PREP FOOTBALL PREVIEWS ’09: It all comes down to line for tradition-rich Kentwood

The prep football season hasn’t yet begun, but Kentwood High coach Rex Norris and the Conquerors already have received a sobering punch to the gut.

That punch came in the form of losing promising running backs Joseph Banks and Ronnie Flowers, who suffered season-ending knee injuries to their respective anterior cruciate ligaments and now will be relegated to the sidelines. The duo were expected to fill the void left by Darrius Coleman, who graduated last spring after rushing for nearly 1,500 yards in 2008.

Banks, a junior, was Coleman’s capable sidekick last year and showed glimpses of being the program’s next great running back — one who clearly would have been one of the elite rushers this season in the South Puget Sound League.

“He was (going to be) a 1,000-yard back,” Norris lamented.

The injuries to Banks and Flowers, who essentially would have been the grinding force behind Kentwood’s run-first, pass-second offense, is indeed a blow to the most successful program in the SPSL North.

But if history is any indication, the Conks will be just fine. A program that has never endured a losing season in its 28-year history is nothing if not resilient. Kentwood will get its first opportunity to show that resiliency at 7 p.m. on Thursday, when it plays host to Central Kitsap at French Field in a nonleague opener for both teams.

While history always has been a good indicator for the Conks, so too have been numbers. As always, the Conquerors can boast about their numbers heading into the season. More than 150 players turned out for this year’s team, which should ease Norris’ burden just a bit when searching for the right backfield mix. Kentwood, which has churned out at least one 1,000-yard running back in nine of the last 10 seasons, will take a slightly different approach this fall. Instead of one primary ball carrier, the Conks will turn to a committee of runners. Originally, that was the plan last year before Coleman took charge, rushing for three touchdowns in the season opener.

“Like last year, we have a lot of question marks. But there are a lot of opportunities for these kids, and that’s what I keep telling them, ‘Don’t wait to be a leader,’” said Norris, who brings a 37-17 overall record into his sixth season at the helm of the program.

Three of those players expected to comprise a big chunk of that backfield committee are Jacob Dela Cruz (5-6/165), Zach Corpuz (5-7/185) and Kentlake transfer Matt Hubbard.

The Conquerors also are looking to fill the void left at quarterback by Luke Angevine, a three-year starter who graduated in the spring. Triston Askew, a first-team defensive back last fall, and Shane Green, who led the junior varsity to a perfect 9-0 mark last season, entered the second week of practice in a neck-and-neck battle for the position.

But as many questions as the Conquerors have these days, they still possess the one constant that has essentially paved the way to nearly three decades of success: a strong offensive line. Kentwood’s fortunes this season, as in so many previous years, will hinge on the boys in the trenches.

The Conks have plenty of big bodies there to do some serious damage: Nathan Herrick (6-2/240), T.J. Marcus (6-4/320), Mana Victorino (6-0/305), Jacob Shewey (5-11/225) and Taylor Hughes (6-4/220). Joshua Smith (6-10/280), one of the top basketball players in the nation, also chose to turn out for football this season, giving the offensive line one more force with which to be reckoned.

“We have probably one of the biggest offensive lines we’ve had in while,” said Herrick, who wrestled at 285 pounds last winter, placing third at the state tournament. “I think every team rides on (the line). That’s where the game is won and lost.”

Which — despite those recent injuries — helps give the Conquerors a burst of optimism.

KENTWOOD CONQUERORS: AT A GLANCE

• Coach: Rex Norris, 6th year, 37-17 overall record.

• Last year: 6-2 in league, tied for second place in the SPSL North; 8-3 overall, lost to Issaquah 31-28 in first round of state playoffs.

• Type of offense: Pro eye.

• Top offensive returners: Nathan Herrick, senior, OL, 6-2/240; Matt Bell, senior, kicker, 6-1/170; Allain Songco, senior, WR, 6-0/190; T.J. Marcus, senior, OL, 6-4/320; Robert Sims, senior, RB, 6-0/260; Quijuan Lawson, junior, OL; 5-11/230; Taylor Hughes, senior, OL, 6-4/220; Jacob Shewey, senior, OL, 5-11/225; Taylor White, senior, TE, 6-1/190; Mana Victorino, senior, OL, 6-0/305.

• Type of defense: 5-2.

• Top defensive returners: Triston Askew, senior, DB, 6-0, 170; Allain Songco, senior, OLB, 6-0/190; T.J. Marcus, senior, DL, 6-4/320; Robert Sims, senior, DL, 6-0/260; Taylor Hughes, senior, DL, 6-4/220; Jacob Shewey, senior, DL, 5-11/225.

• Impact newcomers: Josh Smith, senior, OL, 6-10/280; Zach Corpuz, senior, RB, 5-7/185; Jason Boyce, junior, WR/OLB, 6-3/215; Jeremy Antonio, senior, TE/ILB, 5-10/200; Dalton Blackmore, junior, TE/OLB, 6-3/220.

• Outlook: Kentwood already has suffered its share of injuries, losing promising running backs Joseph Banks and Ronnie Flowers to knee injuries. In addition, the Conks graduated some top talent in offensive lineman Hunter Blackmore, wide receiver Devin St. Clair, running back Darrius Coleman and outside linebacker Henry Everett. But as Kentwood has shown every year since the early ’80s, the Conquerors simply find a way to win. More than 150 players turned out this season and plenty of talent remains, particularly on the offensive line, which is anchored by Nathan Herrick (6-4/240), T.J. Marcus (6-4/320) and Mana Victorino (6-0/305), among others. If the Conks can fill the gaps at running back and quarterback and the defense delivers – as expected – this is a team that should be in the hunt once again for one of the three playoff berths from the SPSL North.

• Key game: Auburn at Kentwood, French Field, 7 p.m., Sept. 11. Of all the games on the schedule during the first four weeks of the season, this is the biggest. Auburn enters the season as the consensus favorite to win the North, but the Conquerors always find themselves at or near the top. The winner here could be in the driver’s seat for the league crown.