Friday, Oct. 17, 2008

TRI-CITIES PREP'S ONE-MAN GANG

By Ben Reynolds, Herald staff writer

It was an audition that Will Hoppes didn't know was an audition.

During an inconspicuous play his freshman year, he changed the entire offensive philosophy that Tri-Cities Prep coach Dan Whitsett had worked so hard to build.

It was a simple halfback option pass late in the game with the Jaguars trailing by an insurmountable margin. Hoppes took the pitch and launched the ball nearly 50 yards down the field.

"That ball he threw was a nice, tight spiral," Whitsett said.

And as they say, the rest is history. Hoppes, now a 5-foot-11, 185-pound junior, has transformed the Jaguars' offense from a power running game centered around Joe Campbell into a run-and-shoot passing attack.

A pretty bold move, considering it was just one pass. But Hoppes has shown Whitsett's move was warranted and he makes his coach's decision look ingenious at times.

Hoppes and the Jaguars have arguably the most potent 1B passing offense in the state and are 5-0 heading into today's game against St. John-Endicott. They also are ranked No. 2 in the state 1B Associated Press rankings.

"We are a good team because of him," Whitsett said. "We have made our offense Will Hoppes, and if it weren't for him, this would not be the offense of this team."

Prep is a one-man show put on by a guy who would rather blend in with his friends than stand out in a crowd. He is humble. He is quiet. He doesn't get too excited. He doesn't even get mad.

"I don't think I have ever really seen any fire in his eyes," said friend and offensive lineman Jayson Orth.

That even-keeled personality has paid big dividends in terms of statistics for Hoppes and the Jaguars.

Take last Friday night for example. Prep fell behind a good Almira/Coulee-Hartline team 18-6. Hoppes didn't panic and when the night was over, he'd thrown for 441 yards and six touchdowns and rushed for 135 yards and two more scores as Prep ran away with a 60-26 victory.

That's 576 yards of total offense against the defending state champions, accounting for all but six of the Jaguars' total offensive yards. Kevin Ratuiste had six yards rushing on four carries.

"I don't even know my numbers," Hoppes said.

That's not entirely true.

The one number Hoppes does put a lot of stock in is his completion percentage. So despite throwing for 441 yards, he was just 19 of 37 passing and threw his second interception of the season. In his estimation, it was not one of his better games.

For the season, Hoppes is completing nearly 65 percent of his passes (89-for-138) for 1,679 yards. He has 25 touchdown passes to just two interceptions.

He also leads the team in rushing with 505 yards, averaging more than nine yards per carry for nine touchdowns. Hoppes is not just a standout on offense, either, leading the team in tackles at defensive end with 47 along with six sacks.

"What he does sometimes is amazing," Orth said.

Hoppes may not be able to recite his stats or even guess his lofty numbers, but he does know when his numbers are too good to be true.

After Friday's game, the Herald had Hoppes down for 235 yards rushing and not the 135 that he actually gained.

"I knew I didn't have that many," he said. "One hundred thirty-five seem a lot closer."

If the paper's number were correct, Hoppes would have set a state record for total yards in one game, shattering the mark of 591 set by Colton's Nick Bates in 1991.

The transformation of the offense has been transcended by Hoppes' own transformation.

Hoppes, who started playing football in eighth grade, took his first snap behind center last season for Prep as a sophomore and was named the 1B state player of the year after leading his team to the state semifinals.

Despite all of his success, Hoppes said last year was filled with some bumps on his steep learning curve.

"I am just more relaxed this year and know what to expect," Hoppes said.

Hoppes, like most middle school athletes, had dreams of being a star at a 4A school. He lives a Hail Mary pass away from Lampson Stadium and would have attended Kennewick High.

But he knew that he was destined to attend Prep. His dad was on the Tri-Cities Prep school board and his two older sisters had gone to Prep.

Hoppes said he really hasn't thought about what might have been at a bigger school. He just quietly goes about his business at Prep, letting the gaudy numbers speak for themselves.

"He is the most quiet and humble kid," Orth said. "I don't think he realizes what he has done."