Football Notebook | Son of ex-UW AD leaves Nashville for Seattle Prep

Three weeks ago, Drew Turner was attending a private, all-boys school in Nashville, Tenn. On Friday night, he will quarterback Seattle Prep against O'Dea.

Turner, son of former University of Washington athletic director Todd Turner, said he returned to Prep "because I really missed the friendships and community here. I wanted to finish up somewhere where I was going to really enjoy myself."

Turner said his parents "agreed with me that the senior year should be something special." They allowed him to return to Seattle, where he lives with the family of teammate and classmate Alex Cameron.

Turner said the principal and football coach at Montgomery Bell Academy both understood his reasons for returning to Seattle.

"They understood it wasn't a football decision," he said.

Turner was granted eligibility last Thursday by a Washington Interscholastic Activities Association hearing board and played in last Friday's 34-0 loss at Bainbridge. It probably didn't hurt his case that his Southern roots have made him unfailingly polite, with "yes, sir" a standard part of his vocabulary.

The thrust of his case to prove hardship: "Emotionally, I'm better off here."

Last year, Turner suffered a season-ending ankle injury against O'Dea that required months of rehabilitation. He played wide receiver against the Irish because he had suffered a biceps injury throwing a javelin in the spring of his sophomore year.

"The last time I walked on that field to play them, I didn't walk off," he said of the Irish. "So, hopefully I can change that."

Seattle Prep (1-3 overall, 0-1 Metro Mountain Division) hasn't defeated O'Dea (3-1, 1-0) since 1980.

Turner still hasn't recovered from the biceps injury and as quarterback throws only in games, not practices. Another challenge is learning the playbook of new Prep coach D.R. Clawson.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound senior also is a backup defensive back. He is interested in playing Division III football next year, and one college that interests him is Washington & Lee in Lexington, Va. His three older sisters all live in the South.

Turner's father, who fell out of favor with UW president Mark Emmert and lost his job in December, is visiting his son this week. Todd Turner works in Nashville for ISP, the sports-marketing company, according to Drew.

The Turners still own their Montlake home and are renting it.

Unbeaten Tahoma enjoying the moment

The Tahoma Bears are boasting big smiles again. And not just because of their 4-0 record.

After a disappointing 2007 season, when they missed the playoffs after winning three consecutive SPSL 4A North titles, the Bears are enjoying life on and off the field, according to coach Tony Davis.

"There's a really good chemistry," Davis said. "They get along. Last week we were sitting in the coaches' office, just kind of listening at the whole group just having fun. They kind of get the fact that they're only together a short time, and they're just enjoying it."

Tahoma faces a key test Friday against Federal Way, which has won three straight since a season-opening loss to Auburn.

Juanita's new coach facing old mentor

Liberty coach Steve Valach sat across a table from this man he did not know, a volunteer coach on the school's freshman team. It was 1999, and Shaun Tarantola had finished his first year coaching football. For the first time, realized what he wanted to do with his life. Now, on the edge of his chair, he tried to convince Valach — Liberty's new coach — to keep him on the staff.

"It was really such a blur," Tarantola recalled. "I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't know what I was talking about."

"I felt like he was yelling at me," Valach said, with a laugh. "He was so into it, it was a no-brainer."

Tarantola got the job and eventually became the Liberty offensive coordinator before he took the coaching job at Evergreen of White Center. Now he's the new coach at Juanita, and when his Rebels play Liberty Friday, he'll play against his mentor for the first time.

"It's going to be a fun game," Tarantola said.

Both teams are 3-1, and the game could go a long way toward determining which three KingCo teams reach the Class 3A playoffs. Juanita moved to 3A this season.

The Rebels and Patriots run similar offenses and play with mostly the same defensive alignments. Two Juanita assistants, Andy Arena and Eddie Antuna, also coached at Liberty with Valach and Tarantola.

"They're good dudes," Valach said. "We talk a lot in the offseason. We don't talk as quite as personally as we did now, so it will definitely be fun."

Kennedy taking its licks in practice

Since a nonleague loss to 4A Kentwood in its opener, Kennedy has played three Seamount League opponents with a combined record of 2-9. In most cases, Kennedy starters have played two quarters or less, and the composite scores of the three wins is 137-0.

And it could have been worse.

Evergreen coach David Lewis thanked Kennedy coach Bob Bourgette after a 34-0 loss.

"They were very kind," Lewis said, noting that Evergreen had several ineligible players and started three freshmen. "He [Bourgette] was playing everything but the kitchen sink. It could have been real, real ugly."

Bourgette said he has made practices more physical to give his starters work.

"They hate practice," he said. "We're beating them to death. We haven't had a [tackling] bag on the field the past three weeks. Everything's live."

Evergreen finally back on the scoreboard

When Tevin Collins scored on a 2-yard run in the first quarter against Tyee last week, he gave Evergreen its first points this season. The Wolverines (1-3) were shut out in their first three games.

"That was uncharted territory for me," said Lewis, the team's first-year head coach. "I've never been shut out three games in a row. I've never been shut out two games in a row."

The addition of eight players (seven starters) who had been academically ineligible made a big difference for Evergreen, especially on the line.

KingCo 4A rivals meet again

Woodinville and Inglemoor play for the 25th consecutive year Friday night at Pop Keeney Stadium in Bothell, and the team that wins gains a large advantage in the KingCo 4A Crown Division.

Woodinville leads the series 16-8 and has won the past seven games. One big reason? Defense. Woodinville has allowed only 8.7 points per game against the Vikings since 2001, including its 31-6 win last season.

Glacier Peak coach has happy birthday

Glacier Peak's first football victory was doubly special for Grizzlies coach Rory Rosenbach.

The new Snohomish school's 35-7 win over Mountlake Terrace last Friday came on Rosenbach's 33rd birthday. It was the only gift he wanted.

"It was cool, yeah, but at that point I didn't care what day it came on," he said. "I just wanted a win."

M-P starts fast in wide-open North

Marysville-Pilchuck coach Brandon Carson knew the WesCo North would be wide open.

"It's playing out how I guessed it," said Carson of the division. "It's anybody's league."

Tommies running back Austin Denton has twice rushed for more than 200 yards.

"He's been a great surprise," said Carson.

The Tomahawks (4-0, 2-0 WesCo North) are off to their best start since 2004, the only time they have made the playoffs since 1989.

Ingraham hopes are high

Thanks to a rigorous study-hall program, Ingraham has been able to get many of its top players eligible for this week. Coupled with a 13-12 win last Friday over Chief Sealth, the Rams' first victory in 12 games, and hopes are high at the North Seattle school.

"We now have everyone eligible, which is very rare at Ingraham," said coach Jason Bergstrom. "We're really excited about it and have had a great week."

Notes

• DB Aaron Grymes, a Washington recruit who is a do-everything player for West Seattle, underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Tuesday and will be out 2-3 weeks, according to coach Davis Lura.

• O'Dea is expected to be without senior lineman Danny Kistler and senior LBs Peter Lucas and Allen Mooney on Friday against Seattle Prep. None of the injuries are believed to be long term.

• Jackson could be without four starters, including RB Taylor Cox, for Friday's game with Lake Stevens. Cox missed last week's game with a sprained ankle.

• Marysville-Pilchuck will celebrate 100 years of football Friday night. Former coaches will be honorary captains. Marysville High School's first game was a 10-0 victory over Tulalip on Dec. 5, 1908.

• Garfield DT Deandre Coleman has decided to renege on his commitment to Washington. Coleman, considered the best senior recruit in the state, had been the Huskies' most high-profile commitment.

Times staff reporters Sandy Ringer and Tom Wyrwich and freelancers Zach Landres-Schnur and Joshua Mayers contributed to this report.