4A Football | Bothell has learned from last year
By Tom Wyrwich
Seattle Times staff reporter
BOTHELL — In practice, the Bothell players talked about rings and trophies. In school, there was an all-school assembly to celebrate their accomplishments. Around the city, they were treated like champions.
There was one problem. This all happened before the Cougars even played the state-championship game last year.
"It felt like we had just won it when we hadn't done anything yet," senior running back Jonathan Kirchner said. "I think that kind of got to our heads a little bit."
Add in a nightmare week of practice, and there's a reason Kirchner said the Cougars "lost focus the whole week." So Bothell's first trip to the state-championship game didn't end well, with a 21-14 loss to Oak Harbor.
"We really overlooked that game we played last year," senior quarterback Johnny Hekker said. "We were so awestruck that we were actually there."
Tonight, the top-ranked Cougars have the opportunity to make up for that in the Class 4A championship against Lewis & Clark of Spokane.
It's an opportunity not many Cougars imagined when they walked off the Tacoma Dome turf last year. As they cried in the locker room, some seniors told the rest of the team they'd be back.
"Realistically, it was like, oh my gosh, we just blew a once-in-a-lifetime thing," said Kirchner, the only returning offensive starter from 2006.
Bothell coach Tom Bainter didn't feel the same way. With a small team plagued by injuries, Bainter watched the Cougars get past the quarterfinals for the first time in school history.
Suddenly, a title game didn't seem like such an unattainable goal.
"It's funny," Bainter said. "Before you get there it seems like it's almost impossible. Once you do it, you realize it could be done."
The Cougars lost all but six starters from last year's team. But in the Cougars' ocean-deep program — they have two sophomore teams this season — Bainter knew he had the right players to fill in the gaps.
"I knew we were going to be good," Bainter said. "I said this team might be better than last year's team."
The Cougars survived close battles with rivals Eastlake and Inglemoor to win the KingCo 4A conference and finish the season undefeated. In the round of 16, they beat eighth-ranked Central Kitsap 31-17.
Bothell beat No. 4 Oak Harbor 42-14 in the quarterfinals, and then went to Spokane and beat No. 2 Ferris 14-7 to get to the championship game.
"With each week, we've played better," Bainter said.
This time around, Kirchner said there would be no assembly, no talk of rings or trophies, no celebration plans before the Cougars actually are the champions.
"We have to work hard for one more week," he said.
Tom Wyrwich: 206-515-5653 or twyrwich@seattletimes.com