PREP FOOTBALL PREVIEW: New-Look Kings Ready to Get Over Quarterfinal Hump

Jim Shapiro likes what he sees out of his team so far. The long-tenured head coach at King's sees a group that is more tight-knit than it has been in years past.

That's good news for a program attempting to replace star quarterback Thomas Vincent. With Vincent now at the University of Washington under Steve Sarkisian, the Knights will be looking to replace a dual-threat talent that helped King's advance to the quarterfinals of the state tournament the past two seasons.

The good news for the Knights is that they are returning 14 starters, seven on each side of the ball. And what the team lost in playmakers, it makes up for with a balanced team filled with experienced seniors.

“We had some real solid athletes, three or four all-state caliber kids," Shapiro said of the 2010 squad. "It’s one of those deals that every high school football team goes through, you kind of have to find a way to fill their shoes. I think this team has really come together, I think it’s become much more of a team game this year at King’s. You’re going to see the ball distributed to a wide-variety of different players.”

On the offensive side of the ball, King's returns all but one offensive lineman out of the group that paved the way for 228 rushing yards per game in 2010. With running backs Ben Welch and Zack Evans back, the Knights should have enough talent to remain the high-powered offense they have become known as.

The big question mark on offense is new quarterback, junior Billy Green. Green is a different kind of quarterback then Vincent, more pocket passer than dual-threat, but Shapiro said he has been impressed by Green's improvement in the off-season and his leadership abilities.

“You look for a kid who’s going to lead and work, going to be smart, both in the classroom and on the field, that’s Billy," Shapiro said. "He’s not Thomas in that he’s not going to beat you with his feet. He’s more a prototypical, 6’1, 180-pound kid that can throw the ball and makes good reads. If he’s going to beat you, he’ll beat you with his arm and his mind.”

Defensively, the Knights will be relying on a burly defensive line that could be the programs best in a decade. 6'6, 270-pound Mason Friedline headlines a group that is expected to wreak havoc on opponents.

“On both sides of the ball, it’s our line," Shapiro said of his team’s strengths. "For the first time in probably ten years at King’s, we have a really good sized, athletic group of kids….both sides of the line are going to be our strengths.”

Shapiro is taking back the offensive coordinator responsibilities again after four years spent coaching the defense. Offensive coordinator Todd Greene left after last season and, after searching for a new coach, Shapiro decided maintaining the spread system Greene helped build was more important than bringing in a new coach.

"The kids know the system, our systems are intact and we can be pretty flexible on who gets the ball and when," Shapiro said.

Outside of the on-the-field play, Shapiro said he has been most impressed by his team's dedication to working hard and coming up with common goals.

“They set their goals and their goals are really focused more on what happens Monday through Thursday, recognizing that Friday night is the payoff time,” Shapiro said.

That kind of focus could be tantamount for a group that is coming off back-to-back disappointments in the quarterfinal round of the state tournament. In 2009, King's blew a 40-17 lead over Nooksack Valley in a 54-47 loss and in 2010, the Knights came up short, 32-24 to Meridian. Those disappointments have stayed with the program and seem to be driving the team's resolve heading into the 2011 campaign.

“You learn a lot more about your character in a loss," Shapiro said. Both of those games, we had some young kids playing, some sophomores and junior who are now seniors and juniors. In fact, today at practice I took them back to the end of the zone where the Meridian game ended and I just reminded them that we’re working this hard and preparing the way that we’re preparing this year, because we don’t want our season to end like it did last year.”