Rosenberg offers big hope
To a team that lost a slew of games by making critical errors at the most important times, Butch Goncharoff’s words when asked about a star player must sound wonderful.
Goncharoff is the head coach at Bellevue High School, a program that has emerged as the state’s powerhouse. The team is Washington State, which went 4-7 last season. The player is Keith Rosenberg, who will today become one of more than 20 to publicly and officially become a Cougar on national letter of intent day.
“He’s played his best in big games, and that’s the thing about Keith that comes to the forefront,” Goncharoff said. “The bigger the game, he seems to raise his level of play. He did it in the playoffs, and against Long Beach (Calif.) Poly and De La Salle (Concord, Calif.). He’s a tremendous athlete.”
Playing at Bellevue, Rosenberg has had more than his share of opportunities to prove himself on that big stage. It was Bellevue that snapped De La Salle’s record-breaking winning streak in 2004, going on to an undefeated season and a fourth consecutive state title.
And it was Rosenberg who ran for three touchdowns in the first half of that 3A title game against Ferndale, each of them good for at least 36 yards.
“When a big game came up, the spotlight’s on you, especially after the championship game against Ferndale,” Rosenberg said. “For me, it was just my mindset to prove to everyone, to show then what I can do.”
Hampered by injuries his senior season, Rosenberg didn’t have the standout year he enjoyed as a junior, and Bellevue failed to win a fifth straight title.
But that doesn’t stop Goncharoff from raving about his wingback’s talent, a skill set the Cougars hope will make him a standout wide receiver when he gets to Pullman.
“He’s probably got the best hands that I’ve ever seen here at Bellevue,” Goncharoff said. “We don’t throw the ball enough to really use him, but his junior year he averaged 20 yards a carry and ran for 1,000 yards.
“I’ve seen him in practice, and what he does with it after he catches it – he’s got good speed, but he’s one of those guys (who has) great football speed and incredible instincts. I could see him returning punts for them, as well, because he’s got great hands.”
For Rosenberg, today marks the chance to make official what he’s known since well before his senior year. The first player to orally commit to WSU – he told Cougars coaches he’d accept a scholarship offer in May – signing day will mean the formal end to months of waiting.
“I took that one official visit to Washington State and I was pretty much set,” said Rosenberg, who came to WSU for junior day and decided it was the place for him.
“You only get two, three years if you’re lucky, to play a varsity sport. That’s not a long time.”
After today, however, Rosenberg will have at least four more years to enjoy – and maybe to shine in – the spotlight.