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Last season, the Terrace Hawks finished off the COVID-shortened year with a 1-4 record. This fall, the team has a new coach and a new plan on offense and defense.
Head Coach Archie Malloy looks to inject a spark into this Terrace team. “Oh man, I’m beyond excited,” said Malloy. “From day one these kids have bought in.”
A 26-year veteran of coaching, Malloy spent 19 years as a head coach in Colorado Springs before making the transition to Washington state and the Terrace Hawks.
Coming along with Malloy are new goals for the team. The main focus, he said, is getting players to understand what it means to be a football player at Mountlake Terrace. What that looks like for Coach Malloy is someone who’s “selfless, team-oriented, accountable and resilient.”
For Malloy, however, it’s not just about football. His second focus is helping the players grow both on and off the football field. “It’s always a coach’s hope and desire that when a player leaves their program they can utilize what they’ve learned…. to be successful out in the real world,” he said.
Malloy becomes the third head football coach for Terrace in the past four years. He is replacing Coach Tony Umayam, who decided not to return this year.
During last year’s five-game season, the Hawks managed to score just 32 points and were shut out in three of their five games. Malloy admitted that there will be challenges leading the program as a first-year coach. “However I feel like we have laid a great foundation to build upon,” he said.
Another big challenge for the team this year will be navigating through COVID and protocols, Malloy said, adding a goal is to “make sure we are in step with the health officials.” This year’s schedule features a good mix of opponents. Games against Edmonds-Woodway and Monroe will provide a Wesco challenge, and Terrace also will see action against Edmonds School District rivals Lynnwood and Meadowdale.
But Malloy isn’t too worried about this season’s schedule, adding the team will “play a series of one-week seasons and take it one game at a time.” The Hawks are already excited about the first game of the season — an out-of-conference game vs. 4A Redmond.
“Our concern isn’t the opponent,” he said. “They are nameless. Our biggest concern is getting us where we need to be.”
Terrace will be fielding a roster of approximately 38 players, 22 returning from last year.Asked about who was really standing out in practice, Malloy replied: “All of them, every single person who has stepped on this field, their effort and their attitude, has been exactly what we expected, and exceeded it.”
Returning to a normal in-person school and athletic schedule is also something that the Terrace football team is looking forward to, Malloy said. “They are over-the-moon excited,” saidMalloy. “I hope…they are ready to come out and represent their school and their community during these trying times.”
“It’s a new program, a new coach, and we are trending upwards.” Malloy continued.. “We are gonna play an exciting brand of football.”
The Mountlake Terrace Hawks open theirseason Friday Sept. 3, on the road against the Redmond Mustangs at Redmond High School. You can catch Terrace home games at Edmonds stadium, or live-streamed on the Hawk Tv HBN YouTube channel.
— Story and photos by Benjamin Eyman
Nice piece! Great writing.