5-7 senior jumps center for Knights, but football's his ticket to college

By Ed Friedrich

Sun Sports Writer

How fast is Todd Lewis? Fast enough to overrun a layin. At least that’s the ribbing he took from Bremerton coach Les Eathorne last year.

“He would go in there so fast he’d put it off the glass too hard,” described Eathorne of the turboguard he turned over this season to first-year coach Larry Gallagher. “He couldn’t let up. But he’s fun to watch. In football you never knew when he was going to go all the way and in basketball you never know what he’s going to do.”

Out of control was an apt description of Lewis on the hardwoods. But in his role as primarily a make-something-happen defender and within Eathorne’s run-and-gun-and-have-fun philosophy, that as often as not was an asset. Now, with Bremerton starting the Sub-Sixers (the 5-foot-7 Lewis jumps center), Gallagher also is looking for some scoring from the senior. And Lewis, because he’s harnessed his speed and improve his shooting, has provided it.

Lewis has averaged 10.3 points in his first six games and already has scored more points than in either of his previous two 17-game varsity seasons. Gallagher credits it more to confidence and maturity than practice and technique.

“We didn’t spend a lot of time on his shooting. We did work on some things but I think he believes a lot more in himself,” Gallagher analyzed. “He’s a senior. That has a heckuva lot to do with it, and he has a lot more confidence in his ability.”

Last year, Lewis missed a lot of layins and would rarely brave an outside shot. Now he’s routinely popping in three-pointers.

“I don’t know what it is,” he claimed. “I came out this year a better shooter, more under control, more relaxed. Last year I felt the only way I would play is if I did something right. I was scared to shoot. I just didn’t have the confidence. This year it’s different.”

Lewis’ offensive game is vastly improved, but his defense retains top billing. He’s the king of the Killer Bees swarming, pressing, trapping man-to-man defense. So far, however, the Bees have inflicted lots of welts but haven’t been able to subdue an opponent, losing their first six games.

“Our defense all stems form Todd,” Gallagher said. “I think he sees that as his main role and I think that’s why he works so hard at it.

“I asked him to do some things this year and it’s incredible for a kid his size to get those things done. He puts the initial pressure on and he’s quite a force. He’s what, 5-foot-7, and he’s an impact player in quite a few ways. He did just a super job on Ryan Kaps the other night and for somebody 5-7 to be able to do that.”

Lewis was in the face of the Husky-to-be from baseline to baseline. If the 6-foot-1 Kaps got away, Casey Lindberg, the Knights other guard was right there to help. Kaps made just one turnover but scored 11 points below his season average and Gallagher thinks it’s because Lewis wore him out.

“His quickness is what makes us go,” said Gallagher. “We really around that. It’s great to have quickness and speed but if it’s not under control you’re not going to be able to use it. He’s learning to use it to his advantage. He’s always been quick but he’s never finished it in a successful way. He missed a lot of layins last year. The quickness is still there but he’s finishing things off. He’s under more control this year.”

Asked if the Knights can keep up their frenzied pace if they don’t get a victory soon. Lewis responded, “I think by losing it seems like it’s giving us more to go after. I don’t like to say that but we’re doing all we can do. It’s real depressing. We think we’re going to win and God knows what happens.”

Gallagher doesn’t’ think the 0-6 start has staggered his team.

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Staff photo by Larry Steagall

A more confident Todd Lewis is more under control on the basketball court this season (top), but his future is football, where he rushed for 956 yards his senior year and attracted attention from several colleges.

Despite a vertical leap of 33 inches, Lewis, the son of Claudia Lewis of Bremerton, doesn’t have delusions that his future is in basketball. He plays hoops to keep in shape, to provide motivation for his studies and to stay in front.

Despite a vertical leap of 33 inches, Lewis, the son of Claudia Lewis of Bremerton, doesn’t have delusions that his future is in basketball. He plays hoops to keep in shape, to provide motivation for his studies and to stay in front.

Football is Lewis' game. In fact, Bremerton coach Ted Berney said before last season that Lewis was the most gifted running back he’s ever coached because of his great acceleration and his ability to make tacklers miss. The 163-pounder didn’t do anything during the fall to make Berney change his mind.

Lewis, who has been clocked at 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash, rushed for 956 yards, averaging 7.1 yards per carry. For his career, Lewis, whose brother Tim was also a fine Bremerton running back, gained seven yards every time he touched the ball and totaled 2015 yards despite being academically ineligible for the first five game of his junior season.

This year he was a two-way pick on the all-Olympic League football team, doubling as a defensive back. Some league coaches saw him as all-state candidate at cornerback and the University of Washington Huskies showed interest in his defensive abilities, but Lewis would prefer to run the ball.

Lewis, who began playing football a dozen years ago with the West Bremerton peewees, plans a visitation to Idaho State next month. Oregon State and Boise State also are possibilities.

In the meantime, Lewis is lifting weights and shooting hoops. For the first time, Bremerton has a legitimate weight room and Lewis is taking advantage , intending to add more than 10 points of muscle.

Lewis has been slowed more by grades than linebackers and he’s working to assure academics won’t sack his collegiate career. The junior ineligibility taught him a big lesson.

“It’s getting better every year,” Lewis said of his studies. It has to because football is something I really love and I can’t do it without hitting the books first.”

If  Lewis works anywhere near as hard in class as he does at practice, he’ll have no problem because he’s not dumb. You can’t be as funny as Lewis and be dumb, says Eathorne.

I think he really set the tone for the beginning of our basketball season,” added Gallagher. “He came out and I don’t think I’ve seen too many kids work any harder than he did the first couple weeks. To me as a coach it was really exciting to see an athlete work that hard to establish what we wanted to do this year.

“I’ve watched him in the past just as an opposing coach and I’ve always admired his athletic ability. I heard he didn’t do this and didn’t do that, that he’s tough to deal with. I didn’t find any of that. I think it’s a bad rap. He’s a fun-loving kid. He enjoys what he’s doing. Some people take that in the wrong way, but there’s nobody that’s going to work any harder.”