‘We’re starting to turn the corner.’ With full offseason, Auburn Riverside looks to take next step
It’s taken the football staff at Auburn Riverside High School a couple of years to gain its footing. But, as Greg Herd and friends enter their third year with the pandemic obstacles behind them, there is optimism that the future may be arriving.
“We finally had a full offseason,” Herd said. “We’re starting to turn the corner, culture-wise. The guys have a better understanding of the standard here, the goals and the expectations.”
When Herd got the job, COVID-19 was raging. The 2020 season had been canceled completely due to the worldwide medical situation and 2021 was uncertain.
Still, there were successes along the way. In less than a year, the Ravens turned a shortened 1-3 campaign in the spring of 2021 into a 7-0 regular season in the fall and a Class 3A North Puget Sound League championship.
“Culture is one of those things that is forever,” Herd said. “But, we are creatures of habit. It takes a lot longer to build a habit than to break a habit.”
A disappointing district playoff loss at home to Kelso was a setback. But, it also put the Ravens back to work on their program.
“We did use it as motivation,” running back Thyru Umituato’o said. “Coming off that tough loss and thinking we were going to come in and beat those guys. They came in and pounded on us. I think we did take that motivation to get better.”
That improvement began with spring workouts, part of that full offseason program that COVID hadn’t allowed. It was also the first offseason when players could get together fully for activities.
“Working out with a teammate always hits a little differently than when you’re by yourself,” Herd said.
Collective team activities also furthered the development of the Auburn Riverside program’s cultural identity.
Instilling what Herd calls the “3 Daily Disciplines” to create an “Edge” — Effort, Being Elite and PTF (Protect the Flock), or being accountable to yourself and your teammates, the Ravens have gone to work.
“I think it took effect a lot last year, too,” senior lineman Nate Pritchard said. “The first year, the COVID year, it was pretty new. Nobody had seen it done. But now it’s had an effect.”
The Ravens have leaders in place to pass the ethic and expectations along to those that are coming behind them. Big and talented, Pritchard will head to WSU after this season while leading receiver Jace Villers can fly on the outside. Umi-tuato’o, a junior, takes over the lead back role from graduated brother Thaddeus.
“It’s really incredible,” Pritchard said. “Being such a small senior class, with just a couple of us on the field, and then seeing like 40 freshmen come in and getting to coach all of them up, it’s just amazing.”
The sophomore class has both coach and players raving.
“This sophomore class could be the movers and shakers,” Herd said. “And we have those 42 incoming ninth graders. It’s a great group of kids.”
The most visible face early on from that sophomore group may be Kyree Wright, Umi-tuoto’o’s backfield mate. Wright already has the size at 5-foot-10, 210 pounds to be a bruising back for the Ravens, who also must replace their quarterback. Payton Accetturo graduated after the 2021 season.
“Really incredible,” Pritchard said. “Great size in there. And we have our choice as to who’s going to play. I know Thyru and Kyree, right now, are going to be our top backs.”
What the Ravens all seek is to take that next step. Auburn Riverside is predicted to again win the 3A NPSL, but this team feels it may have more in store than just that goal.
The spring and summer helped — for good reasons and maybe some not-so-good.
“It wasn’t a great spring ball,” Herd admitted. “But as coaches, we realized that nobody on this roster has experienced a normal spring ball. But, we had the commitment and buy-in this summer to see it all made up. And we hit the ground running when fall camp started.
“I have the utmost confidence in this team.”
This story was originally published August 24, 2022 at 5:00 AM.