Lathom Kelley: American Bad-Ass
Lathom, Lathom, Lathom…
The Coupeville High School Class of 2016 has a parade of talented athletes — Makana Stone, Wiley Hesselgrave, Dalton Martin, Sylvia Hurlburt, Jared Helmstadter, Ryan Griggs, McKenzie Bailey and on and on.
But one dude stands out, the wild child, the rebel, the Lone Wolf who most closely resembles an outlaw country singer from the ’70s (I’m leaning towards Waylon Jennings), both in looks and attitude.
I’m serious.
Go listen to Jennings sing “I’ve Always Been Crazy” and tell me you don’t pick up parallels to Lathom Kelley, and I mean that with deep respect.
Waylon was The Man, and so is Lathom.
As he celebrates his 18th birthday today, Mr. Kelley is a fireball of intensity, exploding upwards and off the walls at CHS.
Sometimes literally, as when he sprints by you and zooms up the gym wall, executing a back-flip punctuated by a guttural scream and huge grin after sticking the landing like a Ukrainian gymnast winning the gold medal.
He is the most entertaining guy in sports entertainment, Coupeville division, mainly cause you never know what he’s about to do.
On the football field, he is pure, crackling electricity, madly thumping rival runners, then crashing through the line himself, throwing care to the wind as he churns out yardage.
Put him near a track oval and there is nothing the guy can’t do. Seriously.
While he has his areas of expertise, such as sprints, part of the fun of the past few years has been watching Lathom cartwheel from event to event, randomly picking up a new challenge and then kicking booty with no prior preparation.
Off the athletic stage, his sarcastic grin just barely disguises the good dude underneath.
The impression I have always had of him is of a guy who lives and dies for his close friends and family.
A genuinely nice guy, but also the person most likely to cap a roving pack of zombies and save the world, if it came to that.
Athletes come and athletes go, and some make more of an impression than others, either through their accomplishments or their personality.
But, every once in awhile, a true supernova comes hurtling through the door, grabs the world by the lapels and screams, “Let’s get this party started!!”
Lathom is one of a kind, of that there is no doubt. And we are a better school, a better town, for having him burn brightly here these past years.
Much respect, on your birthday and every day, man.
Coupeville Sports 