Handy standout

East Valley football coach Adam Fisher can’t say enough about a football player who is a man of few words.

Nate Guthrie has played three years of varsity for the Knights, first as an offensive lineman and later on both sides of the ball.

“(He’s) an incredibly smart football player,” Fisher said of Guthrie, who carries a 4.0 grade-point average. “He understands the big picture and most kids, to be honest, don’t get that.”

Fisher has taught and coached 10 years at EV.

“I feel he’s the best person to ever walk these halls,” Fisher said.

That’s high praise for a player who doesn’t toot his own horn, or talk much at all, according to Fisher.

“I think it’s mostly because I’m kind of a shy guy,” Guthrie said. “I also think you have to have respect for your elders, coaches and teachers. There are more important people than me.”

Guthrie said it’s not a big deal to him to get a lot of publicity. That makes him perfectly suited for the low-profile life of a person in football’s trenches – the guy willing to do the dirty work so that others can revel in the glory.

The Knights square off at Joe Albi Stadium against fellow Greater Spokane League team Mt. Spokane in the first round of the State 3A playoffs at 7 p.m. Friday. The winner advances to the state quarterfinals. At the beginning of the season, Fisher and Guthrie expressed high hopes that have come to fruition.

Guthrie said EV expected to be good even before the season began, despite missing the state playoffs two years running and last year finishing with a 3-6 record. This year the Knights are 6-3.

“Last year we were mostly juniors,” he said. “We had a lot more experience. Most of the seniors knew it would be a good year for us and our goal was to make it to state.”

Guthrie’s shyness has not translated into reticence on the football field. He stands out because he wears a black helmet, instead of a green one. It is the reward for making big plays. Most of his have come at left offensive tackle where he has secured the lion’s share of 18 hash marks for drive blocks that pancake a defender on his back.

“That (the painted helmet) was one of my goals coming into the season,” Guthrie said.

Guthrie didn’t start but played substantially on offense his sophomore varsity year. He said it surprised him to make varsity because he weighed less than 180 pounds and felt the Knights had a really good offensive line that year.

“I liked it that the coaches had confidence to put me in that year,” he said.

Last year and at beginning of this season, he was a two-way starter at guard and defensive end. During this season, the 6-foot-1, 220-pounder shifted to middle linebacker.

“Before the season started, they were kind of telling me if something happened they wanted me to be able to play it,” Guthrie said. “At defensive end we were really deep. In my opinion, we had four or five guys who could start for us. All of a sudden, I was thrown in at linebacker and was not a defensive end any more.”

Fisher said his value at linebacker was never more evident than in the league game against Mt. Spokane, a 28-21 EV victory.

“Because they went away from what they showed on video, we were scrambling, to say it nice. The kids were flying by the seat of their pants just as well,” Fisher said. “Nate was so calm. He understands his part and how it fits into the whole thing.”

Guthrie said “freaking out” would only have led to bigger mistakes.

There is a correlation to being a straight-A student and football player, particularly on the offensive line, Guthrie said. There are blocking assignments for each play, but also a lineman must adjust as opposing team switch defenses.

“On the run you have to change what you’re doing,” he said. “It’s probably the hardest thing to play other than quarterback.”

It is a source of pride when GSL rushing leader Nick Bellomy gets the glory after gaining 250 yards in a game (he averaged more than 260 in the Knights’ last three), Guthrie said.

“If he wasn’t doing well, we wouldn’t be doing well,” Guthrie said.

As for the praise heaped on him by Fisher, Guthrie said it is a combination of upbringing and his makeup.

“Football only lasts for so long,” he said. “You want to be as good a person as you can be afterward, too.”