LANGLEY — For two years, TJ Russell was the last line of defense.

Blocking, diving, jumping and sliding were routine when Russell was in the goalie’s box. The recent Island Christian Academy graduate and goalie on the Falcon boys soccer team impressed enough coaches to be voted to the all-Cascade Conference first team.

“I like to make saves, but definitely I’d get tired,” Russell said.

The effort Russell gave is evident in the numbers. He allowed 22 goals in 18 games and held opponents to one goal or less in 13 games.

In at least four games, Russell had a minimum of 20 saves. His South Whidbey coach, Joel Gerlach, estimated Russell saved 300 goals this season. It made Russell a tad proud to have a high save percentage.

“I knew I was a better goalkeeper than the other guy,” he said.

Not all his numbers were as dramatic. He had only four shutouts this season, which matched the number of shutouts in the 2010 season.

Russell played through a sprain to his right ankle — his kicking foot. That didn’t deter him from sliding out into oncoming players, leaping to deflect headers and stop inbounds plays, or drop-kicking the ball to the midfield line.

“He has quick reflexes, he can jump high — he’s a three-sport athlete,” Gerlach said. “And I think he ties that all together.”

“That’s the goalie you want,” Gerlach added.

For all his personal accolades, one memory is missing: the glory of a state tournament. Through four years of football and basketball, and three years of soccer, Russell never played in a state tournament.

Even though he missed out on a state tournament, Russell found joy in the season, exactly as it was.

“I was happy not losing every game,” he said.

This year, Russell played in three district playoffs in football, basketball and soccer. The downside of the season, however, was not winning a single playoff game.

In soccer, South Whidbey beat Sultan 3-2 in a tiebreaker shootout to advance to the District 1 playoffs. Russell saved three of five penalty kicks in the shootout.

The Falcons followed that shootout with another against Bellingham.

South Whidbey kept the second highest scoring team in the Northwest Conference scoreless through 80 minutes of regulation and two five-minute sudden deaths.

Russell was a major reason the score stayed 0-0 through 90 minutes. He also saved a goal by Matt Sanchez, the Northwest Conference’s player of the year and leading scorer, that sent the shootout into sudden death and a sixth kicker.

Russell called to be the sixth kick. He shot right, and Bellingham’s goalie dove right into it and saved it. Bellingham scored on the next kick and won the game.

“That was a tough game for him,” Gerlach said of Russell.

Despite losing, Russell’s regrets were few.

“I’d still take the kick,” Russell said. “I would have done it differently, though.”

In many ways, he was born and bred to be a goalkeeper. His parents, Jim and Julie Russell, were both goalies when they played in high school, college and recreational soccer. Ever since Russell could walk, he practiced standing in a goalie’s box and blocking shots.

“It’s definitely an advantage having parents who played,” Gerlach said. “When he first started playing he was just leaps and bounds ahead.”

His mother told him to never come off his line in the box. His father told him to forget the goal he missed, and worry about the next ones he could save.

Through Russell’s’ parents, Gerlach knew Russell since he was 2 years old. Their long history crafted a relationship beyond coach and player. Russell called Gerlach his “distant uncle.”

“Uncle” Gerlach has a tough task replacing the first team all-conference goalie next season, even with junior goalie Garrett Thompson in waiting.

“He’ll definitely be missed,” Gerlach said. “Goalies as good as he is come along every four or five years. He’s one of the best keepers I’ve had. I’m gonna miss that kid.”

During practice, the first drill Gerlach ran was with his goalie. He kicked at least 100 shots at Russell, every practice.

“He definitely held up to all the expectations I had for him,” Gerlach said.

Gerlach watched Russell develop into a goalie, and an aggressive one. Russell took some hits, but he gave some hits, too.

He said he came out of the goalie’s box to stop breakaway dribblers to show teams a different look and establish an aggressive defensive tone early.

Fearlessness, Gerlach said, was one of Russell’s most unique qualities as a goalie.

“I can’t teach that,” Gerlach said.

That aggressiveness cost South Whidbey. Russell received a red card for tripping a Coupeville player in the first game against the Wolves — a 3-0 loss. Then he was suspended from the following game against Cedarcrest — a 1-0 loss.

“It was a red card and that was the rule,” Russell said. “I was just angry at myself. I definitely meant to do it. I didn’t mean for it to be as blatant as my parents said it was.”

Those two losses spiraled into four. The season almost unraveled halfway through.

South Whidbey faced Archbishop Murphy, the conference leaders, on April 11 at home. The Falcons lost the previous three games and hadn’t scored a goal. Neither streak ended against the Wildcats in a 5-0 loss.

In the game prior, King’s beat South Whidbey 2-0. Conference offensive player of the year Trevor Bartels, a senior at King’s, was the only player Russell named from the conference as a player he dreaded facing.

“I definitely wouldn’t want to go against Trevor Bartels,” Russell said.

After the 5-0 loss to Archbishop Murphy at home, South Whidbey regrouped. The Falcons won five straight games, in which Russell allowed three goals and had two shutouts.

“He peaked at the right time,” Gerlach said.

With his high school career over, he plans to enlist in the Army like his dad Jim, who was an Airborne Ranger. His ambitions are just as lofty.

He wants to pilot Blackhawk helicopters, and said he will enlist come winter.

“I don’t want bullets whizzing past my head,” Russell said.

For the first time in four years, he won’t go to football camp, soccer camp or worry about the basketball season. He gets to have a sports-free summer.

Now, the last line of defense gets to worry about tan lines.

“I’m going to enjoy my summer like a normal kid,” Russell said.