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He’s Baaaack

Bellarmine Prep’s Lucas Schindele should scare a few defenses

By Rick Walter

Tacoma Weekly
rwalter@tacomaweekly.com
Published on: August 28, 2008

They’re back – and they’re bigger. And that all-league quarterback that just irritates the heck out of you when he’s running the option? Well, he’s been working on his arm strength – and expects to throw the ball a little more this year, too.

This is what coaches who will be opposing Bellarmine Prep, the only 4-A school from Tacoma to make it to the playoffs last year, will have to be prepared for this year.

With a shotgun-option offense that revolves around the considerable skills of senior quarterback Lucas Shindele, the Lions won’t seem much different at first glance from the team that was on the field in 2007, finishing it with a 20-10 loss to Oak Harbor.

But with the biggest offensive line the team has had in four years and a couple of running backs in Kyle Able and Nick Truckey who can go through you, around you, or over you, this year’s team is going to be more dynamic, and Shindele is going to have a blast.

“Yeah, we’re all really looking forward to this season,” he said earlier this summer while working out at the school. “We have a lot of players back and everybody is working really hard at getting better than we were last year.”

Schindele, who is 6-foot-1 and has bulked up to about 200 pounds, ran for 573 yards last year, a 5.6 yards-per-carry average. He completed 60 percent of his passes for 1,185 yards and eight touchdowns. And even though his favorite receiver, Dan Durkin, graduated, he is hoping coach Don Larsen gives him a chance to pass even more this season.

“It all depends, but I know we will have some weapons,” he said.

“His arm strength has improved considerably,” said Larsen. “And we have some good receivers returning with Robby Guernsey and Jordan Rhett. The good thing about our offense with Lucas at quarterback is our versatility, even more so with his ability to read defenses, which he does very well.”

With the academic demands at the Jesuit school quite taxing, and colleges such as Washington State, San Diego State, UNLV, and the University of Washington taking notice of Schindele’s skills, the quarterback is trying to keep things in balance.

“Just keeping up with studies – you know it’s pretty intense here – and having good practices – my teammates and I put in a lot of hard work during the week – that’s what I’ll be focusing on,” he said.

Schindele says he is looking forward to competing at the collegiate level and seeing how he will do in faster and more intense competition. But for now, there’s the Narrows League to deal with, then district playoffs, then state.

Those are the three goals for the Bellarmine Prep team this season. The last one admittedly a superior challenge.

“We made it to the first round and had to play the defending state champs and we only lost by a touchdown. We have a tougher league now with a lot more competition. But I want to make it to state.”

Along the way, he will be giving defensive coordinators a lot to think about.

The journey to the playoffs begins for the Lions, appropriately enough, at Quest Field, on Sept. 6, when they play Puyallup at 3 p.m.

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