Williston-Elko's Washington signs with Methodist
Mar. 2—WILLISTON — Bryce Washington started naming the roles he had filled over the last two years for Williston-Elko's football team, and it started to sound like he was simply reading a list of positions on the roster.
Defensive back. Wide receiver. Quarterback. Running back. Kicker. Punter.
It's easy to see why head coach Richard Bush said he's not replacing just one player next year — he's replacing several in one. Wednesday, Washington signed to continue his academic and athletic careers at Methodist University.
"It's exciting. I knew it was going to come," Washington said. "I was just waiting on my time. I'm happy."
Washington filled all of those roles for the Blue Devils because he was the best option — and excelled — at each. He established himself as a junior a threat to find the end zone any time he touched the ball, forming a dangerous wide receiver duo with Adrian Chandler while also leading the area in interceptions. He earned All-State and All-Aiken Standard honors, and he was named the Region 3-A Co-Defensive Back of the Year while also handling kicking duties.
This past season he was needed more at quarterback and running back — anything to get the ball into his hands as often as possible. He earned more All-Region and All-Aiken Standard honors as he once again showed he was both willing and capable of getting the job done wherever it was necessary.
"It's a whatever-the-team needs. It didn't matter what position we asked him to play, he was willing to do it with a smile on his face and he was going to give it the best he had," Bush said. "We asked him to do a whole lot these last two years, and he's taken everything in stride and he's done it and he's excelled at it. We're not just going to miss one person — we're going to miss a bunch, as many roles as he played."
Washington will get to take some snaps off and catch his breath in college, as he'll stick to defensive back for the Monarchs. He's as accomplished in the classroom as he is on the football field, and he intends to major in biology and probably minor in business as he pursues a career as a wildlife biologist.
"That was my pick because they had my career, the biology classes that I wanted to take," he said. "The campus was nice when I visited there. The coach stayed in contact a lot. I like that. We had a connection."
Washington said what he enjoyed most about his time at Williston-Elko was making connections with his coaches and teammates, and he added that he'll miss high school football and playing every snap.
The Blue Devils will miss that about him, too.
"It's been exciting to coach Bryce. It's not just about his athletic ability. It's about his character and the way he handles himself," Bush said. "He's a tremendous young man. He does a great job in the classroom. He does a great job in the community. You're just proud of those guys that do things the right way and things work out for them. I'm very excited to see how his career ends up. It's going to be exciting."
