Key Players
RB/SS Daron Camacho (5’8″ 200, ’16) – Camacho is one of my favorite players to watch. He brings toughness, experience and leadership, and is described as a tone setter on both sides of the ball. He is coming off a 1,600+ rushing yard season as a junior, and will become a rare four-year starter at Chief Sealth.
QB Kyler Gaither (6’2″ 190, ’17) – Gaither takes over the starting spot and the coaching staff couldn’t be more excited about his future. He has good size, a strong arm and could really open some eyes in a new offensive system.
WR/FS Kalen McGee (5’10” 175, ’17) – McGee is an up-and-coming defensive back prospect. He and Camacho form one of the better safety combos in the area. McGee shows good speed and instincts, and is a player the coaching staff says has potential to be an impact player in the secondary.
OL/DL Andrew Leota (6’4″ 310, ’16) – Leota is an absolute house, and very tough to move on the defensive side. He moves very well for his size, has great hands and a really strong punch. If Leota was at a bigger school, odds are you would know the name.
OL/DL Sam Tino (5’11” 250, ’16) – Tino is a two-way starter and one of the toughest players on the team. He plays hard and to the whistle, with a hit first mentality. Tino will be a key cog to both lines and is vital to the Seahawks play in the trenches.
Overview
Second year head coach Simon Iñiguez gutted his coaching staff after last season’s 3-7 finish, and now there is a new attitude around Chief Sealth, as they look to be a program on the rise.
Seahawk coaches don’t have a problem removing players who are not fully committed to program. If an athlete is not making the grade, they will cut without hesitation, no matter how important they are to the team on the field.
With a new offense that looks to spread the ball around, QB Kyler Gaither will have every opportunity to shine. He has a big arm and can make all the throws needed to move the Seahawk offense down the field.
The focus for most opposing defenses will be RB Daron Camacho. He is the spark plug of the offense, and the coaching staff will find ways to get Camacho the ball in space. While I do expect the Seahawks to move the ball around more, you can still expect Camacho to carry the offense.
You can expect the offense to go with four receivers for a bulk of their formations, with Savon Smith (6’0″ 160, ’16) and Chase Mcnelly (5’9″ 150, ’17) doing work from the outside, while C’zhai Terrell (‘5’4″ 140, ’16) and Diego Jackson (5’9″ 150, ’18) work out of the slot. Expect to see Le’Vontae Maxwell (5’8″ 170, ’18) work his way into the offense and is a player to watch in the future.
Chief Sealth is going to play a lot of ironman football along the line. Andrew Leota has the size and ability to play at the next level, and is probably the most talented lineman on the roster.
Angelo Laudermilk (5’10” 200, ’18) is slated to start at both LT and MLB, and is a player the coaches have told me to keep an eye on. Also look for Ian Keating (5’10” 200, ’16), Orlando Lopez (’16) and Sam Tino (’16) on both sides of the ball.
As a whole, the lines may not have great size, but they bring a tough mentality and an aggressive style that should help open holes and give Gaither time offensively, while creating havoc on defense.
Along with Laudermilk, Andy Huong (5’10” 170, ’16) and Antonio Chiles (5’8″ 180) will man the linebacker spot for the Seahawks. Both players fit the tough-aggressive style Chief Sealth hopes to play this season.
Daron Camacho will make the move from LB to SS this year, and I fully expect it to be a smooth transition. Camacho has a high football IQ and should be a play maker right away. His partner in the deep secondary is Kalen McGee, who saw a lot of action last year and is one of the team’s top players. The corners are familiar names, as C’zhai Terrell and Diego Jackson will play two-way football.
Bottom Line: Chief Sealth has the playmakers to make something happen this year. With a balanced attack offensively, and a suffocating defense, they could do some real damage. A senior heavy class will have to play to their fullest potential. You should see them in the round-of-32.
Key Games
@ Garfield (9/5)
@ Nathan Hale (9/18)
vs Ballard (9/25)
