Captain Ethan Perovich talks to teamates during the Rivals Homecoming Game 10/9
By Justin Matheson | JeffCo Sporting News
Ethan Perovich knows his teammates are watching him, especially when things aren’t going well.
For the East Jefferson Rivals senior captain, that has been one of the biggest lessons of leadership: His energy can change more than his own performance. It can change how the players around him respond.
That responsibility came into focus after the Rivals’ game against Kingston. Frustrated by the result and limited by injuries, Perovich walked away feeling he hadn’t provided the leadership he wanted to give.
“I needed to step up into a spot, no matter where I was serving,” he said.
It was a demanding standard to set for himself. But for someone who hopes to be remembered for staying positive through adversity, it was also a chance to put that belief into practice.
Perovich’s football story began in eighth grade. Before then, his sports had included basketball, track and about seven years of soccer. Football wasn’t something he had seriously considered until friends encouraged him to try it.
Among them were Deken Lorenzen, Jackson Dupuy and Adrian Cervantes.
“I never played football before, ever,” Perovich said. “I just never thought of doing it.”
Once he joined, those friendships gave him a reason to return each day. So did an eighth-grade coach he calls Coach Storm, whose influence continued through high school.
“What kept me coming back was my teammates,” he said.
Those relationships eventually helped turn a newcomer into a captain.
Last season, playing on an offensive line made up largely of seniors, Perovich found ways to contribute beyond his own assignment. He helped teammates memorize plays and began to see himself as someone others could rely on.
As a senior, that responsibility grew. Knowing the plays was part of it. So was recognizing when the team needed someone to bring enthusiasm, confidence and a sense of purpose.
During an away game against Sequim, Perovich found himself struggling to provide those things. He wasn’t happy with his play or the energy he was bringing to the field.
He decided he had to change his approach.
“I realized if I go in there pumped up, then it’s not only going to change my game,” he said. “It’s going to be contagious.”
For Perovich, though, leadership requires more than getting loud. It means knowing the person standing next to him.
Some teammates respond to frustration by playing with greater intensity. Others need help settling down, taking a breath and remembering their assignment. He tries to recognize which response will help each player.
“It really varies on the teammate,” he said.
That understanding reflects lessons he credits to his parents, Sarah and Dustin, who taught him respect, perseverance and the importance of working through challenges. He also credits his brother with helping toughen him up, and the coaches across his sports with shaping who he has become.
People who know Perovich mainly from the classroom or family gatherings might be surprised by his presence on the football field.
Away from the game, he describes himself as talkative but generally not someone who raises his voice. In uniform, his teammates see a different side.
Asked what they might say about him that would surprise his teachers or family, his answer came quickly.
“That I yell a lot.”
After high school, Perovich plans to pursue architecture. His goal is to begin at Olympic College, then transfer to Washington State University, completing additional prerequisites along the way. Keeping college debt down is an important part of that plan.
But as he looks ahead, he is also thinking about what he hopes to leave with the teammates who will follow him.
“I hope they remember me trying to be positive when we were getting down,” he said.
He hopes that lesson reaches beyond football. When teammates encounter difficult stretches later in life, he wants them to remember that they learned to stay positive through adversity during this season.
Asked who could carry that leadership forward next season, Perovich named Trig Fountain. He pointed to Fountain as someone who could bring the same enthusiasm and vocal presence, while also expressing confidence in the entire rising senior class to step into leadership.
The end of his own high school football career brought those relationships back into focus.
After the final whistle of his last game, Perovich joined the team huddle and its familiar routine of sharing positives. The moment felt surreal as he considered that his time playing football was ending.
When he left the field, he went first to his parents and family. He also wanted to share the moment with Jackson and Coach Storm, two people he said had been beside him throughout his football experience.
“Those two have been with me through thick and thin,” he said. “They haven’t given up.”
They were part of what brought him into the sport and part of what made him stay.
“I really felt like that was kind of a moment I should be sharing with them after all these years.”