Kim Gets Live-Action Chance, Plays Like It’s Practice

Han Kim of El Dorado High School has scored touchdowns--dozens of them.

Bobbing and weaving through the line, breaking to the outside at the first glimpse of daylight, Kim has made life miserable for defenders. However, all that glory was left on the practice field.

As a member of the scout team, Kim has played a different running back every week. One week, he’s Lance Brown from Esperanza. The next, Coy Collins from Loara. A character actor.

Kim, The Times’ athlete of the week, got to play himself Friday. And he was a smash in his debut.

Starting in place of Lance Keeter, who was starting in place of Scott Sporrer, Kim scored the second time he touched the ball. He bobbed and weaved through the line, then broke to the outside on a 60-yard touchdown run in El Dorado’s 27-14 victory over Katella.

Kim finished with 147 yards in 18 carries as the Golden Hawks clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 1983.

“Every week you get pounded in practice and you never get in the games,” said Kim, a senior. “But I stuck with it and it paid off.”

Sticking it out has been difficult. No matter how well Kim did on the scout team, he couldn’t seem to catch the coaches’ attention.

After every long run in practice, the coaches would holler at the defensive players for their mistakes. And all that did was anger the defense and make Kim’s job even more difficult--and painful.

“Sometimes, guys will get frustrated in practice. I would make a long run and the coaches would get mad and yell at them,” Kim said. “On the next play, they would try to take my head off.”

It was the same thing every week.

Even when Sporrer went down with a broken ankle in the first game of the season, Kim was not called upon. Instead, Coach Carl Sweet moved Keeter from wide receiver to running back.

“We’ve always worried about Han’s durability and whether he could hold on to the football,” Sweet said.

Said Kim: “I was a little disappointed that Coach Sweet didn’t show any faith in me. But I just wanted to help the team.”

In this case, that meant the scout team.

“There have been a lot of times that I’ve thought about quitting,” Kim said. “But my parents told me to stick with it. And my teammates have always encouraged me.”

When Keeter was benched by Sweet for disciplinary reasons last Thursday, Kim had his chance.

He wasted little time.

“Han certainly gave the team an emotional lift,” Sweet said. “He got us going in the right direction.”

Said Kim: “I was a little nervous at first. It was an important game for the team. We needed the win for the playoffs. But once I broke that long run, I knew I had it going.

“It was actually easier than the scout team. No one was trying to take my head off.”

TOP PERFORMERS

Chris Shockley of Pacifica rushed for 143 yards in 26 carries as the Mariners defeated Kennedy, 22-15, Thursday to take over sole possession of first place in the Garden Grove League. Shockley scored the game-winning touchdown on a 1-yard run with 25 seconds left.

Mark Stichter of Troy rushed for 205 yards in 16 carries and scored a touchdown as the Warriors defeated Sonora, 28-0, Friday.

Han Kim

El Dorado High School

Position: Running back

Height, Weight, Class: 5-9, 170, Senior

Last Week: Kim rushed for 147 yards in 18 carries. He had a 60-yard touchdown run on El Dorado’s second offensive play as the Golden Hawks clinched a playoff berth with a 27-14 victory over Katella.

Season: Kim has rushed for 182 yards in 30 carries.