By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
Rainier Beach’s Zevion Watkins has dealt with a lot of personal issues this season. From coping with the recent loss of his grandmother to the resignation of his longtime coach, Corey Sampson – who stepped down just two weeks into the season – Watkins has faced more than his fair share of adversity.
Despite these challenges, Zevion’s mother, Le’Onetta Johnson, shared that this year has been the team’s best yet, as the players united around one collective goal: to win a state championship.
Now led by interim head coach, Charles “Mack” McFarland Jr., the Rainier Beach Vikings – also known as the “Beach Boyz” – have continued their dominant run, holding an impressive 6–2 record – just as Coach Sampson would have wanted.
“It was a ‘do-it-for-Coach-Corey’ type of season,” said Johnson. “As a parent looking in, this year was the best year for the team because they – Watkins and his teammates – were all locked in and focused.
“Coach Mack really stepped up and made sure that everything was still maintained,” Johnson continued. “With Corey not being there, all the parents just made sure that everybody was good and let them know that Corey would want them to complete their season and play as hard as if he were there.”
Johnson says that the death of Watkins’ grandmother was tough because he was her first grandchild, and the two of them were really “locked in” with one another.
“She always supported him and was always there for him and loving on him,” said Johnson. “They had an amazing relationship, so now I tell him to do it for her. Now he knows that he is not only playing for himself and his parents, but he is really going to be doing it for her.”
Zevion’s father, Chris Watkins, said his son has shown tremendous growth, maturing both before and throughout the season.
“I think he finally realized that hard work beats talent when talent hardly works, so he really honed in on making himself a better player and a better teammate,” said Chris Watkins. “And then with the death of his grandmother, his teammates really wrapped around him to make sure he knew that he was not on this journey alone – and he allowed that to happen.
“When one brother is down, the rest pick him up, and he knew he wasn’t alone and just locked in and did what he had to do to become a better player and person,” added Chris Watkins.
According to Zevion, the challenges he has faced this year have made him stronger and deepened his motivation to lead Rainier Beach to a state title.
“Everything has impacted me a lot – obviously because I lost my grandmother – but it also helped me go a lot harder, and focus on the end goal,” said Watkins. “It made me stronger, but when times were tough, talking to my mom and dad, and honestly just getting sleep, helped me stay disciplined and motivated.”
McFarland Jr. praised Watkins’ dedication to the team and its ultimate goal, even while coping with personal loss.
“Before the season started, I had a conversation with him, demanding more from him in a leadership role, leading by example – and I think he stepped to the plate with that for the team,” said McFarland Jr. “And with the experience of losing his grandmother and everything, I am very proud of him. He didn’t let it distract him from the goals he set – and really just how he handled that whole situation.”
Whether on the field or in life, Johnson reminds her son daily of the importance of accepting constructive criticism.
“I always tell Zevion to remain ‘coachable,’ on top of being humble, because you never know who is watching. Always be good to others, and people will always be good to you. Just always being coachable is important – and that is in life,” said Johnson. “Always be able to take constructive criticism, and if something happens, accept it and be open to fixing it.”
From his freshman year to now, Watkins believes this season has been the best yet for the Rainier Beach program, as the team advanced to the 3A State Playoffs and he gained lessons that extended beyond football.
“My football journey has been amazing. From going from an amazing year as a freshman as a whole team, to not being so good the next two years, and then this year, actually being able to play in the playoffs and building strong relationships with my teammates,” said Watkins. “My discipline has grown a lot, because I have noticed I have become more coachable.”
“Football has just taught me to be patient – because if you give up or quit, what you have always wanted could have been right there,” Watkins continued.
For Johnson and Chris, the highlight of the year was watching their son grow more serious and committed to his football craft, and his mother believes that he has been putting in extra work and effort to grow as a running back.
Zevion’s father echoed the sentiment.
“He switched to being a little more serious compared to last year,” said Chris Watkins. “He focused more on being a running back this year than he did in previous years – which I think made a difference for him and his team.”
Beyond his stats and the team’s success this season, Johnson said she’s most proud of how focused and grounded her son has remained through it all.
“He has been doing his best to stay focused with everything that is going on in his outside life and losing the coach he has played for, for the last four years. Him being able to move forward and prevail has made me very proud,” Johnson said. “And then of course, yes, his stats – those are always good.”
“He has remained focused on the field and his grades – making sure that he is being the best scholar athlete that he can be, even though he has been stricken with tragedy this year on multiple levels,” added Chris Watkins.
As Watkins, who was recently named an All-Metro first-team running back and second-team defensive back, heads into the round of 16 of the 3A State Playoffs this week, Johnson’s advice is simple: give it your all.
“I tell him every day, every game, to just go out there and play your own game,” said Johnson. “So, it is the same for state – give it your all and leave it all on the field each time.”
As his high school football career nears its end, thinking about the next stage in life is natural for any athlete. For Watkins – who has not yet received a college offer – he often reflects on the advice his grandmother would give him.
“My grandma has always told me to have a backup plan, and now I may need a backup plan,” said Watkins.
While it may cause some nerves for some, Johnson believes that not having received any offers so far motivates her son to become both a better player and a better person – and she enjoys watching him grow.
“Knowing that he doesn’t have any offers, he is putting in that extra work for himself and in trying to be a leader for his team,” said Johnson. “He is just more dedicated and focused on growing.”
