Lakes football returns, and so do last season’s starters: ‘They’re a hungry group’
As Spanaway Lake dominated Lakes in the final game of last spring’s COVID-shortened season, Devon Nofoa-Masoe could only watch from the sidelines.
Months earlier, Lakes’ junior running back and linebacker tore his ACL, a devastating blow on both sides of the ball for the title-hungry Lancers. Nofoa-Masoe was a first-team selection to The News Tribune’s 2019 All-Area team as a sophomore. Without him and his highly-touted football IQ in the huddle, Lakes surrendered 35 points to the eventual PCL-champion Sentinels.
They drew first blood, scoring the only seven points of the first quarter. For the remainder of the evening, their offense fell silent.
“Spanaway Lake doing us like that last year… I wasn’t able to do anything,” Nofoa-Masoe said of the season-ending, 35-7 loss. “And it sucked, because I hate losing, even if I’m not playing. I feel for my brothers.”
In a spontaneous six-game season filled with pandemic-related protocols, the always-competitive Lancers took off with a 3-1 record, outscoring their opponents 138-68 in those games. Their final two contests -- a heartbreaking, one-point loss to rival Lincoln and four-score loss to Spanaway Lake — dropped their record to 3-3.
But Nofoa-Masoe has returned to practice, hoping to replicate a 2019 campaign that featured 1,182 offensive yards, 16 touchdowns, and 48 tackles on defense. Unlike last season, the Lancers had time to prepare, using an entire summer’s time to condition, improve in the weight room, and build team chemistry. Sixteen of Lakes’ 22 starters from last season are set to return, adding “coachability” for a team on the upswing.
Spanaway Lake may be the reigning league champions, but the Lancers are always in the mix. Alongside Lincoln, expect a three-way dogfight for the 3A PCL title.
“Guys trust each other,” said Lakes coach Dave Miller. “They know each other. They’ve been in battles, side by side. They’ve been through some of the tough stuff, and they count on each other.”
If Lakes wants to make a run for the league title — and the state title, while they’re at it — they’ll rely on Nofoa-Masoe as their leader, a tone-setter with an “alpha-male personality,” Miller said. The returning senior holds his teammates to a high standard, and improves locker room culture. He can play three or four positions on either side of the ball, and does everything a coach wants in a leader.
ACL injuries include roughly a one-year timetable for return, but Nofoa-Masoe is ahead of schedule. His knee feels great, and he’ll be back soon, he said.
“He’s a key (player) in our system,” quarterback Justin Brennan said of his running back. “He’s a great leader, always running around making sure all of the guys are on top of stuff.
“He has a great mind for football. He has a great IQ, picking up blitzes, knowing what’s coming… He knows what he’s doing.”
Brennan, now a four-year senior for the Lancers, leads the offensive attack. He’ll make good decisions, trusting all-league receiving speedster David Wells to find yards after the catch, and you won’t see him force many throws.
The QB1 spent much of the offseason improving his playbook knowledge, and ironing out the fine details.
“Almost to the point of (Justin) getting bored a little bit at times,” Miller said. “He’s gotten better every day. He knows the offense inside and out.”
And what stands out to Miller about his team in what is now his 22nd year at Lakes is their chemistry. They’re team-centered, and the head coach has yet to discover an individualistic attitude that occasionally arises. They want to win for each other, and they celebrate teammates’ success.
They’re similar to other groups Miller has coached in the past, and that’s a good thing. A normal practice tells the story of their camaraderie. In warm-up conditioning lines, players and coaches encourage one another, and “let’s get better today” is a common mantra heard throughout the huddles.
“I think they’re a hungry group,” Miller said. “They’re excited about… having a full season, and having a chance to have playoffs again.”
Lakes begins their season on Sept. 3 in an away meeting with Decatur. Opposed to just six games on last year’s schedule, they’ll have nine regular season games this time around, with aspirations for more as playoffs resume.
They’ll have to wait for a chance to avenge their losses against Lincoln and Spanaway Lake, as the Abes (October 22) and Sentinels (October 29) are their final two games on the calendar.
If anything, the Lancers are set up for a dramatic finish that could very well determine a league champion.
“A lot of talking (from Lincoln) last year,” Nofoa-Masoe said. “It’s part of the game, but Lincoln is one (I’m looking forward to).”
LAKES LANCERS
Coach: Dave Miller, 22nd year
Spring 2021 record: 3-3, third place in 3A PCL
Offensive coordinator, base scheme: Matt Roth, multiple pro style
Defensive coordinator, base scheme: Caleb Kellcy, 3-4
Top players: QB Justin Brennan, 6’1, 195, sr; RB/WR Devon Nofoa-Masoe, 6’1, 220, sr; WR David Wells, 6’2, 175, jr; OL Noah Koke-Mauga, 6’3, 295, sr; TB Ki’maree Washington, 5’8, 185, jr; SS Michael Westbrook Jr., 6’2, 210, sr; RB Leo Pulalasi, 6’1, 205, jr; CB Aslan Fraser, 6’, 180, jr; DE/LS Kelvin Squires, 6’2, 240, sr; LB Abel Patu, 6’1, 200, jr.
Outlook: Lakes may have finished third in the 3A PCL last season, but they’re hungry for a league title, and revenge games against Lincoln and reigning-champion Spanaway Lake are marked on their calendar. The Lancers return senior QB Justin Brennan, as well as All-Area RB/LB Devon Nofoa-Masoe, who tore his ACL last December. David Wells, a junior receiver with two Division-I offers, checked in with a 4.46 40-yard dash at a summer camp at the University of Washington this year. If Lakes wants to make a state title run, they’ll rely on their team chemistry, and a foundation that features 8 of 11 returning starters on both sides of the ball.
This story was originally published August 26, 2021 at 5:00 AM.