As teams across the state gear up for fall football season, head coach Archie Malloy is locked and loaded for his second season coaching at Terrace.

Malloy began coaching at Terrace in 2021 with excitement as a former University of Tulsa player and 19-year head coach in Colorado Springs. After a rough 1-7 record his first year, he’s back with a new outlook.

“I learned that this is a special place,” Malloy said. “It’s full of a lot of great people that are inspired to do a lot of great things. The first thing that I wanted to do is come in here and change the culture; change the mindset. And not just my student athletes, but all the students that walk the halls of Mountlake Terrace High School. And this is a special place, a special community. [They] hold their heads up high and they’re doing great things here.”

After COVID took a caustic hit to Terrace’s football program, coach Malloy is working on rebuilding the program from the ground up, doubling his coaching staff from last year.

“They’re great coaches but they’re also great leaders in the community,” he said. “I expect my coaches not to be role models but to be real models, because they model reality for our kids and the reality of things as you work hard. And sometimes things don’t go your way, but you keep persevering.”

Fans may also notice an oddity in the lineup – a staggering two-thirds of the varsity roster consists of juniors.

Regardless, athletes have been working hard, attending practice every day from 3:30 to 6 p.m. since Aug. 17. 

Every drill tests the players’ physical and mental strength, conditioning and preparing them to face their next opponent.

“I’m excited about everything. We get a chance to test all the things that we put in over the past year. And when I say all the things, I mean football wise, but I also mean overcoming obstacles, facing adversity, what it means to be a part of a team, what it means to be a part of something that’s bigger than yourself,” Malloy said. 

“I’m looking for all that to be on this to be on display next Friday, because you know what? When you play the game of football, everything doesn’t go right all the time. And I expect these kids to be a mirror image of this community. Play hard; work hard. I’m feeling great for the game,” Malloy said.