LA CENTER — A decade of football teaches a variety of lessons, not the least of them about perseverance.
Zach Galster, Cole Judd, Dalton Morgan and Michael Shufeldt understand that. They are the only four current La Center seniors who have been in the program all four years of high school. That’s an unusually low number of fourth-year players for coach John Lambert, who in his 17th season has a program that is a model of consistency.
“I think we stuck with it because we hang out outside of practice and the games,” Galster said. “And we’ve been key players on the teams, so we had fun playing.”
Getting hit hard on a kickoff return as a freshman was not exactly fun for Judd. But it was a welcome to varsity football moment that he hasn’t forgotten.
“It was really intense and I was not expecting how hard I got hit,” recalled Judd, who earned a varsity letter as a freshman. “So it was a wakeup call.”
The four veterans said that Lambert’s willingness to give young players who earn a chance to play strengthens the program top to bottom.
“At our level, or at any level, having kids who are committed for four years really is the foundation of your team,” Lambert said. “Having those guys is invaluable.”
Lambert said that some other seniors who gave up football or skipped a season had good reasons for doing so. But most who sit out a year wish they had played all four years, according to Lambert.
“Football goes quick. The time to make those memories is short,” the coach noted.
La Center’s four fourth-year players understand that, and they are eager to make a lasting impression during their final high school football season.
They are looking forward to the challenge of facing Class 2A schools Hockinson, Woodland and Tumwater in non-league play, and trying to go out with a fourth Trico League championship.
The La Center seniors have never lost a Trico League game. The Wildcats this year are chasing a fifth consecutive league title, something the program has never accomplished.
But the La Center legacy that this foursome is building upon is about more than victories. It a legacy of embracing challenge — including playing against larger schools.
“They might be bigger, stronger athletes than us, but we’ll still go out and show them what La Center’s about,” Shufeldt said of taking on bigger schools. “It really tests people when they’re getting beat or down on themselves. You see who gets knocked down and gets back up real quick.”
Work. Trust. Attitude.Those words are a cornerstone of the La Center football philosophy, a mantra that has been emphasized since these seniors were being coached by their fathers in CCYF.
“Hard work is going to make you better, and it’s going to make the people around you better,” Morgan said. “I think that’s why our program has had so much success. No one’s too big for the team and everybody pushes each other to get better.”
This year, with 10 seniors on the roster and a 25-player sophomore class expected to contribute significantly, the fourth-year veterans’ contribution involves much more than making big plays. It involves helping younger team members get better.
“Support them, even when they mess up. Don’t let them get down on themselves,” Judd said, describing how the veterans help young teammates.
Senior year is about more than the payoff for years of dedication. This season is also about paying back those who helped the seniors get here.
“The whole program has given a lot to us,” Galster said. “It’s kind of us giving back to the program by helping out the younger players and making sure they are able to carry on the success.”
