Ankle injury not expected to keep Stewart on sideline
By Sandy Ringer
Seattle Times staff reporter
Running back Jonathan Stewart expects to be ready to play Friday when second-ranked Timberline faces Fort Vancouver in a Class 3A preliminary playoff game at Timberline High School in Lacey.
Stewart, the state's all-time career rushing leader who is considered one of the top high-school backs in the country, sat out the final 2-1/2 quarters of last Friday's nonleague game with No. 6 White River after aggravating a sore right ankle. Timberline suffered its first loss of the season, 24-21, on a field goal with three seconds left.
Stewart, who left with 22 yards on nine carries, said yesterday both of his ankles are sore.
"I'm going to take it easy (in practice) and hopefully I can play full-speed on Friday," he said.
Timberline coach Kevin Young is optimistic.
"He's fine," Young said. "It was a mild ankle sprain. He probably could have played, but we decided to keep him out."
Stewart said he didn't think he could have returned to the game.
"I wanted to go back in, but I just couldn't," he said. "I couldn't run or anything."
Stewart left the next morning for an official visit to Washington State, his first official visit of the year. He said he enjoyed himself but is not ready to make his college commitment, adding he hopes to visit USC Nov. 20 and Tennessee on Dec. 10. He listed Oregon, Ohio State and California as other top contenders for his services.
Washington is no longer a consideration. Stewart said he decided "a couple of weeks ago" that he definitely would not play there. Coming into the season, he said he hadn't ruled out the Huskies and stressed that God would direct him toward a college choice. Washington isn't in the plan, Stewart said.
"It's not where I'm supposed to go," he said.