Mejia, Herrera lead Soap Lake's sparse senior class
Connor Vanderweyst/Columbia Basin Herald Eliseo Mejia, left, and Austin Herrera are two seniors ready to lead Soap Lake.
Soap Lake graduated 15 seniors off of its football team last year.
A pretty gaudy number for a Class 2B school.
Folks around the Central Washington 2B league are predicting a transitional year for the Eagles, but Eliseo Mejia and Austin Herrera aren’t ready to punt away their senior season.
During the first week of practice, head coach Tony Blankenship said he was looking for leaders; Mejia and Herrera are two experienced players that can provide that quality.
“We need to connect as a team, that’s what we need to do right now,” Mejia said.
Mejia, an offensive lineman that’s shifting to fullback, and Herrera, one of the primary pass-catchers, are two of six seniors on Soap Lake’s roster.
“They’ve been doing a good job,” Blankenship said. “Our whole senior class has, to be honest with you. It’s been real positive. Like we said, Week 1’s not going to define us, but we need a game and then we’ll pick up the pieces and we’ll go from there.”
Despite the large senior class, the Eagles’ roster boasts 34 bodies. A step in the right direction for a team that graduated its starting quarterback and leading rusher.
“I’m excited about the number,” Blankenship said. “When you lose a big class in a small school sometimes you wonder what are you doing to do. The kids are ready to play football so, like I said, we’re looking to be competitive this year and trying to get in that top five.”
However, Soap Lake has a knack for winning
After starting 2-2 last season, the Eagles won three out of their last four games to reach a winner-to-state crossover game.
The Eagles started 2015 5-0.
Quincy transfer Klayten Northup will be the guy charged with taking snaps and getting the ball to Herrera and the rest of the Eagle receivers in space.
“I’m so glad he came,” Herrera said. “He’s throwing really good balls. It’s just been so easy. He makes it a lot easier. I don’t know what it would’ve been without him.”
Mejia will shift to fullback in Soap Lake’s pistol formation. It isn’t a huge departure, as Mejia will still be up blocking the majority of snaps, but it does leave some room for him to carry the ball sporadically.
“It’s a new change. It’s like a new beginning, but I’m liking it,” he said. “It’s like a new start with football. It’s different from being on the line. I get rushes, I get blocks. It’s the best thing too for the team right now ... he (Blankenship) does what it takes to win and that’s what he did.”
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