Editor’s Note: Today’s preview of the Kent-Meridian football team is the first in a four-part, four-school series. The Kent Reporter will follow in the coming days with previews on football teams from Kentwood, Kentlake and Kentridge.
Brett Allen has heard it time and time again. So much, in fact, that it sometimes seems as though it has become an annual rite of passage for first-year Kent-Meridian football coaches.
Allen, who took over the K-M football program in February after Trevor Roberts stepped down, is the program’s sixth coach of the decade.
And, though Allen is plenty optimistic, it comes with a certain level of caution as he fully understands that each coach who has come before him has uttered essentially the same phrase.
“I know you’ve heard it before, but we’re doing what we can to change the mindset here. That’s one of our goals,” said Allen, who was a wide receivers coach at K-M from 2001-2004 before moving on to Auburn Mountainview. “One thing we’re doing to change the mindset is with consistency.”
The Royals always have had talent.
They’ve always had speed.
Consistency?
That hasn’t been a K-M staple since the Bruce Rick era (1989-1998). It was also during that time (1995) that the Royals last made the playoffs.
Allen, who is an English teacher at Mill Creek Middle School, is well aware of the program’s history. And while he’s unable to re-write the previous decade, he looks to the immediate future with his eyes wide open, a mix of optimism and reality.
That optimism stems from a group of returners — quarterback David Jones, linebacker Joseph Mose, and wide receiver Davontae Hoffman-Bradley among others — who are as good as any in the league.
The reality of the situation, however, is the fact that no school in the South Puget Sound League North Division is as transient as Kent-Meridian, which can make getting an entire football team on the same page a laborious, sometimes impossible task.
That task, however, has been eased by the leadership of Jones, an NCAA Division I prospect who currently is being courted by the Oregon, Washington, Washington State and Portland State, among others. One of the most athletic players in the SPSL North, Jones has taken it upon himself during the summer to learn Allen’s new spread offense by studying 2-3 hours of practice and game film each day.
“In our offense, the quarterback is what makes everything go. The smarter he is, the better he is going to be,” Allen said. “David is now asking for DVDs of the scrimmages of practice.”
Jones’ motivation is simple. He’s flat-out tired of losing. K-M has won just 15 games since 2000.
“I want to change things around,” said Jones, who is leaning toward Oregon as his preferred college. “K-M has been under the bus for almost a decade. I want to be able to come back (to the school) one day and say, ‘I started the turnaround.'”
If the turnaround is going to happen this season, Jones will be the one leading the charge. A burner who runs the 100-yard dash in 11 seconds, Jones ranked seventh in the entire SPSL last year with 1,276 yards, all the while missing three games. He possesses a gifted arm and speed that gives opposing defenses nightmares.
“You can’t sleep at night when you’re playing Jones,” said Kentridge coach Marty Osborn.
Kent-Meridian will play host to Foss at 7 p.m. on Saturday (Sept. 4) at French Field in its season opener. After that, the Royals will be in for eight straight weeks against its SPSL North counterparts. While Auburn remains the unanimous choice to win the league crown, slots 2 through 9 remain very much up in the air.
That being the case, a legitimate opportunity to move up the ranks awaits K-M.
“It’s all about us getting off to a good start and staying healthy,” Allen said.
K-M ROYALS: AT A GLANCE
• Coach: Brett Allen, first year.
• Last year: 0-8 in league, 9th in SPSL North, 1-9 overall.
• Type of offense: Spread.
• Offensive returners: David Jones, sr., QB, 6-0, 190; Davontae Hoffman, sr., WR, 6-0, 180; Brandon Harris, sr., WR, 6-2, 175; Boogie Yuhashi, jr., OL, 6-2, 240.
• Type of defense: 4-2-5.
• Defensive returners: David Jones, sr., CB, 6-0, 190; Mustaf Omar, sr., safety, 5-6, 160; Joseph Mose, sr., LB, 6-0, 195; Davontae Hoffman, sr., safety, 6-0, 180; Boogie Yuhashi, jr., DL, 6-2, 240.
• Outlook: Kent-Meridian has the tools to move up in the SPSL North this year. But to do so the Royals will have to learn the spread offense inside and out in a hurry. Jones will be leaned upon heavily in the offense while Hoffman-Bradley could emerge as one of the North’s top wide receivers. Meanwhile, will have to find a replacement for running back BJ Arceneaux, who led the Royals with 599 rushing yards last year. Arceneaux recently moved into the Kentwood boundary. In addition, shoring up the defense, particularly against the run, will be critical to the Royals’ success. K-M allowed an SPSL North-high 41.9 points per game last year.
• Key game: Kent-Meridian will play host to Auburn Riverside in Week 2 (Sept. 11). The Ravens return more all-leaguers than any team in the league, which should provide the Royals with a strong early-season test. Allen noted that a strong start to the season will be critical for the team. That being said, a victory here is crucial, especially with Kentridge on the horizon.
Talk to us
Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.
To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.
