Gonzaga Prep football thrives during season of changes

There are lots of change going on with Gonzaga Prep football. But to hear coach Dave McKenna tell it, it’s been “fun.”

And why not? G-Prep is 4-1 to start the season, including a league win already against Lewis and Clark and a solid win over Mt. Spokane, which is ranked eighth in Class 3A by The Associated Press.

The Bullpups, whose only loss came at 3A No. 1-ranked Eastside Catholic in a 41-40 triple-overtime thriller in the season opener, are ranked fifth in the state in 4A.

Not too bad for a team in flux.

“I’m very very pleased, being where we’re at and who we’ve played with great competition,” McKenna said after a spirited practice on Tuesday.

The season turns to the meat of schedule with a date at Central Valley (3-1, 1-0) on Friday. Meanwhile, everyone will also keep an eye on the “Battle for the Bell,” when Mead (3-2, 2-0 in 4A play) hosts the aforementioned Mt. Spokane (4-1).

McKenna is looking forward to the challenge.

“It’s always fun,” McKenna said of league play. “Coach (Ryan) Butner does a great job out at CV and they’ll be well prepared. They are a very good football team and have good athletes, so it’s always a great challenge.

“That’s the beauty of the GSL. As I said in the beginning of the year, the GSL is very balanced. You gotta show up, you gotta be prepared and you gotta play hard – and play well.”

The biggest change for G-Prep is at quarterback, where Connor Halonen has taken over after being converted from running back.

It’s been a really big adjustment,” Halonen said, “just learning different blocking schemes and different plays for the whole offense. It’s getting easier now that I have more experience, but it was a big change.”

Halonen has succeeded mostly on his legs. With G-Prep not running a pro-style offense, it has had to be more creative finding ways to get the ball into the hands of All-GSL receiver Devin Culp, who is bound for Seattle to play for the Huskies next fall.

Culp has become the pitch option in offensive coordinator Bob Cassano’s multioption offense, while Kasey Anthony does the dirty work as the dive back. Halonen directs traffic and calls his own number when things get out of sorts.

Halonen is throwing more often as the season progresses, and his coaches are getting more comfortable with him dropping back.

“That’s been his biggest adjustment, is throwing the ball,” Cassano said. “He just hasn’t done it a lot. It’s easy to go out there and just throw the ball around, but then when you put eight guys around you and some defensive linemen – eight, nine guys coming at you – it’s hard.”

Cassano said Halonen has done an impressive job in a short amount of time converting to a new position.

“Playing quarterback is not easy,” Cassano said. “You go from seeing one thing (at running back), to seeing everything. He’s made that adjustment really quickly.

“He’s always had great vision. Even as a running back, he was able to see things that we couldn’t see as coaches. You watch the film and go, ‘Oh wow, he was able to see that?’ ” That’s his biggest asset, why he’s made that adjustment so fast is that running back vision – especially with what we do offensively.”

Culp, who is returning kicks and even logging time at free safety in an effort to get more time on the field, isn’t at all concerned about what others might see as a lack of touches on offense.

“You know, I’m not too worried about it,” Culp said. “As long as Conner and Kasey are making plays like they have been. And our O-line has been doing a good job, making their reads and making big holes for all of us. As long as we’re putting points on the board, I’m not worried about who’s doing it.”

Besides, he’s getting a kick out of playing on the other side of the ball.

“It’s fun being able to fly around on the defense ’cause those guys like to go hard,” Culp said. “We’re a little more relaxed on that side of the ball, you know, it’s just a lot of repetition for preparation. But on the defensive side of the ball, you kind of get to be a loose screw a little bit.”

Culp (6-foot-5, 250 pounds) certainly has the build for the next level, but he hasn’t found himself thinking about that as his senior season progresses at G-Prep.

“I guess (the UW commitment) has taken a little pressure off the whole recruiting process, but that’s never been in the front of my mind anyway,” he said. “That’s been more on the team.

“My focus had just been on getting the team as good as we can be, to fulfill our expectations this year we think we should meet. Making a playoff run and hopefully winning a state championship, that’s all I’m really worried about.”

McKenna loves working with Culp the athlete, but he sees more than that in the young man.

“I’ve been mostly impressed with how he’s been a leader,” McKenna said.

“He’s a very talented athlete and he’s going to be very, very good at the next level. But I’m impressed with the growth he’s had as a person. I couldn’t be more proud of him.”

Back to the task at hand, though, Halonen knows Friday night’s matchup is a big one but he believes in his team.

“No jitters,” he said. “We just have to come out confident and play how we practice.”