Steilacoom’s Emeka Egbuka is The News Tribune’s 2019 All-Area football player of the year
Emeka Egbuka’s one-handed catch in the back of the end zone during Steilacoom High School’s state championship game against Tumwater might have been the play of the season.
But for Sentinels’ coach Colby Davies, it wasn’t a surprise.
“It was an amazing play,” Davies said. “One of the best plays I’ve ever witnessed in real life as a coach. And it’s something where it’s like, everyone gets excited, it’s a big momentum play. It’s crazy he did it again.”
Again. It’s always again, now, with Egbuka.
“We see it so often,” Davies said. “In games, practice. We’re in awe at the moment, but not surprised. He works really hard to put himself in positions to make those plays.”
It was one catch in a high school football season full of them for Egbuka, a five-star recruit and one of the nation’s most explosive athletes. There simply was no one more electric in the South Sound this season than Egbuka with the ball in his hands, putting up highlight-reel play after play all season long and guiding Steilacoom to its first-ever Class 2A state championship game appearance.
He is The News Tribune’s 2019 All-Area football player of the year.
“We were able to play collectively as a group and for each other,” Egbuka said. “Ever since that Week 3 loss to Lynden, we were just on a roll. We didn’t stop until we got to the state championship.”
It ended with a 48-34 loss to Tumwater in the title game, but count Tumwater coach Bill Beattie among those blown away by Egbuka’s talent.
“The physical gifts he has are out of this world,” Beattie said. “Good size, great speed. All those attributes. An unreal ability to catch the ball — as we saw first-hand, unfortunately. High football IQ, just the way he moves, finds open spots.”
Beattie thought back to a fade route Egbuka ran in the first half of that game. Later in the game, he appeared to run the same route, but slammed on the brakes and stopped.
“He set that up,” Beattie said. “That’s knowing the game of football. That’s pretty high-level stuff you don’t typically see at the high school level.”
Beattie has already watched film from the championship game. The one-handed grab in the back of the end zone? He was impressed in more ways than one.
“It was an ESPN highlight,” Beattie said. “And then when you watch the replay, his head goes straight down to make sure his feet are in-bounds. … I’ve seen him three years now. He’s gotten bigger, stronger. He was always really elusive, but he’s kicked it up a gear.”
This season, the two-time 2A SPSL Mountain MVP racked up 1,607 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns on 83 receptions. He had 2,240 all-purpose yards and 35 total touchdowns. And on defense, Egbuka tallied eight interceptions at corner for the Sentinels. He was also named the state’s 2019 Gatorade Player of the Year.
“I think he’s just gotten better in every phase of the game,” Davies said. “He doesn’t have any weaknesses. All the work he put in shows out there on the field in the fall.”
Davies said Egbuka has also emerged as a more vocal leader, guiding his teammates and leading by example.
“Just becoming a leader, a role model for the younger guys,” Egbuka said. “Just trying to be the best player I can be for my team.”
Egbuka is also a 4.0 student, and for someone with all the talent in the world, has kept a good head on his shoulders.
“He’s always represented the game the right way,” Fife coach Kent Nevin said. “He’s just a class act. He doesn’t rub your nose in it, he just works really hard. He has all those intangibles.”
And the skillset to match.
“Anytime anyone kicks the ball to him, it’s over,” Nevin said, laughing. “You have to be smart with him. He’ll go up for any ball, any time, anywhere. You can’t stop him, you can only hope to control him.”
Egbuka currently has 3,907 career receiving yards. Assuming he stays healthy, he’ll have a good shot at breaking the state’s all-time record of 5,177, set by Prosser’s Cody Bruns from 2004-07.
“That would be really big for me but it’s not about individual goals,” Egbuka said. “Next year, I’m just looking to get a ring. We want to go one step further. We made it to the state championship this year. Now, our goal is to win it.
“That’s going to be the goal every year, from here on out, regardless of whether I’m at the school or not. We have the right players and the right coaching staff to do so.”
