Competitive, relentless, in-your-face: This Spanaway Lake group won’t back down from anybody
There’s a certain swagger that emanates from the defensive backs unit at Spanaway Lake High School. They’re not backing down from anybody.
“We’re the best DB group in the state, I think,” said senior safety KeeKee McQueen, a Nevada commit.
At times, Sentinels coach Cameron Robak has to break up the receivers and defensive backs in practice. It can get heated.
“It’s just something we haven’t had before,” Robak said. “We’ve had guys before, but their attitude of like, ‘Line somebody up against me.’ These guys go at it in practice all the time. They want 1-on-1s the whole practice. If I said we were doing three hours of 1-on-1s, they would do it.
“They go at it, they fight, they bicker and they chip but then at the end of the day, they’re like, ‘Hey, we got better. We’re brothers and we’re making each other better.’ I love it.”
That type of relentless competitiveness paid off on the scoreboard during last spring’s shortened season. Spanaway Lake posted a perfect 6-0 record. They played suffocating, in-your-face defense, allowing just 14 total points from opponents during the entire season. The Sentinels outscored 3A Pierce County League opponents 259 to 14.
The flawless run was highlighted by a 34-7 win in week one over preseason league favorite Lincoln, which had just reached the Class 3A state tournament semifinals the year before. It was the first time Lincoln had been held to seven points since a state playoff loss against Rainier Beach in 2018.
Spanaway Lake limited the Abes to less than 250 yards of total offense, forced three turnovers — two interceptions and a fumble — three turnovers on downs, and three punts. The win put Spanaway Lake on the map, but don’t count their players among those who were surprised.
“In our minds, we weren’t really an underdog,” said junior corner Jasiah Wagoner, the spring league MVP. “That was the year we expected to go undefeated. … We had all the pieces. … That was our best year to do it. In my mind, we were never a bad team. We just needed to pull it all together.”
It’s a secondary that includes two future Division I players in Wagoner and McQueen. McQueen, a Nevada commit, is considered a three-star prospect by 247sports.com and the 25th-rated player from Washington in the 2022 class. Wagoner, meanwhile, is considered a four-star recruit, the No. 3 player in the 2023 class in Washington and the 15th-rated corner nationally. He holds offers from UW, Oregon, Miami and others.
“It’s pretty tough to beat (Wagoner),” Robak said. “I’d love to see him line up against the best in the state, the best in the nation. I believe in him fully. Obviously, he’s one of the best, if not the best kid to come through Spanaway. I wouldn’t say he gets beat very often.”
Just how good is this secondary? Just ask junior quarterback Dempsy James, the league’s offensive MVP in the spring. He faces those guys in practice.
“It’s frustrating sometimes,” James said, laughing. “They’re just such great athletes. They fly everywhere. It makes all of us better.”
James has started at QB since he was a freshman. He’s taken strides in his understanding of attacking defenses. Robak said during his sophomore season, they gave him the keys to the offense and let him loose.
James completed 84-of-129 passes for 1,158 yards and 17 touchdowns, to just three interceptions in the spring season. He rushed 30 times for 221 yards and seven touchdowns.
“I feel like I’m way more active using my legs as I’ve gotten older and progressed,” James said. “I’m more of a dual-threat now. My freshman year, I wasn’t running as much. Now, it’s all over the place.”
Offensively, Robak said they focused on finding creative ways to get their most dynamic players the ball in space. On offense, Wagoner played mostly receiver. Some games, they put him in at running back. He caught 24 passes for 412 yards and eight touchdowns and was the team’s leading rusher, averaging 11.3 yards per carry, racking up 237 yards and three touchdowns in six games, despite not being the full-time back.
“Tweaking the scheme a little bit to fit those guys and their molds,” Robak said. “Trying to isolate Jasiah out at receiver a little more, then obviously in the Lakes game, moving him back to running back, which I think caught everyone by surprise. Trying to use KeeKee’s speed a little bit more, getting the ball in his hands in a couple different ways. Really trusting Dempsy a lot more, letting him loose more than the year before.”
There was no postseason in the spring, so the Sentinels are eager for a shot at the playoffs, and ultimately, the state tournament. The program’s lone state tournament appearance came in 2000, where Spanaway Lake beat Wilson in the first round, before falling to Bethel in the quarterfinals.
“I just think we’re always believing we’re going to be that team that goes to state,” McQueen said. “Sometimes when you get down in a game, some people can drop their heads. If you just keep that mindset that we’re going to win, that’ll really take us far.”
SPANAWAY LAKE SENTINELS
Coach: Cameron Robak, fourth year
Spring 2021 record: 6-0, first place in 3A PCL
Offensive coordinator, base scheme: Nick Springer, Multiple
Defensive coordinator, base scheme: Cameron Robak, 4-3
Top players: CB/WR Jasiah Wagoner, 5-11, 165, jr; QB Dempsy James, 5-11, 180, jr; DB KeeKee McQueen, 5-10, 175, sr; LB Eugene Camacho, 5-10, 235, jr; OL Noah Ruiz, 5-11, 230, jr; OL/DL TJ Fiame, 6-0, 270, jr; DL Trishion Sullivan, 6-4, 215, sr.
Outlook: Spanaway Lake was the surprise story of the spring, upsetting league-favorite Lincoln and posting a 6-0 run through the 3A PCL. The Sentinels won’t be sneaking up on anybody this year, but this ultra-competitive group won’t mind. Corner Jasiah Wagoner and safety KeeKee McQueen highlight one of the state’s top secondaries. It’d be hard to bet against this group reaching the state tournament for the first time since 2000.
This story was originally published August 23, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
