Rath a player for all seasons

As Caleb Rath prepares to play baseball in this, his 12th and final varsity season as a Ferris Saxons multisport athlete, it begs the question: What might he have accomplished by focusing on fewer sports?

Despite his ability, longevity and Ferris’ team successes, Rath has only earned all-league honors in football – and just once on the first team last fall.

He was instead that rare athlete to letter all four years, in three sports, in high school.

“It’s the first time I remember having anyone (do that) at a school I’ve been at,” said his football coach, Clarence Hough. “He truly is unique.”

The question posed above must remain unanswered, even if it lingers on the minds of his coaches. Because, said Rath, “I wouldn’t have changed a thing. If I had decided not to play a sport, I would have regretted it sitting in the stands. I would do this all over again.”

The way for Rath’s rare accomplishment was paved a year before he arrived at Ferris. A rule was passed allowing freshmen to play football to accommodate Andy Roof, a 290-pound East Valley athlete now at Washington State.

Each Saxons coach had his reasons for making Rath a part of their programs so quickly.

Hough needed a backup quarterback for Travis Elisara, who holds GSL single-game and season total offense records.

Rath, 6-foot and 175 pounds at the time, “was the best guy in the program (for the backup job). Of course, he was shaving, too, and that helped.”

After token duty as a ninth-grader, Rath started for three years. Last fall, Rath, now 6-2, 195, broke former Saxon Mike Pfeifer’s Greater Spokane League career total offense record.

“He is so flipping fast,” said Hough. “Travis threw better, but he did not have the scoot Caleb has.”

In basketball, coach Don Van Lierop called up Rath for a freshman look-see and saw him hit double figures in scoring and rebounding in the fourth quarter of a game. He wound up tying Gonzaga University player Sean Mallon’s career record for games played.

“I didn’t think Sean’s record would ever be broken,” said Van Lierop. “If we’d have played on Saturday at state this year, Caleb would have broken it.”

When Rath became just the fourth Saxon to make the varsity baseball team as a freshman, he went 4-1 and started in the district playoffs.

“Normally, I don’t bring too many freshmen up,” said baseball coach John Thacker, “but we needed arms and I felt he would have success.”

There have been advantages and drawbacks in Rath’s decision to generalize. He has been a vital contributor to the successes of all three sports. But, his coaches wonder, who knows how good a specialized athlete Rath might have become?

“You look at him and think what could have been if basketball were No. 1,” Van Lierop said.

Van Lierop said that Rath never developed the smooth shooting stroke of someone who was devoted year-round to basketball. Still, he said, “he really meant a lot and we’re going to miss him.”

Rath never became a mechanically perfect passer because he couldn’t spend the time, Hough said.

“A lot of college people like him because he ran so well,” said Hough. “They think if he was full time as a quarterback they could develop his skills.”

Thacker said although Rath has the talent to play college baseball, the success of Ferris basketball caused his pitching to suffer.

“He’s always about two or three weeks behind the other kids who have turned out,” Thacker said.

In order to pull off the trifecta – and maintain a near-perfect grade point average – Rath had to manage his time. The routine of three high school sports proved easier than the demands made on his summers, Rath said.

“At an early age he had to learn to let all his coaches know what he could make and what he couldn’t,” said Van Lierop. “He is very conscientious and probably felt he was letting every one of us down to some extent.”

Specialization will inevitably come when he chooses a college, either for football or baseball. But there’s one last high school baseball season to play.

“It will seem strange when it’s all over,” said Rath, “and there are no more sports at Ferris.”