Never before has a jersey number meant so much to Kenan Weinmaster.
He proudly wears No. 71 for Fort Vancouver High School’s football team. When he steps on the field, whether it’s practice or game day, he wants to make his family proud.
More recently, the senior is extra proud to wear 71 after learning about who donned the number in the mid-1990s as perhaps the most sought-after high school football recruit to come out of Clark County.
That’s the late Travis Claridge, an accolade-filled offensive lineman who graduated from Fort in 1996 and is considered one of the best offensive linemen to come out of Washington.
Legendary shoes to fill, Weinmaster said, but “it’s also one of those things that makes me come out here because I want to fill those shoes.”
“I think giving me that legacy to fill definitely helps me keep a balance in my life,” Weinmaster said.
Wearing the same jersey number isn’t the only connection Weinmaster has to Claridge. In fact, the similarities between the two are striking.
Weinmaster stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 300 pounds, the same size as Claridge his senior year as a Parade Magazine and USA TODAY All-American for the Trappers.
Weinmaster plays right guard, the same position Claridge started all 48 games he played at the University of Southern California before becoming a second-round NFL Draft pick by the Atlanta Falcons in 2000.
The kicker to all of this is Weinmaster learned of Claridge from none other than Bill Claridge, Travis’ father, who served as an assistant coach at Fort in 2021.
Last season, Bill Claridge primarily worked with the defensive line, and later, served as defensive coordinator. Weinmaster still recalls the practice in late August 2021 when Bill Claridge shared insight and stories of his late son directly to Weinmaster. Later, being pulled aside in the football coaches office, Weinmaster saw a photo of Travis Claridge displayed on a wall.
Weinmaster’s inspiration hasn’t wavered. Being connected to a Fort legend is something he doesn’t take for granted. In fact, Weinmaster embraces it.
“It feels incredible,” he said. “It feels like in some way that you’re connected to his success. And it’s giving me a base level of success.”
Bill Claridge lived in Clark County for 30 years. Now residing in Cleveland, Tenn., he said coaching one season at Fort and seeing a No. 71 again through Weinmaster’s hard work, dedication and determination brought him joy.
“When I saw Kenan, that’s exactly what I saw in Travis,” Bill Claridge said. “He’s got so much potential. … He has all the things of a raw Travis.”
“It’s a new breed, a breath of fresh air,” he continued. “That light is staying on for a while. This is what the school needs. It needs somebody to bring it back alive for athletes and for future kids.”
Travis Claridge died in 2006 at age 27 from acute pneumonia after being found unconscious in his Las Vegas home. The Clark County (Nev.) coroner’s office determined Claridge had the painkiller oxycodone in his system and an enlarged heart. His death was ruled accidental.
Travis Claridge played four NFL seasons, including earning a starting job with Atlanta his rookie year in 2000. He signed with Carolina in 2004 as a free agent, and after being released during training camp, played the 2005 season with the Canadian Football League’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Currently, Fort athletics has zero retired jersey numbers, but recently launched a school Wall of Fame. Athletic director James Ensley said he hopes to begin a jersey-retirement process as soon as this school year to honor former great Trapper athletes throughout the decades. That includes retiring No. 71 worn by Claridge in football, and adding him to the school’s Wall of Fame, Ensley said.
Recently, Bill Claridge donated boxes of high school awards and memorabilia his son earned while playing at Fort. He wants current and future Trappers to know their past, he said.
“It belongs to the halls that people can walk through to reach higher goals in life,” Bill Claridge said.
Weinmaster couldn’t agree more.
“Most people eventually forget the stories,” Weinmaster said. “If no one tells the story, the story’s going to get forgotten.”
Fort’s third-year head coach Doug Bilodeau puts Weinmaster among the top three linemen he’s coached in his 30 years of coaching football for more reasons than a 6-6, 300-pound frame, a multi-year starter, and a three-sport athlete.
“He works so hard and does everything to get better,” Bilodeau said. “Some people find ways to get out of things. He finds ways to get into things and do them right.”
That includes on- and off-the-field successes: helping anchor the biggest line Fort has seen in years and ensuring the legacy of a prior No. 71 remains strong at Fort.
All while creating his own wearing No. 71.
“Having a taste of that success just makes me want it more,” Weinmaster said. … “Now, I’m just more proud to wear it.”
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Varsity360 Podcast: In episode 2, Meg Wochnick talks about this feature and The Columbian sports staff discusses Week 2 matchups in prep football.
