‘Wrecking ball’ Skladany, 3A SSC MVP, leads Peninsula to fourth-straight state tournament appearance
During Peninsula High School’s 2017 first-round state tournament road playoff game against Mountain View, then-freshman Sean Skladany was taking handoffs before the game started.
He may have been a little too juiced up. He charged through the line with his elbow high and smacked longtime Seahawks’ running backs coach Mauritz Winquist square in the jaw.
“I thought he knocked my teeth out,” Winquist said. “In my 30 years of coaching that’s never happened before and it’s never happened since. He got me pretty good.”
Suffice it to say, Winquist wasn’t thrilled about getting a bruised and swollen lip before the team’s playoff game.
“I just remember him screaming at me,” Skladany said, laughing. “I was scared for my life.”
In his time at Peninsula, that’s how the now-junior running back has operated: High intensity, physical, in-your-face all the time. This season has been his breakout year, as he was recognized as the Class 3A South Sound Conference’s Most Valuable Player for the league champion Seahawks.
In 10 games, Skladany has rushed 128 times for 771 yards and 16 touchdowns. The 6-foot-2, 212-pound back is a load for opposing defenses. Last year, as a sophomore, he was used in short-yardage and goal-line situations, given how difficult he is for defenders to bring down.
“No one runs harder than him,” said Peninsula quarterback Peyton Bice. “No matter who he’s up against or what it is, he’s always going to put his head down and go. I love watching him run. It’s so explosive and so physical.”
Skladany, who has played running back since the third grade, said that physical nature has always been part of his game.
“I want to hit people when I have the ball and make them not want to tackle me anymore,” Skladany said.
Skladany is identical to the Peninsula program: Tough, gritty and relentless. He might not be flashy, he might not have a 3 or 4-star recruiting rating, but he refuses to be outworked.
“He’s a Peninsula Seahawk,” said longtime Peninsula head coach Ross Filkins. “He’s a true dogfish. He doesn’t care about stats and all that stuff. He loves to get in and pound the ball.”
He’s the type of back that linemen love to block for. Just ask first-team all-league left guard Joe Hilley.
“Once he gets a big gain, we’re all hyped up to make more blocks for him,” he said. “We feed off that energy. He sets the tempo and we work off that.”
Whether it’s a 6 a.m. workout, after practice in the evening or during a game, Skladany is always fired up.
“Just the drive and attitude that he shows on the field is really 24/7 for him,” Bice said. “He always brings that energy and work ethic. Any time we see a big run, big hit by him it really gets everyone going. The line loves it when they’re doing their job and they can see it’s paying off. When he gets to the second level and lights someone up, I can see the linemen are ready to go.”
Defensively, it’s more of the same from Skladany, who has lined up at defensive end and outside linebacker for the Seahawks. He’s fifth on the team with 55 tackles this season, has eight tackles for loss and a team-high seven sacks.
“If he wasn’t the league MVP, he probably would’ve been first-team all-league on defense, too,” Filkins said. “We’ll just continue to monitor him and see how he can be disruptive on defense best. Whether that’s as an outside linebacker, rush guy, or whatever. It’s just being able to use that athleticism the best possible way. He’s a wrecking ball on defense.”
Skladany leads a Peninsula team that has now reached the state tournament four consecutive seasons, including three-straight trips to the state quarterfinals. Peninsula opens the 3A state tournament on the road at 7 p.m. on Friday (Nov. 15) against Mount Spokane at Joe Albi Stadium.
If Peninsula is going to earn the road win, Skladany figures to be a big part of it.
“You can rally around a guy like that, who doesn’t cut corners, has fought through injury and understands how precious every day is,” Filkins said. “He’s got great leadership skills.”
This story was originally published November 15, 2019 at 6:00 AM.
