Arguably the best player on the field during the Class 3A state championship game was one of the first players to emerge from the locker room onto the practice field during a spring football practice session at Eastside Catholic on June 18.
Eastside Catholic Crusaders senior quarterback Harley Kirsch, who led his team to a 35-13 win in the Class 3A state championship tilt, threw passes to receivers and engaged with his teammates in gregarious manner 30 minutes before practice officially kicked off. Kirsch’s ability and willingness to lead is something Crusaders head coach Jeremy Thielbahr absolutely loves.
“Harley has transformed our program into something that you can’t duplicate. I think having him do what he’s done and the way he leads our team is awe inspiring,” Thielbahr said. “I’m really excited for him this year. He has got a great future ahead of him.”
The Crusaders may have won their first football state championship in school history seven months ago but that doesn’t mean they will rest on their laurels and slew of press clippings from last year’s magical run.
“It is obviously a great position to be in but it is also a lot of pressure,” Kirsch said of defending the state title. “We have a great group of guys. I love playing with these guys and hopefully we can pull out one more state title. We will just give it our all on every single play then whatever happens will happen.”
The Crusaders will open the 2015 season in the Honor Bowl in San Diego. Eastside Catholic will face Oceanside at 8 p.m. on Sept. 4 in a battle of two of the top teams on the West Coast. The Crusaders, who suffered a 35-21 loss against Trinity Christian in the inaugural Burger King Bowl Championship Series last December in Boca Raton, Florida, are excited about the opportunity to travel once again for a high profile contest. The game will be broadcasted live on ESPNU.
“Not a lot of teams get to play on ESPNU twice in back to back games. To be able to fly down to two different states to play football is awesome. We’re excited about the opportunity and know how lucky we are to be able to do this,” Kirsch said.
Thielbahr said his squad hasn’t forgotten its loss against Trinity Christian on Dec. 27.
“I think when you beat Bellevue you feel great but we still ended the season on a loss. We’re still very hungry and we got a lot to prove. We just want to continue to build the roots of this program,” Theilbahr said.
The head coach admitted the Crusaders will look different from the 2014 team that won a state title. They return Kirsch, running back Brandon Wellington, receiver Matt Laris and tight end Devon Arbis-Jackson but lost a vast majority of their starters on both sides of the ball including lineman Alex Neale, Cody Baker, Deion Fetui-Crisostomo and middle linebacker Tony Masaniai.
“We got some pieces in place but we lost a lot of great players. I’m excited to see how the freshmen, sophomores and juniors step into their new roles,” Theilbahr said. “The great thing about being a high school football coach is that every year is different. It is a great journey.”
The Crusaders spring practice sessions are focused intensely on the fundamentals of the game.
“High school football isn’t real complicated. We’ve got to be able to tackle, take the ball away and hold onto the ball. Right now we’re trying to get guys lined up, get their pad level right and make sure we continue to do the little things at a high level. We got a great culture and great community. Our kids love football and they love each other.”
Shaun Scott: 425-453-5045; sscott@issaquahreporter.com
