EDMONDS — If there’s one member of the University of Washington football team who’s hoping not to see action in the national championship game Monday evening, it’s Jack McCallister.
Washington takes on Michigan for the title Monday in Houston, and the less time the Huskies’ punter sees on the field, the better off Washington will be.
McCallister, a third-year sophomore, headlines Snohomish County’s local ties to the team bound for the national championship game. The Edmonds native and King’s High School graduate is in his second season as the Huskies’ punter. This season, he has handled every punt in Washington’s 14 games, averaging 41.0 yards on 40 attempts, with a long of 55. McCallister also serves as the holder for placekicker Grady Gross, who is 16-for-20 on field goals and 62-for-62 on extra points.
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McCallister was front and center during the dramatic final minutes of last Monday’s 37-31 semifinal victory over Texas. He was the holder when Gross made a 27-yard field goal with 2 minutes and 40 seconds remaining, giving the Huskies a seemingly safe lead, 37-28. Then with the score 37-31, he appeared to have the Longhorns pinned at the 16-yard line with 45 seconds remaining. However, a catch-interference penalty gave Texas an extra 15 yards to spark what was nearly a miraculous finish for the Longhorns.
But cornerback Elijah Jackson batted down a pass in the end zone as time expired, sealing the win for UW.
In total against Texas, McCallister averaged 36.0 yards on three punts and was the holder as Gross went 7-for-7 on kicks (three field goals, four extra points).
No other Snohomish County players are expected to be active in the game.
Here are two other locals listed on the Huskies roster:
• Ryder Bumgarner, a walk-on freshman running back and Stanwood High School graduate, has not seen time in a game this season;
• Sean Toomey-Stout, a walk-on junior safety and Coupeville High School graduate, retired for medical reasons prior to the start of the season.
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