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Last spring, Broeker approached one of the school’s biggest students about turning out for football – 6-foot-6, 290-pound freshman Alex Rice. The two didn’t know each other, and Rice didn’t have experience playing organized football.
“I told him, ‘You should come out,’” Broeker recalled. “He tried out and he did great. He’s picking up things really well.”
With the help of Broeker’s recruitment, Rice was persuaded to play this season as a sophomore. He hit the weight room and joined the Rams in their spring practice.
And now, Rice will be one of three or possibly four sophomores, including Treshon Long, Josh Cahill and Joeseph Henke, who will start on the offensive line helping protect Broeker and block for the Rams’ running game.
“He’s going to be really good someday,” North Thurston coach Rocky Patchin said.
Despite the youth and inexperience on the line, they’re learning at a fast pace.
“They’re starting to step up really well,” Broeker said. “Even as a quarterback, I can see the offensive line has gotten bigger and stronger. We’re starting to get more contact and see what the young kids can do.”
Broeker is one of eight seniors on a youthful North Thurston squad. The eight seniors is the smallest senior class in Patchin’s 20-year tenure at the school. Although the class may be small, the talent is not.
This will be Broeker’s second year under center after earning second-team all-2A Evergreen Conference honors in his first year as a varsity starter in 2010, leading the Rams to a 5-4 record. He’s the third Broeker to start at varsity quarterback under Patchin, and the fourth Broeker overall to play football at North Thurston. His older brothers Jake and Rich both were starting quarterbacks during their senior seasons in 1993 and ’99 respectively. Rich holds school records for passing yards in a single game (279) and season (1,708).
At 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds, Ben Broeker also has one of the strongest arms that Patchin has had while at North Thurston.
“He does everything well,” Patchin said. “He’s a great play-action guy. He can throw the ball and get the ball down the field. It’s going to be fun.”
Broeker will have plenty of talent to throw to with senior all-leaguers Landon Rushton and Matt Reid, both of whom start in the secondary as well. The pair also are the Rams’ starting backcourt on the boys basketball team.
Rushton set a school record for receiving yards in a game when he caught five passes for 193 yards in a 42-41 loss to Centralia on Oct. 1 of last year.
Promising newcomers include senior linebacker Josh Clark, a wrestler who turned out for football for the first time and is described by Patchin as “lightning quick”; and junior Tru Hicks, who was on junior varsity last season after transferring from Mount Tahoma. Patchin expects the speedy Hicks to be a playmaker and start at free safety. Hicks ran a 4.81 40 time at the Nike SPARQ Combine in Tigard, Ore., in early June.
“He’s a really good skill guy,” Patchin said. “We have great experience at the skill positions.”
The running game remains a question mark following the graduation of Lawyer Tillman. He’s currently playing at Southern Oregon University and was last year’s EvCo co-offensive MVP after rushing for more than 1,500 yards and 29 touchdowns. There are no shortage of applicants to fill his shoes – six players are vying for his spot, including juniors Mo Manning, Ande Grantham and Brandon Bellisario, all featuring a different running style.
Despite winning its first three games in 2010, North Thurston missed the playoffs in its first season in the 2A EvCo, but improved its streak of consecutive winning seasons to nine. The last time North Thurston finished below .500 came in 2001 (4-5).
“We will progress a ton,” Broeker said. “We’re coming together as a team.
“We have to keep everyone working together, and that’s the way we’re going to succeed.”
Meg Wochnick: 360-754-5473 mwochnick@theolympian.com
