It took some time, but the Evergreen football team got going in the second half of its Week 1 game and scored 56 points in a win over Eisenhower of Yakima.
Evergreen never got going in Week 2, though, and was shut out in a loss to Todd Beamer of Federal Way.
It is a work in progress for the Plainsmen, but they still believe they can do something special this season.
“I’m just hoping to lead the team to succeed,” senior quarterback Jerrin Williams said. “We’re striving to be one of the best teams in the state. As quarterback, I control the tempo. I’ve got to be the leader of the team.”
Jerrin Williams and Billy Nelson scored touchdowns in their first football game for the Evergreen Plainsmen. Both played varsity football at other schools last year.
Of course, if one looks at the rosters of every big school in Southwest Washington, chances are there is at least one athlete who began his career at another school.
It is the norm, and it is up to athletic directors to make sure the athletes are allowed to play for their new schools.
"There is not an athlete who is on the field at Evergreen High School who has not met all the eligibility requirements," said Keenan Burris, the school's AD. "Every kid is checked."
There is a procedure to follow for athletes who move in to a boundary or students who transfer from one school to another.
"No athletic department wants to deal with an ineligible kid on the field," Burris said. "There are consequences to your program, to your school. You want to follow every rule to every detail."
-- Paul Valencia
Jerrin Williams and Billy Nelson scored touchdowns in their first football game for the Evergreen Plainsmen. Both played varsity football at other schools last year.
Of course, if one looks at the rosters of every big school in Southwest Washington, chances are there is at least one athlete who began his career at another school.
It is the norm, and it is up to athletic directors to make sure the athletes are allowed to play for their new schools.
“There is not an athlete who is on the field at Evergreen High School who has not met all the eligibility requirements,” said Keenan Burris, the school’s AD. “Every kid is checked.”
There is a procedure to follow for athletes who move in to a boundary or students who transfer from one school to another.
“No athletic department wants to deal with an ineligible kid on the field,” Burris said. “There are consequences to your program, to your school. You want to follow every rule to every detail.”
— Paul Valencia
At Evergreen, there is no time to waste because a lot of these Plainsmen have not had much time together.
Vancouver football fans know of Justice Murhpy’s talents, of Rey Green’s abilities. But the Plainsmen also have some new faces.
Williams moved to Vancouver from Salem, Ore. Billy Nelson, also a senior, is from Portland. And junior Dallas Goodpaster, formerly of Prairie High School, arrived at Evergreen this month.
Northwest Elite Index wrote in August that Evergreen was one of the fastest rising teams in the Pacific Northwest, suggesting the Plainsmen had “double-digit” Division I players on the roster.
While that remains to be seen, it is clear that the Plainsmen expect to compete for the playoffs this year. They start league play tonight against Heritage.
Win or lose, the Plainsmen are already hearing whispers, critics wondering how so many talented players are finding a home at Evergreen.
“It’s good there is a buzz and people are worrying about what’s going on,” Evergreen coach Don Johnson Jr. said. “When people show up at the doorsteps of other programs in this league, there is no controversy because those teams are supposed to be that good that people want to play for them.”
So, Johnson asks, why not Evergreen?
“We’re building a program over here,” he said. “It’s not just the football team that is changing. It’s the culture at our school.”
Johnson credits Lisa Emmerich, the school’s principal, for challenging the faculty and the student body. The change is much more than just sports-related.
“Let them know what’s going on here,” Johnson said. “Teachers are going out of their way to bust their butts to get the kids a great education.”
Two years ago when Johnson coached at Milwaukie (Ore.) High School, The Oregonian featured him for his commitment to academics. Johnson is a boisterous football coach, always talking up his players. But he also says the right things concerning education.
Nelson, a big name at Roosevelt High School, found off-field, legal trouble last year. His mom then moved to Vancouver. Nelson said things are better in his world now that he is in Vancouver.
“He served his punishment. You come here, you start over,” said Keenan Burris, Evergreen’s athletic director. “That’s how we treat every kid.”
As for Williams, he said the only person he knew at Evergreen was his cousin, Marquis Sampson, also a football player. Williams said he never knew Johnson until after he and his mom moved in with his grandfather in Vancouver.
Williams misses his friends at North Salem High School, but this was a family decision. His older sister graduated from college and moved to Portland. Other family members were already in the area. They all wanted to be near one another.
“I like it better here,” Williams said. “It’s a better fit for me. It’s just a great high school environment.”
He takes advanced placement statistics. He sits next to Nelson in that class.
Football has aided in Williams’ transition to Vancouver.
“It’s helped me get involved in school, get set up with the right group of friends,” Williams said. “That’s important. You don’t want to be hanging out with the wrong people.”
In just a couple of months, Williams turned into a leader on the field.
“We have a bunch of guys with D-I talent. He is the one who will humble them and tell them to shut up,” Johnson said. “He acts as if he’s the coach, the guy who’s controlling the offense.”
Is that a good thing?
“That’s a great thing,” Johnson said.
Williams is a threat to run, but he says he loves to throw the ball. He also comes to Evergreen as an established defensive back.
While he does not have any official offers yet, several college coaches have contacted him.
“I just want to play college football. That’s my biggest goal,” Williams said. “That would be a huge burden off my mother’s shoulders, not having to pay for my schooling.”
Helping Evergreen to a bunch of wins would help bring attention to him and his teammates. The Plainsmen have not had a winning season since 2008.
“It’s a daily grind,” Williams said. “That’s what we have to do to accomplish our goals this season. It’s not going to be easy. We play in one of the toughest leagues in the state.”
Williams has not been in Vancouver long, but he has been here long enough to know about the reputation of the Class 4A Greater St. Helens League.
If he and his new teammates do prove themselves on the field, Evergreen would make it into the discussion as one of the best teams in one of the toughest leagues in the state.
