Viking Football: Two-Time Returning State Champion Lake Stevens Opens Camp; Sept. 6 Opener at Sumner on Horizon
Viking Football: Two-Time Returning State Champion Lake Stevens Opens Camp; Sept. 6 Opener at Sumner on Horizon
J425 Camp Primer: Printable schedule....Early look at Viking roster…Glance at Lake’s Week 1 & 2…Thoughts from Sumner's Keith Ross...We consider Kolton Matson’s claim to "Greatest Ever" title
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LAKE STEVENS — As far as Head Coach Tom Tri is concerned, the mission is clear: go get that third straight title. During Spring Practices, Tri saw little use in the gamesmanship or motivational devices that some coaches deploy when addressing their team. That kind of stuff would’ve been disingenuous, and Tri definitely isn’t that. Perhaps he just felt that his expectations simply parallel those of a storied Viking senior class that’s knows nothing but state title games, after seeing three straight trips to the season’s final week, the last two of which ended with trophies.
This group is led by reigning Gatorade State Player of the Year, QB Kolton Matson, who is joined by fellow captains – 2x All-Wesco RB Jayshon Limar and All-Wesco TE/LB Keagan Howard, among others.
With this commonly-held goal at the forefront of the team’s to-do list, the two-time returning 4A State Champion Lake Stevens Vikings open camp this Wednesday at Lake Stevens High School.
The Viks will deservedly open the season atop the 4A rankings, and likely atop the new J425 regardless-of-classification State Top Ten, debuting during Week 1.
That said, the back-to-back champs certainly have some questions to answer, particularly on defense, where defensive coordinator Eric Dinwiddie must cope with the loss of ten starters in rebuilding his vaunted defense, which held opponents without a touchdown for the majority of the postseason.
Strengths, in addition to the aforementioned star seniors, include a potentially dominant offensive line group, headlined by sophomore Will Lynch, who started at guard and tackle during the Viks’ title run. The 6’5”, 280-pound rising sophomore is turning heads in the recruiting community after kicking ass as a true frosh.
Experience also reigns at center and guard, where seniors Luke Baird (6’1, 225) and Ashton Kasch (6’4, 265) return as established starters. The tackle spots appear up for grabs, but a bevy of qualified athletes were competing for the role in Spring Ball.
It appeared that rising junior Kenny Buckmiller had laid claim to one tackle role, while seniors Nathan Nippert, Cody Lynch and Ted Kuhrau sparred for another job. Senior Cody Luangrath was out with injury in the Spring but represents another seasoned player ready to step up.
And this doesn’t even include the upcoming freshman class, which features at least two athletes who will likely compete for time.
The Viks, as usual, look strong in the skill positions, where captain Keagan Howard (see video clip above) may well lead the team in receptions and tackles this year, the explosive tight end scored two touchdowns in a playoff game last year and has looked phenomenal on both sides of the ball thus far. Sophomore WR Seth Price has made huge gains after posting a varsity TD as a frosh, and now appears poised for a breakout campaign Rounding out the Viking pass catchers: rising junior Kekoa Okiyama ripped through the JV ranks and was last seen sharing time with Viking legend Trayce Hanks in imitating Graham-Kapowsin’s All State WR corps during scout team work, heading into the title game. That’s good company to keep. Okiyama should have a big year on both sides of the ball. In a nice departure from the norm, Lake has also benefited from a transfer. Senior WR Cannon Kennard comes in from Edmonds-Woodway.
The FSP-product is slippery, fast and has a bunch of varsity touchdowns under his belt. Matson has looked his way quite a bit in the early going. Senior WR Ethan Boileau brings size, skill and experience and is in the frame for a major role as well. Finally, the unprecedented infusion of talent that is the Class of 2028 makes an impact in the skill department for the varsity squad. Rising freshman Max Cook – who posted the fastest 40 on the team this Spring, was up with the varsity during Spring ball and looks set for a role on defense, if not yet on offense. The 6’2” sprinter looks the part of a much older player and has been a key cog in the Class of 2028’s completely undefeated romp through lower level ball. The other rising freshman practicing with the varsity this spring is WR Jayden Hollenbeck, a 6’1” pass catcher who offers an incredibly high ceiling paired with some of the best ball skills in the program. It’s far too early to make any sort of intelligent statement about the defense so we’ll hold off on that for now. Look for daily updates throughout camp, and here’s a draft version of the Viking roster to hold you over until the official copy is released.
Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere: Tom Tri’s Penchant for Challenges Lands the Vikings a Road Opener at a Traditional SPSL Power
“Lake Stevens’ offense is as good as there is in our state. They have a complex, efficient offense with a Gatorade Player of the Year at QB. … It’s one of the top offenses that I’ve ever seen. You need to be ready.” - Sumner Spartans Head Coach Keith Ross.
The Vikings begin their season on Friday, September 6 at Sunset Chev Stadium versus the Sumner Spartans, a traditional South Sound power expected to grace preseason top ten polls. And while the Vikings – thanks to Head Coach Tom Tri’s Fresno State-style scheduling ethos – are used to playing nothing but the best non-league competition, this non-conference opponent thing is new in the SPSL, where previous conference numbers didn’t allow any openings for non-league games. After the WIAA’s statewide realignment added several teams to the 4A SPSL ranks (including 3A runner-up Yelm), the SPSL was split into divisions, and the scheduling demands decreased to the point that Sumner’s head football coach Keith Ross found himself with the entirely new chore of scheduling three non-league games.
According to the Tacoma News-Tribune, Ross thought it’d be a good idea to pick up the phone and call West Linn (OR), the only team to beat Lake Stevens in the regular season the last two years. Sumner heads to the suburbs of Portland Week 3. When considering his opener, TNT says Ross called several teams, looking for a test for his Spartans in the season kickoff.
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