Glacier Peak’s Froland is ‘big force’ on defense

SNOHOMISH — Things were so much easier for John Froland when he was just a large but fairly anonymous lineman.

Last year as a member of Glacier Peak High School’s first football team, Froland enjoyed plenty of one-on-one blocking when he lined up at defensive tackle. This year, not so much.

“He went into every game knowing that he was going to be double-teamed almost every play,” Glacier Peak football coach Rory Rosenbach said. “(But) in spite of all the double teams, he was still a big force.”

At times, opponents even tripled-teamed Froland, a powerful 6-foot-5, 245-pound senior who verbally committed to play for Northwestern University and plans to sign an NCAA National Letter of Intent in February. Even with so many foes gunning for him this season, Froland tallied 13 tackles for loss and was second on Glacier Peak with 42 total tackles (22 solo) — a fairly high total for a lineman.

But stats don’t fully explain the value of Froland, who helped lead second-year Glacier Peak to the Class 3A state quarterfinals and is The Herald’s 2009 All-Area Football Defensive Player of the Year.

“Players like him don’t come along all that often,” said Rosenbach, “and for us to be able to have one in the infancy of the program was huge. He was a big part of our success the last two years and his individual success has meant a lot to this program because he’s putting our program out in the public eye.”

Froland, who had just one sack but added three forced fumbles and three pass breakups, learned to play differently on defense this year while constantly fighting waves of blockers. One key was maintaining a low base from the snap to the whistle.

“You’re fighting a lot more than one person now,” said Froland, a two-time, two-way All-Wesco 3A first team selection. “It was a little different getting used to — knowing that everywhere you looked there was always another guy waiting for you.”

Glacier Peak, which won nine of 12 games in its first season with seniors, was mainly known for its entertaining, prolific spread offense, led by senior quarterback Zach Richter (3,322 yards passing and 34 touchdowns in 410 attempts in 2009). Glacier Peak’s defense, on the other hand, was inconsistent during the regular season.

But, aided by Froland, the Grizzlies’ defense came up huge in the fourth quarter and beyond in Glacier Peak’s double-overtime, preliminary-round 3A playoff victory over Peninsula. It was the first postseason win in Glacier Peak’s brief football history. Showing excellent lateral movement, Froland had a huge impact.

“He was moving to get sideline to sideline. He made a ton of plays that game. And offensively he had a great game too,” coach Rosenbach said of Froland, who allowed just two sacks from his left tackle position on the O-line over the past two seasons.

Froland’s intensity carried over to the next challenge. He was crucial, Rosenbach said, in Glacier Peak’s 38-24 triumph over previously unbeaten Timberline in a first-round state playoff game. Froland and his D-line peers “owned the line of scrimmage” versus Timberline, said Rosenbach.

Glacier Peak’s impressive ride ended a week later, when top-ranked Bellevue pummeled the Grizzlies 34-7 in the quarterfinals.

Froland and his teammates were thrilled to play Bellevue — a perennial force — at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Snohomish. It was “one of the biggest games that’s been played in that stadium for a long time,” Froland said. “And so that was really cool to be a part of that, even though it didn’t work out the way we wanted.”

“To even be able to match up against a team (like Bellevue), it’s really neat just to see. That shows how far you’ve come,” he added.

Froland certainly came a long way. After attending O’Dea in Seattle as a freshman and transferring to Snohomish High for his sophomore year, he matured physically and mentally in two unforgettable years at Glacier Peak.

“This season was one I’d never forget,” said Froland, who thanked his parents and his entire community for their support, “and I’d like to think that all the kids on my football team feel the same way and that we’re always going to be brothers in that sense. We’ll be a family forever.”

Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at www.heraldnet.com/doubleteam.