Cache Holmes looks to continue linebacker legacy at North Kitsap

POULSBO — Cache Holmes knows well the names of those who came before him.

Entering his junior season as a prominent member of the Vikings defense — and, he hopes, the offense as well — Holmes needs to look no further than his most recent predecessors to find inspiration to take up the mantle as the next great North Kitsap linebacker.

“I’m trying to live up to those … Bob Evans, Aiden Allsop, Connor Westby … those kind of guys’ standards,” Holmes said.

The Vikings recently wrapped up its spring/early summer season with a trip to football camp at Central Washington University. That means no official practices until late August, but the team will be in the weight rooms several days per week over the summer until then to get stronger for the new season.

Holmes sees this year’s North Kitsap team as atypical. In years past, the Vikings have had good size on both sides of the ball, especially up front. This year’s team may be a little smaller, but they will be fast and have plenty of the same tenacity.

“We’re the unorthodox North Kitsap Vikings,” Holmes said. “We’re not the typical Vikings teams you see.”

North Kitsap acquitted itself well on both sides of the ball a couple of weeks ago in a scrimmage against Central Kitsap. The team also went up against bigger schools at the CWU camp. While results in May and June are not necessarily indicative of the way things will be in September, the signs were encouraging.

“We’re bringing it to them; we’re hungry,” Holmes said. “Over the summer, we’re going to hit the weight room hard and we’re going to have an amazing season.”

A versatile athlete, Holmes is also a member of the North Kitsap wrestling team. He qualified for the Mat Classic this season at 182 pounds and spent his spring refining his craft.

“I’m doing a little bit here and there,” Holmes said. “It builds into football, it builds into conditioning.”

Holmes will return to the Vikings for his junior season as the likely choice at middle linebacker, but he also hopes to contribute on the offensive side as well.

Against Central Kitsap, Holmes was in the mix at running back, getting the second set of carries after Boaz Adams. The offense will look drastically different this year in terms of personnel with running backs Isaiah Kahana, Clayton Williams, Riley Solis and Noah North, quarterbacks Andrew Blackmore and John Jones and top receiver Blake Wetzsteon lost to graduation, so Holmes will have the opportunity to make his mark.

“I’m really trying to push myself to continue the legacy,” Holmes said.

Mark Krulish is a reporter for Kitsap News Group. He can be reached at mkrulish@soundpublishing.com. Follow him on Twitter @MKrulishKDN.