Senior Spotlight: Dylan Peterson is a true team player

Editor’s note: This article is part of a recurring series on local high school athletes who had their seasons cut short or canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

SANDPOINT — Dylan Peterson is one of those people that’s willing to do anything for the person next to him.

And that character trait was on full display every time he stepped on the lacrosse or football field during his SHS career.

“Dylan’s just one of those team player guys that’s like, ‘yeah I’ll give it a try,’ ” his dad, Donny Peterson, said.

During his time on the football team, Dylan starred as the Bulldogs starting kicker but he also played some snaps at wide receiver, running back and linebacker. He did whatever his coaches asked of him and never complained.

Dylan said he obviously wanted to play a more vital role on the team than kicker but he was willing to do whatever it took to help the Bulldogs win.

Dylan has played two sports for most of his life and for a while those two sports were football and soccer.

The duo provided the perfect mix for Dylan. In the fall, Dylan released all his aggression on the gridiron and in the spring he dialed in his skills on the pitch. Dylan really enjoyed that contrast but once high school came around he had to choose between the two because both are played in the fall.

Ultimately, Dylan chose football but his soccer skills didn’t go to waste.

With soccer out of the picture, Dylan had to find a new sport to play in the spring, so he joined the track team his freshman year.

Dylan didn’t dislike the experience, but it wasn’t for him. The following year, Dylan’s close friend, Connor Hutchings, convinced him to join the Sandpoint lacrosse team. Dylan was nervous about picking up a new sport so late in high school, but he gave it a shot and was hooked from the start.

Sandpoint lacrosse head coach Ken Hutchings said lacrosse isn’t a sport you can just pick up overnight, it takes time and repetition. However, Dylan caught on very quickly.

“I was surprised at how fast he picked it up,” Hutchings said.

Dylan put in extra hours outside of practice which helped him progress rapidly.

“It was really easy to transition into for me,” he said.

It also helped that the flow of the game was very similar to soccer and the coaches stuck Dylan in a familiar position — defensive short-stick midfielder.

The role came natural to Dylan and Hutchings was impressed with what he saw.

“For how little lacrosse he’s played in his life, he did really well,” Hutchings said.

This season, Hutchings was hoping to get Dylan some more playing time at midfielder and a few opportunities to find the back of the net, and he’s disappointed he won’t get that chance.

Hutchings built a great relationship with Dylan over the last few years and he won’t ever forget the first lacrosse game of his career.

Donny has supported his son throughout his athletic career and lacrosse was no different.

“Once he had his first game I was like this is awesome, I was all in,” Donny said. “It was just a hoot watching him play.”

Donny never missed one of Dylan’s lacrosse or football games, and he even grilled the meat for the team meals every Thursday night before football games. He enjoyed being involved in Dylan’s life in any way he could, but Donny never pressured his son to play a certain sport or position. He just let Dylan be Dylan, and it worked out pretty well.

“I got lucky. I tried corrupting the heck out of him and he still came out good,” Donny joked.

Dylan is spending his summer working at Sandpoint Children’s Learning Center and doing any other odd jobs he can find. Dylan has always been good with kids and his dad said the children at the learning center love him.

“I am a teenager,” Dylan said, “so I probably don’t have the patience that an adult has with them, but there are a lot harder jobs to be doing than playing with kids all day.”

Dylan is heading to Boise State University this fall, but he isn’t set on what he wants to study yet. Originally, he was thinking he wanted to pursue degrees in history and political science and become a high school history teacher while owning his own business.

However, now Dylan is unsure of what the future holds. He’s interested in sports marketing and potentially being a sports agent, but really he just wants to get down to Boise and find out what he’s truly passionate about.

Dylan enjoyed his time at SHS and used his outgoing personality to create friendships that went well beyond the high school walls.

Looking back, Dylan will always cherish two memories he had on the football field for the Bulldogs and they both came this past season.

On Oct. 18 in a must-win game for Sandpoint against Lakeland, Dylan converted a pair of field goals, including a 31-yarder, and five extra points.

“It was just the most appreciation or notice I got for kicking,” he said.

A game later at Evergreen High School, Dylan accomplished a goal he had all season — being responsible for all the points scored on a play. He scored a touchdown on a blocked punt and then converted the ensuing extra point.

“That was definitely a special game,” he said.

It should also be noted that Dylan scored the only points in the Bulldogs 4A state playoff game at Blackfoot last season, catching a touchdown pass from Jaxon Pettit.

Donny said his son never shies away from a challenge and he expects Dylan to carry that attitude with him throughout the rest of his life.

“I wish I had something bad to say about him,” Donny joked. “He’ll be good at whatever he does. It doesn’t matter where he lands, he’ll always have a positive attitude.”

In his own words: Dylan Peterson

“Sports have always been an important part of my life. Having my last season canceled due to the pandemic was frustrating for sure but I’ll always be thankful for the experiences sports has given me. Football and lacrosse were the two sports I played in high school. I started football my seventh grade year and loved it from the start. Lacrosse didn’t come until my sophomore year and was difficult at first but I’d say it’s probably the funniest sport to play once you get a hang of it. The physical and mental challenges that come with football and lacrosse were by far my favorite aspects. I think it’s good to push yourself physically and mentally and sports helped me do that. My friends and family, my mom and dad especially, always challenged me to give my best. I have them to thank for the strides I took as an athlete.”