Jesuit's Xavier Coleman is Beaverton Leader's first Athlete of the Year
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From a distance, Xavier Coleman’s senior year at Jesuit seemed to be a series of missteps and what-ifs.
After all, Coleman played in less than half of Jesuit’s football games, his basketball team didn’t win a state championship for the first time in his high school varsity career, and he false-started in one of his two individual races at the state track meet.
On closer inspection, however, Coleman’s senior season was nothing short of spectacular.In Coleman’s first football season since his freshman year – a season made possible by off-season heart surgery – Coleman was a key contributor in Jesuit’s run to the Class 6A state semifinals.
In basketball, Coleman led the Crusaders to a fifth straight Metro League championship and all the way to semifinals of the Class 6A state tournament.And in track, Coleman stepped up to take second place in the 200 meters at the Class 6A state meet, led his team to victory in the 4 x 400 relay and helped Jesuit win the team title for just the second time in school history.
For all those reasons and many more, Coleman was been selected as the Beaverton Leader’s first Male Athlete of the Year. The Athlete of the Year award is given annually to the top graduated senior athlete within the Leader’s coverage area.
FOOTBALL
Coleman, 18 and a resident of Oregon City, will attend Portland State University on a football scholarship next fall, and considering his route to success on the gridiron, it’s no surprise that just getting to play was among his top moments from 2012-13.
"It was huge," Coleman said about finally playing varsity football at Jesuit. "It didn’t hit me during football season. I couldn’t even grasp that I was allowed to play."
But play he did, making his varsity debut in week eight of the 2012 season, and making an almost immediate impact in that first game against Metro co-favorite Aloha.
After he survived his first play, that is."That first play, I was at the corner, I was out wide and I was so nervous," Coleman said. "The game was so much faster. It took me a while to calm down and get control of my nerves."
But later, he stepped up and showed just why Portland State decided to invest in him, picking off an Aloha pass and returning it 25 yards for the final touchdown in his team’s 56-13 rout.
Aloha "put Thomas (Tyner) in the slot … and I figured they’d go to him," Coleman said. "I just broke on the ball, I caught it and then I’m looking back at everybody behind me. After I scored, I didn’t know whether to cry or celebrate or whatever."
By year’s end, though, everyone knew it should celebrate Coleman’s return. He finished with 10 catches for 242 yards, and scored four touchdowns in his team’s final six games, the last a 56-yarder against Sheldon that brought his team within one score of the eventual state champions in the state semifinals.
Still, just getting to play was the real reward."At the end of the day, (the best thing) was just spending time with my brothers," Coleman said. "The goal was to put everything I had into it. I was cleared to play and went right into it. I wanted to win a state championship, but other than that, I have no regrets."
His efforts did not go unnoticed.
"He really helped solidify our defense. He’s a great playmaker (and) a fierce competitor," said Jesuit coach Ken Potter. "In the middle of competition, he’ll lay it on the line every time."
BASKETBALL
Coleman came back strong in basketball, teaming with fellow seniors Khyan Rayner and Sean Milligan to lead the Crusaders to the third Metro championship in Coleman’s three varsity seasons. In total, Jesuit went 29-1 in league during Coleman’s three seasons and 76-8 overall.
Coleman was a bigger part of the team than ever in 2012-13, using his increased size and strength to attack the basket, and also to defend a variety of opposition players. He averaged 10.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.56 assists to earn second-team all-Metro honors.
"The difference in his senior year was that he was so powerful," Jesuit basketball coach Gene Potter said. "The way that he can handle the ball and also defend was really impressive, and he really showed that against the out-of-state teams in the" Les Schwab Invitational.
At the 2012 LSI, Coleman and the Crusaders showed exactly what they were capable of, beating nationally ranked Archbishop Gorman and Gonzaga along the way to a runner-up finish.
"It showed us we have this potential. Maybe we could make a statement to the state," Coleman said. "I loved playing (at state), but beating those out-of-state teams was great. It showed me we could keep our composure against anybody."
While Jesuit saw its four-year run of championships snapped in the state semifinals, there was never a moment that Coleman didn’t believe his team could win.
"We weren’t thinking anything less" than a championship, Coleman said. "There was no reason we couldn’t. Me and Sean and Khyan got together before the season and we all thought we could do it."
That unwavering belief is one of the things that will most mark Coleman’s time as a Jesuit basketball player.
"The thing I’ll remember, all three years, was his will to help the team be the best it could be," Gene Potter said. "It was a real joy to coach him."
TRACK
There was more excitement for Coleman in the spring season, too.
He won six of nine starts in the 100 meters, took Metro titles in both the 100 and 200, and rolled into the state meet with expectations sky-high.
But day one at state provided an extremely unwelcome surprise – Coleman false-started in his preliminary heat of the 100 and cost his team points it might just need in the race for the team title.
"There was no reason I wouldn’t have won my prelim – and then to see it all go away," Coleman said. "I don’t think I’ve ever been so mad."
Coleman didn’t hang his head though. He helped his team grab fifth in the 4 x 100 relay, came back for second in the 200, then ran a key leg that led to victory in the 4 x 400 relay – a result that put the finishing touches on Jesuit’s championship.
"I told him we only needed to finish third, fourth or fifth (in the 4 x 400), but he says ‘Coach, we’re going to win it,’¤" said Jesuit track coach Tom Rothenberger. "Then he goes out and runs a great leg and it just filters down to the rest of the guys."
Rothenberger "told me we were up by nine points, but I tried not to focus on that because I was afraid it would mess with my mind," Coleman said. "I just told him that we would refuse to lose."
On that front, Coleman did it better than anyone else.
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From a distance, Xavier Coleman’s senior year at Jesuit seemed to be a series of missteps and what-ifs.
After all, Coleman played in less than half of Jesuit’s football games, his basketball team didn’t win a state championship for the first time in his high school varsity career, and he false-started in one of his two individual races at the state track meet.
On closer inspection, however, Coleman’s senior season was nothing short of spectacular.In Coleman’s first football season since his freshman year – a season made possible by off-season heart surgery – Coleman was a key contributor in Jesuit’s run to the Class 6A state semifinals.
In basketball, Coleman led the Crusaders to a fifth straight Metro League championship and all the way to semifinals of the Class 6A state tournament.And in track, Coleman stepped up to take second place in the 200 meters at the Class 6A state meet, led his team to victory in the 4 x 400 relay and helped Jesuit win the team title for just the second time in school history.
For all those reasons and many more, Coleman was been selected as the Beaverton Leader’s first Male Athlete of the Year. The Athlete of the Year award is given annually to the top graduated senior athlete within the Leader’s coverage area.
FOOTBALL
Coleman, 18 and a resident of Oregon City, will attend Portland State University on a football scholarship next fall, and considering his route to success on the gridiron, it’s no surprise that just getting to play was among his top moments from 2012-13.
"It was huge," Coleman said about finally playing varsity football at Jesuit. "It didn’t hit me during football season. I couldn’t even grasp that I was allowed to play."
But play he did, making his varsity debut in week eight of the 2012 season, and making an almost immediate impact in that first game against Metro co-favorite Aloha.
After he survived his first play, that is."That first play, I was at the corner, I was out wide and I was so nervous," Coleman said. "The game was so much faster. It took me a while to calm down and get control of my nerves."
But later, he stepped up and showed just why Portland State decided to invest in him, picking off an Aloha pass and returning it 25 yards for the final touchdown in his team’s 56-13 rout.
Aloha "put Thomas (Tyner) in the slot … and I figured they’d go to him," Coleman said. "I just broke on the ball, I caught it and then I’m looking back at everybody behind me. After I scored, I didn’t know whether to cry or celebrate or whatever."
By year’s end, though, everyone knew it should celebrate Coleman’s return. He finished with 10 catches for 242 yards, and scored four touchdowns in his team’s final six games, the last a 56-yarder against Sheldon that brought his team within one score of the eventual state champions in the state semifinals.
Still, just getting to play was the real reward."At the end of the day, (the best thing) was just spending time with my brothers," Coleman said. "The goal was to put everything I had into it. I was cleared to play and went right into it. I wanted to win a state championship, but other than that, I have no regrets."
His efforts did not go unnoticed.
"He really helped solidify our defense. He’s a great playmaker (and) a fierce competitor," said Jesuit coach Ken Potter. "In the middle of competition, he’ll lay it on the line every time."
BASKETBALL
Coleman came back strong in basketball, teaming with fellow seniors Khyan Rayner and Sean Milligan to lead the Crusaders to the third Metro championship in Coleman’s three varsity seasons. In total, Jesuit went 29-1 in league during Coleman’s three seasons and 76-8 overall.
Coleman was a bigger part of the team than ever in 2012-13, using his increased size and strength to attack the basket, and also to defend a variety of opposition players. He averaged 10.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.56 assists to earn second-team all-Metro honors.
"The difference in his senior year was that he was so powerful," Jesuit basketball coach Gene Potter said. "The way that he can handle the ball and also defend was really impressive, and he really showed that against the out-of-state teams in the" Les Schwab Invitational.
At the 2012 LSI, Coleman and the Crusaders showed exactly what they were capable of, beating nationally ranked Archbishop Gorman and Gonzaga along the way to a runner-up finish.
"It showed us we have this potential. Maybe we could make a statement to the state," Coleman said. "I loved playing (at state), but beating those out-of-state teams was great. It showed me we could keep our composure against anybody."
While Jesuit saw its four-year run of championships snapped in the state semifinals, there was never a moment that Coleman didn’t believe his team could win.
"We weren’t thinking anything less" than a championship, Coleman said. "There was no reason we couldn’t. Me and Sean and Khyan got together before the season and we all thought we could do it."
That unwavering belief is one of the things that will most mark Coleman’s time as a Jesuit basketball player.
"The thing I’ll remember, all three years, was his will to help the team be the best it could be," Gene Potter said. "It was a real joy to coach him."
TRACK
There was more excitement for Coleman in the spring season, too.
He won six of nine starts in the 100 meters, took Metro titles in both the 100 and 200, and rolled into the state meet with expectations sky-high.
But day one at state provided an extremely unwelcome surprise – Coleman false-started in his preliminary heat of the 100 and cost his team points it might just need in the race for the team title.
"There was no reason I wouldn’t have won my prelim – and then to see it all go away," Coleman said. "I don’t think I’ve ever been so mad."
Coleman didn’t hang his head though. He helped his team grab fifth in the 4 x 100 relay, came back for second in the 200, then ran a key leg that led to victory in the 4 x 400 relay – a result that put the finishing touches on Jesuit’s championship.
"I told him we only needed to finish third, fourth or fifth (in the 4 x 400), but he says ‘Coach, we’re going to win it,’¤" said Jesuit track coach Tom Rothenberger. "Then he goes out and runs a great leg and it just filters down to the rest of the guys."
Rothenberger "told me we were up by nine points, but I tried not to focus on that because I was afraid it would mess with my mind," Coleman said. "I just told him that we would refuse to lose."
On that front, Coleman did it better than anyone else.
