Pollow a dual threat in opening East win
By Steven Allspach, Journal sports writer | Posted: Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Ping pong, table tennis, call the game what you will.
Whatever your choice, Taylor Pollow couldn't get enough of the televised sport during the recent Beijing Olympics.
It wasn't swimming, gymnastics or track and field, but ping pong that most inspired the East High senior, The Journal's first Metro Athlete of the Week for the 2008-09 school year.
"If they had ping pong in high school I think I could make it to the state tournament,'' laughs the 17-year-old multisport star who excels in football, basketball and track. "I love ping pong and I'm pretty hard to beat.
"Watching the Olympic guys was amazing. You can't even see the ball sometimes. I don't know how they make some of those plays, I guess you'd call them.''
In East's opening 28-7 win over Des Moines Roosevelt last Friday at Drake Stadium, Pollow certainly knew how to make plays.
Splitting his offensive time between quarterback and tailback, the 6-2, 205-pound 17-year-old son of Gene and Jackie Pollow rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries while also completing six of 13 passes for 152 yards and two more TDs.
His two rushing touchdowns, on runs of seven and two yards, came while operating at tailback. At quarterback, he hurled scoring tosses of 14 and 46 yards to promising sophomore Quenton James.
"Taylor's running plays were probably half and half at tailback and quarterback and when he's at tailback it gives us an extra dimension because John Keilman is an excellent quarterback, too,'' said East Coach Steve Zediker. "He's a real leader out there for us.''
This is an especially fun football season for Pollow, who was unable to play as a freshman after undergoing knee surgery due to a winter skiing accident. He was the starting quarterback on the Raider sophomore team, but preseason surgery on his other knee last year kept him out of the first six games of his junior campaign.
"Hopefully, I'll be able to make up for some lost time,'' says Pollow, who isn't leaving football behind for ping pong. "My intentions right now are hopefully to play football at Northern Iowa.
"If UNI doesn't work out I'd maybe like to play football and run track at Morningside.
"Track is a sport that I really have looked forward to every year and this spring won't be any different. I've got to make up for some lost time there, too.''
In the last two Class 4A state meet 400-meter hurdles, Pollow came within an eyelash of reaching the eight-man medal finals.
He missed the finals by 13/100ths of a second as a sophomore and by an even closer 3/100ths of a second last spring.
"I came so close, but I'm more determined than ever now,'' promises Pollow, who averaged 11 points a game as a junior starter on the Raider basketball team last season.
"Taylor Pollow is the ultimate 'gamer' and understands fully what it takes to compete,'' praised Jeff Vanderloo, his basketball coach. "He puts team in front of self, which makes coaching a guy like him a bonus.''
The Raider senior praised his offensive line for some yeoman work in the opening win over Roosevelt.
"We had our ups and downs, but I had some time to throw and those guys opened some nice holes in the second half,'' said Pollow, 25 pounds heavier than his junior playing weight.
Taylor, whose father was also a starting East quarterback in his prep days, was also one of the leading tacklers from his outside linebacker post.
Special Mention
Football
Brandon Wegher, Bishop Heelan: The senior and University of Iowa recruit scored five touchdowns, including an 86-yard scamper, in a season opening 62-13 win over Lawton-Bronson.
Josh Folchert, North: Senior running back opened his final prep campaign by rushing for 123 yards on 16 carries, scoring on runs of one and 80 yards in a 27-21 loss at Marshalltown.
Whatever your choice, Taylor Pollow couldn't get enough of the televised sport during the recent Beijing Olympics.
It wasn't swimming, gymnastics or track and field, but ping pong that most inspired the East High senior, The Journal's first Metro Athlete of the Week for the 2008-09 school year.
"If they had ping pong in high school I think I could make it to the state tournament,'' laughs the 17-year-old multisport star who excels in football, basketball and track. "I love ping pong and I'm pretty hard to beat.
"Watching the Olympic guys was amazing. You can't even see the ball sometimes. I don't know how they make some of those plays, I guess you'd call them.''
In East's opening 28-7 win over Des Moines Roosevelt last Friday at Drake Stadium, Pollow certainly knew how to make plays.
Splitting his offensive time between quarterback and tailback, the 6-2, 205-pound 17-year-old son of Gene and Jackie Pollow rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries while also completing six of 13 passes for 152 yards and two more TDs.
His two rushing touchdowns, on runs of seven and two yards, came while operating at tailback. At quarterback, he hurled scoring tosses of 14 and 46 yards to promising sophomore Quenton James.
"Taylor's running plays were probably half and half at tailback and quarterback and when he's at tailback it gives us an extra dimension because John Keilman is an excellent quarterback, too,'' said East Coach Steve Zediker. "He's a real leader out there for us.''
This is an especially fun football season for Pollow, who was unable to play as a freshman after undergoing knee surgery due to a winter skiing accident. He was the starting quarterback on the Raider sophomore team, but preseason surgery on his other knee last year kept him out of the first six games of his junior campaign.
"Hopefully, I'll be able to make up for some lost time,'' says Pollow, who isn't leaving football behind for ping pong. "My intentions right now are hopefully to play football at Northern Iowa.
"If UNI doesn't work out I'd maybe like to play football and run track at Morningside.
"Track is a sport that I really have looked forward to every year and this spring won't be any different. I've got to make up for some lost time there, too.''
In the last two Class 4A state meet 400-meter hurdles, Pollow came within an eyelash of reaching the eight-man medal finals.
He missed the finals by 13/100ths of a second as a sophomore and by an even closer 3/100ths of a second last spring.
"I came so close, but I'm more determined than ever now,'' promises Pollow, who averaged 11 points a game as a junior starter on the Raider basketball team last season.
"Taylor Pollow is the ultimate 'gamer' and understands fully what it takes to compete,'' praised Jeff Vanderloo, his basketball coach. "He puts team in front of self, which makes coaching a guy like him a bonus.''
The Raider senior praised his offensive line for some yeoman work in the opening win over Roosevelt.
"We had our ups and downs, but I had some time to throw and those guys opened some nice holes in the second half,'' said Pollow, 25 pounds heavier than his junior playing weight.
Taylor, whose father was also a starting East quarterback in his prep days, was also one of the leading tacklers from his outside linebacker post.
Special Mention
Football
Brandon Wegher, Bishop Heelan: The senior and University of Iowa recruit scored five touchdowns, including an 86-yard scamper, in a season opening 62-13 win over Lawton-Bronson.
Josh Folchert, North: Senior running back opened his final prep campaign by rushing for 123 yards on 16 carries, scoring on runs of one and 80 yards in a 27-21 loss at Marshalltown.
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jake thomas wrote on Sep 5, 2008 10:13 PM:
The Big Cheese wrote on Sep 2, 2008 7:42 AM: