PREP BOYS’ SOCCER PREVIEW: Sehome Mariners | Bellingham Herald

Coach: John Sylvester

Last year: Finished 11-4-4 overall and 8-2-2 in the Northwest Conference. ... Went 1-2 in the bi-district playoffs.

Players to watch: Gabriel Weight (Jr., M), Jack Willis (Jr., F), Isaac DeVange (Jr., D), Zach Wanne (Sr., M)

Outlook: The Mariners may not have any one superstar, but they don’t really have a weak link and that prompted coach John Sylvester to say this was the most fun team he’s coached. “It’s never been such a pleasure to coach kids when they’re really looking out for each other as teammates,” Sylvester said. “We’ve been trying to develop this culture for a long time. ... It’s been really impressive how they’ve bought into the team.” That cohesiveness is centered around a strong junior class that’s been developing for three years and is set to get to the state tournament after missing out the past two seasons. The Mariners will take a small group — 16 or 17 — into the season whereas in past years Sylvester would have 21 or 22. “I really think it’s 100 percent about sticking together and using every player,” Sylvester said. “If you’ve got a team where maybe nobody is the world’s greatest player but everybody’s really solid and everybody can contribute, it’s hard to guard.”