New coach, young talent, but Sehome still the team to beat

After putting together the best season of any Whatcom County team last season, the Sehome boys’ soccer squad is facing high expectations this spring.

The Mariners (18-3-3) were inches away from making it to the Class 2A State Tournament finals in 2016, losing to Archbishop Murphy in a penalty shootout, 5-4, in the semifinals. It was Sehome’s first trip to state since 2012, and much of the success can be attributed to the six players earning All-NWC Boys’ Soccer Team selections, a league high.

However, the only ALL-NWC player who returns this year is senior midfielder Mason Rathkamp, who will have the burden of leading a young Sehome team. Fourteen out of 22 players on last season’s roster were seniors.

Sehome will also have a new coach as co-Coach of the Year John Sylvester stepped down due to a new work schedule. Although he’s passed the reins to someone else, Sylvester said he’s excited about the possibilities for the team.

“This team is laden with talent at every position,” Sylvester said. “They are heavy in the midfield and the back. I’m still going to remain their biggest fan.”

At the helm of the Mariners this season will be Richard Henderson, a former assistant coach at Western Washington University. Henderson played professional soccer in Scotland before coming to the United States and coaching in Kansas, California and Nevada.

Henderson has had only about two weeks to work with the team, but said he had one of the largest turnouts in recent years. He knows the team is young, but loaded with freshmen and sophomore talent.

“Talking to players, I think we’re going to be more organized out there,” Henderson said. “Last year, the team had seniors who were big and strong and could just run over people. This year, we’ll have better soccer organization.”

Besides Rathkamp, Sehome will rely on junior midfielder Danny Fazio and sophomore forward Ben Holroyd.

“I expect a lot from them,” Henderson said. “But they have a lot of talent and promise.”

Other players to keep an eye on

Bellingham’s Joe Worley returns as the Red Raiders goalkeeper after being selected All-NWC first-team last season. He will try and help a Bellingham team make it to state for the first time since 2013.

Jonathan Lara, Lynden’s lone All-NWC team pick, will return to anchor the Lions defense. Lynden went 6-9-1 last season and missed out on the postseason.

Squalicum’s all-purpose athlete, Ben Peterson, caps his senior year as the Storm’s go-to at forward. Peterson was named first-team All-NWC at forward last season.

This story was originally published March 15, 2017 at 5:00 AM with the headline "New coach, young talent, but Sehome still the team to beat."