Peninsula’s Skladany a ‘wrecking crew’ for Seahawks football team

Peninsula High School junior Sean Skladany has been praised by his coach Ross Filkins as “a standout performer” and “wrecking crew” for his team.

His road to get there has been a challenging one for the defensive end, as he has had to battle through an injury and find his footing as a leader on the team, even as he sees potential to continue growing.

“Last year, I wasn’t 100 percent because I was coming off an injury but I still feel like this year I still haven’t tapped into my best game yet,” Skladany said. “During basketball season my freshman year, one of my ligaments in my leg ripped out a chunk of bone from my tibia so I wasn’t able to walk for like five months.”

Skladany spent eight months in rehab before he was able to play again which was not an easy undertaking for him.

“It was extremely hard to get through,” Skladany said.

Eventually, he was able to get back on the field to help his team compete.

“I just got cleared right before the season started last year,” Skladany said.

With that injury behind him, he is focused on keeping in top condition by focusing on his daily upkeep of his body.

“I haven’t decided if I’m playing basketball yet but honestly to keep myself healthy I’ve just been making sure I’m stretching everyday, icing up, hydrating,” Skladany said.

From there, that work paid off as Skladany has been a standout both offensively and defensively for his team as they look to make a strong run this season.

“I feel like I’m 110 percent right now,” Skladany said. “Nothing is going to be able to stop me.”

They key to his success? He has been putting in the work.

“I’ve been training a lot on my defense this off season,” Skladany said. “I feel like my hand movement and my speed have gotten better from that.”

The season started off with the Seahawks struggling to convert, but in their most recent game against North Thurston for their 3A SSC opener, the team came alive to win decisively 38-12.

“It was a good atmosphere. It was good to see everyone come out hot. That’s what we were trying to do because the last two games we didn’t come out as hot as we wanted to,” Skladany said. “We just really wanted to get a W, a first home win.”

That win still didn’t come easy as the team had to overcome challenging weather conditions.

“It was pretty wet out, pretty slick. I was slipping like crazy,” Skladany said. “When I got the ball I was just praying I didn’t fumble or anything. I just had to double clutch it and lower my shoulder and get in the end zone.”

Overcoming that weather, Skladany still ran for a team high 100 yards and one touchdown by focusing on his grasp on the ball.

“I’ve never been a great player in the rain but I just have to adjust to that,” Skladany said. “Just making sure I’m maintaining ball security. Making sure I’m keeping my arms dry.”

Even with the win, the previous two games against O’Dea and Skyline had been challenging competition for Seahawks which is something Skladany hopes to put behind them.

“It’s kind of hard when you play that type of schedule at the beginning of the season but it’s looking up now,” Skladany said.

That type of positive outlook is what has set Skladany apart as a leader for the team even when the team is going through growing pains.

“You have to be a leader when things aren’t looking up,” Skladany said. “I just go out there and tell them that we’re still the best out here.”

That leaves him with high goals for his team and all that they can accomplish together once they get back into a rhythm.

“The end goal is always a state championship but I think we just need to get more playing time, just more time on the field together,” Skladany said. “Not everyone is clicking and on point yet.”

The team will have to begin clicking if they want to be competitive against more tough teams ahead but Skladany has faith in their capability to do just that.

“I think we definitely have a tough schedule towards the end of the season but I feel like we can prevail and get some W’s in the end,” Skladany said.

“We have a really good team. Once we start clicking it’s going to be scary for other teams.”

His personal philosophy as someone who has stepped up to help his team get those W’s is a simple one: it might as well be him.

“I realized that if no one else was going to step up then I have to do it,” Skladany said. “I hope I can step up whenever my team needs it. But I hope I can step up even when they don’t need it.”

“I’d just describe myself as a team player. Just stepping up when we need it.”

Ever humble, he is all about putting everything out on the field for his team.

“My personal goal is just always to be one of the best players on the field at all times. Just go out there and be the best that I can be,” Skladany said. “For me, I’m just trying to fill the gaps where we need them. Just when we need big plays. When it’s third and long I’m getting the first down.”

The junior has some big goals for his own future as he hopes to continue his football career beyond just high school.

“Playing Division-I football, that’s my highest aspiration of myself right now,” Skladany said. “It’s just been a dream of mine to go up there and display what all my coaches have been teaching me since day one.”

Skladany will be working at achieving that dream and continuing to improve his play at Peninsula with their next game at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27 at home against Shelton.