Dual-threat QB Rocco Koch looks to bring Curtis football back to prominence
Curtis coach Darren McKay knew when he chose Rocco Koch to be the team’s starting quarterback in his freshman year, there were going to be some growing pains.
Koch had played a bit of quarterback in junior high but was more or less new to the position. Coupled with the fact that McKay was in his first season at Curtis and tasked with a rebuilding job, it wasn’t going to be a soft landing for Koch, especially in the Class 4A South Puget Sound League.
McKay took all of that into consideration then threw him into the fire anyway.
“When he came in as a freshman, we just saw the athletic ability, the leadership, but he was just super raw,” McKay said. “That’s one thing about him, when you compared him to some of the younger quarterbacks in the area. One thing he has, is he has huge upside. He’s still learning that part of the game.”
Koch, now a junior, was learning the nuances of the position on the fly.
“Freshman year, I had no idea what I was doing,” Koch said, laughing. “I was just [going] through the motions and letting my legs do stuff.”
Fortunately, Koch was able to skate by with his running ability while he learned how to be a more well-rounded quarterback. That running ability remains his best asset. He was named a first-team “athlete” in the 4A SPSL as a sophomore, after racking up 1,500 yards passing and 1,150 yards rushing last season. He’s also the team’s punter.
He’s a bowling ball, too. McKay thought back to Curtis’ win over Olympia last week. On what turned out to be the game-winning drive, Koch trucked a Bears’ defensive back who came up to make a tackle.
“It hypes me up,” said teammate Lyndon Tanoa, a senior running back who’s also the school’s ASB president. “Every time we see that, we’re like, ‘That’s our QB.’ It’s no one else’s QB, that’s Curtis’ QB. We’re not afraid to tackle, and we’re not afraid to make big hits like that and run the ball. That’s what I see in Rocco.”
Of course, McKay would prefer if his quarterback would step out of bounds or slide occasionally.
“We joke with him about that,” McKay said.
Koch’s transformation into a well-rounded quarterback has been gradual, but a key point was during the recent offseason, in a film session with Steve Gervais, who coached Eatonville and Skyline teams to six combined state titles. He works training quarterbacks during the offseason these days. After the two-hour film session on diagnosing defenses and reading coverages, McKay approached Koch, who looked overwhelmed.
“I looked over at Rocco and said, ‘Rocco, do you need an ice pack for your head?’ Cause he was just swimming with information,” McKay said. “The next time we met, it just cleared up like never before. He’s seeing things better than he’s ever done before, and I think the ceiling for him is just so much higher.”
Koch said he’s determined to shed the reputation that he’s just a running quarterback. He has worked tirelessly in the offseason to round out his game. Still, he’ll take what the defense is giving him, and some weeks that’ll mean a heavy dose of running the football. Last week against Olympia, he rushed for 184 yards and a touchdown and passed for 155 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
“I want to fight that (perception) a lot,” he said. “My goals that I set up are 1,000 yards rushing and 2,000 yards passing. Definitely want to be a passer this year. … My footwork and knowing defense (have improved). … I’m still getting used to quarterbacking. Sixteen games, it’s a lot of games but still just trying to get through that progression.”
Curtis (1-0 SPSL 4A) still fields a young roster, but the Vikings are hoping to make some noise this fall in the 4A South Puget Sound League. They were one one of the teams listed in The News Tribune’s preseason list of potential breakout candidates. While the Vikings won’t be considered a favorite against teams like Graham-Kapowsin and Sumner, don’t expect them to back down from the challenge.
“I love the guys, love the energy they bring,” Koch said. “We will not give up.”
