacks and 11 tackles for loss. He leaves Glacier Peak as the school’s third all-time leading tackler with 195 and is first all-time in tackles for loss with 40.

“He’s one of those kids that you don’t want to have to game plan against because he kind of reads instinctively. … He shoots the gap so fast because he makes his reads so well,” Snohomish head coach Kai Smalley said. “He’s just one of those kids that understands the game and isn’t afraid to jump when he sees the read.”

Despite his success, Black has garnered little attention from colleges, which is likely due to his size.

“I’m open to any opportunities that come my way, so right now I’m just kind of seeing what I can get,” Black said.

If a team is willing to give Black a chance, Hannan said, it will be getting a proven winner.

“If he decides he wants to play football again, someone is going to give him a shot,” Hannan said. “I don’t know what level that’s going to be, but they’re getting themselves the best football player this state has to offer, I think.”

“He knows how to flip a switch on the field,” Rosenbach added. “He’s not going to lose and he’s not going to let you get the better of him.

“He’s just a bulldog in that way.”

Aaron Lommers covers prep sports for The Herald. Follow him on Twitter at @aaronlommers and contact him at alommers@heraldnet.com.