All-Star reflections

Twenty years have gone by since Sean Carty, at the time just graduated from small Vashon High School, was a player in the East-West All-Star football game.

Carty, Mead’s football coach, is the defensive coordinator and running backs/linebackers coach for the East team at Saturday’s 4A/3A game in Everett.

Joining him are eight graduates of Greater Spokane League programs, among them one of his own.

Panthers standout Paul Senescall will reprise Carty’s linebacker role on the same Memorial Stadium field where his coach played two decades ago.

Carty recalled that a couple of high-caliber linebacker college recruits didn’t show, giving him the chance to be named a team captain and a starter.

“Back then it was all (classifications),” recalled Carty. “It was a great experience.”

He said he’s since had chances to coach at the event, “but our (Mead) camp has fallen on that week. I wanted to be involved in it. This year I’m able to.”

He’ll coach one of three players from State 4A quarterfinalist Mead who has signed to play Division I football.

Andy Mattingly and Skylar Jessen, both signed at Washington State, could have played but opted out, Carty said.

“They’re just ready to move on and get college started,” Senescall said. “I thought this would be a pretty good tool (for me) to see how my training was going.”

Senescall will play at the University of Idaho. He said he weighs 222 pounds, bulked up by workouts with the Vandals.

“I was there to get my feet wet,” he said. “I’ve been doing a lot of speed training and weight lifting.”

Senescall is no stranger to hard work. He remembered his freshman year at Mead when, as a 155-pounder, he told Carty he wanted to play varsity the next season.

“He pretty much laughed at me,” Senescall said.

Undeterred, he started at linebacker as a sophomore.

“No matter how much you give him, he’s there for more,” Carty said. “You won’t be impressed with his (40-meter run) times or bench press, but when he’s in pads and you see his work ethic, you’re going to love him.”

Senescall was a standout on offense and defense for the Panthers last fall before missing four games with a posterior cruciate ligament tear. He returned for postseason, helping Mead to two more wins before losing 15-14 to state runner-up Woodinville.

“I’m still burning,” he said. “It was disappointing.”

He was an Associated Press All-State football player and GSL defensive MVP. Last winter he finished fourth in state wrestling at 215 pounds and put the shot 53 feet, 3 inches in track this spring.

He said his goal is to become defensive MVP at this weekend’s All-Star game, but more than that it’s a chance to play in a football game again.

“I haven’t been able to play and it’s driving me crazy,” Senescall said. “My knee is 100 percent, by the way.”

For Carty the East-West game is the second stop during a booked summer.

First there was a week with Mead at the UI team football camp. He came home for a day, and was off to Everett, spending the past week preparing for Saturday’s game.

Following that there are high school reunion trips with his wife to Gillette, Wyo., and Vashon Island, with Mead’s summer camp sandwiched in between.

He’s been reliving 20-year-old football memories. Getting to watch Senescall in the All-Star game will be one last reminder of what Mead accomplished last fall.

“Last year was special,” Carty said. “I know you can’t replace those three kids. They were unbelievable.”