Experience paying off
Lonnie Quirk served his apprenticeship and put in his time in the classroom.
Now he’s ready to see his hard work pay dividends.
East Valley High School’s senior quarterback has pointed toward this season since his sophomore year. He entered his junior year knowing full well he would be the football team’s understudy, backing up then-senior Russell Woodworth – learning on the job instead of being thrown to the wolves of the Greater Spokane League.
It’s a hallmark of Adam Fisher’s long-term game plan. The Knights’ coach believes in cultivating the future by playing them now. That way, year in and year out, East Valley has a steady supply of experienced players to build around.
Quirk believes in the system and the system, in turn, continues to produce postseason berths. The Knights, the No. 1 class 3A seed from the Greater Spokane League, play host to Columbia Basin 3A League Southridge on Friday at 7 p.m. at East Valley in a winner-to-state game.
“Last year was really good for me,” Quirk said. “I knew that every game I was going to play the second series of the second quarter. Whether we were ahead or whether we were behind, I was going to go in and get the chance to play. I got in the game in all those different conditions.”
And, when the conditions called for it, Quirk played more.
“My best game, by far, was our game against Camas,” he said. “For whatever reason, Russell struggled early in that game, and I got the chance to play quite a bit and we won. That was the highlight of my season.”
Having played in so many different game conditions allowed Quirk to both better understand game films and absorb information at summer quarterback camps.
This season has been the proof of the system. Quirk is one five GSL quarterbacks to throw for more than 1,000 yards, completing 79 of 138 passes for 1,008 yards and a dozen touchdowns despite struggling with a series of physical tweaks.
“I hurt my ankle playing basketball, and then I tweaked my back a bit,” Quirk said. “Then I twisted my knee. I was pretty hobbled there for a while, but having last week off really helped. I was pretty banged up and I needed that bye week to heal. Right now, I’m feeling 100 percent.”
A fully healed Quirk is a double threat. Not only is he an accurate passer, he’s one of the fastest Knights on the field and a threat to tuck the ball under his arm and run.
“I really like to throw on the run,” he said. “I think I’m more accurate when I throw that way. We have a great group of receivers this year – including (basketball power forward) Danny Marshall who came out this year for the first time. He can really go up and get the ball.
“I don’t know if this is the fastest group of receivers we’ve had here, but they all have great hands and are all great going across the middle.”
Marshall, at 6-foot-6, is difficult for opposing defensive backs to stop, pulling in 33 passes for 481 yards and eight touchdowns to be the fourth-leading receiver in the GSL. Junior Dakota Lawson pulled in 27 passes for 367 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
“I think Dakota really came into his own this year,” Quirk said. “He’s absolutely fearless going over the middle. If I can hit him in stride, he does a great job after the catch.
“Same with Danny. As big as he is, defensive backs worry about him getting behind them. He’s gotten really good at just curling under and making good yardage after the catch.”
There’s a special bond between Quirk and Marshall. It was Quirk who talked his friend into playing football this season. The pair have played basketball together since eighth grade and even played middle school football together.
“Danny was the back-up quarterback in those days,” Quirk said. “We used to go home after school on game days and play football in the backyard until it was time to play the game. We weren’t starters in those days and it was our way of relaxing and getting ready.”
Playing what could be one final home game is exciting.
A year ago East Valley lost its play-in game to West Valley-Yakima, allowing the Rams to stage a late comeback.
“We have to stay focused and lay all 48 minutes,” Quirk said. “That’s what Coach Fisher tells us all the time. That’s what we’re preparing to do.”
Southridge, which dropped its first four games before rallying to five straight wins, comes into the winner-to-state playoff game after scoring a 28-0 win over Sunnyside behind senior back-up quarterback Raef Pederson. Junior starter Andrew Mendenhall was sidelined with ankle injuries for the second time in two weeks.
Suns coach Andy Troxel indicated that Mendenhall would be the likely starter Friday.
“From what we’ve seen, Southridge is a lot like us,” Quirk said. “They have a big receiver they like to throw to and I’m going to play him on defense. If we have to, we have Danny Marshall who will come in for passing situations and play a deep safety. They’ll have a hard time throwing over him.”
For all the import of a playoff game, Quirk is most excited about the prospect of playing cornerback against Southridge’s No. 1 receiver. At 6-3 and with a wealth of basketball experience to draw from, he’s capable of handling a tall receiver attempting to post up.
“I’m looking forward to playing defense,” he said. “We have some great linebackers who can get after them, and I think our defensive backs are capable to handling them.”