THE FRONT ROW WITH BRUCE BOURQUIN: Friday, October 9, 2015

Garrett Flolo obviously came to the Lake City High boys soccer team with a ton of scoring ability. But it was his willingness to take a back seat to other scorers that allowed the senior center back midfielder to make his mark.

As a freshman, Flolo set a junior varsity team record for goals in a single season with 21. Then before his junior season, Flolo was the one who came up with an unselfish idea.

“He said, ‘What if I play center back?’ Lake City coach Chad Beadell said. “He teamed up with (former Timberwolves) Ryan Swallow, Bogan Frahm and (now senior) Parker Noordam and said, ‘What if the four of us blocked it down defensively? That came from him, he was looking from the team aspect.”

FLOLO’S IDEA helped the Timberwolves finish 16-2. Lake City was 15-0 going into last season’s state 5A boys soccer tournament, losing only a pair of 2-1 games to Centennial and to Idaho Falls and finishing sixth.

“We only gave up four goals going into state,” Beadell said. “We only gave up 10 goals in 18 games. Garrett can do a ton of different stuff. He picks and chooses when he’ll go on the attack. He’s amazing in the air. He does corner kicks, penalty kicks for us. He’s scored one goal so far for us, but defensively, what he does along the back line for us, is awesome.”

At Lake City, Flolo takes part in DECA, which stands for Distributive Education Clubs of America, and involves areas such as marketing and business. The regional competition is December in Coeur d’Alene and state is March 8-10 in Boise. He is also involved in Youth Volunteers of America, which help out charities and younger students at other schools.

‘My role in DECA is to get a better education in general,” Flolo said. “I’ve learned a lot. My role in YVA is to better educate younger kids, because I have been in their position and I know how it feels when someone older comes to your school. The kids bring me excitement day in and day out. Just knowing I can help better their lives means the world to me.”

As for Flolo, he just wanted to help his soccer team, a team that this season is 10-1-1 (6-0 5A IEL) and only allowed nine goals in 12 games.

“I play defense not because I want to,” Flolo said. “It’s because I do it for the team to better ourselves. I can’t take all the credit. Colton Gednalske, as well as our whole back line, have played absolutely phenomenally this season. The competition every day at practice is intense. You really can’t tell who’s going to start each game and that’s what makes us who we are. Our goalkeeper, Jared Stone, is the best in the state, hands down.”

BACK TO soccer, where Beadell believes Flolo can make an impact for someone, either at the two- or four-year level.

“I know he can play at a couple of different levels,” Beadell said. “I think he can play at NIC, it’ll be what the best opportunity is for Garrett, both athletically and academically, whether he can find the right niche. He can play different spots, that helps him on his playing resume. He’s a Swiss Army knife, he can play attacking midfielder, center back, wing. Garrett is a very competitive guy, he has high aspirations. We’ve butted heads a few times, but he’s the same guy as me, he’s really competitive.”

FLOLO COULD be a Cardinal next season, as he’s leaning toward playing for North Idaho College and potentially joining ex-Lake City teammates such as NIC’s Alec Maldonado.

“Soccer is my way to get away from all the drama and be a better person on and off the field,” Flolo said. “I’m passionate about soccer and it keeps me out of trouble. It’s my getaway from everything as well as it helps me maintain my goals.

As for 2 p.m. on Saturday, No. 1 seed Lake City hosts No. 4 seed Post Falls in the first round of the 5A Region 1 tournament, and Flolo will almost certainly be right in the thick of things, defensively and on the counterattacks.

Flolo looks forward to the challenge he and his teammates face from here on out.

“These four years with coach Beadell have been great,” Flolo said. “He’s shown me so much and I can’t wait to see our future coming into districts and state.” One can’t help but wait in anticipation to see how Flolo turns out as well.

Bruce Bourquin is a sports writer at The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2013, via e-mail at bbourquin@cdapress.com or via Twitter @bourq25