Saints football team is focused on the fundamentals

Shawn Hartline is Interlake’s new head football coach.

By Shaun Scott • June 21, 2018 2:43 pm
Interlake Saints head football coach Shawn Hartline, center, makes a point to one of his players during a spring practice session on June 19 at Interlake High School in Bellevue. Hartline, who will be in his first season as head coach of the Saints this fall, was an assistant on the Saints staff during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. Shaun Scott, staff photo
Interlake Saints head football coach Shawn Hartline, center, makes a point to one of his players during a spring practice session on June 19 at Interlake High School in Bellevue. Hartline, who will be in his first season as head coach of the Saints this fall, was an assistant on the Saints staff during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. Shaun Scott, staff photo

A new face will be calling the shots along the Interlake Saints football sideline this fall.

Brian Hartline, who was the Saints head coach during the 2016 and 2017 seasons, resigned his coaching position this past January. Brian’s brother Shawn, who was a defensive backs/kickers assistant the past two years, landed the head coaching job. The 47-year-old is excited to lead a high school football varsity program for the first time in his coaching career.

“It is an honor to follow my brother. My brother is an excellent coach. When the opportunity came up, I met with him (Brian) and he gave me the blessing so I went for it and I won the job,” Shawn Hartline said.

Prior to landing the assistant job at Interlake in 2016, Hartline said he’s coached in the Bothell, Inglemoor, North Bend and Coeur D’Alene areas in years past. Between 25-30 players were in attendance for the Saints spring practice session on June 19 in Bellevue. While the Saints roster is petite, Hartline said its filled with upperclassmen.

“We’ve got a great senior class coming back and very large junior class but we got to work on increasing the sophomore and freshman class,” Hartline said.

In 2016, the Saints finished with a 7-4 overall record but won just three games during the 2017 season. The Saints return senior running back/cornerback Austin Hourn, offensive lineman/nose guard Ethan Feaster and tight end/linebacker Myles Chandler.

“We’re definitely building right now. There are three things this team will live by. You got to be committed, you got to compete and got to show compassion on the field. We live by that,” Hartline said. “Right now we’re pretty focused on offense. We’re making some adjustments on offense and defensively we are building where we left off.”

Hartline said he gives his coaches relative autonomy in their coaching positions.

“My coaching style is I really let the coaches do their jobs. My job is to be there to support them. At this point in my career (47 years of age). I want to do more coaching of the coaches and let these guys grow so that someday they take my job one day. That is my goal,” Hartline said.