EVERETT – No pressure.
Just go win a state title, and everything will be OK.
No one ever said anything resembling those words to Kyle Wilkins when he became the quarterback of the defending state-champion Archbishop Murphy football team. He’s tried his best not to think it, but concedes the pressure has been there. When a team steamrolls its way to a state championship and returns most of its key components, the expectations will be there for a new quarterback – spoken or not.
Just go win a state title, and everything will be OK.
Wilkins and his fellow Wildcats get their chance today against Zillah in the WIAA Gridiron Classic Class A state championship game at 1 p.m. in the Tacoma Dome.
“I played defense last year, so I thought, ‘Yeah, that’s cool, it’s not going to be that hard,” said Wilkins, a 5-foot-10, 155-pound junior. “Once I started playing (quarterback), it felt a lot harder than I thought. I felt what Axel (Wolff) felt last year. There’s been a lot more pressure on me this year.”
Handing the keys to a state-championship contender to an inexperienced quarterback isn’t exactly every coach’s dream. Wildcats coach Terry Ennis never worried much about Wilkins.
“Kyle is very competitive,” Ennis said. “I think he was very eager to take over that role. He saw the role Axel Wolff played last year, and I think he was pretty confident that he could make the same contribution.”
Wilkins has made contributions in several areas.
His main job is to fool defenses with fake handoffs. The goal is to sell a fake to one running back, then hand it to another. The better those fakes become, the more likely Wilkins is to get a chance to run with the ball himself or … gasp … throw a pass.
The pass play, though not often utilized by Archbishop Murphy, has proven to be an effective weapon for the Wildcats this season. Wilkins has thrown 10 touchdown passes among his 22 completion in 33 attempts for 414 yards. He’s also rushed 63 times for 453 yards and seven TDs. He’s turned broken plays into big gains several times and has scored or passed for a TD in 11 of 13 games.
“We suspected that he would do well at quarterback,” Ennis said. “Not so much at throwing the football, but with his leadership and his ball-handling and running ability. He’s made some great contributions with some big plays.”
Unless the Wildcats are well ahead on the scoreboard, Wilkins rarely comes out of the game. Though Archbishop Murphy has several talented runners, Wilkins returns punts and kickoffs. In one of the few games the Wildcats were pushed this season, Wilkins gave his team a 28-14 lead over Concrete by returning the second-half kickoff 80 yards for a score. He also plays the Big Cat (strong safety) position full time on defense.
“He brings the fire,” said receiver-cornerback Ian Telge, who has caught five of Wilkins’ TD passes. “He’s a little guy, but he packs a punch. He’s a great quarterback, and he controls the offense.”
Wilkins’ ability to lead a senior-dominated offense despite the fact that he’s a junior and a first-year starter, Telge said, is as impressive as his quarterback’s running and passing statistics.
Now, only one thing remains.
Just go win a state title, and everything will be OK.
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