For the Reporter
With a 30-0 victory in the championship game, the Mercer Island Boys and Girls Club’s sophomore tackle football squad grabbed its first title for the program.
The squad finished its season with a 10-1 record and victory over a previously undefeated Mount Si team. Over the course of the season, the locals outscored their opponents 341-126.
Beginning the season in August with 21 players — only six having any football experience — the coaches had expectations of having fun, helping the young men develop as people, not necessarily football players, and hopefully cultivating a culture where they could create long-lasting friendships.
What transpired over the course of several months was a testament to the boys’ attitude, their heart and willpower. During their first practice, the boys picked the word “work” to symbolize their season.
Head coach Mason Azose remembers winning their first game by a large margin and sitting the boys down and saying, “We can go through this season and us coaches can take it easy and we can have a bunch of fun but not put too much stock into winning, or we could chase a championship.”
The boys unanimously chose to put the work in.
“Our identity was speed, both on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. We found that being well-conditioned, and practicing footwork and sprinting strides was a difference maker in our preparation. We also found an identity in the film room, with the average player having watched one hour of film study per week,” Azose said.
Azose added that he hopes the players learned lessons of perseverance, trust, building unwavering confidence and self-esteem and how to put in the work.
The road to the championship has been a long time coming. Coach Ross Heise has been coaching in the program for 22 years, and Azose since 2016. The team will raise a championship banner in the club field house.
* The team is:
Rowan “Row Dawg” Neher: Guard
Reece “Big Reece” Nekahi: Defensive tackle
Ari “Big Block” Rozman: Wide receiver
Alex “Middle Monster” Hanlon: Defensive tackle
Reider “Avenstopper” Avenstam: Wide receiver, defensive end
Axel “Avenstopper” Avenstam: Linebacker, defensive end
Peter “Coach Pete” Becciu: Guard
Justin “JBo” Howard: Middle linebacker
Guven “G-Man” Nguyen: Center, long snapper
Zachary “Bruiser” Walzer: Tackle
Eli “Last Man” Kercher: Safety
Brady “Lucky Lefty” Dolence: Quarterback, captain
JD “TD” Rudolf: Slot receiver, fullback
Jackson “Bloomy” Bloom: Defensive end, wide receiver
Riley “Big Jug” Anderson: Tight end, receiver, defensive end, quarterback, captain
Jonah “Joey Batts” Battema: Rover linebacker, kicker
CJ “Greeny” Greenfield: Cornerback
Mateo “Tito” Alvarado-Smith: Tackle, linebacker
John “Johnny Ice” Enell: Cornerback
Chase “Champ” Kelly: Running back, safety, captain
John “Johnny Pops” Evans: Wide side linebacker, captain
* The coaches are:
Head coach: Mason Azose (MIHS alum)
Assistant coach: Ross Heise
Assistant coach: Connor Juneau-Wild (MIHS alum)
Assistant coach: Risley Lesko (MIHS alum)
Chase Kelly runs up field for the Mercer Island Boys and Girls Club’s sophomore tackle football squad. Photo courtesy of Jay Azose
