COACH OF THE YEAR/MALE SPORTS: Like Jamison, these coaches from Kent-Meridian, Kentridge, Kentlake and Kentwood put in the hours

During the course of the school year, I’d be willing to bet that I spend as much time on the phone with area coaches as I do with my wife.

And that’s no exaggeration, which made coming to a conclusion for our Male Sports Coach of the Year all the more difficult.

Quite frankly, I could have chosen any of the six coaches listed below. Kentridge boys basketball coach Dave Jamison proved to be, in my eyes, the best choice among coaches of male sports.

Many factors set Jamison apart this year. But what stood out in my mind time again was how he guided a team with just one returning starter from the previous season all the way to a third-place finish in the Class 4A state tournament. In addition, Jamison’s bunch was tabbed in a preseason poll by league coaches to finish sixth – yup, sixth – in the South Puget Sound League North Division.

But what essentially put Jamison over the top was how he ultimately re-invented the Chargers this past winter. A year ago, Kentridge relied on big man Renado Parker (6-foot-6, 240 pounds) in the paint for much of its offense. Kentridge could run, but typically played in a mid-tempo, bang-in-the-paint mode.

Without Parker, Jamison was left with a somewhat undersized, up-tempo guard-oriented team. Instead of sticking to his guns, Jamison let the guys run. And run they did, almost to a break-neck pace.

Of course, Jamison was far from the only coach who made an impact this past year. Although it’s the athletes who fill these pages the most, those calling the shots behind them deserve their share of credit as well (if, for no other reason, for putting up with my late-night phone calls or constant e-mails and interview requests).

These coaches typically find ways of cramming 14 to 15 hours into an eight-hour work days: scouting opponents, breaking down game film and finally planning for every contest. I can’t tell you how many times I called some of these coaches on an evening their team didn’t play only to have their wives tell me that they’re at the office looking at film or on the road watching an opponent they just might face at state. Then, of course, there are the weekend practices, the morning practices, the after-school practices. As any coach will tell you, it’s a lot of work.

And a lot of fun.

Jamison managed to pull off all of that. So did the six coaches below who also were considered for the Kent Reporter’s Male Sports Coach of the Year honor.

REX NORRIS, KENTWOOD FOOTBALL

Talk about putting in the hours. KW’s fifth-year football coach probably spent more time at the office during the fall season than he did at home. A tireless worker, Norris guided the Conquerors back to the state playoffs for the first time since 2005. And though Kentwood dropped its only game at state, falling 31-28 to Issaquah, it hardly diminished what this group and its coach accomplished. A program built around its defense and rushing attack came into the season having graduated Dimitrius Bronson, one of the state’s best rushers, and with a relatively inexperienced defensive unit. With their backs against the wall, the Conquerors won seven straight games, highlighted by a 35-28 victory against Edmonds-Woodway to seal a state berth.

ERNIE AMMONS, KENT-MERIDIAN TRACK

The Ammons-guided Royals continued their ascension this year behind a group of sophomores who are among the state’s best. The Kent-Meridian boys not only finished second in the SPSL North Division with a 7-1 record, but also took home a second-place trophy from state, the program’s first top-10 finish since 2002. But what essentially sets Ammons apart is his dedication to track and field along with the positive energy he brings to the program and the school. Matter of fact, it’s not uncommon to see Ammons out at French Field watching the junior high kids, scouting out future K-M stars. “He is just a track freak,” standout senior Melanie Vertrees said.

JON AARSTAD, KENTWOOD BASEBALL

A hurricane could be barreling down on Kentwood High and this guy would remain calm. Even keel, that’s Aarstad’s nature, which worked to perfection for the Conquerors on the diamond. Pegged to finish anywhere between fourth and sixth in the SPSL North this season, Kentwood instead surprised everyone, taking second, advancing to the state tournament and finishing with a 17-4 overall record. Amazingly, the Conks did it with many of the same players as last season, when Kentwood finished fifth in the North Division. The Aarstad-guided Conquerors won 12 of their first 13 games and were the only team in the North this year to knock off Tahoma, which placed third in the state tournament. The recipe to success was derived from Aarstad’s philosophy: move runners over, don’t give away outs on defense, don’t waste at-bats on offense, and throw strikes.

GLENN WALROND, KENTRIDGE SOCCER

Is there a soccer program in the area that is more in the thick of things year-in-and-year-out than the Walrond-led Chargers? Despite being banged up, bruised, bloodied and down at least one injured player — if not several — for virtually every game, the Chargers delivered a big season, going 10-3-3 in SPSL North play to take second and 11-4-3 overall. Kentridge missed state by a single game, falling to Gig Harbor in the district tournament, 1-0. It’s worth noting, however, that KR’s 10 league wins is the program’s most since 2003, when it last won the North title.

TED RYCHLIK, KENTRIDGE SWIMMING

He always credits his team’s depth, but seldom takes any praise himself. That’s the way of Rychlik, who has helped the Kentridge boys swim program maintain its status as one of the steadiest in the area. This past winter, the Chargers won their fifth straight South Puget Sound League North Division crown. How good have the Chargers been? They entered the winter season on a 22-meet win streak … and delivered another perfect season, bringing that total up to 30 in a row. The last time the Rychlik-led Chargers didn’t win an SPSL meet came on Dec. 6, 2005, when — of all things — they tied Enumclaw, 93-93.

PETE REARDON, KENTLAKE WRESTLING

He has quietly gone unnoticed at Kentlake since taking over the program in 2004, yet Reardon has done a tremendous job with the Falcons. In five years at Kentlake, Reardon guided the team to a 23-16 South Puget Sound League North Division record, which is quite an accomplishment for a program that posted a 7-17 mark the three previous seasons combined. This past winter, Kentlake took fourth in the North, posting a 5-3 record and advanced a pair of wrestlers to the state tournament. Reardon, a social studies teacher at the school, stepped down shortly after the season and will relocate to Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho this summer.