Bethel’s Will Latu the heartbeat of Braves team one win away from 3A state semifinals
During summer workouts, Bethel High School football coach Mark Iddins and his staff were clocking their players in the 40-yard dash.
Enter 6-foot-2 junior Will Latu, who came into the workout weighing around 225 to 230 pounds. It was fair to wonder, at a linebacker’s size, how quickly Latu could run.
He answered that question emphatically, coming in at a blazing 4.59 seconds, causing the Bethel coaching staff to exchange glances and knowing smiles with each other.
“He’s the Polynesian Bo Jackson,” said Bethel coach Mark Iddins. “That’s what we started calling him. It’s impressive watching that combination of size and speed.”
Latu, considered a four-star recruiting prospect by 247sports.com, has offers from Washington, USC, Utah and others and has played inside linebacker and defensive end for Bethel, which finds itself in the Class 3A state tournament quarterfinals. But it’s the offensive side of the ball — at running back — where Latu has had the chance to showcase his skills most often this year and has been the heartbeat of the team.
He was named the 3A Pierce County League’s offensive back of the year this season, rushing for 707 yards and 14 touchdowns on 120 carries. He also added 214 yards and five touchdowns on 12 receptions this season. Latu has racked up seven touchdowns in the team’s two postseason games against Bishop Blanchet and Garfield.
“I like to run hard,” Latu said. “My dad always taught me to fear no one but God. Every time I run the rock, it’s all or nothing.”
To Iddins, Latu is a tone-setter for the Braves, who have deflated defenses this season with long, time-consuming touchdown drives. Latu has been front and center in those drives, carrying the ball.
“He’s a beast,” Iddins said. “He’s tough to tackle. He runs hard. With these long, sustaining drives that we’ve had, it’s because we’re able to just pound the ball with him.”
Latu has thrived during those types of drives this season.
“It plays huge,” Latu said. “When we run the clock, the defense gets tired and when we get to the goal line, we just punch it in. Then the next drive, we just keep doing the same thing. No one can stop it.”
There’s an intimidation factor with Latu, the never-back-down type of player that coaches covet on their roster.
“You see him and he has the build of a college, Division-I linebacker,” Iddins said. “You don’t want to get in his way — especially when he’s running hard — you do not want to get in his way.”
247sports.com national recruiting director Brandon Huffman said Latu’s versatility sets him apart from other high school football players in the state. The recruiting site has Latu listed as an athlete.
“He can play a number of positions,” Huffman said. “His versatility is key. … He shows he can be a running back. A lot of schools will use those big guys in short-yardage situations, but he’s a true running back. He moves really well for his size.”
That being said, Huffman believes Latu projects best as a linebacker at the next level — and indeed, that’s where he’s been recruited the most.
“I think he can be either inside or outside, too,” Huffman said. “He has a versatility that’s also unique. Most linebackers are pigeon-holed into one spot, but I think he’s got that capability. He has the most upside on defense because he moves so well. He can cover, he can hit. He’s a three-down backer. You don’t see a lot of those guys.”
Last season, Bethel lost to Peninsula in the first round of the 3A state tournament at Roy Anderson Field, 55-34. Whenever something went wrong in that game, things started to unravel, with Bethel’s players arguing with each other and piling up numerous unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.
This year? There’s a clear difference in maturity and poise with the Braves.
“We worked on it a lot in the offseason,” Iddins said. “We saw at the end of the offseason; our kids were just not mentally tough enough for a tough game like that. We worked on toughening up our mentality.”
Part of that comes from acknowledging that quality opponents are going to make plays. But when they do, responding the right way.
“These are the best players in the state — they’re going to make plays,” Iddins said. “So who cares if they make a play? We believe through four quarters, we’re going to make more. The team has embraced this; they’ve overcome adversity.”
Bethel posted a 21-0 shutout win over Garfield in the opening round of the state tournament last week. Boise State commit Robert Cooper, who was named the 3A PCL defensive lineman of the year, is a key part of that unit.
“We made some plays on the goal-line,” Cooper said. “I made a stop and got sack, Oge (Feo) and Davaunte Holden made plays and we forced two fumbles in the red zone. … Everyone is just working hard to be part of the team and win games this year.”
Offensively, Eatonville transfer and first-year starting quarterback Kekoa Visperas has been a natural fit for the Braves, completing 151-of-245 passes for 2,224 yards and 20 touchdowns. Cameron Parker has been Visperas’ top target, hauling in 38 catches for 846 yards and 10 touchdowns this season.
“We have good receivers and good running backs,” Parker said. “If our passing game isn’t working, we can run (or vice-versa). … Our momentum has gotten a lot better this season. We know our offense is good and our defense is good. It’s honestly just not letting the small things get us down this year.”
Bethel, the state tournament’s No. 4 seed, hosts No. 5 Kennewick at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23 at Art Crate Field in the quarterfinal round. A win would catapult Bethel into the semifinals for the first time since 2001.
The Braves feel they’re battled-tested after playing one of the state’s toughest schedules this season, losing to 4A state tournament No. 1 seed Kennedy Catholic, 32-27, in a nationally-televised season opener at CenturyLink Field; losing 27-14 to 3A No. 1 seed O’Dea, a game which Bethel led at half and losing 35-21 to 3A PCL champion Lincoln in the final game of the regular season.
Those were all games Bethel had a chance to win down the stretch.
“It showed our guys that we can keep getting better, and if we do, we’re one of the top teams in the state,” Iddins said. “Our guys are not scared of anybody. That’s the one thing about them, they feel like they can beat anybody on any day. That makes us dangerous.”
This story was originally published November 22, 2019 at 6:00 AM.
