They don’t have a defense on the Tumwater football team; the T-Birds have a G.A.T.A. unit.
And this year, the Thunderbirds have an experienced group back on that side of the ball, ready to Get After Their…
Well, you know.
Last season, injuries and a lack of upperclassmen forced Bill Beattie to insert a whole lot of sophomores into the starting lineup, in what turned out to be his final season in charge. The T-Birds may not have met all of their team goals come the end of the season, but they sure G.A.T.A’d well, holding opponents to single digits seven times and allowing just a shade over 12 points per game.
Now it’s William Garrow’s team, after the former defensive assistant took over as head coach in the offseason. And while he’s no longer as hands on with the G.A.T.A. unit, he’s got a stocked pantry to work with, along with two of the masterminds that have made it cook for decades in Tony Prentice and Rick McGrath.
“We’re really lucky in that the guys who are here on staff, the youngest defensive coach has been here for 10 or 12 years,” Garrow said. “Coach McGrath and Coach Prentice have been here for 20+ years. It’s such a cool thing, because as the head coach I kind of step away, and it’s theirs.”
Leading the way on the field will be Dane Iversen at middle linebacker. Iversen started on a senior-heavy team as a sophomore in 2021, and as a junior last season, but suffered season-ending injuries both falls.
Now, he’s back for his senior campaign.
“Having Dane back is a huge deal for us,” Garrow said. “He’s a really good player, a good person for us in the middle of the defense, and a good kid.”
Meanwhile, Blake Heryford is back after filling in for Iversen as a freshman, now with a year’s worth of experience. Next to them, both Beckett Wall and Cash Short jumped into starting roles as sophomores, and are set to pair up at outside backer again as juniors.
Up front, Malijah Tucker returns after starting every game as a sophomore, alongside incoming senior Alex Hach.
“We have a lot of big guys on the line with a lot of speed,” Iversen said. “We’ve been doing a lot of speed and agility training.”
The T-Birds will test that defense early, with a loaded non-league schedule that starts with Burlington-Edison, sends them on the road to take on state runners-up North Kitsap, and ends with a home matchup against 3A Kelso.
“We have a whole lot of talent on this team, and I know they’ve been working,” Iversen said. “It’s just a matter of getting people where they feel they need to be. I know we have the skill to do it, and I trust everyone where they’re at. I think we have every gap filled.”
