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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Lake City vying for title


Lake City High School football coach Van Troxel shares a laugh with his players during practice at the school in Coeur d'Alene on Tuesday. He puts less emphasis on winning and more emphasis on getting stronger and learning the system. 
 (Kathy Plonka / The Spokesman-Review)

In Lake City High football coach Van Troxel’s program, it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish.

Four years ago wide receiver Shane Fitzgerald played on the freshman B squad. Last Friday he caught a touchdown pass in the Timberwolves’ playoff win over Meridian.

“He epitomizes our football team,” Troxel said.

Fitzgerald was part of a freshman class that finished 4-5. They were beaten twice by a Coeur d’Alene team that had a school-record 75 turn out for the freshman team alone.

After a full year in Troxel’s weight program, though, the class of 2007 started winning, and winning often. It began immediately as sophomores when they went 11-0. As juniors, they were part of LC’s varsity that went 9-2 – those two losses to eventual state champion Meridian.

No. 1-ranked LC will put its 11-0 record on the line Friday against Highland of Pocatello (10-1) in the State 5A championship game at the University of Idaho’s Kibbie Dome. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

When athletes begin as freshmen, they’re raw. For most of them, their previous experience consists of one to four years of junior tackle. And the majority of them haven’t been in a weight room.

So Troxel’s emphasis for his freshmen is less on winning and more on physical development. He stresses that winning will take care of itself in time if they commit to the program for four years.

The statistics bear that out. LC has qualified for the state playoffs 10 straight years. It’s no coincidence that LC’s first senior class that was in Troxel’s program for four years – the school opened in 1994 – was 1997, the first year of the present string of playoff appearances.

LC played in its first state title game in 1999. The Timberwolves captured a state championship in 2002, their last year in 4A. LC, a semifinalist three of the past four years, is playing in its first 5A state final and fourth title game overall.

The Timberwolves’ lineup is chock full of talented seniors, many of whom have had their coach’s eye since they were freshmen. But this year, like seemingly every season, there are the “program” players. They are the players who have toiled in the shadows of more talented teammates but are rewarded with playing time by their senior season.

This year’s team also consists of kids who played on the B freshman team. It was a “junior varsity” freshman team, so to speak. They were the kids who were well behind most of their peers. The B team was eliminated this year because of budget cuts.

Fitzgerald, offensive tackle Mike Bessey, cornerback Eric Valiquette and strong safety Seth Sanders – all starters – and reserve outside linebacker Titus Turner, who also plays on special teams, are B freshman team products.

Fitzgerald, who ranks sixth on the team in receptions, had his season highlight to date in LC’s 31-7 win over Meridian last Friday with his aforementioned touchdown pass that extended the T-Wolves’ lead to 24-7 with 7:50 remaining in the fourth quarter. It was just Fitzgerald’s eighth catch this season.

On a lead-option pass play, Fitzgerald got behind Meridian’s secondary when the Warriors were caught in between – concerned that quarterback Garren Hammons might take off running. Hammons pulled up, lofting a 30-yard strike to Fitzgerald. A picture of that catch ran across the top of this newspaper’s sports section Saturday morning.

It’s when athletes like Fitzgerald make the most of opportunities like the one against Meridian that bring some of the biggest grins to Troxel’s face. He couldn’t resist talking about it moments after the game.

“He never says, ‘Boo,’ ” Troxel said. “He just goes out and works as hard as he can. We always keep saying ‘Your time will come, your time will come. When it comes what are you going to do with it?’ No one has worked harder than Shane. What a great deserving thing to happen in a semifinal.”

Valiquette has two interceptions. Turner has been in on four sacks playing behind all-league linebackers Brandon Hanna, Matt Widmyer and Chris Bobbitt, all seniors. Bobbitt also was a B team member.

The B team athletes persevered when it would have been easy to quit.

“It’s amazing that I stuck with it. Now we have a chance for a state title,” Turner said.

When Turner went out for football as a freshman, he weighed 135 pounds. He’s 30 pounds heavier today.

“I knew I’d get bigger because everybody gets bigger in Troxel’s program,” Turner said.

Fitzgerald had the biggest physical transformation of the bunch. He went from 5 feet 4 inches tall and 130 pounds to 6 feet 2 inches tall and 185.

“We didn’t have a very good team,” Fitzgerald said, recalling the first year. “I always knew we had a lot of talent – although our record didn’t show it.”

Making Fitzgerald’s physical makeover all the more startling is he broke his right arm in his first game and missed the rest of the season. He was determined to make himself into a player.

To do so as a wide receiver in LC’s option-based offense, one must be an efficient blocker.

“Troxel cares more about blocking than catching balls,” Fitzgerald said. “I’ve gotten yelled at more for missing blocks than dropping balls.”

When he was in eighth grade, Fitzgerald watched LC win its first state title. The T-Wolves topped Madison at the Kibbie Dome in 2002.

“I started dreaming about winning a state championship (then), and we can do it Friday,” Fitzgerald said.

Bessey admitted he never would have thought the class of 2007 would be playing for a state title.

“Not as a freshman,” Bessey said. “But you start believing in Troxel’s program and believing in him.”