When I sat down and started writing my “Recruiting Tips”, I had no idea of the impact and response from people I’d receive. Having gone thru this process as a player twice, a coach, and now a mentor, I’ve clocked a lot of hours and experience. For years I’ve talked individually to kids, parents, and their families. What I’m excited about now is the fact that with NEI there’s now a podium to…
Image from ESPN.com There’s not much I can tell you about Brett Bafaro the football player that hasn’t already been written about. Sure, you already know he’s a beastly 6’2 1/2″, 230lbs. Sure, you already know he runs a legitimate 4.50 40. Sure, he’s being recruited throughout the country and has numerous offers from schools such as OSU, Boise State, UO, Utah, UW, Colorado, etc. He could walk into any…
Adversity is a word that is thrown around loosely and non chalantly. I’m sure you could ramble off at least 5 cliché’s about adversity just off the top of your head. “It’s not how many times you get knocked down, it’s how many times you get back up”. That’s one I’ve heard since my first athletic days and have heard nonstop ever since. Yes, it’s a true statement, sort of. To keep getting up means…
The best QB in the Northwest no one’s heard about is Alex Matthews. A senior to be at Lake Oswego this year, Alex saw minimal action as a junior. But don’t let stats or playing time fool you, Alex is a D1 QB for sure. Anyone that’s seen or kept up with the NIKE and Barton Football Combine and Camp circuit this spring and summer are very familiar with Alex. He has literally…
If you ask anyone that played in the Metro League in the 90’s or early 2000’s about Aloha High School football, they laugh. It was a guaranteed win when playing them, and they were essentially an afterthought. Those days are long gone, as Aloha is a name that commands fear and respect. What Chris Casey has done is nothing less than remarkable. Coming off a State Championship season, Aloha might even be better this…
They say it’s not the final destination that matters, but rather the journey. If you ask Caleb Smith or his parent’s, they’d tell you differently. For Smith, a 6’6” 250lb. TE from Kentridge High School in Washington, the whole point of his recruiting journey was to find his destination. And on Saturday, he found just that in Corvallis, Oregon with the OSU Beavers. The 2nd high profile recruit to commit…
With the recent success of QB’s coming out of the Northwest to both the Collegiate and NFL levels, I wanted to write about a superstar in the making. His name is Conner Neville, and he’ll be a 7th grader this year. I know this sounds almost absurd to write about such a young kid and proclaim such a big statement. But before you judge, hear me out. Most recently, Lane Kiffin(head coach at USC) offered…
The state of Oregon is absolutely loaded this season, with both college prospects and overall teams. You could make an argument for about 5 programs winning a state title. The obvious two being Jesuit and Aloha, who are both ranked in the national polls. One other team that will have something to say about it is the Sheldon Irish. Three time State Championship Head coach Marty Johnson has stepped down, but is still playing a…
Though he’ll be in a different uniform on a different team this year, expect much of the same from AJ Glass. A 2nd Team All League DB last year at West Linn, AJ has transferred to Jesuit . As if the Crusaders needed any more talent, Glass forms a great 1-2 punch in the backfield with Jaima Halliburton. Defensively, he rounds out arguably the best secondary in the state with Nick Rothstein, Drew DeMarco,…
Oregon City won’t be a favorite to win the Three Rivers League this year. In fact, they won’t be favored to win many games. Coming off a (4-7) year, the Pioneers also are dealing with the loss of their head coach. But if you talk to the players on the team, you don’t get the sense that they are throwing in the towel on the season. In fact, there’s a new aura of confidence…