Terry Ennis: It's a wonder people wonder

EVERETT — He's sick of it. Tired of the how-did-you-do-it questions. Fed up with trying to explain a new legacy that may never surpass his old one.

For God's sake, he's conquered odds for decades. As a player. As a coach. Again and again until it's a wonder people wonder anymore.

Ask him about the Archbishop Murphy program he guided to this weekend's state championship, and he'll gush for hours. Ask him about Terry Ennis — the man, the coach, the teacher — and he says, "That's all ancient history."

Quite simply, he doesn't want any of this to be about Terry Ennis. But in so many ways it is.

"In fairness to the players, this is about right now and who we are," Ennis said. "I don't want to apologize for how bad we were when we started. I don't want to talk about what I've done before. I know it's interesting. But we want to move past that."

So here you go. Right now: ATM is playing in the Class 1A state championship against Royal on Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Tacoma Dome. Who we are: a darn good football team, only three years removed from its first practice.

And then, inevitably, we're right back to talking about the man who took them there.

You have to go back more than 40 years to find the first parallel. To a quarterback who stood 5 feet 6 in platforms and weighed 130 pounds soaking wet.

A quarterback, mind you, who would lead the Everett Seagulls to an unbeaten season in 1960. Then walk on at Santa Clara University. And become an All-Coast defensive back when no one said he could.

"What I would tell you is this: When I played, I gave little or no thought to my size," Ennis said. "Then I catch myself sometimes looking at somebody and saying, 'He's too small to play.' Then I say, 'Well, I'm not going to ever limit that guy by saying that because it's how he feels about himself.' "

Maybe that's why it doesn't matter if his teams are smaller, weaker and slower than opponents. Come Friday night under lights at a high-school football field near you, they're better, nearly every time.

Ennis says he wants people to base his credibility on the here and now. It's just tough when you take over programs at four other schools — Stanwood, Bellarmine Prep, Renton and Cascade — and win 204 games compared with 78 losses. Tough when you win 10 league titles in 11 seasons at Cascade of South Everett. Tough when The Seattle Times names you Coach of the Century.

But Ennis is also a coaching legend — he's currently No. 2 among active coaches with 234 wins — not afraid to get his hands dirty. To start a program from scratch at another South Everett school, Archbishop Murphy, a year after going into retirement. Then turn into the surprise story of this season.

He's a teacher first and foremost. Always has been. Always will be.

"I'll always remember when one of our safeties wasn't diving for a ball properly," junior Ben Waiss said. "Coach is like, 'This is how you do it.' So he jumped really far and landed on the ground. And he was like, 'That's how you're supposed to dive for a ball.' Then he just hopped right up."

It's no secret that his players today play like Ennis did 40 years ago. With hearts that would shame lions. And size best left to point guards and math geeks.

Terry Ennis will attempt to beat the odds again Saturday. He'll ask his undersized squadron to take on a Royal team that has been to the state playoffs every year since 1994.

He'll pace the sideline. He'll bark. He'll teach. All for this team. And in Ennis' eyes — which still burn so fiery and intense all these years later — that's all that really matters.

"What's happened before has no bearing," Ennis said. "My credibility needs to be with what I do day-to-day. I feel really strongly about that. We've got some things done. But we haven't got it done."

On Saturday, they'll get their chance.

Greg Bishop: 206-464-3191 or gbishop@seattletimes.com.