He's Bothell's Mr. Versatility -- A Top Student, 5-9 Lacson Does It All On Football Field

Dee Hawkes, in his 18 years as football coach at Bothell High School, saw a lot of football players.

He never saw another like Alex Lacson.

"He kicks, he punts, he catches, he runs with the ball, and he's a devastating hitter. I've never had anyone who's had all of those talents," said Hawkes.

"He's an incredible player. Of all the players that I've coached in my entire career, I've found so very few who could do so many things well for his size. Pound for pound, he's the best fighter in the ring."

Lacson, 5 feet 9 and 155 pounds, makes up for his lack of height with his presence on the field. He was all-KingCo Conference as a wide receiver and punter, all-state as a placekicker.

Lacson is on the West roster for the 27th annual East-West All-Star Game for high-school seniors next Friday in Everett.

A 3.99 (grade-point average) student, he is also one of two citizen-scholar-athletes in Washington to be honored with the Hall of Fame football scholarship, sponsored by Seattle Seahawks owner Ken Behring, and the National Achievement Award.

Therein lies a dilemma. National Achievement Award winners are to be honored with four days of ceremonies, symposiums and a closing banquet in New York Thursday through June 30. In other words, Lacson can't play in the all-star game and be feted in New York.

Three other Eastside athletes will compete for the West squad: Issaquah quarterback-defensive back Mike Miller, Juanita wide receiver-defensive back Kyle Brown, and Mercer Island wide receiver-defensive back Chris Nichol. Inglemoor Coach Frank Naish will be an assistant to head coach Bob Lucey of Curtis.

The game will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Everett Memorial Stadium. The West has won the last eight contests, including 22-13 a year ago.

It's not as if the all-star game would be Lacson's last chance to play football. He's looking forward to a career at pass-oriented Eastern Washington, where he hopes to play both slotback and kicker in the Big Sky Conference.

"My biggest strength is running with the ball after I catch it, or running reverses and sweeps from slotback," he said. "I love making people miss." Though not big, Lacson is quick - he runs the 40 in 4.5.

The third of three football-playing brothers of Filipino ancestry, Lacson scored eight touchdowns for Bothell (4-5) last season. He also played soccer, as a forward and midfielder.

Soccer was his first love. He started playing when he was a kindergartener.

"Because of soccer, the kicking motion came naturally for me," Lacson said. "The follow-through, the keeping my head down, were easy."

He punted for a 40-yard average last season, missed just one point-after-touchdown, and was 9 for 11 on field-goal attempts with a long of 44 yards.

"I've kicked 55 on AstroTurf in practice," he said.

His goal, entering Eastern, is to kick with accuracy beyond 50 yards. Meanwhile, he's staying in shape with two to three hours of weight training daily and 30 to 45 minutes of running.

His brother Tony, 19, an Edmonds Community College student and ex-Bothell High receiver (1987-89), is Alex's trainer. He takes his brother's conditioning seriously.

"He's stronger than he looks," Tony said of Alex. "He needs to put on 10 to 15 pounds in his upper body, and improve his leg strength."

Another brother, Al, 22, is a graduate of Washington State.

But Alex is the best of the bunch. Just listen to Hawkes, who coached all three Lacsons before retiring this year: "He's one explosive kid," Hawkes said. "He's good at everything. Get him around that ball, he's going to make things happen."

Did Lacson opt for the New York trip, or will he play in Everett next Friday? "It was a pretty tough decision," Lacson said. "I labored with it for a couple of months."

New York won. It was hard to turn down a banquet that in past years has included President George Bush and Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan.

But the all-star game is not forgotten.

"I felt privileged to be chosen to go," Lacson said. "I might go out for the first couple days of practice to work out and talk to the other players. But I have to leave for New York Thursday morning."