Shorewood pumped for Qwest Field game

SHORELINE

It’s not often that a football team that finishes 1-9 gets an opportunity to play at the state’s premier football facility in a critical league matchup the next year.

But that dream will become a reality for the Shorewood Thunderbirds when they take on Western Conference South Division rival Kamiak at Qwest Field in the Best of the West Football Classic on Sept. 20.

“I can’t tell you how excited our kids are,” said Shorewood second-year head coach Andrew Hershey. “I think when we found out we were playing at Qwest Field, it was the hardest thing. It’s like you got the best present in the world for your wife and you can’t give it to her until Christmas. It was like Christmas morning when that game got OK-ed by both sides and it was a sure thing.”

Hershey added that his entire team knew the news within 30 minutes of the announcement – thanks to text-messaging – and Shorewood is confident it will have no trouble getting excited for this particular contest.

“We’re all fired up about it – I’ve never had an experience like that and it’s just going to be great,” said senior co-captain Peter Huynh. “We’ll build that momentum especially early in the season.”

But that contest is in week three of football season, and right now Hershey is more concerned with getting his players ready for the first two regular season contests. He’s very pleased with Shorewood’s off-season workouts, spring practice and summer camp performance, describing this year’s team as “light years ahead of where we were last year.”

“We tested a lot better,” he said, referring to his team’s lifting and fitness tests. “Of course that doesn’t do anything to our field results, but it has the potential to. Our job now is to give the kids confidence and make sure their off-season workouts carry into their in-season play.”

The confidence isn’t lacking among his senior players, even though the Thunderbirds have posted a 1-9 record for three consecutive seasons.

“We’re a much better team than we were last year,” said senior Dan Lydin. “We have lot of returning seniors (and) returning starters, and that’s helped us out a lot.”

Lydin and Huynh both added that the Thunderbirds are much more comfortable running Hershey’s system than they were last season, and they hope that familiarity will translate into more victories.

“We have experience with the new system and the new offense and the new defense,” Huynh said. “We’re going to surprise people, I’m sure of that. We got a shot to win a bunch of games.”

And it doesn’t hurt that Shorewood returns seven starters on each side of the ball in 2008.

Senior co-captain Jon-O Hendricks (5-foot-10, 165 pounds) returns at quarterback. He is joined by senior Dorian Lair (6-0, 205), who led the Thunderbirds in rushing last year at running back.

Other returning offensive starters include senior Taylor Astel (6-2, 200) and junior DeMarcus Taylor (6-3, 185) at tight end; junior Luke Nelson (6-1, 175) at receiver; senior Cameron Adams (5-10, 200) at guard; and senior Geordan Medalia (5-11, 255) at offensive tackle.

On defense, Shorewood returns Lair at free safety; Huynh (5-7, 165) at linebacker; senior Zach Marsh (5-10, 240) at nose guard; Lydin (6-3, 240) at defensive end; junior Dylan Shepard (5-10, 180) at linebacker; senior Steven McGinley (5-8, 166) at cornerback and Hendricks at defensive back.

“We do have a lot of experience which makes a difference and you can tell that going in,” Hershey said. “I think that’s going to be a key factor for us.”

Several newcomers who could play a big role in Shorewood’s potential success this season include junior Danny Phan (5-7, 165) at running back/defensive back; sophomore Josh Martinez (5-7, 165) at running back/defensive back; senior Ned Kelly (5-10, 235) at offensive and defensive line, and junior Alex Hosn (6-0, 215) at fullback/linebacker.

While Shorewood believes they have the pieces in place for a successful season, the Wesco South remains a very tough league. Hershey believes it only gets tougher this season as class 3A schools Shorecrest, Meadowdale and Lynnwood move into the newly-created Wesco 3A division, while traditional power Cascade – a playoff qualifier from the Wesco North last season – joins the Wesco South.

“People say KingCo is tough and KingCo is tough – but I think top to bottom this league ranks up there among the toughest leagues in the state,” Hershey said. You’ve got the traditional powers, Edmonds-Woodway, Kamiak, Mariner, then you throw Cascade into that mix … It’s a really hard league and I think it’s going to be good top to bottom.”

Still, Hershey remains confident in his players’ off-season work and experience to help them achieve a better record in 2008.

“I know that we will be much more competitive – that will show in the fourth quarter of a lot of games,” he said. “And if we’re fortunate and things go our way then it will translate into more wins.”