Squalicum Storm quarterback Leyton Smithson: ‘I just know I’m a football player’
Leyton Smithson, who announced his commitment to Washington State University this week, has no idea whether he will be running, passing, receiving, returning kicks or playing defense.
All the versatile Squalicum standout knows is that he has a whole lot of options.
“In my mind, I’m a Division I athlete,“ the articulate senior said. “I just know I’m a football player.”
That’s one of the understatements of the local season. He’s also learned he’s definitely a football leader.
His talents will again be on display in the Class 2A State Playoff semifinals as the No 4 seeded Storm (8-2) plays at No. 1 seed Tumwater (9-2) Saturday at 4 p.m. It’s the first semifinal appearance for Squalicum, which opened in 1998.
In the other semifinal, No. 2 Lynden (10-1) faces No. 3 North Kitsap (11-0) at 5 p.m. in the first semifinal ever to be held at Civic Stadium.
Since Squalicum lost to Lynden 15-12 in Week Three of the Northwest Conference 2A season, guess who’s rooting for Lynden to win? Smithson and his talented teammates would love another crack at the Lions.
Smithson amassed an impressive 396 yards passing and rushing in the Storm’s 63-38 quarterfinal win over previously unbeaten No. 5 Ridgefield (11-1) on Saturday, Nov. 20. His three touchdown runs and two scoring passes enabled him to finish with 192 yards rushing on only 13 carries and 11 for 14 passing for 204 yards and no interceptions.
When Smithson earned all-conference honors in 2020 with more than 1,000 yards running and receiving combined as a running back for Mountain View High in Meridian, Idaho — in a league for the state’s largest schools — he had no idea what he would be saying a year later about the future challenges he will face with his considerable skill set. Or where he would be saying it.
Now, following a family move back to Bellingham after five years of football in Idaho, he acknowledges he would be thrilled to be asked to play quarterback.
“I would love to play quarterback in college,” said the fleet yet powerful 6-foot-2, 185-pound honor student. “Challenges don’t faze me. I’d be up for the challenge of playing quarterback.”
“But I will play anywhere I’m asked to,” he added. “I just want to play.”
Squalicum coach Nick Lucey admires Smithson’s leadership.
“As a leader, Leyton is big,” the coach said. “He’ll get in your face if you’re disrespectful.”
Smithson needed only one game to convince his teammates — many of whom knew him well in grade school — that he was quite suited to quarterback.
In retrospect, his three-touchdown effort in his debut at quarterback in the Storm’s 40-14 win over Lynden Christian in Week One was even better than his 182 yards combined rushing and passing seemed to indicate.
After all, the No. 3 seeded Lyncs (7-2) take a seven-game winning streak into the Class 1A state semifinals against Eatonville (12-0) Saturday at 5 p.m. at Art Crate Field in Spanaway.
Smithson recalls that at first he “missed the football friendships I made in Idaho,” but he also loved being back with so many of the friends who were teammates in several sports in grade school. Meanwhile, he said colleges in Idaho, Eastern Washington, Montana and Utah, among others, have continued to follow him. His grade-point average is 3.6.
Even though Smithson was a varsity rookie at quarterback in September, he did have one significant advantage over his competition in Northwest Washington.
Like more than half of the nation’s high school football teams did, he played a full 10-game season in the fall of 2020 in Idaho. He led his team to a win in the first state playoff game with three touchdowns and more than 300 yards rushing and receiving, but his team lost the second playoff game in a heavy snowstorm.
At the same time in 2020, his future teammates at Squalicum were stuck learning remotely at home while burdened with Washington State’s COVID-19 limitations, among the nation’ strictest.
Squalicum did finally play five football games during an abbreviated late winter season. The Storm hinted at their potential with a 4-1 record and 174 points.
Most of those point scorers returned as coach Nick Lucey welcomed back all-state running back Ben Schlenbaker, receiving stars Kai Posey, Reed Richardson and Kaleb Hawkinson and linebacker Bryson Lamb, along with a host of other solid performers.
“Those are some impressive dudes,” Smithson said.
Once he overcame a shoulder injury sustained shortly after halftime in Week Three — a 15-12 loss to Northwest Conference 2A champion Lynden — Smithson continued to play and lead like Lucey suspected he could.
Smithson didn’t miss a game, but he was limited to part-time running duty in Weeks Four (a 14-13 loss to Lakewood) and Five (a 27-0 win over Sehome).
The Storm has won every game since, although being forced to sit out Week Eight (due to the opponent’s COVID exposure) and Week Ten (an unwanted bye after earning the league’s second and final State Playoffs berth.
“I feel 100 percent now,“ he said.
In the Storm’s six-game winning streak, Smithson has 12 touchdown runs, seven touchdown passes and one touchdown catch. On a team with so many offensive standouts, that’s saying something in only seven full games.
“I love to put on a show,” Smithson said with a smile in his voice. “I’m an entertainer. I’m always celebrating when anyone does anything.”
But he’s serious when he has to be.
“Our team is really locked in … We hold ourselves accountable. Ben (Schlenbaker, noted for his bright personality and friendliness) and I play kind of good cop, bad cop together.”
Don’t be surprised to see an arresting performance by both in the state semifinals.
STATE PLAYOFF SEMIFINALS
Class 2A
No 2 Lynden (10-1) vs. No. 3 North Kitsap (11-0), Saturday, 5 p.m., Civic Stadium
No. 4 Squalicum (8-2) at No. 1 Tumwater (9-2), Saturday, 4 p.m.
Class 1A
No. 3 Lynden Christian (7-2) vs. No. 2 Eatonville (12-0), Saturday, 5 p.m. Art Crate Field
No. 5 King’s (9-1) at No. 1 Royal (12-0), Saturday.
