2012 All-Unknown Team Defense

     I will start this post just like the last in mentioning that just because you know a player I have listed, it doesn't mean that they are "known" to the average reader. The purpose of this is to give players the exposure they deserve. I will be posting a link to a video for each player and if possible a quote from that players coach. When available, I will post stats from the player. The page I like most for stats is statewidestats.com. You can also follow them on Twitter @statewidestats. If you see any mistakes here or are a coach that would like to comment on one of these players, be sure to email me at Ringerland@gmail.com. Even if you are an opposing coach that wants to say something about a player, I will post it.
    
     This defense is a followup to the All-Unknown Offense which can be found by clicking this link... 2012 All-Unknown Offense

     This was a very tough list to bring together and I left of a lot of quality players. At the bottom of the page you will see an 'Honorable Mention' section. In that section you can click on links to videos of players that I feel deserve recognition, but were some of my last cuts. The players name/school is the link.

     Defensive stats are VERY hard to find. If you see stats that are not correct or you have a correction you can prove, I will be more than happy to change what I have posted.

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DL: Beau Iverson, Charles Wright Academy Tarriers (6'8" 240 lbs)
7.5 Sacks
2011 1st Team Nisqually League TE
2011 1st Team Nisqually League DE
2011 Honorable Mention Nisqually League Basketball
Click Here For Beau Iverson's Highlight Video 

Quote From Charles Wright Academy Head Coach, Mike Finch:
"Beau is virtually impossible to block one-on-one. With added speed and quickness to his
impressive size, it'll be fun to see him play during his senior season."

HSFootballWA Thoughts:
Washington State Cougar fans might remember the name Rien Long. That is where I am going to go with my comparison for Iverson. Long was 6'5'' coming out of Anacortes High School and was impossible to block without the double team. Long went on to an All-American 2002 season at WSU and eventually into the NFL. Iverson definitely has a lot of the same characteristics as Long, just needs to add the weight. A redshirt college season will definitely add muscle, which in turn adds the weight needed to play at the next level. He is surprisingly agile for a kid his size. No reason he can't get to double digit sacks this season.

DL: Anthony Maggio, Coupeville Wolves (6'2" 250 lbs)
2011 2nd Team Cascade Conference
Click Here For Anthony Maggio's Highlight Video

Quote From Coupeville Head Coach, Tony Maggio:
"Anything is one of the fastest kids off the ball I have ever coached, he plays both offense and defense and rarely comes off the field. I am truly blessed to have him as a son, and to be able to be his coach."

HSFootballWA Thoughts:
Playing at a school with around 250 students, Anthony is a true small school spectacle. Just watching his video you will see exactly what his coach talks about. His speed of the ball is remarkable for a kid of his size. With added strength/weight, I see no reason he can't play at the next level. Look for more content in the future regarding Anthony.

DL: Justin Hazelton, Columbia River Chieftains (6'3" 230 lbs) 
2011 2nd Team 3A Greater St. Helens League 2011 All Conference Scholar Athlete
Click Here For Justin Hazelton's Highlight Video

HSFootballWA Thoughts:
Sometimes when I watch a player I instantly like what I see and really do not know why. That is the case with Justin. He has a job, he does his job and he does it very well. He isn't flashy, but the kid can flat out play. I will show a little bit of my age here and say he reminds me of former Seahawks DL, Joe Nash. A guy that will give you 100% on every play of every game. That drive and desire allows him to make the most of every play. This also gives him a great ability to get through the double team.

DL: Jaime Miranda, Aberdeen Bobcats (6'0" 263 lbs)
2011 1st Team 2A Evergreen Conference
Click Here For Jaime Miranda's Highlight Video

Quote From Aberdeen Head Coach, Terry Dion:
"Jaime is the hardest working player that I have ever coached. In over 20 years of coaching, I have never seen a more self-made player. Every thing that he has accomplished- both in the classroom and in athletics is the result of hard work."

HSFootballWA Thoughts:
Jaime is a kid that flys under the radar because of where he plays. His video shows everything I want in a defensive lineman. He moves really well, has a little nasty in him and never gives up on a play. His highlight video shows you exactly what coach Dion talks about. This kid could play for any team in the state.

LB: Brett Carter, Franklin Pierce Cardinals (6'3" 200 lbs)
2011 Honorable Mention 2A SPSL
Click Here For Brett Carter's Highlight Video

HSFootballWA Thoughts:
Brett is a kid that will do anything to be the absolute best he can be. He has good size and with two more years before college, he should have no problem adding weight and he has the frame to do it. I see him eventually as an OLB in a 3-4 or a DE in a 4-3 and I think he will be very good at either. He has a great motor that allowed him to lead the SPSL in sacks as a sophomore. I spoke with him at the NW Stars Camp and was thoroughly impressed with how well spoken he is. Just by talking with him, you would never know that the kid has a side of him that is downright nasty.

LB: Trayon McNairy, Juanita Rebels (6'1" 205 lbs)
33.5 Tackles - 11 Sacks - 6 TFL - 5 FR
2011 2nd Team KingCo Conference
Click Here For Trayon McNairy's Highlight Video

Quote From Juanita Head Coach, Shaun Tarantola:
"Trayon is an explosive player that has a great motor. He has put in a great off-season and his hard work will pay off this season. He is the type of player that can be a game changer on both offense and defense."

HSFootballWA Thoughts: Being a Juanita Alumni, I am very familiar with Trayon's ability. He has great speed, a nose for the ball, a definite mean streak and great football instincts. He shows the strength to run through some blocks and the speed to run around others. 11 sacks in any league in impressive, but in KingCo 3A it is extra special. If Trayon can duplicate his numbers from last season, the Rebels defense will be very tough.

LB: Austin Striplin, Sumner Spartans (6'3" 230 lbs)
91 Tackles
Click Here For Austin Striplin's Highlight Video

Quote From Sumner Head Coach, Keith Ross:
"Big, Mobile, and Nasty. The best is yet to come!" 

HSFootballWA Thoughts:
I will admit that I did not know of Austin until June 17th, a few days after I saw Sumner take part in a scrimmage at the Stadium Bowl. While he does probably project to DE in the long run, I have put Austin as a LB. He is deceptively fast. He doesn't look to be moving very fast, yet he somehow manages to get from sideline to sideline. His instincts on the field allow him to put himself in a very good position on almost every play. I really think Austin has the ability to become a VERY special player.

LB: Hayden Maliska, North Thurston Rams (5'11" 210 lbs)
2011 1st Team 2A Evergreen Conference LB
2011 2A Evergreen Conference All-Academic
2010 2A Evergreen Conference All-Academic
Click Here For Hayden Maliska's Highlight Video

HSFootballWA Thoughts:
Another example of a small school kid who can flat out play. Hayden shows good speed and a great ability to get rid of blockers. Being only a Junior in the upcoming season, I expect Hayden to continue to grow and could eventually become one of the better LB's in the state. North Thurston is a team on the rise and Maliska is a big part on both offense and defense. Look for more content regarding Hayden in the future.

DB: Austin Johnson, Mark Morris Monarchs (6'1" 185 lbs)
74 Solo Tackles - 63 Assists - 5 Sacks - 2 INT Returns TD's - 1 FR Return TD 
2011 Offensive Player Of The Year Southwest-Trico
2011 1st Team Southwest - Trico RB
2011 1st Team Southwest - Trico LB
2010 1st Team Southwest - Trico RB
2010 1st Team Southwest - Trico LB
Click Here For Austin Johnson's Highlight Video

Quote From Mark Morris Head Coach, Shawn Perkins:
"He attended Linfield football camp with our team this past week and did an outstanding job. He was a good teammate, student of the new "O" and "D" and worked hard on and off the field to improve himself and his teammates. He as a natural nose for the football on defense and has the ability to hit the edge for big plays on offense. I think he will be a big help to us in the fall on both sides of the ball."

HSFootballWA Thoughts:
Austin is a tremendous athlete. He spent the last two seasons at Kalama which is in 1A. This season he transfers to Mark Morris which plays in the 2A Greather St. Helens. I expect him to make a seamless transition and be an all league player again. I have him as a DB because at the next level I see him most likely play Safety. Austin's return skills alone are good enough to get him to the next level. I love kids that get up field in a hurry and on the return, he does just that.

DB:Jimbo Davis, Mount Si Wildcats (5'11 165 lbs)
2011 Honorable Mention KingCo Conference
Click Here For Jimbo Davis Highlight Video
Jimbo Davis At The BFA/NEI Camp In April 

Quote From Mount Si Head Coach, Charlie Kinnune:
"Jimbo Davis loves the game of football as much as any player I have coached here at Mount Si. I have worked closely with Jimbo the last 3 years. I have witnessed him grow tremendously. Two things come to mind for me with Jimbo. #1 instincts- he  covers and drop's with ease. He is most comfortable when the ball is in the air. #2 discipline- Jimbo has NEVER been caught out of position. He plays assignment football then makes plays. This is a great combination for a defensive back."

HSFootballWA Thoughts:
I have had the pleasure of speaking with Jimbo on a few occasions and he is very well spoken. A really nice kid. I really think he is a kid that will do anything to be the best he can be. He is one of the better press coverage DB's in his class. He has the ability to turn and run with just about any receiver. Above I posted two videos, one is a highlight video. The other is of Jimbo participating in the Barton Football Academy from April out at Peninsula High School. You will see what I am talking about. At 1:26 you will see him going against Sammie Long from Lakes High School. Long is a phenomenal athlete and has committed to attend the University of Washington. Davis does a great job on a guy probably considered to be the best in the state.

DB: Sean Elledge, Glacier Peak Grizzlies (6' 185 lbs)

2011 1st Team Wesco 3A DB

2011 1st Team Wesco 3A WR

2010 2nd Team Wesco 3A DB

2010 2nd Team Wesco 3A WR

Click Here For Sean Elledge's Highlight Video

Quote From Glacier Peak Head Coach, Rory Rosenbach:

"Sean is a tremendously competitive FB player. He will fight u to the end in any arena.  Very physical DB who is equally adept at covering one on one as he is being a run defender. Very high FB IQ. And an emotional leader of our team."

HSFootballWA Thoughts: 

As usual, I will not argue with a coach about a player. This is a kid I would love to have on my team. Sean has is very aggressive and has great technique. Those are two things I love in a DB. His ability to block FG's in unbelievable. It just shows his acceleration and ability to jump the snap. Watching his video you will see that he never gives up on a play. 4-5 times he gets spun around chasing a ball carrier, recovers and eventually makes the tackle. I really can't find anything about his game that I do not like.

DB: Morgan Masanda, Meadowdale Mavericks (5'8" 160 lbs)

2011 2nd Team Cascade Conference DB

2011 2nd Team Cascade Conference RB
Click Here For Morgan Masanda's Highlight Video 

HSFootballWA Thoughts:

I saw Morgan last season in a game vs Kennedy Catholic and was impressed from the start. This season he makes the transition from 2A to 3A, but I can't imagine him having any problems. Offensively I could see him playing as a Slot Receiver, but to me he is a DB. He has a great ability to read the play and make the right decision. He is definitely undersized, but he more than makes up for it with his heart. Reminds me a lot of former Virginia Tech DB, Victor "Macho" Harris who is listed at a VERY generous 6'. He plays the game in a mean, tough and exciting fashion.

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Honorable Mentions:

(Click Name For Highlight Video)

DL: Demontra McNealy, Auburn Trojans

DL: Nick Aumua, Auburn Mountainview Lions

LB: Hank Van Liew, Mount Si Wildcats

LB: Jordan Leech, Steilacoom Sentinels

LB: Eric Rauch, Issaquah Eagles

DB: Jake Oram, Hanford Falcons

DB: Nate Brar, Cascade Christian Cougars

7-on-7 Thoughts from July 12th...

     Today is a day that is exactly what this blog is all about. I got to see two 7-on-7 events featuring 8 different teams, from 3 different conferences and 3 different classifications. From 914 students at Hazen to 1,673 attending Emerald Ridge. I got to see a little bit of everthing!

     The first was a 10am session at Auburn High School and featured the Emerald Ridge Jaguars, Kentridge Chargers, Lindbergh Eagles and Auburn Trojans. Later in the evening I made the trip to Factoria and Newport high school where the Knights were hosting the Juanita Rebels, Mount Si Wildcats and Hazen Highlanders.

     While I admit that 7-on-7 can be very deceiving, it is also a place where a kid might show something you weren't expecting. Without lineman, this is really a glorified game of flag football, but it is still fun to watch.

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Mount Si

     Without a doubt the most impressive team today was the Mount Si Wildcats. The 3A school from Snoqualmie put together strong efforts on both sides of the ball. All eight of the teams I saw today made a lot of nice plays, but it was Mount Si that did it on the most consistent basis. Offensively they were very good, but for me it was the defense that really opened my eyes. The Wildcats are definitely a team you will be hearing from come this fall. Here are a few that really stood out.

     WR/DB Tyler Button, a 5'7" 140 lbs spark plug was all over the field. On one occasion, he sat in his zone and read the eyes of Newport QB Isaac Dotson (2013, Nevada Commit) before stepping in front of a pass at about his own 15 yard line, no doubt it is a pick-6 in a regular season game. 

     Hard hitting LB Hank Van Liew, also a rugby player(View Video Here), showed above average coverage abilities for a guy I always viewed more as a run stuffer type. One thing Hank does not lack is instincts. Do yourself a favor and watch his highlight film. It is a shade under three minutes and I guarantee you will be impressed. The kid can flat out play.

* Here is another video of Van Liew just brought to my attention.

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Newport

     Playing in possibly the toughest conference (KingCo 4A) in the state, the Knights were in a division that featured eventual state champion Skyline, KingCo runner-up Eastlake and an always tough Issaquah. They would finish 1-3 in division play with their only win coming against winless Redmond. That doesn't mean the Knight s are not a good football team. They have plenty of talent this season and with the KingCo realigning the divisions, the Knights get the three Seattle schools this season. They are a team that could definitely surprise this year.

     The Knights have a weapon at QB that offensive coaches dream about and defensive coaches stay up late sweating about. Senior, Isaac Dotson has the ability to become on of the all-time great QB's from the state of Washington. Dotson is headed to Nevada when he finishes his senior season and their is no reason he can't eventually play on Sunday.

     The name you might see associated with Dotson the most this season is Drew Sample. At 6'3" and 200 lbs, the Junior TE has great hands and a knack for getting open. Today the Knights used him coming off the line and out beyond the hashes. On a few separate occasions he ran deep and using his size and leaping ability, would come down with the ball. He and Dotson were on the same page all day and you can expect to see their names linked together all season. This is a kid to look for in the 2014 graduating class. No reason he can't continue on to the next level and be an impact player.

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Lindbergh

     The most impressive team of the morning session were the Lindbergh Eagle. They do appear to be lacking some top end playmakers, but make up for it in technique. It is always tough to really judge teams as you never know which players are missing and I feel like Lindbergh might be one of those teams. By the seasons end Lindbergh should be in the playoffs as a Seamount 2A representative. As far as today goes, offensively they were the best morning team. They moved the ball with relative ease against all three 4A counterparts. The defense was nothing spectacular, but they definitely got the job done.

     Senior QB, Matt Stuart was very impressive. Standing 6'6" and weighing 235 lbs, he obviously stands out. He has a HUGE arm, but still looks very raw. I would love to see this guy get some time with a professional QB coach to see if he can fully reach the potential I see here. I was told by a reader about a month ago that he is also a very good baseball player. In doing a little research, I found out that he is in fact a very good pitcher. Just type his name, Lindbergh and Baseball into Google. You will see what I am talking about.

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Auburn

     The Auburn Trojans get on here for their defense more than their offense. This is a team that is run heavy during the season and it really shows in 7-on-7 play. I had a few players tell me that the Trojans are looking to open the offense up and pass the ball more, but frankly that really didn't get them much on Thursday. Defensively they looked VERY good. Highly recruited LB/TE Kevin Shelton was not in attendance, so you have got to figure this team can only be better. Defensively the Trojans play what is almost a 2-5-4 as their DE's do a lot of work standing up. One player referred to it as the "Blood" position.

     Senior S/WR, TJ Muao is back in my blog again. Being 7-on-7 this time, TJ was forced to show his ability to cover a little more. He shows a great ability to read the play and the QB to be in the right place at the right time. He broke up multiple passes and even went sky high to pick off a pass against Emerald Ridge. I like everything about this kid.

     At 6'2" and 220 lbs, Senior TE/LB Demontra McNealy is very hard to miss. The kid looks bigger than what he is listed. He is surprisingly agile for a man of his size and has decent hands. If I was Auburn I would be looking to use him on the OL more than at TE(I will get to that later). On the defensive side, McNealy showed good awareness and even picked off a pass that was for sure going to the house. Just his arm length alone is enough to make a QB look another way when wanting to pass.

     Between McNealy, Kevin Shelton and Senior C, Cayman Tinsley, the Trojans could have one of the better OL's in the state. Instead they use both McNealy and Shelton at TE. In the typical Auburn offense, a TE is essentially an extra offensive lineman, but with coach Elliot wanted to pass a little more, they will be asked to run routes. Will they be able to run that route before the QB ends up on his back? Time will tell.

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Juanita

     The Rebels, from Kirkland, showed a few things I really liked and also showed their youth. The Rebels showed they want to open the offense a little more this year and I really liked what I saw. They obviously showed some growing pains, but the sky could be considered the limit with this group. After the session was over I spoke to a Juanita assistant coach and he referred to yesterday as "we brought the young guys". One player that I did notice was missing was explosive WR/DB, Kendrick Murphy. He is a player that makes the Rebels dangerous with his ability to stretch the field. 

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     Thank you for reading my blog. I recently went over 400 followers on Twitter, @HSFootballWA and would really like to get 500 before the start of the season. Word of mouth is the only way I can make that happen. Please send this post to anyone you think would like to read it and if they use Twitter, please send them in my direction.

     If you know a player that deserves more recognition, please send me an email or contact me via Twitter. Tell me everything you can about them and I will do my best to get the word out.

In the coming weeks...

     Things have been really going well with this blog over the last few weeks. New opportunities continue to come my way and it is all very exciting to me. I have nobody to thank more than the players and coaches. From the players responding on Twitter to the coaches that are always very open with me about their team. In all honesty, this is just a blog and no player or coach really has a reason to respond to me. This is all very cool because in the end, I am still a fan.

     In this blog post I will layout a few things I have planned for the coming month before the first games of the season. I have a few ideas I want to toss out there with hopes of a few players and/or coaches joining in.

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Passing Leagues:

     In the next month or so a few teams around the state will begin hosting 7-on-7 type passing leagues. This information is hard for me to find as I basically rely on you guys to inform me. Some teams will have it on their website within a calender and if I have the time, I will sometimes go searching. Frankly, I don't have time to be doing a lot of that and need some help. I contacted coach Dave Miller of Lakes High School and he was very helpful with information of the Lakes Passing League at the end of this month. I hope to attend as many games as possible, but I can't guarantee I will be able to attend any.

     If you or your sons school is playing in a passing league, I want to know about it. You can contact me through email at Ringerland@gmail.com or on Twitter @HSFootballWA. Either way, I need to know. If you can just tell me who the school hosting the league is, I can typically do the rest. I just need to know which coach I need to get in tough with.

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Fall Camps:

     When fall camps open on August 15th, I want to be there. I would like to attend as many practices as possible and preview your school. If you are a coach, please contact me with your schedule and we can set something up. I would like to talk to the head coach for just a few minutes in person before or after the practice to get a few quotes to use here for the blog. I would obviously like to talk to any players the coach feels deserves recognition before the upcoming season. It is all up to the coach how I go about writing my preview of their team. I know what can and can't be said in terms of a preview. It is one thing to say "They will be using a 4-3 defense", it is another to go into schemes and philosophies. When we talk for a few minutes you can tell anything you want, just make sure to tell me if you don't want something posted here. I have coached football and understand how coaches heads work and would never do anything to potentially break the trust of a coach.

     If you are a player and you read/like my blog, it is simple. Pass it along to your coach. Let him know that you would like to get me out to see your team before the season starts. Do that and let me know, I will put you in the preview of your school.

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Trinity Trojans @ Bellevue Wolverines:

     August 30th can't get here soon enough, but before it does, I would like to do a big preview of the game. The Bellevue side is not that tough for me as I am very familiar with the team and have the ability to get more info if needed. The Trinity Trojans are a bit of an unknown to me though. I have noticed recently that I have gained a few followers on Twitter that are from Texas. You are the people I am going to rely on here. If there is a writer from a newspaper that does a great job covering the Trojans, I want to know. If there is a sports radio station that would be able to help me, I want to know. Who are the players I need to ask about? Who are the coaches I should contact? What are any tidbits about the team I should know? Other than the dance they do. The game is less than two months away and I plan on beginning to put the bulk of my post together in the next few weeks.

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Season Prediction Game:

     I will admit right now, prediction games is not my specialty. Sure it is easy to pick the Bellevue game each week. I can even tell you I would've correctly picked Skyline every game last year, except for Eastlake. When I did make game predictions last year, I WAS HORRIBLE! Almost a jinx for teams.I picked Juanita, Inglemoor ripped them apart. I picked Kennedy Catholic, Archbishop Murphy dominated them, even had the QB's mom record me on her video camera at the game admitting I was wrong.

     My plan for a prediction game is fairly simple. I would like to get 5-6 players willing to play along. Each week I will send an email with the 4 games of the week from leagues we all know, SPSL, KingCo, Metro, ect. I will also send out one random game each week from a league almost none of us know, 1B Northeast (8man football), 1A Caribou Trail, 2A Great Northern. One game each week will most likely be a guess, even for me. I will keep weekly standings and hopefully even allow the readers to get involved by sending in their picks.

     As far as players I am looking for. I would like to get 1 from each of these general areas. 1 from each of these areas, KingCo, Metro, Wesco, Narrows and 2 from the SPSL. Now for instance, when I say Wesco, that doesn't mean the kid needs to play in Wesco. I want him to be from that area. I would be more than happy to say get Billy Green from King's High School in north Seattle to join this game. I use the big conferences as a guide more than anything. I would like for the players to be 2013 graduates, aka. Seniors, but it is not completely necessary. This is only because I would like to use new players each season. Would I like high profile names? Of course. That doesn't mean I will only pick the high profile players though.

     If you would like to join, send me an email or talk to me via Twitter. This is a way to get your name out there as I will profile the players helping me with the game.

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College Recruiting:

     In the last few weeks I have been contacting a few college coaches attempting to secure an interview for my blog. It is a much tougher process than you may think. More often than not, I have to talk to about 10 different people before finally getting to hear anything from the coach himself. I have secured one interview and will be doing that in the next week or so. The general idea is to give these coaches a platform to speak to the players in our area about their school. I have 8-10 questions about the school, program and coach himself that I feel are good questions to help a player gauge his interest in that particular school. If you have a school you think should be part of that, let me know. I am always willing to at least consider any school, at any level and anywhere.

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Player Interviews:

     Last week I spoke with Kahlil Dawson from Graham-Kapowsin and received some great feedback from the readers. I would like to do more of these, but obviously have very limited resources. Some players can be very tough to get in contact with. I get very luck when it comes to finding players on Twitter. Sometimes I will go through one players followers in search of names I might recognize as football players. Other times I get lucky and they find me. I think one player a week is a very realistic goal. Now it is just a matter of finding the players I want.

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     Thank you for reading my blog. If you know a player that you think deserves more recognition, send me an email about them. Links to articles, highlight videos, stats are all very good starts for me. From there I will do the research I need to give that player the recognition he deserves. The best email I ever received to help promote a player had links, stories and even a coaches quote. It was very well presented and after a seeing that player, it led to me wanting to interview him, which I will be doing soon. There is no such thing as too much information on a player.

     The best way for me to grow this blog is by word of mouth. Please to pass the link along and retweet the links on Twitter as much as possible. A retweet takes about 3 seconds to do. I could name about 30 useless things I do a day that are longer than that.

5 Minutes With Graham-Kapowsin WR/DB, Kahlil Dawson

     Having never seen Kahlil Dawson live, I was very excited when I noticed he was in attendance during the WR/DB session at the Northwest Stars Camp. You can watch all the highlight videos available, but getting to see that player live is what really counts. After watching Dawson dominate the 1-on-1 portion of the session, I knew I needed to speak with him. When the session was over he had 3-4 other guys around him so I decided to contact him via twitter to see if he wanted to do a quick interview. He was more than happy to talk and this is what he had to say.


HSFootballWA: You had a very nice day yesterday. What did the coaches have to say to you afterwards?

Kahlil Dawson: All the coaches said I had a pretty good day. They told me the things I needed to work and improve on and the things that I am pretty good at already. A lot of the coaches said they are interested in me and hopefully I will get more offers based on my performance yesterday.

HSFootballWA: I would assume those coaches are looking at you as a DB more than a WR?

Kahlil Dawson: It is a mixture. Most of the coaches, since my size, they are looking at me as a DB. A lot of people see me as a versatile athlete so they could use me in the slot or the return game. Most are as a DB.

HSFootballWA: In January, you were invited to the U.S. Army All-American Combine in San Antonio, Texas. What was that experience like?

Kahlil Dawson: That was a great experience because I got to compare myself to the talent across the whole country. I got to see what people are like from the east coast and got to see more of the talent from the west coast. The whole setup was great with the hotels we were staying in and we got to talk to the all-american football players that were participating in the game. As far as the drills, I got a lot of learning in and then of course the 1-on-1 was great because I got to go against the best competition around. It was a great experience and not a lot of people can say they got to do that. I am one of the lucky few.

HSFootballWA: A couple weeks later you picked up your first offer from Wyoming, have you had a chance to speak with coach Dave Christensen?

Kahlil Dawson: Yeah, I have talked to him a lot. I am supposed to be setting up a visit or a time that I can drive up there to check out the place for myself. I have heard a lot of things about how it is a very nice area so my family and I are probably gonna take a trip there next week, unofficial to see it for ourselves.

HSFootballWA: Wyoming has been offering a lot of kids from our area recently, have you had a chance to talk with maybe D.J. May or Trent Sewell?

Kahlil Dawson: Yeah, that was something I was going to mention. They are supposed to come back in a week or two. If I go up there and see them, I will definitely talk to them. If they come back here, I will definitely discuss with them how they feel about the place and get their views on Wyoming and stuff do. So that is what I plan on doing, talking to them to see how they like the place.

HSFootballWA: So I will admit that in doing a little research on you, I jumped onto Rivals.com and one of the first things I see is a Nebraska logo. That instantly got me excited because I love my Cornhuskers. Is their interest from them?

Kahlil Dawson: They sent me one or two things in the mail. The person (from Rivals) wanted to know who I got mail from lately. At that time that was a school that I had heard from lately, but I don't think I have a chance to get an offer from there. It is a great program, but at the time I think I got one or two things in the mail so I put it out there because they had asked me a question about it.

HSFootballWA: Last season you guys started out 0-3 before getting a 10-7 win over Curtis. This season you start with a 6 hour drive to Post Falls, Idaho. What do you know about Post Falls and what do you look to accomplish?

Kahlil Dawson: From what I have heard, Post Falls has a very good program. They they have a very good, physical team, but we are very physical as well. I think we are going to surprise a lot of teams this year. We are very excited to get the opportunity to go there. We are the first class at GK (Graham-Kapowsin) to travel out of state to play.

HSFootballWA: Speaking of being the first class at GK, when I say October 5th, do you know what that means?

Kahlil Dawson: I am guessing the day we play Bethel?

HSFootballWA: That is correct. What do you think about possibly being the first class to get a victory over the Braves?


Kahlil Dawson: If that happens it would be great. It would be great for our community and our program. We don't want to be known as a class that couldn't get it done either. If we could get that done it would be great, but that is just another game for us. We are gonna go one game at a time and our focus is on Post Falls first. When the time comes to play Bethel, it will be a game you will want to watch. We are gonna be ready to go, but so will they. They've got a good team.

HSFootballWA: Last year you guys lost in the play-in round vs Bellarmine, the year before you got into state but lost to Arlington in the first round. What do those experiences do for you in terms on potentially getting to the Tacoma Dome this season?

Kahlil Dawson: Those were both learning experiences. My teammates and I have have watched the film from both of those games many times to see what we could've done better, what we did good and where we can get better so we can learn from our mistakes for the future. It is motivation because we've had teams in the past that we feel like could've gone to the dome, but we came up short.

HSFootballWA: I think you guys got a good shot this season. The SPSL is always tough and especially with Federal Way being very good again this season. Did you know you guys play four of your first five games on Thursday a night?

Kahlil Dawson: Yeah, we just got our schedule and its just something you gotta deal with.

HSFootballWA: Kahlil, it was great talking to you and we will keep in tough this season. Thank you for your time.

Kahlil Dawson: Thank you, I appreciate it.

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My Thoughts:

     This is a kid that gets it. From his game on the field to the way he speaks during an interview, he has it all. With good speed, good hands and great natural instincts, he has the ability to shutdown his side of the field. His return skills are some of the best, if not the best, in the state and cannot be ignored. His ability to read and setup his block is as good as anyone in the state. That being said, I view him as a DB. His game continues to grow and I have no doubt that he will eventually be a great college football player. Below I have posted links to highlight videos and even a video from the All-American Combine which is a must see. He really does play very well against some of the best WR's in the country.

     I will admit that my love for the Nebraska Cornhuskers may have got the best of me with one question. If you have read my blog in the past, you know it does that from time to time, but I had to ask. I know any of you would've done the same if your team had been on his list.

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Links:

Click Here For Highlights From His 2011, Junior Season

Click Here For Highlights From Part 1 Of His 2010, Sophomore Season

Click Here For Highlights From Part 2 Of His 2010, Sophomore Season

Click Here For His Army All-American Video

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     In closing, I would like to thank you for reading my blog. Check back soon for more content. You can also follow me on Twitter @HSFootballWA. You can also Click Here for my Facebook page featuring links and photo albums from stadiums I have visited around our beautiful state.

     Questions and comments are always welcomed. If you wish to keep it private between you and I, feel free to drop me a line by emailing Ringerland@gmail.com.

     I am always looking to help get your sons name out to the general public. If you feel he is being over looked, let me know. Send me an email with any available information you can give me, the more the better. Also be sure to send me a link to any videos where I can see his play. I will take care of the rest.

Northwest Stars Camp at UW

     I would like to start by thanking Taylor Barton and his crew for inviting me to this event. I am really a nobody that is trying to make it big in the world of athletics. To have someone say such great things about the work I have done is truly amazing. This camp was split into three categories RB/TE/LB, OL/DL, WE/DB. I will do a small piece about each category and will highlight players that really stood out. 

     If I do not mention you or your son, it may mean one of two things. 1) I did not notice him: This isn't exactly a bad thing. I am one man, with a list of 50+ names and it can be VERY hard to see everyone and have an opinion. 2) I have bigger plans for your son and don't want to use my thoughts here. I might be attempting to get in contact with your sons coach looking for a way to contact you.

     That being said, here are a few thoughts from the day.

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     RB/TE/LB:

     So much to talk about here. Before I got my list I had picked out three numbers that impressed me above all others #211, #214 and #265. When I finally got a hold of a list of names I was surprised to see that I knew all three names.

     #211 would turn out to be RB, Ari Morales from Bellevue High School. No surprise here. Ari is rightfully gaining interest on a daily basis. He has unbelievable speed which makes him very easy to stand out. The thing that surprised me today with Ari was his all around ability to catch the ball. Not just his hands. His route running is crisp and his footwork is so good it allows him to create space to make the reception easier.

     #214 was RB, Ralph Kinne from Shelton High School. I was very happy to see him there as I had just placed him on my "Unknown Offense" a week earlier. I even mentioned it to him and he looked at me like I was stupid. Ralph is very underrated because he doesn't play for a big name team. The kid can play. The thing I love about Ralph is he hits the hole at full speed. There isn't a lot of dancing in his game. He sees the hole and he hits it. My kind of running back!

     #265 is TE, Matt Malcuit from Rogers High School in Puyallup. Matt is an interesting prospect. He is converting from QB and I must say, it is the right move. Click Here for a video from an NEI/BFA combine earlier the year at Peninsula High School. Matt has great hands and does a very good job at getting off the line and creating separation from the defender. No reason he shouldn't rise as the year goes and start getting offers from all over.

Other Thoughts:

     A few linebackers that really stood out, Micah Breland from Foster in Tukwila, Mikey Tupou from Inglemoor in Kenmore and Trayon McNairy from Juanita in Kirkland. All three players showed good ability to change direction and get back to speed quickly. Breland especially was very good in pass defense. That kid just continues to get better.

     The catch of the session has got to go to Chico McClatcher from from Federal Way. With a defender hanging all over him, McClatched throws one hand up aboce his head and snags an absolute rocket from his QB. Chico is going to be a sophomore this coming season for the Eagles and is already turning a lot of heads.

     I got to speak with Danny Wilson from Bothell for a few minutes and came away very impressed. Wilson is ready for a breakout year. Between Wilson, Darrin Laufasa and Kizhan Proctor, the Cougars have a three headed monster to run behind one of the best offensive lines in the state.

     I like just about everything about Skyline TE, Isaiah Richmond. At 6'6" he is a HUGE target. He doesn't have great acceleration or top end speed, but uses his hands very well to get rid of the defender. He is a kid that will get a more and more looks as the season goes by.

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OL/DL:

     This was the smallest session of the three with about 50 kids, most of them being from Oregon. The three numbers that stood out to me were #409, #412 and #433. If I had to venture a guess, I would say the defense got the best of the offense during the day in the individual competition.

     #409 was worn by Bothell DE, Jeremy Ruef. He is a high motor guy that has a great initial burst off the line that challenges his opponent to get deep into his drop in a very short amount of time. He uses his hands to shed his blocker as well as any lineman I have seen so far. Jeremy is a kid I will be keeping an eye on this season. Could double digit sacks be in his future?

     #412 was Mariner (Everett) OL, Hector Ruiz. Listed at 6'4" and 270 lbs, Ruiz very much looks the part. He is still very raw, but shows a ton of potential. He moves his feet very well and keeps good balance. The sky is the limit for this kid.

     #433 is Wenatchee DL, Jakob Stoll. No offense at all in my next comment, but Jakob is the exact definition when someone calls a lineman a "big ugly". The kid has a head full of blonde hair, don't think it is his real color, that really flops around as he moves. He never stops working and was always the first guy to jump in when a spot opened up. He clearly plays with a chip on his shoulder.

Other Thoughts:

     A kid that very easily could've been one top three is Oak Harbor OL, Dayne Herron. While Stoll was the first on defense, Herron was the first on the offensive side to step in when a spot opened up. He got most of his work done at the LT position. One thing I love about Dayne is he is very aware of what he needs to do better. I spoke with him briefly and he was almost finishing my sentences for me when I was giving him advice. At the rate he is imrpoving, it is only a matter of time.

     I don't know who the coach of Aloha High School in Oregon is, but he might have the most talent in the trenches in the northwest. Five Aloha kids were on my list and all five were top level players.

     I spoke with McCartney McQuery from Bellarmine Prep for a few minutes and was very surprised at how soft spoken he is. When you watch McCartney play he is usually throwing a defender to the ground or flat out running him over. I approached him prior to the lineman taking the field and told him we would catch up later. I was pleasantly surprised when he sought me out after the lineman were done roughing each other up. He is a road grader with a ton of talent, good work ethic and no offers. I have no explanation for the no offers part. They will come eventually, but I am surprised someone hasn't jumped on his bandwagon yet.

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QB/WR/DB:

     This was the largest group of the day and probably the most impressive. Footballs were flying all over the field with one great throw, catch or pass defended after another for over an hour. The three numbers that caught my eye the most were #12, #40 and #450.

     #6 on the day was Interlake (Bellevue) WE, Kamana Adriano. Nobody runs a better route than Kamana. His acceleration creates the space needed to make the catch. Struggled just a little with press coverage, but once got loose he was unstoppable. Made 2-3 highlight reel type catches along the sideline while managing to keep both feet in bounds on the play. He is the perfect slot receiver.

     #40 was Graham-Kapowsin DB, Kahlil Dawson and he was absolutely amazing! Rarely did a WR catch a ball on Dawson and when they did, they worked for it. Kahlil was all over the field making play after play. He is also a very accomplished WR, but I see his future on the defensive side of the ball. The kid is a playmaker that could become one of those guys that makes a QB completely forget about his side of the field. 

     #450 is Kennedy Catholic (Burien) QB, Conner Richardson. I will admit, I am always drawn to left-handed QB's. Conner is making the switch to QB after spending last season at WR. He has great feet, an even better arm and just that little bit of swagger needed to play the position. He has great arm strength while still being able to put great touch on the ball. Conner is rising quickly and rightfully so.

Other Thoughts:

     2015 could be a great year for QB's in the state of Washington. Ross Bowers from Bothell, Casey Brink from Bainbridge and Nolan Henry from Union (Camas) are all three very capable of being in the top 10 nationally. 

     DB, D'Londo Tucker from Federal Way High School had himself a very nice day. Tucker can run with anyone and has good great natural instincts to close on the ball and make plays.

     Mount Si (Snoqualmie) had a pretty nice showing today. QB Nick Mitchell, WR Tyler Button and DB Hunter Malbert were all impressive. The Wildcats were ranked #5 by Doug Pacey a few weeks ago and have a very underrated coach in Charlie Kinnune. This could be a very big year at one of the most scenic stadiums in the state.

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     That is all from the Northwest Stars Camp at UW. I hope you enjoyed my recap. Look for a few players interviews in the coming weeks. I want to put out 2-3 per week. Hopefully I will have to time to get them done.

2012 All-Unknown Team Offense

      I would like to start this post off by letting everyone know that just because you know a player I have listed, it doesn't mean that they are "known" to the average reader. The purpose of this is to give players the exposure they deserve. I will be posting a link to a video for each player and if possible a quote from that players coach. When available, I will post stats from the player. The page I like most for stats is statewidestats.com. You can also follow them on Twitter @statewidestats. If you see any mistakes here or are a coach that would like to comment on one of these players, be sure to email me at Ringerland@gmail.com. Even if you are an opposing coach that wants to say something about a player, I will post it.

     This was a very tough list to bring together and I left of a lot of quality players. At the bottom of the page you will see an 'Honorable Mention' section. In that section you can click on links to videos of players that I feel deserve recognition, but were some of my last cuts. The players name/school is the link.

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QB: Ryan Fassler, Prosser Mustangs (6'0" 170 lbs)
166 Completions - 255 Attempts - 10 INTs - 2374 Yards - 27TDs

2011 - 1st Team CWAC - Quarterback

Click For Ryan Fassler Highlight Video 

HSFootballWA Thoughts:

I'm sure I am not the first and doubt I'll be the last to compare Ryan Fassler to Kellen Moore, but I am going to do it anyway. During Moore's senior season at Prosser, he was listed at 6'0" and 176 lbs, while most scouting services had him as the fourth best quarterback behind three guys I am sure most of you have never heard of. As of right now, most scouting services do not even Ryan listed. Being fourth this season would put you behind some pretty good names like Max Browne, Sefo Liufau and Kolney Cassell. Ryan is also an accomplished baseball pitcher and you can see it in his play at quarterback. He has good arm strength and is very accurate. With big time target Danny Raap returning at WR, I look for Fassler to get close to 3,000 yards this season.

RB: Daniel Watts, Cedar Park Christian Eagles (5'10" 185 lbs)
191 Carries - 1574 Yards - 11 TDs
2011 Nisqually League Offensive MVP
2010 Nisqually League Honorable Mention RB
Click For Daniel Watts Highlight Video

Quote From Cedar Park Christian Head Coach, Todd Parmenter:
"I would describe Daniel as a very smart player who understands how to use his blockers, he is patient and uses his speed when it's time. He is strong and fast and a hard player to bring down, speed to run outside, but strength and power to run up the middle. Watch for a big year could be over 2000 yards rushing."

HSFootballWA Thoughts:
It is hard to argue with a coach that sees a player on a daily basis and I am not about to start now. Watching Daniel's film you will see exactly what coach Parmenter said about him. Sometimes you watch a player and it is obvious from the start that he gets it. That is how I feel with Daniel. He runs a reported 4.60 40 yard dash, which doesn't exactly catch the eye, but his vision and natural instincts make it seem like he is much faster. I really like this kid. I will hopefully seem him play September 28th when the Eagles host Charles Wright Academy.

RB: Ralph Kinne, Shelton High Climbers (5'11'' 200 lbs)
192 Carries - 1,308 Yards - 18 TDs
20 Kick Returns - 870 Yards - 3 TDs
2011 Honorable Mention Narrows League 4A RB
Click Here For Ralph Kinne Highlight Video

Quote From Shelton Head Coach, Matt Hinkle:
"Ralph Kinne is one of our team leaders. He had a fine junior season and is preparing himself for an impressive senior year."

HSFootballWA Thoughts:
Fearless! Just watch his highlight video. This is the type of kid any team in the state would want. He explodes through the hole with a ton of speed and doesn't think twice about it. Might be able to get close to the 2,000 yard mark this season. I love kids that runs through tackles and Ralph does just that. He is not afraid of contact and has such great balance it almost seems like he was never even hit. All of this also adds up to Ralph being one of the better return men in the state. Last season he averaged 43.5 yards per kick return! If I was his coach, Ralph would touch the ball 25+ times a game!

WR: Jake Hoffman, North Central Indians (6'0" 170 lbs)

2010 Receiving Stats: 61 Receptions - 816 Yards - 8 TDs
2010 1st Team All-GSL Wide Receiver
2011 Rushing Stats as QB: 127 Carries - 682 Yards - 9 TDs
2011 GSL All-Purpose
2011 Honorable Mention All-GSL Quarterback

Click For Jake Hoffman Highlight Video

Quote From North Central Head Coach, Brian Gardner:
"Jake is a very smart, talented football player. His versatility allows us to play him at several different positions. He has great speed and hands. Jake is a football junkie who loves to play the game." 

 HSFootballWA Thoughts:
 First off, I will give credit where credit is due. The Twitter account for Mt. Spokane Football (@MtSpoFootball) turned my eyes to Jake last week. I did a bunch of research and watched a few videos and was sold. As some might say, I am drinking the Jake Hoffman Kool-Aid! This kid can flat out play! Last season as a Jr he played QB, but I have him projected as a WR at the next level. If you watch one highlight video in this posting, make it his. He does EVERYTHING! He reminds me a lot of former Juanita High School/Cornell University and current Minnesota Viking WR, Bryan Walters. Started as a WR but was switched to QB to get the ball in his hands more. Was always overlooked because of his size, but you just knew the kid had what it takes. This is a kid that deserves a shot at the next level.

WR: Ryan Turman, Interlake Saints (5'10" 185 lbs) 
Click Here For Ryan Turman Highlight Video

Quote From Interlake Head Coach, Jason Rimkus:
"Ryan is a good high school player with a lot of potential.  He certainly has the skill set and attitude to be successful.  Ryan is a veteran player with 2 years of starting experience under his belt.  We are really excited to see what he has in store for his senior year.

For those that have never heard of or seen Ryan play - he is a great deep threat and has a tremendous pair of hands.  He has no fear when running routes over the middle and his understanding of coverages has
allowed him to better adjust his routes to get himself open.  My favorite part about Ryan's game has recently developed - blocking. For many young WR they only think about and take pride in their
ability to catch or run routes.  After last season's success on the ground at Interlake, Ryan has seen the value in a WR who is prideful in blocking for their teammates."

HSFootballWA Thoughts:
*See Kamana Adriano

WR: Kamana Adriano, Interlake Saints (5'10" 170 lbs)
2010 2nd Team All KingCo 3A/2A Wide Receiver
2011 1st Team All KingCo 3A/2A Punter
Click Here For Kamana Adriano Highlight Video

Quote From Interlake Head Coach, Jason Rimkus:
"Kamana is the best WR I've coached.  He will have a few college offers by the end of the season.  We are blessed to have Kamana on one end and Ryan on the other...Batman and Robin"

HSFootballWA Thoughts:
I tried to stay away from multiple players on the same team, but really I couldn't have Ryan without Kamana and vice versa. I think coach Rimkus hit the nail on the head with his 'Batman and Robin' reference. These two bring a lot of the same qualities to the position. Both are fast, have good hands and great vision. Having both players lining up on the field together will be a nightmare for opposing coaching staffs. The Interlake Saints have had some great offensive skill players in the last eight to ten years from Thomas Brooks-Fletcher in the mid-2000's to Jordan Todd this past season. I can imagine one of these two, if not both, will continue what seems to be a tradition of great offense. I would not be surprised to see both finishing the 2012 season with well over 1,000 all-purpose yards. They ARE that good.

Note: The highlight video for Kamana Adriano is from the 2010 season when he played WR. Since he is being moved back there, I decided to go with that video.

TE: Dylan Judson, Monroe Bearcats (6'3" 210 lbs)
10 Catches - 169 Yards - 4 TDs
56.5 Tackles - 6 Sacks - 2 FR 
2011 1st Team TE 4A Wesco North
2011 Honorable Mention LB 4A Wesco North
Click Here For Dylan Judson Highlight Video

Quote From Monroe Coach, Richard Abrams:
"Dylan is a very versatile player for us.  He was 1st Team All League last year for us as a junior at TE, and also is a huge contributor for us on the defensive side of the ball playing both inside LB and DE.  He also worked out of the backfield for us as an H back.  He is a leader for us on and off the field, and exemplifies all the good qualities that a coach could want in a player."

HSFootballWA Thoughts:
Don't let his numbers fool you, Dylan can play. I look more at the 16.9 ypc more than the 10 catches. At 6'3", Dylan is a good target and shows good hands. If given the chance to catch more passes, he wouldn't drop many. He is one of the better blocking TEs in the state and appears to almost take pride in finishing his block. I hope they can find a way to get him the ball more so he can show off his abilities.

OL: Dallas Hayes, Tahoma Bears (6'3" 290 lbs)
2011 Honorable Mention SPSL 4A North
Click Here For Dallas Hayes Highlight Video 

Quote From Tahoma Head Coach, Tony Davis:
"Great kid. He’s close to 6-3 and about 290 right now. he will be a three year starter. He’s a three sport athlete – wrestling and track. He competed at the state track in the shot put and discus and was in the post season as a wrestler as well. he’s a solid student and is getting a lot of attention this spring as the colleges make their visits. He was at the WSU camp last weekend and from what I hear did well. He is primed for a great senior year!"

HSFootballWA Thoughts:

The kid is a mauler. He explodes off the line and stays with his man all the way through the whistle. Possibly the best run blocking lineman in the state. He is relentless and an absolute joy to watch! I first noticed Dallas last season after pancakes on back-to-back plays. Dallas is my kind of player. A guy that isn't satisfied unless he finishes 10+ yards down field with his opponent on his back. This is a kid that deserves a shot at the next level.

OL: Jake Volk, Issaquah Eagles (6'1'' 250 lbs)
2011 2nd Team 4A KingCo Crest Division Center
Click Here For Jake Volk Highlight Video

HSFootballWA Thoughts:
Jake Volk is a very interesting prospect. Slightly undersized, but you would never know it by his play. He has a great first step that allows him to setup his block very well. He is great at getting his hips into position to wall off the defender and open the hole. He is another one of those kids that just has it.

OL: Mathew Cox, Capital Cougars (6'6" 235 lbs)
2010 Honorable Mention All-Narrows League Defensive Line
2011 2nd Team All-Narrows League 3A Offensive Line
2011 1st Team All-Narrows League 3A Defensive Line
Click Here For Mathew Cox Highlight Video

Quote From Capital Head Coach, John Johnson: 
"Mat is a very determined young man that gives you every ounce of effort. He will once again be a two-way starter for Capital and continues to lead his team by being a great example both on and off the field." 

HSFootballWA Thoughts: 
Last season when I saw Capital play Mat was a kid that stood out on both sides of the ball. He needs to add weight, but his frame is definitely ready to add on. Most people view Mat as a DE at the next level, but I think he is best suited for LT. He has a little bit of nastiness to him on the defensive side that I would really like to see on the offensive side as well. He seems content with just making a block instead of finishing his block and punishing the defender. I love kids with potential and I think Mathew has plenty. This could be a big year for him on both sides of the ball.

OL: Dayne Herron, Oak Harbor Wildcats (6'4'' 275 lbs)
Click Here For Dayne Herron Highlight Video

Quote From Oak Harbor Head Coach, Jay Turner:
"Dayne is an extremely big and physical player who is surprisingly very agile for his size. He continues to improve everyday and is very motivated to have a great senior year."

HSFootballWA Thoughts:
First word that comes to mind with Dayne is "Potential". The sky is the limit with this kid. Watching his video you will see that he is still raw. Needs to work on a few things. One thing I have found while corresponding with Dayne, he knows what he needs. Earlier this week I picked out one play in his highlight video and asked what he would change. Not only did he give me what I wanted, but even pointed out something I missed. This is a kid that wants to get better and will not stop until he is. I think his coach hits the nail on the head when talking about his agility. His ability to get to the next level and catch a LB or DB is as good as anyone. So much potential here it is almost ridiculous!

OL: Bennett Muasau, Mountain View Thunder (5'10" 295)
2011 1st Team Offensive Line 3A GSHL
2011 2nd Team Offensive Line GSHLFootball.com
Click Here For Bennett Muasau Highlight Video

Quote From Mountain View Head Coach, Adam Mathieson:
"Bennett is a truly terrific football player. He has great leverage, incredible strength and is surprisingly agile. He has the ability to dominate the line of scrimmage on either side of the football."


HSFootballWA Thoughts:
I am going to use the term 'Wrecking Ball' to describe Bennett Muasau. Watching his video you will see a little bit of everything. He is surprisingly agile and shows it off in a few plays where he chases LBs/DBs 10+ yards down field and eliminates them from the play. He has a little nastiness to him that is evident throughout the seven minute video as one defender after another ends up on their back. Bennett does a very good job of playing his angles making sure the ball carrier always has a clear path.

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Honorable Mentions:

QB: Matt Stuart, Lindbergh Eagles
RB: Ramsey Davis, Washington Patriots
WR: Danny Raap, Prosser Mustangs
OL: Kyle Gleed, Decatur Golden Gators
OL: Chandler Streuli, Enumclaw Hornets (2014)

Is It Football Season Yet?

     Still two months away from schools beginning fall practice, I have decided to start writing here again. This past week I attended three scrimmages at three different locations, featuring ten teams from three classifications. In this post I will give a quick recap of each scrimmage. I will finish off this post with a preview of a few things I am working on posting in the next week or so.

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     June 11th, 2012

Bellevue Memorial Stadium

     
     On a absolutely gorgeous Monday afternoon, the Bellevue Wolverines would play host to the Kennedy Catholic Lancers and Archbishop Murphy Wildcats in a three team scrimmage.

     This was very intriguing to me on a few fronts. Bellevue, as always, looks to be the top dogs in 3A. Being a big KingCo supporter, I have seen some very good Wolverine teams over the past ten years. Could this be the best team Butch Goncharoff has put together? Archbishop Murphy has been to two straight 2A state title games, but that isn't good enough and head coach Dave Ward was shown the door. What would the Wildcats look like under new head coach Bill Marsh? Graduation hit the Kennedy Catholic Lancers fairly hard this season. Does legendary head coach Bob Bourgette still have some magic up his sleeves?

     I arrived at the stadium at about 3:30 and began watching Bellevue go through their warmups. Kennedy and Archbishop Murphy had yet to show so that allowed me to focus on Bellevue. First thing I noticed is this Bellevue team does not appear to have the same size up front that Bellevue teams of the past have had. I am not saying these guys are small, but they did not have the 2-3 guys that scare you just looking at them. Archbishop Murphy showed up about 15 minutes later and brought about 35 players. Kennedy would show up a few minutes later and would be the only team wearing jerseys with numbers on them.

     As soon as Kennedy stepped on the field I couldn't stop watching TE/DE Cole Madison. Listed at 6'4" and 240 lbs, Madison was one of the most physically impressive kids on the field. I had seen Madison play last season against Archbishop Murphy and frankly he didn't stand out. If I was a coach looking at Madison, I would be looking at him as a DE or possibly on the OL. He uses his hands very well in every aspect of the game from catching the ball to blocking and on defense when he is shedding a block. I really liked what I saw.

     The Bellevue Wolverines were everything they are cracked up to be. This is easily one of the fastest Wolverine team I have ever seen. They moved the ball with ease offensively and hardly gave an inch on defense. Defensively, they fly to the ball like no other. As good as they are on offense, they are even better on defense. I would not want to have to play this team.

     Archbishop Murphy looked very good. They really do not catch your eye physically. They do however catch your ear once the ball is snapped. The Wildcats are definitely a physical team and showed that against Bellevue. The Wolverines were almost unable to run the ball up the middle as. I don't think I would say Archbishop Murphy "Stacked The Box" as much as I will say they were dedicated to not getting beat inside. Wildcat linebackers were not caught following a Bellevue fake and were in position to make the plays. Where Bellevue had success was outside. Archbishop Murphy simply couldn't keep up with the defending champs.

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June 14th, 2012

Auburn Memorial Stadium

     The only scrimmage that featured four teams was hosted by the Auburn Trojans and featured the Auburn Mountainview Lions, Curtis Vikings and Fife Trojans.  I was really excited to see Auburn as I coached a bunch of players when they played for the Auburn Jr Football program. I was also excited to see a few players from Auburn Mountainview that were on my list of players to see.

     To start the two Auburn schools would face each other with Curtis and Fife playing on the other half. First thing I have to say, Two blue schools with blue helmets and blue jerseys makes it very hard to watch. Not complaining, just throwing it out there. My one complaint will be one that I am sure will get me some emails. The teams were playing with not tackling. They were expected to wrap-up and chop their feet but not bring the ball carrier down. I really do not like this. Every play, lineman were hitting and throwing big blocks, but LB's and DB's were not allowed to get in the action. Just my opinion.

     As far as the teams go, Auburn did exactly what Auburn does. Runs a lot of Jet Sweet type stuff and pounds 4-5 yards at a time. It works, but frankly I think their version is very boring. Defensively they were fun to watch. They have a lot of size from front to back. Their two DT's had to both be close to 290 lbs and were tough to move. When I see Kevin Shelton the first thing I think is Junior Seau. Not only was he wearing #55, but he was EVERYWHERE! That kid will be fun to keep an eye on this season. Another kid that really stood out for me was Safety, TJ Muao. The only real hit of the day came on a 5 yard slant that TJ was waiting on and it resulted in a HUGE hit and TJ sitting on the sideline for about a half hour.

     Auburn Mountainview looked a little off on offense. Come to find out, they had lost their QB a week earlier to injury. This team will be just fine on offense when he is healthy. Defensively they looked tough. DB, Devin Bryant is one I will be keeping an eye on. The kid has big play ability and is not at all afraid of contact. Loved the way he plays. Another standout was LB Maino Mose. If he wasn't involved in the tackle, he was within a few yards. Good motor on that one.

     The team that impressed me most were the Fife Trojans. Outside of a few offensive plays where they made simple mistakes, they were on top of their game. They broke of lots of big running plays on offense and hardly gave an inch defensively. One player I really like from Fife was 2014 class OLB, Keanu Songcuan. The kid has good size and really move well. From some of the few videos I can find, it looks like he played a lot as a Sophomore. Keanu Songcuan Highlights.

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June 15th, 2012

Stadium Bowl

     A beautiful Friday would be wrapped up and the stadium with the best view a stadium in our state has to offer. The Stadium Tigers were hosting the Sumner Spartans and Enumclaw Hornets. I will admit that I had never seen any of these three teams play before today.

     Of the three teams on the day, the best all-around team were the Enumclaw Hornets. They definitely had the most size. They were the most physical and aggressive of the three teams. Junior running back Mauricio Portillo was impressive before having to leave the game with a dislocated elbow. He has good speed and is definitely afraid of contact. It should be noted that he scored on the play he was injured. Looked like a freak accident. Will have to keep an eye on that kid.

     The most impressive player on the field was Junior LT/MLB, Austin Striplin of the Sumner Spartans. While he does need some work on his technique on the offensive side of the ball, he is advanced on the defensive side. At 6'3" and 240 lbs, I see him eventually playing DE. His instincts make up for a slight lack of speed. He was never beat to the sideline as he was usually going there before the back knew he was bouncing it outside. I am very excited to watch him progress over the next two seasons.

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     - Doug Pacey of the Tacoma News Tribune did what he calls "way-too-early preseason rankings". I will never argue with Doug as to me, he is the authority on who is who in our state. Dude knows his stuff. Anyway, here are a few links... 4A Rankings, 3A Rankings, 2A Rankings and 1A Rankings.

     - Doug also passed along a really cool link. The WIAA two year classifications data can be found right here. It is worth a look. You can see which schools are "Opting Up". This is a really cool chart. Kinda crazy how the two schools in Kirkland are both almost small enough to be 2A. Lake Washington is actually in 2A this year and Juanita was only about 10 students above the 2A limit.

     - A few nights ago I got an idea to come up with an "All-Unknown Team". The general idea is to post video, thoughts from myself and hopefully a thought from the players coach. I decided to go with 12 players on each side of the ball. On offense it will be 1-QB, 2-RB, 3-WR, 1-TE and 5-OL. The OL will not be by separate by C, G, T. As a matter of fact, I have 3-C's on my list. Defensively I decided to go with 4-DL, 4-LB and 4-DB's. Some of the players do not play that position now, but I see them being that position at the next level. A kid who plays LB, may be undersized for the position and make the transition to Safety in college. He would be considered a DB on my list. Look for the offense mid of the week and defense at the end of the week. If you have any suggestions for the team, feel free to shoot them my way.

     - I decided to start a shop where people can buy t-shirts, sweatshirts, ect. with a logo and my website on it. I do not intend to make any money off of your purchase and have set my commission at $0. Look for the page to be up by the end of the week.

     - I am always looking to help promote players. If you know a player that has game highlights and deserves some recognition, be sure to send the video my way. I will view the video and pass the link along to my followers. You really do not know who will be looking at my page or twitter account at anytime.