White “Whitey” Sosene saw the two lists last fall, one for offense, the other for defense.
He had made first-team all-league as an offensive lineman.
Then he checked the defense.
He was there. Just not where he wanted to be, not where his coach figured he should be on that list.
Second team.
“I was glad I was on first team offense, but my main goal is defense,” Sosene said. “When I found out I got second team, I did take it personally.”
He was frustrated. Yet, he also realized he had one more season of high school football with the Heritage Timberwolves.
“I thanked God He gave me the opportunity to still play,” Sosene said. “Now I’m working as hard as I can to even get better than first team.”
The only thing that tops first team would be defensive player of the year. While there are a number of quality candidates throughout the Class 4A Greater St. Helens League, Sosene has certainly put his name on any short list early in the 2016 season.
He has nine sacks in the first three games, leading Heritage to a 3-0 record for the first time in school history. That Timberwolves defense has not given up a touchdown in the past two games, more than 100 minutes of game time going back to Week 1.
“That was B.S. He was not happy about that,” Heritage coach Matt Gracey said of last year’s all-league team.
But if it meant a more motivated Sosene, well, it might have turned into a good thing for the Timberwolves.
“He’s the kind of player every coach dreams of,” Gracey said. “He just does his job.”
Gracey said there have been times when he felt sorry for an opposing ball carrier, as he watched a play develop and he saw Sosene closing in for the tackle.
“You almost cringe. ‘That poor kid.’ He’s got that killer instinct,” Gracey said.
Off the field, there is nothing scary about Sosene. Besides school and football, the 6-foot, 255-pounder said he is all about family and church. He enjoys singing in the choir.
As far as football, though, the Timberwolves acknowledge that they have enjoyed hearing others sing their praises. The rest of the season has yet to play out, but their accomplishments are noteworthy. The team managed just two wins all of last season. If Heritage picks up one more win, that will be the most for the program since 2009. Heritage travels to play Redmond on Friday.
Gracey said the players have found a perfect balance of being excited about the early season success while realizing there is a lot of football to be played.
“You have to be very careful,” Gracey said. “Can’t let it get in your heads. They’ve done a really good job of being excited about it, but then putting it to bed. I’m really happy with their focus.”
Plus there is the daunting schedule ahead of them.
“Of the final five games, four of them will be the best teams we’ll see all year,” Gracey said. “In the 4A GSHL, just about everyone can be a playoff-caliber team. We’ll see a different level of play, but I also think this defense can play with those guys.”
Prairie scored two touchdowns against Heritage in Week 1. The Timberwolves shut out Evergreen in Week 2. Then last week, West Valley’s only touchdown came against the offense, on a pick-six interception return.
Gracey credits White Sosene for a lot of Heritage’s success. That’s White, as in Whitey’s dad, the defensive coordinator.
“We have the right athletes to do what we game-plan for,” Mr. Sosene said. “With the athletes we have now, we are able to do multiple defenses.”
The Timberwolves can now adapt their schemes to their opponent.
It helps to have his son controlling the line of scrimmage. He said there haven’t been any problems coaching his son.
“When I’m on the field, I’m Coach White. At home, I’m Dad,” he said.
Either way, Whitey listens. That, he said, has been the key this season for all the Timberwolves.
“We are listening to our coaches and finding out what we need help on,” Whitey Sosene said.
So far, so good. The team is giving up six points a game — but that defense has only given up four points per game.
“We’re very proud of that,” Whitey Sosene said. “But I would say our team’s goal is not really for a shutout but to just work as a team. We just want to pick up our mistakes and do better the next time.”
The Timberwolves are doing a lot better this time. Perhaps White “Whitey” Sosene will do a little better than second team on the all-league team, too.
