By Gail Wood
As brothers, the Broeker boys share some common characteristics besides a last name.
With a dad who played college football – first at Washington State then at Pacific Lutheran – they have the genetics and aptitude for football. But instead of blocking, as their dad did, all four of Bill Broeker’s sons played quarterback.
And all four played for Rocky Patchin, the North Thurston Rams head football coach for the past 20 years.
“My brothers played quarterback so I always figured I’d play quarterback too,” said Ben, the youngest of seven child and the Rams current starter. “I never thought of playing another position.”
From Jake to Rich to Sam to Ben, all four could throw deep. Rich, who last played for Patchin and the Rams in 1999, still holds school records for passing yards for a season (1,700) and for a game (276). But Ben, with 1,400 yards passing after nine games, is close to beating his brother’s season record. He threw for 255 yards in a game, just 21 off his brother’s single-game record.
But with the 8-1 Rams going into the playoffs, Ben, a senior, already has the record for most touchdowns in a season with 22 and counting.
“They could all throw the football well,” Patchin said about the Broeker boys. “I hate to say this, but I think Ben’s the best overall. He grew up with it the whole way. He’s an exceptional athlete.”
The Broeker link to the Rams goes beyond the brother connection. Bill Broeker has been coaching the Rams for 30, the past 20 with Patchin.
“I’m the line coach,” Bill said. “I help protect them.”
Jake, who is now a senior pastor at the Church of Living Water in Lacey, was the Rams’ starting quarterback in the fall of 1993, less than a month before Ben was born in December. Rich, who is now a Lacey policeman, started at quarterback in the fall of 1999, breaking school records and leading the Rams to the playoffs.
Sam became the starting quarterback on the freshman team in the fall of 2000. But he transferred to Northwest Christian High School and played basketball. Sam is now finishing training for border patrol and is stationed in Arizona.
Bill, in his role as coach and dad, has treasured every season with his sons.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” said Bill, who played his last season with PLU in the fall of 1970. “A lot of memories. Each one has been exciting.”
In 1999, Ben, when he was 6, started riding his bike to practice and ended up being a ball boy for the games. It was then that Patchin and the rest of the coaching staff got their first glimpse of the Rams quarterback of the future.
“Ever since he was our ball boy, Benny has been projected to be our quarterback,” Patchin said. “I was just hoping I could hang around long enough until he got up here.”
Pete Smith, the Rams quarterback coach, remembers Ben tossing the football on the sidelines as a young kid during practice.
“The first pass he threw was a spiral,” Smith said. “From that point on, we could see him growing up knowing he as going to be very special.”
Ben, at 6-foot-5, 205-pounds, has the arm and the size to be the quarterback to lead the Rams to the playoffs. But rather than rely only on Ben’s throwing, Patchin has sought the balanced offense, going with both the run and the pass. It’s been running by committee with Mo Manning and Brandon Belisario leading the way.
“With Ben and with our receivers, we could have thrown for over 3,000 yards,” Patchin said. “But we feel for us to be successful we have to be balanced.”
At every game this season, Jake and Rich are on the sideline with the team, pulling for the Rams and their brother. When Ben was closing in on Rich’s singe-game passing record, Rich was pulling for his brother.
“He pushes me, Encourages me,” Ben said. “He’s very supportive. He doesn’t say don’t beat my record.”
Ben said being the fourth Broeker to be a quarterback for the Rams has made it easier for him. If they could do it, so could he.
“It does help,” Ben said. “I do have pressure I put on myself wanting to succeed and do well. But I’m confident because of the things I’ve been taught by them and by my coaches.”
The Ram coaches are just disappointed they’ve run out of Broeker brothers.
“I’d stack Ben’s ability to throw a football with anyone, anywhere,” Smith said. “He has a tremendous arm and he’s so accurate. He can throw it a mile.”
Just like his brothers did when they were Rams.
