All the pieces in place for Issaquah | Football preview

An experienced senior quarterback.

A Division I-bound tight end.

An athletic sophomore running back.

Issaquah head football coach Chris Bennett believes his team has the pieces for success in the 2011 season — it’s a question of if his younger, less experienced players can fill the void left by last year’s graduating class.

“We have parts coming back,” Bennett said. “Can we develop that into a whole? That’s the big thing.”

The Eagles, who are coming off a 9-3 season and their third consecutive trip to the state playoffs, return a key component in senior signal-caller Ethan Kalin. The left-hander completed 73 of 131 passes for 1,180 yards, 14 touchdowns and four interceptions in 2010 before suffering a dislocated elbow and missing Issaquah’s final four post-season games.

Fully healthy, Kalin is poised for a strong finish to his high-school career.

“He’s made some throws that are pretty amazing,” Bennett said. “Arm-strength wise, he’s probably one of the best we’ve ever had.”

Issaquah returns three starters to the offensive line, led by senior tight end Eric Lemke. The 6-foot-4, 245-pounder already has an offer from the University of Idaho and is on the radar of several Pac-12 schools.

He is joined on the line by returning seniors Austin Richert and Trevor Alexander and newcomers Shay Dingfelder and Jake Volk.

Bennett admits his 2011 backfield doesn’t have as much depth as years past, but it certainly has an exciting element in sophomore Jack Gellatly. The youngest brother of four, Gellatly has elements of all three of his brothers.

“Jack is kind of a mix of them all,” Bennett said. “They’re each their own person, they’re wearing the same number, but some of the moves you see out there at practice, you’re like it looks the same.”

Gellatly saw limited time as a freshman, but did make an impact — in particular in the Eagles’ 35-14 win over Newport. He had a career-high 114 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries.

Junior tailback Kyle Thomas, and fullbacks Eric Rauch and Tyler Sheehan will join Gellatly in the backfield.

Issaquah lost one of its best all-time wide receivers to graduation in Evan Peterson, but returns experience at the position with senior Jake Bakamus and junior Reed Peterson — Evan’s brother. The Eagles also have several upstart players, including junior Craig Greiwe. Bennett described the 6-foot, 170-pounder as having the Eagles’ best offseason at any position.

Defensively, Issaquah also brings back depth.

Richert is a first-team all-KingCo selection at linebacker, while Rauch and Duncan Hamilton also bring some punch to the position.

The secondary has several players competing for starting spots, including Gellatly, Greiwe, Thomas, Bakamus and Chas Peterson.

Issaquah, which finished second in the state in 2008, and made the state quarterfinals in 2009 and 2010, has its eyes set on another deep run in 2011.

“All those guys were huge parts,” Bennett said. “They weren’t maybe the main part, but now it’s time for them to be the main part to this team and they have all the experience to do it. Hopefully that shines through.”