EVERETT — Anfernee Gurley is the Archbishop Murphy football team’s Swiss Army knife.
The electric senior playmaker is a scoring threat every time he touches the ball on offense, both as a receiver and ball-carrier. On special teams, he’s a dynamic returner with a knack for finding the end zone. And on defense, he’s a ball-hawking safety who helps key the Wildcats’ lockdown secondary.
No matter where he’s at on the field, Gurley is a big play waiting to happen.
And Gurley has provided numerous such plays during the team’s dominant run to the Class 2A state championship game, where the top-ranked Wildcats (13-0) will face Liberty of Issaquah (12-0) at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Tacoma Dome.
“To have a kid like that who’s played (varsity) since his freshman year, his football IQ is just off the charts,” Murphy head coach Jerry Jensen said. “You know that you can lean on him in tough situations and (that) you’ve got a good chance for success.”
Gurley has scored 13 total touchdowns — five receiving, five rushing, two punt returns and one kickoff return — in eight games this season. (The Wildcats’ other five scheduled contests were forfeited by opponents due to player-safety concerns.)
In the process, Gurley has carved up opposing defenses — and special teams units — with a highlight-reel display of blazing speed and elite athleticism.
“He changes his directions really, really well,” Jensen said. “He can slow down and speed up with the best of them. And he reads things — he’s just got a good football IQ. He sees things quickly and can diagnose a play or coverage and split it.”
Gurley has posted back-to-back 100-yard receiving games the last two weeks, hauling in seven catches for 114 yards and a touchdown in the quarterfinals against second-ranked Tumwater and five catches for 115 yards and two touchdowns in the semifinals against fourth-ranked Lynden.
As senior quarterback Connor Johnson describes, the two have a unique connection that stems from countless hours of offseason work.
“We almost see the exact same thing,” Johnson said. “(When) he sees a gap in the defense, he’ll run to it and I’ll see him — we both see that gap pre-snap.”
To maximize Gurley’s touches, the Wildcats also use him on occasional fly sweeps. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound speedster has been equally dynamic in that facet, rushing for 409 yards and five touchdowns this year at an average of 13.2 yards per carry.
Yet as prolific as Gurley is offensively, his true love is defense. Gurley has recorded three interceptions and 25 tackles in the forfeit-shortened season, helping spearhead a stifling defense that’s yielded just 30 total points.
“I like the defensive mindset where I’m going to stop you and there’s no way you’re going to prove me otherwise,” Gurley said. “That’s how I like to play football.”
Gurley began playing early in life, starting with flag football at age 5 and tackle football at age 8.
He comes from an athletically gifted family — his mother was a state champion thrower in track and field and his father received Division I football offers before deciding to join the military instead. In addition, Los Angeles Rams star running back Todd Gurley is a cousin to Anfernee.
But his success is a product of much more than natural ability.
“You get some kids that just rely on their talent, but Anfernee’s a kid that works at it,” Jensen said. “He does his film study, he does his lifting in the offseason and he does his camps.”
This past offseason, Gurley attended several satellite camps and played on an elite 7-on-7 team that travelled around the country. He also was selected to compete for the under-17 national team last February in the International Bowl at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Gurley has received football offers from Eastern Washington University, Montana State University, Weber State University and the University of New Hampshire. He said that most schools are recruiting him for defense, but that some are also interested in his abilities on offense and special teams.
“I think he could play at the big-school level,” Jensen said. “I think it’s just a matter of somebody maybe overlooking a little bit of the size issue that he has. But he’s quick enough and smart enough to do that, so hopefully he gets an option.”
Similar to his versatility on the football field, Gurley is also well-rounded in music. He’s a member of the school’s choir and often plays the drums in his spare time. He also can play the trumpet and saxophone.
“I’ve been listening to music since I was born,” Gurley said. “I got my first drum set when I was 18 months old, and ever since then I’ve just loved music.”
Perhaps that explains his affinity for dancing. Dance-offs are a common locker-room occurrence for the Wildcats, and Gurley is typically front and center.
“Anfernee’s got some moves, and he doesn’t mind sharing them,” Jensen said with a chuckle.
It’s all part of a personality that draws others to him.
“He’s a great leader,” Johnson said. “He’s very vocal. If something happens, he’ll tell you what to do and how to fix it. He’s great to have in the locker room. He lifts everyone up — he’s a really good motivator.
“He’s a really outgoing, funny guy,” Johnson added. “If you see him, you’ll probably see people laughing around him.”
“Anfernee is a leader on the team — there’s no question about it,” Jensen said. “It’s that analytical side of him. He’s able to see what the coaches are saying and what the players are saying, and meld that together and find that common ground. And he’s a great guy that leads by example. He works his tail off, and so kids look up to him. He’s a great role model to have for us.”
Asked to describe Gurley aside from football, Jensen used the word “intellectual.”
“He’s a very smart kid and he’s going to analyze things and form his own opinion,” Jensen said. “His parents have done a great job of raising him and he’s somebody that’s going to do something with his life after football.”
But right now, Gurley is zeroed in on helping his team capture the first-ever 2A state title in program history.
“It would mean everything,” Gurley said. “That was our goal when we lost in the semifinal game a year ago. (For) a full year, it’s been in the back of our heads. That was the goal, so we’re just excited to get out there and have a chance to go out and win.”
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