‘Tremendous athlete’
For the past two seasons, Shadle Park football coach Mark Hester has never had to look far when he’s looking for Andy Largent.
That’s because Largent, a 6-foot, 180-pound senior, has rarely been anywhere but between the lines for the Highlanders, who got off to a slow start this year but are coming on strong as the Greater Spokane League season enters its last three weeks.
He’s a one-man depth chart, said Hester, who winced at the thought of replacing Largent next season: “It’ll take six guys to do what he’s done for us the last two years!”
Take a deep breath as we run through the Largent lineup. As a wideout in the Highlander offense, he catches and occasionally rushes the football. Defensively, he starts at free safety. But he also punts, kicks off, returns punts, and place-kicks for Shadle. During his junior year, Hester added, Largent saw time at both corners, at linebacker and at strong safety and returned kickoffs.
“This season,” Hester said, “we decided to give him a chance to get a drink once in a while, so we took him off the kickoff return team.”
Largent has been a three-year varsity player for the Highlanders, but his duty was limited to placekicking as a sophomore.
“I think we may have overlooked him when he was younger,” Hester said, “and I’m not sure that we realized how good he really is until the second game last season. Geez, I don’t even know if he started at the beginning of his freshman year!
“I honestly don’t remember having a kid quite this special,” Hester continued. “It’s pretty rare to have a two-way starter who also is on almost every special team. Andy’s just a tremendous athlete who likes to play, likes to compete. He’s competitive at everything, whether it’s football or video games.”
Largent had some big stats in last week’s key victory over East Valley, but his role in the Highlanders’ win over Ferris a week earlier was probably more significant.
Going into that one, Shadle Park was 0-3, with three close losses including an overtime loss to unbeaten Gonzaga Prep in which Largent kicked a 40-yard OT field goal and broke the GSL career record for extra points when he converted his 73rd. Against Ferris, 3-0 at the time, the Highlanders twice trailed by a touchdown but battled back to defeat the Saxons.
“That was a must win,” said the Shadle co-captain. “My job was to pick everyone up. I was more vocal than usual that week, and when we were down I had to keep everyone going, reminding them that we were still in it.”
Until he got to high school, Largent had played football only as a fifth-grader at Assumption School because it conflicted with soccer, a sport he’s played his entire athletic life, following in the footsteps of his four older brothers. He’s the youngest of six kids.
He plays forward in the spring for the Shadle soccer team, and until last year also played on a select team. Last winter, he wrestled at 160 pounds, finishing fourth in the district tournament and earning a spot in regionals. His father Dean coached wrestling at Deer Park High School for 25 years.
Hester truly appreciates what he’s got in Largent, who also carries a 3.9 grade-point average.
“He’s on the field so much, we rarely get to talk with him,” said the Shadle coach, “but when he talks, we listen. Andy’s experienced enough to help us make adjustments. Our coaches love watching game films when he’s in them, and he’s always around the ball.”
Hester is confident that Largent can play at the next level.
“He’s got the skills to be a big-time kicker, but at a 1-AA or Division 3 school, Andy can do a lot more things. Along with our other co-captain, Chas Faggiano, he’s a great leader on the field, in the halls and on the field. We’re lucky to have him.”