Veteran QB Zach Lofgren could be the seed that helps Rainier’s state playoffs hopes grow
When the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association decided to form committees to seed state football tournament fields, the organization had situations like Rainier High School’s in mind.
Last fall, the Mountaineers reached the state playoffs for the first time in 26 years, and were immediately eliminated by a team from their own league — perennial powerhouse Napavine.
“Since 2007 someone from our league has been in the state finals,” Rainier coach Terry Shaw said. “We’re banging with really good teams every single week. I’ve told our kids the difference between finishing third in our league and playing in the state championship game isn’t that much.”
Shaw hopes the new seeding system acknowledges the depth of the Mountain Division and the entire Class 2B Central League.
“Hopefully, it will at least separate the best teams out so they end up in the semifinals,” he said.
Rainier finished 7-3 in 2017 after opening with five straight wins, and thrashed Wahkiakum, 47-7, in the district playoffs before being eliminated in the first round of the state tournament by Napavine. Nonetheless, Shaw, who was later named The Olympian’s All-Area coach of the year, sees his team’s first state appearance since 1991 as a solid building block.
“It’s a cliché, but it’s true. Winning is contagious,” he said. “When you haven’t gotten there, there can be a lack of confidence that you can get there. The reverse of that’s true, too. When you get there, you know you can hang with those guys.”
Zach Lofgren, the Mountaineers’ two-way star at quarterback and safety — he was an Olympian All-Area selection at defensive back last season — thinks familiarity with playoff football is another plus.
“When we’re there, we’ll know what it feels like to be there,” Lofgren said. “We’ll know how to deal with it and keep calm, cool and collected. As we go forward, people believe in us and we believe in ourselves.”
Rainier graduated four key players in two time Olympian All-Area selection Ian Russell, who now plays at Western Oregon, and linemen David Hoover, Cam Wagner and Ryan Jelsvik. But with an increased turnout of more than 30 players, and a selection of experienced players moving into starting roles, Shaw isn’t worried.
“It’s not as hard to replace three or four players when the guys who are going to be replacing them got a lot of playing time last season,” Shaw said. “One of the benefits of having so few guys last season was everybody played.”
Lofgren, who triggered the Mountanieers’ triple-option to the tune of 910 rushing yards, 450 passing yards and 25 touchdowns in 2017 is the returning team leader. He also intercepted six passes on defense as a junior.
“He can stay calm under pressure, he’s a laid back kid,” Shaw said. “If he messes something up, he’s really good at flushing stuff and moving on.”
Though Lofgren isn’t “a rah-rah, scream-in-your-face type of kid,” Shaw said, he does provide strong senior leadership.
“You have to learn how different people react to criticism,” Lofgren said.
Shaw points to Lofgren’s leadership by example.
“We had two kids who made every single workout this summer and he was one of them,” Shaw said. “What does that say about him as a leader?”
Lofgren will be joined on offense by four of last season’s five offensive line starters including Olympian All-Area selection Easton Holmes, also the league’s reigning defensive MVP, seniors Trent Galbraith, Travis Honaker and sophomore center Riffe Holmes.
Brody Klein is an all-around threat at any of the skill positions, having played receiver and running back. He’s also listed as a backup quarterback.
Rainier has no qualms about going up against the strong competition in its league.
“It gives us more incentive to work hard,” Lofgren said. “Not to be like them, but to get up there where they are and beat the odds when people think they’re going to win every single game.”
This story was originally published August 20, 2018 at 6:07 PM.