PREP FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Sehome Mariners

Getting the bulk of the carries will be junior Justin Santos. He had nearly 700 yards last and could do better this year. The quarterback spot is an open competition, but as a whole the team has a lot to build around.

“We have a really hard-working group of kids coming back,” Sehome coach Kevin Johnson said. “We knew last year we were going to have that coming back, and the seniors this year, even though there’s not a lot of them, are mostly all three-year starters.”

Improving on defense will also be an important step Sehome has to make to have success this season. The Mariners allowed nearly 38 points per game last, and that’s simply too many points to be competitive week-in and week-out.

“Offensively we’ve been as explosive as anyone in the league over the last few years,” Johnson said. “Defensively we just have to get after it. We bring back enough guys who understand what we’re trying and that will help. Defense has been our focus this offseason and we’ll have to do a better job to have the kind of success we want.”

Three Players to Watch

Justin Santos, Jr., RB/LB

Santos was Sehome’s leading rusher last season, collecting 683 yards on just 107 carries. He was streaky, accumulating most of those yards in two games, but he could be a real standout for the Mariners this year.

Tenny Pitsch, Sr., OL/DL

Pitsch certainly isn’t the biggest offensive lineman in the conference, but he’s strong, smart and athletic. He earned an honorable mention nod on the all-conference team.

Jacob Gilbert, Sr., OL/DL

Gilbert is another player who succeeded based on tenacity last season. He’s got good size and is good at the point of attack. He was an all-conference honorable mention defensive lineman last season.

Big Game

Vs. Mount Baker

Friday, Oct. 3, 7 p.m.

This game doesn’t have the allure of a contest against another city school, but it will be a good measuring stick.

Three keys

1. Keep building in the right direction

It would be easy to look at Sehome’s 2-8 record last season and think the Mariners had a disappointing year, but that would be a very short-sighted view. Sehome played several sophomores. That should start to pay dividends this fall and in 2009. The Mariners still are building interest in the football program among their student-body, but things are moving in the right direction.

2. Beat people on the line

Every team wants to win the battle on the offensive and defensive lines, but there is little doubt that one of Sehome’s major strengths this season will be its line play. The Mariners return two three-year starters on both sides of the ball and have a lot of able bodies to choose from when it’s time to fill out the other positions.

3. Stay confident

The Mariners are going to take some lumps this season, that’s just a reality of playing in the Northwest Conference, but if they can stay positive throughout the season they could steal a game or two if some team looks past them. With a young group like the one Sehome has, learning to win can be more important than having the most talent.

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