Kennedy Catholic, located in Burien, Washington, is a program that annually is ranked in the top 10 of the 3A classificiation. Head coach Bob Bourgette, one of the icons in Puget Sound High School football, has guided the Lancers for nearly two decades and he has produced a lot of talented players including Paul Arnold, Nate Williams, Everrette Thompson, Kevin Freitag, Nolan Washington, Jason Thompson and Tre Watson among others.
Normally Bourgette prefers to keep quiet about his team, allowing them to stay focused and letting their play do the talking. However this year is different. The veteran coach seems to genuinely like what he has returning, even after losing starting quarterback and safety Jason Thompson, who signed with Wyoming to play QB.
Taking the reigns of the offense will be senior Conner Richardson (6â€™2, 220) and Bourget said what the talented signal-caller might lack in experience, he makes up for in effort, athleticism and leadership.
â€œConner is such a great kid and I couldnâ€™t have asked for more from him this summer,â€ Bourget said. â€œHeâ€™s really taken this thing and ran with it. Heâ€™s led our offseason work, gotten guys involved and just taken over for Jason very nicely.
Bourgetteâ€™s offenses rarely pass the ball, choosing to grind it out on the ground and they have no shortage of backs to do just that, however with Richardson you will see the Lancers throw the ball a lot more and they will run out of several different formations which will keep defenses on their toes.
Some of the offensive skill guys to keep an eye on for the Lancers this fall are junior Colin Cossett (6â€™1, 220), a bruising fullback who can carry the rock or pave the way for the other tailbacks.
At wideout, the Lancers will have seniors Drew Thompson (6â€™1, 185) and Antonio Winter (5â€™6, 170). Thompson has really turned himself into a gem this offseason, showing outstanding range, quickness and instincts. He impressed the Washington State coaches so much at their camp in June that they told him they may end up offering as a safety prospect.
The Lancers also have one of the top tight ends in the state in Cole Madison (6â€™5, 270) who has committed to Washington State as an athlete. Heâ€™s got soft hands and heâ€™s got good speed, so he could be a real threat in the short and intermediate passing game as well as the redzone, but the Cougars thing he could end up growing into an offensive lineman.
Along the offensive line, a two-way starter to keep an eye on is Desmound Thompson (6â€™7, 300) who Bourgette termed a â€œstar in the makingâ€. Thompson hasnâ€™t played much football so heâ€™s really raw, but heâ€™s got the size and toughness to be a good one.
Joining Thompson along the line will be Zach Nobmann (6â€™0, 230) who projects nicely as a blocking back at the next level.
The defensive line will be led by Madison and Thompson who both are athletic enough to play almost anywhere along the line. Madison plays mainly outside as a strongside defensive end, and finished fourth on the team with 75 tackles last year while also notching six sacks.
At linebacker, Cossett and Nobmann will be the leaders with both using their athleticism, strength and intelligence to make plays.
The secondary will be relatively young, but with Winter and Drew Thompson back there making plays, the Lancers should be just fine.
Kennedy Catholic kicks off the season with a tough non-league game against Mount Si on August 31st and then face off against Roosevelt, a tough city league team before beginning Seamount League play against Evergreen at home.
Like most years, the Lancers are poised to win their league relatively easily, but with their two non-league games Bourgette has tried to get his Lancers ready for the post-season where they have struggled in recent years.