In the fall, Kentridge linebacker Dylan Zylstra was the motor behind the top-ranked defense in the South Puget Sound League.
Zylstra, a senior, announced last week that he will be taking that motor to Eastern Washington University this fall in Cheney, where he will play football on scholarship for the Eagles.
“I didn’t know what to expect when I went there (last weekend), but I fell in love with the coaches and everyone was so hospitable to me. They treated me like I was one of them,” said the 6-foot-5, 225-pound Zylstra. “I like where they’re heading.”
Eastern Washington, a Division-II school, has traditionally challenged the University of Montana for the Big Sky title. Last season, the Eagles finished second in the Big Sky with a 6-2 record, and posted an 8-4 mark overall. In November, the Eagles were eliminated in a first-round NCAA Championship subdivision playoff game by Stephen F. Austin, 44-33.
Zylstra will redshirt his first year at Eastern. A linebacker this past fall with the Chargers, the Eagles plan on moving Zylstra to defensive end. A three-year starter at Kentridge, Zylstra played both defensive end and linebacker for the Chargers. Late in the season, he even played a little wide receiver.
“This is a huge weight being lifted off of my back right now,” said Zylstra. “I am so relieved to finally have made a decision and know what my future holds for me.”
While the future remains bright for the KR senior, the past also is impressive. In the fall, Zylstra ranked second in the entire SPSL in tackles for a loss (13.5), fifth in sacks (5.5) and 10th in tackles (62). The standout performance came against Tahoma, when Zylstra racked up 15 tackles, including four for a loss, in a 17-14 win over the Bears. At the end of the season, Zylstra was named the SPSL North’s Defensive Back of the Year, an honor handed out on a yearly basis to the league’s top defensive player.
“He just had a great season,” said Kentridge coach Marty Osborn. “He provided leadership, big plays week in and week out. A lot of kids are capable of doing that every couple of weeks, but he did it every single week.”
Zylstra also was being courted by Air Force, but cancelled his final trip after committing to Eastern.
While a handful of other small colleges were recruiting the Kentridge senior, interest from Division-I programs never surfaced.
“(Washington State University) was always my dream,” said Zylstra. “I was hoping to play there, but I basically didn’t make the cut. I think a lot of schools looked past me because of my size.”
With football out of the way for a while, Zylstra now can focus all of his attention on the basketball court, where he’s currently Kentridge’s third-leading scorer with an 11.5 points-per-game average. Kentridge took third at state last year and entered the week in second place in the North.
“It’s a young team, but we’re hoping we can get back to the big dance,” Zylstra said. “I think it’s really likely.”
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