Cougar starred in football, hoops, track and field

Bothell High head football coach Tom Bainter recalled a story from a game at Pop Keeney Field when Johnny Hekker was a ball boy for the team and his older brother, Zach, an all-Kingco 4A tight end, played for the Cougars.

The young Hekker was tending to his sideline duties when a play caused a teammate to get thrown directly into his chest and sent the skinny, red-headed kid airborne, the full force of the blow knocking him against a fence and causing him to fall down.

“I thought he was hurt, so I ran down there to look at him and he pops right up with the biggest smile on his face, and he’s laughing,” Bainter remembered. “In a nutshell, that’s John. He always looks at the bright side of everything, he’s a funny guy and he’s tough. That one play showed us what we were to expect when he gets here.”

It’s safe to say that Hekker, the youngest of five brothers to play football at Bothell, fulfilled everyone’s expectations and then some during his tenure as a Cougar. His fantastic senior campaign as Bothell’s starting quarterback and contributions to one of the best boys basketball seasons in recent memory, when combined with his leadership by example and team-first attitude, have earned him the Bothell-Kenmore Reporter Male Athlete of the Year award.

From the moment Hekker walked off the field after the devastating 21-14 loss in the 2006 4A championship game to Oak Harbor, he knew he would have to mentally and physically prepare himself to be Bothell’s starting quarterback in 2007, a role that involves a high level of leadership. According to Hekker, however, his job was made much easier due to the team’s depth and solidarity.

“The leadership role I had to take on wasn’t that big because everyone else on the team played at such a mature level — everyone was able to coach each other,” Hekker said. “There were always people keeping me in check, as well, so it was a whole team effort as far as being a leader and everybody doing their part.”

The team’s effort during the 2007 football season translated into another dominating year for Bothell in 4A Kingco, where the Cougars posted a perfect 8-0 record and outscored their opponents by an astounding 273-46 margin during league play. Hekker’s golden arm contributed heavily to Bothell’s offensive outburst, as he threw for 55 touchdowns and passed for nearly 2,000 total yards in only 14 games.

“It’s the family-like atmosphere,” said Hekker of why the Cougar football program is so strong. “Everybody wants to give 110 percent for each other, just because they know the guy next to him is giving his all.”

The Kingco 4A first-team all-league selection was also quick to acknowledge the role that his coaches have played in helping him reach his potential as an athlete.

“You look up (to them) and you say, ‘That’s the kind of guy I want to be,’” Hekker said. “At Bothell, everyone cares so much about the individual athlete and getting them to the best level they can be in their sport, it’s hard not to develop as a player.”

Hekker, who also qualified for the 4A state track meet in the triple jump, also remarked that he has learned great life lessons from all of his coaches and particularly Bainter, his position coach and offensive coordinator whom he held in high acclaim as “An awesome coach … and a great guy.”

A Cougar in character

When asked about his starting quarterback this past season, Bainter knows that Bothell fans were lucky to be able to witness a talent like Hekker before he continues his athletic career at Oregon State University, where he will walk on to the football team as a punter.

“(Hekker) is one of the best athletes that’s ever played here, tremendous arm strength, tremendous athleticism … a positive, team-first attitude and a great work ethic,” said the eight-year Cougar coach. “All the things we represent here at Bothell he displays in his character, and that’s probably as important as anything that he’s brought to our football program.”

Bainter believes that although Hekker has shown great strides in his punting ability as of late, he also has a shot at proving to coaches that he can do what he did extremely well all of this year for the Cougars at the collegiate level — run plays and pass the ball.

“There’s a high ceiling — he has the ability to really become a great punter, but on the other side, he’s also an incredible quarterback,” Bainter said. “If (Oregon State) allows him to work in that role, as well, I think he’ll prove that he can play quarterback at the Pac-10 level.”

Hekker excelled on the hardwood as well as the gridiron, as he was one of the catalysts of an experienced team that had its best basketball season in 11 years. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound forward averaged 12.6 points per game and grabbed a team-leading 181 rebounds (7.5 per game) on the season en route to earning Kingco 4A second-team all-league honors.

“We were able to execute at a higher level than we had the entire season in the playoffs … getting into the ‘winner-to-state’ game was a big step for the program,” Hekker said. “It was a good place to be, a good team to be on, and everybody deserved it because we all worked hard.”

Lasting memories

Since the youngest of Bob and Joy Hekker’s five sons has long since played his final football game in a Bothell uniform, Cougar fans can now only savor the sweet memories of a season that will long be remembered as the ending of the Hekker era of Bothell football.

The thrilling win against Ferris in the state semifinal and the emotion that the Bothell Blue let out after the Cougars gained control with 17 seconds left on the clock, ensuring them of back-to-back appearances in the 4A finals. Watching the tough-as-nails redhead that can throw a perfect spiral 65 yards downfield and punt with authority come into his own as a senior, sending college scouts drooling with anticipation.

These are moments that Bothell faithful will never forget, but what will the soon-to-be Beaver miss the most?

“Being able to look up in the stands and knowing every single person that’s cheering for you,” Hekker admitted. “The ‘Blue’ go nuts 24/7 at those games going all out as fans — they are doing their job as we’re doing ours.

“Also the family atmosphere, knowing and loving all those guys I’m playing with, and just being able to take pride in the school and play games for Bothell High, that’s something I’m definitely going to miss.”