EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first of the Reporter Newspaper’s prep football previews. Previews for Kent-Meridian, Kentridge, Kentwood and Tahoma will follow in the coming days leading up to the Sept. 1 season kickoff.
The pieces are in place on the Kentlake High football field.
An offense that ranked second in the South Puget Sound League North Division by averaging 36.8 points per game a year ago has 10 returning starters.
A defense that ranked third in the North is mostly intact and returns eight starters.
And there isn’t a team in the North that returns more all-league selections (8) than the Falcons.
Add it up and expectations are sky high for the Falcons, who will soar into their season opener Thursday, Sept. 1 at French Field against Auburn Riverside as the unquestionable team to beat in the vaunted SPSL North.
Kentlake hasn’t won a league title since 2003, when it shared the honor with rival Kentwood. That also was the last time the Falcons made an appearance in the state tournament.
This fall, however, the expectations might be even higher than in 2003, when the Falcons were bumped in a first-round state playoff game by Lincoln, 30-6.
“There are expectations here,” said second-year coach Chris Paulson. “I think our kids and our coaches have been the ones who have set those expectations rather than outside influences. A lot of people say you want to be the underdog, but I don’t agree with that.”
While the Falcons surprised some with last year’s playoff surge, they won’t be able to sneak up on anybody this fall. The primary reason for that is due to the wealth of talent returning. Senior quarterback Caleb Saulo (1,311 yards, 12 touchdowns passing, 6 rushing), a second-team all-leaguer, might be the North’s top-returning quarterback.
Saulo has plenty of weapons at his disposal, too.
In addition to the one-two running back punch of Stephon Vaifale (812 yards, 8 touchdowns) and Nu’u Vaifale (392 yards rushing, 313 receiving, 12 touchdowns), the Falcons also will be able to lean upon three-sport star Austin Pernell, potentially the entire SPSL’s deadliest weapon.
Pernell, a 5-foot-11, 187-pound wide receiver/safety who will play baseball on scholarship at Washington State University next year, runs a 4.4 40-yard dash, possesses hands of glue and has the ability to wreak havoc with the ball in his hands. As much was evident last October, when he lit up Kentwood for a career-best 9 receptions for 143 yards in a 30-28 loss.
Advancing to state might be goal No. 1 for the Falcons.
Consider beating Kentwood, something Kentlake hasn’t done in eight years, goal No. 1b.
“Our community expects us to win at least seven games, it’s a must,” said Pernell, who pulled in 27 receptions for 597 yards and seven touchdowns last season. “We’re required to beat Kentwood. There are no excuses this year.”
No excuses. But there are sky-high expectations. Learning to handle the expectations, however, is something relatively new for Kentlake.
“I feel the pressure and I am sure all of my teammates do, too,” said 6-2, 220-pound lineman Zac Cowan. “Everybody expects Kentlake to be the team to beat. I think the pressure is good for us. It’s going to push us to be the best we can be.”
And if last year’s performance is any indication, the Falcons can be plenty good. Last fall, the Falcons rolled to a 5-0 record and into the state rankings for the first time in years. Consecutive losses to Kentwood and Auburn ended Kentlake’s North Division title hopes, but the Falcons still advanced to the playoffs.
There’s no reason this year’s team can’t surpass last season’s accomplishments.
“For the most part, anybody who touched the ball for us last year is coming back,” said Paulson. “We might have lost 100 yards of offense from last year.”
Right now, however, the Falcons don’t want to put a cap on how high they can fly.
“Last year, I sat down with the kids and asked what success would be,” Paulson said. “They said they wanted to play in the playoffs. We got there and got beat up. This year, we don’t want to put a goal together because we don’t want to limit ourselves.”
With all the pieces currently in place, that limit is sky high.
KENTLAKE FALCONS: AT A GLANCE
• COACH: Chris Paulson, second year
• LAST YEAR: 6-2 in SPSL North (third), 7-3 overall.
• TYPE OF OFFENSE: Spread Bone
• OFFENSIVE RETURNERS (10): WR Austin Pernell, sr., 5-11/187; QB Caleb Saulo, sr., 6-2/218; OL Kile Minnis, sr., 6-1/272; OL Zac Cowan, sr., 6-2/222; RB Caleb Mathena, jr., 5-11/180; RB Nu’u Vaifale, jr., 6-0/224; RB Stephon Vaifale, sr., 5-10/185; OL Nolan Jones, sr., 6-1/255; OL Tyler Deskins, jr., 6-4/244; RB Trevor Baldwin, sr., 5-9/180.
• TYPE OF DEFENSE: 3-3
• DEFENSIVE RETURNERS (8): DL Kile Minnis, sr., 6-1/272; DL Zac Cowan, sr., 6-2/222; DL Conner Powell, sr., 6-2/225; LB Caleb Saulo, sr., 6-2/218; LB Tanner Lucas, sr., 6-1/220; DB Trevor Baldwin, sr., 5-9/180; DB Caleb Mathena, jr., 5-11/180; DB Austin Pernell, sr., 5-11/187.
• TOP NEWCOMERS: OL/DL Mason Johnson, so., 6-2/317; OL/DL Jaron Engstrom, so., 6-4/294; RB/DB Darryl Parker, sr., 6-2/191.
• OUTLOOK: The Falcons made huge strides last fall, qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 2003. Once there, however, the result — a 52-6 loss to Newport in a state-qualifier — was not pretty. No doubt, Kentlake wants to return to the postseason and wipe away last year’s season-ending loss. Fortunately for the Falcons, they have more talent this fall than in years. WR/DB Austin Pernell is the most dangerous weapon in the SPSL North, Caleb Saulo is the league’s top-returning quarterback and the one-two punch of Stephon and Nu’u Vaifale in the backfield gives the Falcons a lethal rushing attack as well. Adding to the optimism is the fact that Kentlake returns more starters (18 overall) and all-league selections (six, two of whom earned honors on both sides of the ball) than any team in the North. Added up and Kentlake enters the season as the frontrunner in the league.
• KEY GAME: Oct. 7 at Kentwood (French Field). Kentlake hasn’t beaten Kentwood since 2003. A safety proved to be the difference in Kentwood’s 30-28 win a year ago, a game that featured a raucous standing-room only crowd at French Field. A win here could put the Falcons in line for its first North Division crown since 2003, when it shared the title with Kentwood.
KENTLAKE SCHEDULE 2011
DATE OPPONENT LOCATION
Sept. 1 A. Riverside French Field
Sept. 9 Kentridge French Field
Sept. 17 Mount Rainier French Field
Sept. 23 Jefferson FW Memorial Stadium
Sept. 30 Tahoma French Field
Oct. 7 Kentwood French Field
Oct. 13 Auburn French Field
Oct. 20 E. Ridge* French Field
Oct. 27 Kent-Meridian French Field
All games at 7 p.m.
* Nonleague
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