Football practices begin across state

By Mason Kelley

Seattle Times staff reporter

When Greg Schneider tried to explain to his Bellevue Christian players what it would take to build a successful football program, the coach compared the process to "a building project."

"Every building project needs material," he said. "It needs a plumber. It needs an electrician. It needs the laborers, the carpenters, the whole gamut. Each person has a responsibility to contribute to that building project. But you have to have a plan."

The Vikings' project, which started with a bunch of "pieces all over the place" when the school added the sport in the spring, began to take shape when they took the field Wednesday for their first fall football practice.

"There is a tremendous amount of excitement," Schneider said. "This is a historic day. I told them, 'Look around, take it in, look at each other, absorb it, because you guys are setting the foundation for this program.' "

All across the state, teams held their first practices, with building projects in different stages. While Bellevue Christian was breaking ground, schools like Skyline and Kentlake set out to prove they can build the best houses on the block.

In Chris Paulson's first year as Kentlake's head coach last season, the goal was simple: get to the playoffs.

The Falcons accomplished the task, but once there, things didn't go as planned as Newport handed them a lopsided defeat, 52-6.

"Maybe we set the bar a little too low," Paulson said. "We met our goal, but we certainly weren't ready for the playoffs once we got there."

This season, with 18 starters returning, Kentlake set a higher standard with early expectations.

"Let's go out Wednesday the 17th and have the best Day 1 practice that anybody's ever had," Paulson told his players after their last summer weight-room session. "Then let's try to be better the next day. Then we'll just see.

"I don't think we want to set a limit on ourselves, because we did that last year and didn't like the results."

After three straight state titles, it wasn't easy for Skyline to accept last season's 24-16 loss to Ferris of Spokane in the Class 4A championship game.

The details of that loss remained fresh for a long time. It pushed the Spartans through winter weightlifting sessions and lingered through summer workouts.

"Whenever that thought gets into our heads, we just want to get every extra rep, do all the little things perfect, so we don't have to have that taste in our mouths again," said junior linebacker Peyton Pelluer, a team captain for the Sammamish school.

There is a new sense of determination at Skyline, as fresh as the paint — flat gray — on the Spartans' helmets.

Coach Mat Taylor said once the 2010 season ended, he was impressed with the weight-room turnout in January and his assistants have praised the team's camaraderie all summer.

"Each year is unique and this group is very hungry," Taylor said. "The cohesiveness is awesome."

During Bellevue Christian's practice, a group of players flipped tires, while an assistant coach shouted in the background. There were 36 players on the field, and only a handful had football experience. But none of that mattered. The Vikings were out there, running drills, setting the foundation.

"We're creating the master plan here, guys," Schneider told his players. "You're the builders."

Mason Kelley: 206-464-8277 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it