Steve Christilaw: Fall season kicks off, some players will set themselves apart, and all deserve praise

Yes, it’s technically still August for another day and summer remains in full swing.

But it’s fall when it comes to football. And volleyball. And soccer and cross country.

The high school football season kicks off at Joe Albi Stadium tonight when West Valley faces North Central at 7 p.m. and there is a full slate of season openers set to play under those Friday Night Lights. Washington State is headed to Laramie, Wyoming, to face the Cowboys in its opener Saturday.

Football is back.

Fall is when players begin to make a name for themselves. On the football field. On the volleyball court. On the soccer pitch and on the many and varied trails that make cross country in Greater Spokane some of the best competition in the country.

Growing up, the name of the quarterback at Washington State was one that fell easily from my mouth.

For me, it started with Ty Paine, who played for the Cougs from 1970 to 1972.

Why do I remember him? He threw 24 interceptions in 267 pass attempts in 1970. I consider him my introduction to the exciting highs and the crushing lows that come with being a Cougar fan. He taught me that you can, indeed, snatch defeat right out of the jaws of victory. Especially if you wear the crimson and gray.

There have been some great names under center in Pullman. John Hopkins. Jack Thompson. Samoa Samoa. Mark Rypien. Drew Bledsoe. Timm Rosenbach. Ryan Leaf. Jason Gesser.

The name replacing Luke Falk under center is: (anyone? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?).

We don’t know for sure. Mike Leach isn’t saying for sure. He may mention it as he’s interviewed coming off the field at halftime in Laramie. Or he may talk about his pet raccoon. You never know with him.

The betting line says it will be Gardner Minshew, an East Carolina graduate transfer who turned down a chance to play at Alabama to throw passes in Pullman.

It happens that, at the same time Paine was throwing to Pac-8 defensive backs at a record pace, my all-time favorite football name was taking center stage in Seattle: Sonny Sixkiller. They even wrote a ballad about him at Montlake.

It must be noted that my all-time favorite sports name belongs to former Chief Sealth and Stanford standout Naomi Mulitauaopele, who was a first-round pick by the Utah Starzz of the WNBA, now the San Antonio Silver Stars. And yes, I can pronounce it – including her married name: Naomi Mulitauaopele-Tagalog’o.

A new crop of youngsters vying to make names for themselves starts now.

Southern Cal starts a true freshman at quarterback this season: JT Daniels. Nebraska has done the same under Bill Moos’ first-year coach Scott Frost. The Cornhusker alum tabbed Adrian Martinez to start under center.

Those names will get thrown around often, no pun intended.

The next great name in football is just now beginning his sophomore year in high school and is so raw he doesn’t even have a star rating. Yet. But if you follow football, you will hear this name:

General Booty.

I’m not joking.

Say it with me: General Booty.

His name is a two-step promotion from former University of Texas quarterback and current University of Houston coach Major Applewhite.

General Booty is a sophomore quarterback at Cornerstone Christian High School in San Antonio. He will be part of the Class of 2021 – yes, he’s a youngster, but with a name like that … (the mind boggles at the possibilities for punsters here).

Heaven forbid this kid ever gets benched (General demoted), or starts his own end zone celebration (the Booty Dance). Or takes up punting (literally, he would be kicking Booty).

It’s not just the name that has college recruiters salivating about this kid with a long, lanky frame and a cannon for an arm. It’s his pedigree.

Yes, you could say he comes from a long line of highly prized Booty.

This General is the nephew of former long-time NFL quarterback Joe Ferguson, who played for both Buffalo and Detroit over about 20 years. His grandfather, Johnny Booty, was a sought-after quarterback recruit out of Shreveport (La.) Woodlawn High School, which also turned out the aforementioned uncle and a guy named Terry Bradshaw. His father, Abram Booty, was a receiver at LSU and played in the NFL. His uncles, John David Booty (USC) and Josh Booty (LSU), both quarterbacked in the NFL. The latter played third base for the Marlins and was drafted in 2001 by the Seahawks.

That’s a lot of Booty. Historic Booty, if you will.

Booty aside, every football field will have its share of youngsters looking to make a name for themselves every time the ball is snapped or kicked. They all want to hear their name echo off the end zone over the P.A. system.

We will find some of those names and tell the stories that go with them. The freshman who comes out of nowhere to lead a team to victory. The junior varsity kid who comes off the bench to provide a needed spark. The veteran senior who rallies the team to a victory.

They all are worthy of praise and, if nothing else, a pat on the back for putting out the effort. For putting the time and effort into being part of something greater than themselves. For investing the sweat equity that is always the price of admission for athletics.

We won’t get to nearly enough of them.

But they all deserve it.