Long on talent

Before Travis Long became the imposing 6-foot-4, 235-pound two-sport athletic presence he is at Gonzaga Prep, Bullpups coaches were well aware of him.

“We saw something way before he came here,” football coach Dave McKenna said.

Long may be one of the youngest seniors in his class – he doesn’t turn 18 until July – but, according to his mother, Kathleen Cronquist, he was always bigger, taller and stronger than others.

“That’s why I started him in sports when he was 5,” she said. “If I’d have held him out, it would have been hard.”

At G-Prep he has been a football and basketball varsity regular, beginning with his sophomore season. Already he has been offered football scholarships to play defense at Washington State, Oregon State and Boise State. He is also a near-4.0 honors student.

“He’s not only a great football player for us, but a great person,” McKenna said. “My own children idolize him. That’s a pretty high compliment.”

Spokane residents are often interconnected in many ways, and Long’s family is no different. His mother is one of eight children, a 1986 graduate of Mead who played volleyball and ran track. She spent five years in the Navy, playing on a service volleyball team. She also lived in Hawaii for a few years after Long’s birth before returning home as a single mother to further her own education and raise her son.

“One good thing is I had amazing family support,” said Kathleen of the early years before marrying Michael Cronquist. “It takes a village to raise a child and it really was. I had lots and lots of support.”

Growing up around his aunts and uncles – one of whom is former Mt. Spokane athlete and University of Montana All-America kicker Chris Snyder – fueled in Long a passion for sports.

By the time he was in the fourth grade at St. Charles Parochial School on the North Side, his mother had made the early and easy decision to have him attend G-Prep.

“I just came to games and stuff and knew friends who were going here so it was where I wanted to go,” Long said. “Mom made it happen, regardless of everything else.”

His formative years began like most athletes who are introduced to a variety of youth sports. But a revelation came in fifth grade when he donned football pads for the first time.

“As soon as I started playing football, that was my favorite sport,” Long said.

By the time he became a Bullpup, Long was ready. As a sophomore, already standing 6-4 and weighing 225 pounds, he started at strong-side outside linebacker on a team that reached the State 4A semifinals. McKenna, defensive coordinator at the time, said that despite his youth, Long was a solid presence.

“He did a great job, could run pretty well and operate in space,” McKenna said. “As a sophomore he made mistakes, too, but had great guys around him.”

Last year, Long played linebacker but also became an offensive presence. He rushed 25 times for 199 yards as the H-back, or slot, caught three passes for 24 more yards and scored three touchdowns.

This year, with McKenna in his first season as head coach and H.T. Higgins returning to G-Prep as defensive coordinator, Long shifted to defensive end.

“I watched him play last year and just thought after talking to college coaches he would probably end up a down lineman in college,” Higgins said. “I thought he could be a dominant player for us.”

Long said the move from linebacker to defensive end was a big change and adjusting to it took some time.

“It is a lot quicker having to read things from that close when you have someone on you right away,” he said. “At linebacker you can sit there a little before making a move.”

But he said he will play wherever needed. Although he prefers flying around to the pile and making hits on the defensive side of the ball, he’s also been amenable to returning to offense again a few weeks ago as well as punting for the first time since his freshman season.

Last week against Rogers, he had a 74-yard run for a touchdown after the Bullpups had fallen behind 3-0. Higgins said his burst of speed at the end was another indicator that Long has what it takes to play at the Division I level in college.

“I don’t think I have that much speed,” Long said of the run. “But it felt good. I like defense more.”

His sophomore year in basketball, Long averaged 10.4 points per game, giving the Bullpups a strong inside presence. Last year his stats dropped off a bit but still approached double figures. This summer, he played on a traveling team.

“People have told me my game is better, so I’ll take their word,” Long said.

That is typical Long, according to his mother. From the beginning he’s always been competitive and strived to do his best, she said.

“He’s more reserved, but very self-motivated,” she said.

That, coupled with his size and intellect, has made Long a nice fit at G-Prep.