EDMONDS
Mountlake Terrace’s first appearance in the state playoffs was short but ultimately sweet.
Central Kitsap pretty much dominated from start to finish en route to a 35-0 victory in a quad-district football game Nov. 7 at Edmonds Stadium.
The players and coach Tony Umayam weren’t focused on the loss but on the accomplishments of a special team.
“It’s been my goal since taking over the program to get to the playoffs,” said Umayam, a Mountlake Terrace High School graduate who wrapped up his sixth season with the Hawks. “Obviously, you want a better showing once you get there. This was a very good bunch of kids to coach character-wise. That’s why they don’t quit. These guys keep playing hard.”
The Hawks (6-4) turned the ball over four times and were only able to generate 82 yards of offense. Mountlake Terrace didn’t record a first down until 1:56 of the third quarter and didn’t cross midfield until midway through the fourth quarter.
None of that mattered to senior running back Casey Ellersick, a four-year varsity starter.
“The coaches said don’t let this one game bring us down,” Ellersick said. “Even though it was a tough loss and we couldn’t get to the next level of the playoffs, we’ve got to be proud of what we did. We’re the first team to make it here.”
The closeness between the players was the major reason for the Hawks’ success. Mountlake Terrace’s roster includes only about 30 players, which makes it one of the smallest in the Western Conference South Division.
“We came together like actual brothers this season,” Ellersick said. “In the off-season we worked out as a team. There wasn’t a weak link. Every single person showed up to the workouts. We got closer and closer. We became tighter as a unit.”
One of those brothers was senior quarterback Brandyn Eckhart, who tied the school record of 10 victories as a starting quarterback.
“He’s one of the most inspirational leaders I’ve ever played with,” Ellersick said. “There’s no other quarterback in the league I’d want to have the ball with to start each play.”
Nerves may have played a role in Mountlake Terrace’s struggles to start the game.
“It was very quiet at the start of the game. We were a little anxious to get out there,” Eckhart said. “We were a little shaky to start. The second half we came out and we did what we could.”
Central Kitsap (7-3) led 21-0 at halftime and added touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters. Mountlake Terrace’s best drive ended on the Central Kitsap 23 in the fourth quarter.
“We ran into a pretty good playoff battle-tested program in Central Kitsap,” Umayam said. “We might have been a little over our heads a little bit.”
The week’s practices leading up to Saturday afternoon’s game were crisp, according to Ellersick.
“We had one of the best weeks of practices we had all season,” he said. “They just came out harder than we did. I felt we brought it, but they brought it a lot harder.”
The hours of work by Umayam and his staff was noticed by the players.
“I know how much heart and soul he’s put into trying to get this team to where it got to this year,” Ellersick said. “I know that he’s got to be as happy as we are. … It’s an honor to be a part of it.”
Eckhart and Ellersick both will be moving on but they have high expectations for the Hawks in the coming years.
“It’s only the beginning,” Eckhart said. “We’ve got a long road ahead of us. Terrace is going be even better next year and in the years to come.”
Umayam agrees.
“This is something we can build on,” he said. “Just getting to this point is something that hopefully we can continue on, have a good offseason and be ready next year.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
