Issaquah Eagles: 2019 Washington high school 4A football preview

Here is an inside look at the 2019 Issaquah Eagles football team. Links: Issaquah team page | 2019 schedule | Roster 2018 IN REVIEW 3-6 in 4A KingCo Crest

Here is an inside look at the 2019 Issaquah Eagles football team.

Links: Issaquah team page | 2019 schedule | Roster

2018 IN REVIEW

3-6 in 4A KingCo Crest (fourth place)

COACHING RESUME

Josh Brookshire, first season

RETURNING STARTERS

Offense - 4. Defense - 5.

TOP OFFENSIVE PLAYERS

QB Jack Githens, 5-11, 165, sr.

TE/RB Stoss Hanssen, 6-4, 200, sr.

WR Julian Ohmie, 6-1, 175, so.

OL Benton Owens, 6-6, 285, jr.

RB Isaac Pak, 5-10, 200, sr.

TOP DEFENSIVE PLAYERS

DL Ryan Baker, 6-2, 225, sr.

DB Gaje Gunter, 5-11, 185, sr.

LB Sol Hawkins, 6-0, 195, jr.

DB Cutter Hillock, 6-0, 200, sr.

DL Lewis Wallace II, 5-11, 205, jr.

THREE TO SEE

Ryan Baker, defensive lineman

A quick-twitch athlete trapped in a big man’s body, he’s played all over the field

Gaje Gunter, defensive back

All-4A KingCo Crest first-team safety is Eagles’ top athlete, and will stay up top

Cutter Hillock, defensive back

Last season, he was an all-league outside linebacker, but will move to safety

OUTLOOK

What seems unimaginable has happened at Issaquah -- a run of losing records. Last year’s 3-win campaign was the Eagles' third consecutive losing season.

Enter Brookshire, who spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach at the College of Idaho. And it did not take him long to shake things up.

After watching every Issaquah game from last season, Brookshire noticed a trend: The Eagles not only got worn down with a troop of two-way players, the best players also were constantly dinged up.

So this season, players will be on offense or defense -- not both.

Brookshire has also shifted his key returners around to different positions, hoping to find the most effective combinations. One of those moves was with Baker -- the team’s best all-around player -- from linebacker to defensive tackle.

2019 SCHEDULE

Sept. 6: Kent-Meridian, 7 p.m.

Sept. 13: at Mercer Island, 7 p.m.

Sept. 20: Liberty of Issaquah, 5 p.m.

Sept. 27: Eastlake, 7 p.m.

Oct. 4: at Newport of Bellevue, 7 p.m.

Oct. 11: at Mount Si, 7 p.m.

Oct. 18: at North Creek, 7 p.m.

Oct. 25: Skyline, 7 p.m.