Joshua Wood, Graham-Kapowsin's program-altering quarterback, point guard, is SBLive's 4A Senior Athlete of the Year

The Fresno State signee led Graham-Kapowsin to first state football championship, state basketball tournament win in school history as a senior

Welcome to a continuing tradition at SBLive Washington – honoring the WaFd Bank 2021-22 senior athletes of the year for each classification, recognizing the top multi-sport athlete in the state.

The criteria isn’t too expansive: The starting point is finding seniors who are all-league/all-state performers in two or more sports. Totality of career is also a factor. So are administrator/coach/fan recommendation.

Enjoy as we honor some of Washington’s top multi-sport senior athletes!

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Joshua Wood's earliest memory on a football field dates back to when he was six years old. 

Playing up with kids one-to-two years older than him in the Rainier Ravens youth program, he broke loose on a run around the right side out of the Wing-T, and distinctly remembers hearing his mom whooping and hollering from the stands.

"Hearing how proud she was, seeing me do what I did," Wood said. "It's one of my best memories."

Wood, SBLive's 4A Senior Athlete of the Year, has given his mom plenty more reasons to cheer since as he's etched his name in Graham-Kapowsin school history graduated with a record free of blemish.

He didn't lose a single game as the Eagles' starting quarterback, going 21-0 over two seasons. He helped bring home the school's first state football championship, led a thrilling upset of Collins Hill (Ga.) in the GEICO Bowl Series on ESPN and rode the stellar play under a bigger spotlight into a Division I offer from Fresno State, where he's signed to play for coach Jeff Tedford.

The very next season, he turned around and took the basketball team to its first state tournament appearance and collected the first tournament win as the team's standout point guard.

His splash onto the high school sports scene came during in spring 2021. The season had been postponed and shortened due to COVID-19.

To some, it may have felt like he emerged out of nowhere in the fall, but fewer eyes were on him in the abbreviated spring season when he threw for 982 yards (64.8 completion percentage) and 11 touchdowns opposite one interception in five games as the Eagles went 5-0.

When asked about his most notable memories from the football season, his mind jogs back to the 4A state championship game against Lake Stevens on Dec. 4, and how he was able to share the win with his teammates and coaches.

The Eagles won 44-7, and built up a lead big enough to allow all the seniors — some of whom he's played with since fourth grade — to check in and play. Afterward, he ran to head coach Eric Kurle, whose birthday was the day before, and gave him a hug.

"It's just a wonderful moment," Wood said.

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JOSHUA WOOD BIO

School: Graham-Kapowsin.

Sports: Football, basketball.

Next step: Signed to play football at Fresno State to study business management. 

Senior-year highlights: Football: Named SBLive's state player of the year (all classifications) and Class 4A MVP after leading G-K to a 16-0 season, Class 4A state championship (school-first), GEICO Bowl Series win over Collins Hill (Ga.). Washington's Gatorade Player of the Year, All-Area Player of the Year by The News Tribune of Tacoma. Basketball: Led the team's late-season streak of loser-out wins to reach the 4A state tournament for the first time in school history. Beat Davis in the first round as a 15-seed to reach the quarterfinals. Averaged 15.2 points, 6.7 assists and 5.0 boards per game and was one of the state's top point guards.

Career accomplishments: In football, led a perfect 21-0 record as a varsity starter. Led G-K to a 5-0 season as a first-year starter his junior season, threw for 982 yards (64.8 completion %) and 11 touchdowns, named first team all-4A SPSL by coaches. As a senior, he accounted for more than 3,000 yards of offense, completed 70.6% of his passes, threw 35 touchdowns opposite six interceptions. 

School/community achievements: Graduated from G-K with a 3.562 GPA. Named the Tacoma Athletic Commission's Scott Names Athlete of the Year scholarship winner for 2021-22. Graham-Kapowsin leadership class.

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MORE 2021-22 SBLIVE SENIOR ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

1B boys: Reece Isaak, Almira-Coulee-Hartline

1B girl: Kenzi Pederson, Garfield-Palouse

2B girl: Kyra Gardner, Raymond

2B boy: Jackson Esary, Kalama

1A girl: Hailey Rath, Eatonville

1A boy: Jason Grant, Toppenish

2A girl: Halle Wright, Prosser

2A boy: Colton Bower, North Kitsap

3A girl: Hannah Dickinson, Lakeside (Seattle)

4A girl: TDB

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PAST SBLIVE SENIOR ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

2020-21

1B boy: Jimmy Strange, Naselle

1B girl: Jenna Andringa, Sunnyside Christian

2B boy: Kaden Krouse, Chewelah

2B girl: McKenna Martin, Tri-Cities Prep

1A boy: Tom Lambert, La Center

1A girl: Jordyn Goldsmith, Freeman

2A boy: Haden Hicks, Prosser

2A girl: Jaydia Martin, Hudson's Bay

3A boy: J.T. Tuimoloau, Eastside Catholic

3A girl: Madeline Gebers, Kennewick

4A boy: Cameron Breier, Chiawana

4A girl: Aaliyah Collins, Glacier Peak

2019-20

1B boy: Brandon Montoya, Lyle-Wishram

1B girl: Maddy Dixon, Pomeroy

2B boy: Brody Klein, Rainier

2B girl: Maisie Burnham, Liberty (Spangle)

1A boy: Zach Sipma, Lynden Christian

1A girl: Jalyn Sackrider, Elma

2A boy: Isaiah Perez, Othello

2A girl: Hailey Marlow, West Valley (Spokane)

3A boy: Carter Monda, Evergreen (Vancouver)

3A girl: Camille Duckett, Roosevelt

4A boy: Riley Cissne, Chiawana

4A girl: Raigan Barrett, Rogers (Puyallup)

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Graphics by Johario Lopez; @Jo.lopez.33.