A State Record Seems Like a Great Place to Start
Congratulations to O'Dea football coach Monte Kohler for winning his 394th game to tie the state record
Monte Kohler’s smile was as wide as I’ve ever seen it after a game. Granted, this was the first time I’ve been on the sideline for an O’Dea state championship. And, it was the coach’s 394th win, which tied Tumwater legend Sid Otton.
However, when thinking about the source of that smile, it didn’t seem like personal satisfaction.
“I’m just happy and tickled for the kids,” Kohler said after O’Dea’s 38-15 victory over Bellevue at Husky Stadium. “They’ve worked hard to get to this point. We’ve had a lot of heartbreak the past two or three years. To finish like this, with this group of kids, it’s pretty special.”
Listening to Kohler talk about the win, hug players (past and present), and celebrate with his family, I realized that I had never heard Kohler talk about himself. I even went back and checked, going through stories I wrote about O’Dea for the Seattle Times.
I couldn’t find anything.
For Kohler, it’s always about the kids. That smile on the sideline, after being doused with water from a Gatorade bucket, solidifies the point.
Kohler’s players, though, they have no problem sharing how they feel about their coach.
“He’s the man who deserves it all,” said quarterback Hutton Leverett, who rushed for a touchdown and threw two more. “He would die for any of us out there.”
Running back Uriah Stringfield, who scored three touchdowns, echoed what Leverett said, “Coach Kohler is a great guy. He does everything for us. He loves us like we’re his kids.”
Congrats to O’Dea on an undefeated season, and shout out to Bellevue for continuing to be one of the top football programs in the state. You can access the full photo gallery from Friday’s Class 3A state title game here.
B1G Lands Pair of Local Stars from Bellevue
Demetri Manning describes himself as a “band, football kid” who always wanted to make his grandmother proud.
Before Josephine Carter passed away when he was in fifth grade, she had one heartfelt request for her grandson.
“Whatever you do, whether that’s band or football, make it to the highest level possible,” she told him.
Those words stayed with Manning as he grew into a 6-foot-5, 330-pound lineman at Bellevue High School. Her message pushed him then, and, as he sat down to sign with Oregon in the Wolverines’ locker room on Wednesday, her voice echoed in his mind.
“For me, the highest level possible is the NFL, so that’s what I’m going to try to do,” the four-star recruit said.
Read more. (Note: stories like this will live here moving forward, while I repurpose my website blog to focus on photoshoots.)
Building a High School Sports Community
I started this Substack, because I think I bring value to the high school community in King County. Each week, I’ll be providing a look at what’s happening locally. If you have notes, quotes, or story ideas, please send them to masonandrewkelley@gmail.com.