Newport head football coach Mike Miller paused for a moment before responding to a question about what his team learned in its 30-10 playoff loss to Chiawana in the 4A quarterfinals last season.
“Weight room,” Miller finally said. “We got manhandled up front.”
Despite the crushing end to its season, Newport took another step forward in 2010 by returning to the state playoffs after lopsided defeats of Inglemoor and Kentlake. But with a group that is more experienced and less likely to be pushed around after a dedicated summer in the weight room, Newport could be ready to eclipse that accomplishment in 2011. The lynch pin to that success will be quarterback Isaac Dotson.
After stepping into the starting varsity role two seasons ago as a freshman and syncing-up with the team’s re-adopted Wishbone offense last year, 2011 will be the most settled season of Dotson’s prep career. That could be trouble for the rest of the league considering the junior racked up nearly 1,700 yards of offense while accounting for 23 touchdowns in 2010.
“His freshman and sophomore year he was more of a quiet leader because he had older kids that he respected,” offensive coordinator Tim Driver said. “Now, he’s really come into his own as a verbal leader as well. He has a great way of creating a sense of urgency, but he does it in a positive way so kids just flock to him.”
Around its centerpiece, Newport will mix established contributors such as Eric Rodan and Nate Anderson with a group that coaches believe is talented enough to fill the void left by departed weapons James Dupar and Louis Jachim in the backfield and Kevin Martin at receiver. Rodan in particular has drawn praise from a number of coaches and teammates, all of whom attest to the fact he has gained at somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 pounds of “good weight” since the end of last season.
On the outside, Riley Guilbeault will be charged with the task of replacing the sure-handed Martin, who was also an all-league defender and return man for the Knights.
“We thought there was going to be a hole there,” Driver said of the receiver position. “But as good as Kevin was and Kevin was very good, Riley has put in enough work where it’s just going to stay right where its been.”
Losing three all-league performers on the offensive line in Matt Murray, Patrick Taiwo and Joe Givens had Miller, who also serves as offensive line coach, feeling uncertain in the trenches as well. But as the spring became summer and finally fall camp, Miller has gained confidence that his team can keep pace on the offensive line in 2011.
“I think we’re going to be just fine up front,” Miller said. “I’m impressed with where we’re at and knowledge wise, we’re way ahead.” A greater understanding of the scheme and knowledge of roles seems to be a theme around the Knights’ Wishbone offense, now in its second year since being resurrected in 2010.
“This time last year, we had maybe 30 percent of our offensive plays in and now we have maybe 70 percent,” Driver said. “We have some holes to fill but overall we’re ahead of where we were last year.” Dotson also said he is feeling more cohesion within the offense, which is allowing him to better perfect some of the nuances and direct teammates.
“I’m a lot more confident this year,” Dotson said. “It’s easier to focus on things beyond the basics and I can start helping other people as well.”
Along with the physical and mental tools Newport feels have been sharpened, some key team building functions Miller instituted to compensate for the loss of a core group of seniors have the team thinking and playing with one heartbeat. Numbers for offseason conditioning were up during the spring and summer, as evidenced by the multiple players who tested above previous marks at the start of camp. Players and coaches came together for a hiking and camping trip up Mount Si and also attended Central Washington University’s football camp, where Dotson said there was marked improvement over last season.
“It was really important this year,” Miller said of the bonding exercises. “Last year, we had a core group of seniors that were all buddies and this year, we have a small senior group and a lot of good talented juniors and sophomores but they’re not as tight as they were last year.”
After facing Interlake and Mercer Island, the Knights will host three conference foes in four weeks and will hope to settle a score with each. Bothell and All-American wide receiver Trent Sewell will come calling in week three before Eastlake and Skyline travel to Factoria in consecutive weeks (a trip to south Everett to face Miller’s alma mater Cascade precedes Eastlake’s visit). All three earned lopsided victories over Newport last season. If the Knight want a spot in the conference title game or to remain in the top half of the division, they will need to defeat at least one of the two teams from the plateau before closing the regular season against Issaquah.
“Our goal is obviously to take the next step,” Miller said. “But we’re not going to get there if we don’t stay on the task at hand. There are no off weeks.”
