King Of Heart -- Erath's Kingbowl Legacy At Puyallup Dwarfs Stature

Darren Erath's last look at the Kingdome came through a bus window, as he and the rest of the Puyallup High School football team left for home late last Saturday night.

A long, hot shower did little to rinse away the hurt of a 48-21 loss to Newport in last weekend's Kingbowl, Erath's final high-school game. The ride home seemed much longer than it was.

Erath's only salve was his friend, receiver Brett McDaniel, and a few lines in the state record books. Erath, a 6-foot, 178-pound senior, departed the 1992 season as the state's top Class AAA passer, completing 161 passes for 2,339 yards and 25 touchdowns, an accomplishment that helped earn him the title of The Times' State Star of the Year.

"I moped for a while," said Erath, who helped the Puyallup Vikings to two consecutive Kingbowls and a 24-3 record over two seasons. "On the bus, I talked to Brett (the top Class AAA receiver with 983 yards) about the last couple of years. How we were not expected to do very much. We were just two little guys from Puyallup. It was hard to believe what happened to us. We were thinking about the old times. It (his statistics) was pretty comforting."

For the first time this season, Erath could be a little selfish. He could bask in his own accomplishments.

"I'm still disappointed we lost, but later I thought, wow, we made it two years in a row," Erath said. "That's pretty good. I'll probably realize all that in a week and a half. It's been two great seasons with two great teams and a lot of great friends. High school is the best time of your life, especially for sports.

"When people look back, if anyone remembers my name, I hope they remember me as the little guy who led the team to two Kingbowls. Hopefully, that's what they will say."

For the next few months, Erath's future as a football player is in limbo. Only two Division I-AA colleges have called him - Idaho and Eastern Washington. Erath's heart is with Idaho, the team former teammate Mario Casello plays for.

Largely because of his size - he is 6 feet, about 170 pounds - colleges have not viewed him as the major-college recruit his predecessors were.

"Sometimes I wish that college recruiters would go with heart instead of size and speed," Erath said. "A lot of guys are good enough to play, but don't get the chance."

Billy Joe Hobert and Damon Huard, who played quarterback for the Vikings before Erath, received full scholarships to the University of Washington. Huard's younger brother, and Erath's successor, Brock Huard is also expected to be a Division I prospect. Erath is the anomaly in the pattern, but one that Coach Mike Huard won't forget.

"(After the game) I told him I loved him, that I appreciated him, that he's done more for this team than anyone else ever has," Huard said.

Indeed, Erath has passed for more yards and has more victories than Hobert or Huard.

The first quarterback Erath idolized was Dan Marino. The second was Hobert. Erath was in seventh grade when he watched Hobert lead the Vikings to their only state championship.

"I really looked up to Billy," Erath said. "He was just awesome. I never thought I'd play in the Kingbowl. I never thought I'd play football for Puyallup."

Not then anyway. Erath fancied himself an ordinary kid who loved sports. But until eighth grade, he had never played football, mainly because his mother, Joyce, would not let him. Even then, size was an issue.

"I wanted him to grow a little," Joyce Erath said. "A mother's first instinct is to worry about him getting hurt."

Edgemont Junior High was one of three schools that funneled into Puyallup. Erath thought about "all the good athletes" he would have to compete against, all the athletes that must be better than him.

It wasn't until after his sophomore year that he even considered he had a chance to be Puyallup's starting quarterback.

That summer he and Casello worked together. Erath threw 100 passes every morning. Casello ran 100 routes.

"I owe a lot to Mario," Erath said. "He kept boosting me up."

While Erath waits for his college options to materialize, he will play basketball for Puyallup. He started seven games last year, but Puyallup Coach Jim Clifton said he expects Erath to play "quite a bit" this season.

---------------------------------------------------. Where are they now?.

An update on Times State Stars of the Year:. . Yr. Player / School Pos. Update. . '92 Darren Erath / Puyallup QB. . '91 Pat Graham / DeSales QB W.Walla CC. . '90 Singor Mobley / Curtis RB-DB Wash. St. . '89 Nate Holdren / Richland QB-LB Michigan.