Lathom Kelley, moments before he took a hand-off, put his head down and slammed into traffic. (Melissa Zimmerman-Losey photo)
Lathom Kelley is on the fast track to success.
One of just two freshmen to letter in football this year (along with Wiley Hesselgrave), Lathom has rushed right into the thick of things for the Coupeville High School football squad. Literally.
He was the primary ball carrier for the Wolf JV squad, bouncing off of would-be tacklers and occasionally just running right over them. His hard-nosed running style bodes well for his future, as does his play on defense, which is where he saw most of his varsity action.
Not bad for a guy who is in only his third year of football, having picked up the sport in 7th grade at the urging of a friend who told Kelley he would be good. That eagle-eyed talent scout was dead-on in his assessment.
While busting a run for a big gain is always fun, it’s the thrill of the conflict itself that drives Kelley.
“What I enjoy about football most is having the competition between friends and always trying to get better,” Kelley said. “One of the team highlights was when we beat South Whidbey and got The Bucket back.”
A hard worker who plans to get bigger and hone his skills at linebacker, Kelley enjoys welding class (“I’m good at it”), plans to join football mates Nick Streubel and Caleb Valko as a shot putter in track this spring and likes to work on cars. He also likes to spend time with his girlfriend, Wolf cheerleader Nicole Becker.
He’s not sure about his college plans yet (what freshman would be?) but has strong goals for his remaining three years as a Wolf.
“One of my goals would be to be one of the leading ball carriers in the Cascade Conference,” Kelley said.
For now, he will continue to work and draw on the inspiration he has received from his family and coaches.
“I feel like my coaches and my parents make an impact on me,” Kelley said. “My coaches because they always pushed me to get in the weight room and try harder and be the best that I can. My parents because they always calmed me down when I was mad, so that I wouldn’t do something stupid.”
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