In a way, it’s ironic that the football stadium at the new Arlington High School will be dedicated to former mayor John C. Larson on Friday.
It’s one of the few parks or athletic fields in Arlington that Larson didn’t have a hand in building.
“We had a friend who said, ‘Here comes John, I better get on my tractor,’” Margaret Larson said of her husband, who passed away in 2001.
Larson, who served stints as mayor, fire chief and Lion’s Club president, “didn’t know the word ‘can’t,’” Margaret Larson said.
He put together a volunteer crew to build the stadium at the old high school and countless other recreational areas in the city.
“He was not a dynamic leader,” said Dave Duskin, the stadium dedication chairman. “He just led by example. If he wanted to get something done, he got it done.”
The new stadium will house its first audience on Friday, when the Arlington football team plays Monroe at 7 p.m. Members of the 1953, ‘54 and ‘55 Eagle teams for which Larson starred will sit in a special reserved section along with Larson’s family. The dedication is slated for halftime. Larson’s former football teammates are asked to RSVP through Misti Gilman of the Arlington School District by calling 360-618-6217.
With Larson at fullback, Arlington lost just two games in three years. The 1955 team finished undefeated and in 1984 was recognized by The Herald as one of the top 10 teams in the modern era of Snohomish County prep football. Larson, according to the story, accounted for more yards that season by himself than all of Arlington’s opponents combined.
According to Duskin, who said Larson became his “idol” when Duskin’s brothers, Gary and Denny, played football with him, Larson became mayor in 1980 after a write-in campaign led to his election. Larson was re-elected in 1984.
Larson was constantly involved in church and community projects. He suffered several strokes during the last 15 years of his life and had lived in a nursing home since 1991.
“He lived two lifetimes,” Margaret Larson said. “He was just driven – up and running every day. He did so many things. I guess that’s why. He didn’t have as much time as many of us.”
Not as easy as it looks: Lake Stevens cross country runner Amber Nickelson admits she hasn’t always been easy to coach. In fact, assistant coach Ernie Goshorn – the architect of Nickelson’s race plan when she won the 2002 Class 4A state title – once called her a “wild stallion” because Nickelson often bucked the instructions given by coaches.
That all changed after Nickelson led several team runs over the summer.
“I found out that when the runners don’t do what you tell them, it kind of ticks you off,” Nickelson said. “I experienced what he experienced, and I realized, ‘Oh, maybe I shouldn’t do these things. It kind of makes me mad.’”
“Filling in as a coach for a couple of weeks was a real turnaround on my perspective.”
Now, for the hard part: Losing the Stilly Cup to Stanwood for the first time in five seasons was tough for the Arlington football team. What follows, however, is pure humiliation. The Eagles have to present the Cup to the Stanwood student body sometime in the coming weeks.
“That’s the really miserable part,” said Arlington coach John Boitano, whose team lost to the Spartans 31-14 on Friday. “You’ve got to give it back at their assembly. That can be pretty nasty.”
Conference raises ticket prices: Tickets to attend athletic contests involving North Cascades Conference schools have increased by $1, said Nicki Luper, Sultan High School’s athletic director. Tickets will be $5 for adults and students without ASB cards, $3 for seniors, children and students with ASB cards. Local schools in the conference include Granite Falls, Lakewood, South Whidbey and Sultan.
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