Friday Night Lights: Prospect Analysis

Some of the state’s top high school football prospects were on display this past weekend and Dawgman.com was present to watch several games, including the top matchup of week three – Ferris vs. Lewis & Clark. Read on to see our thoughts on the top prospects we saw and some new ones that will be on the radar in the coming years...

Ferris at Lewis & Clark
This was a battle royale between the state's No. 1 and No. 7 4A teams at Joe Albi Stadium in Spokane, with the Saxons coming out on top 19-6.

Lewis & Clark - Alex Shaw (2008) is a big, tough runner - more of a fullback. Keeps on his feet pretty well, good balance for a guy his size. Definitely a MIK in college. He had a hit on a WR screen to Jared Karstetter that was a big one - easily the best play of the night for him. He was very active on defense.

And for those that watch a lot of Spokane-area HS ball - get ready to hear "Halliday to Ehlo" a LOT in the next two years. Connor Halliday (2010) - QB and Austin Ehlo (2010, must be related, right?) WR were connecting a bunch last night. LC's normal QB (Eglet) was OK, but sporadic. Halliday brought in a nice spark when he game into the game, has a nice frame (6-3), and solid mechanics. Ehlo is rangy (6-2), and definitely knew how to make himself available as a receiver. Many times the LC QB would scramble and throw the ball to either side, and Ehlo would be there. Halliday and Ehlo are both sophomores right now, so Coach Tom Yearout has to be really thrilled with the future there.

On the Ferris side, Shawn Stockton (2008) was out (high ankle sprain), and he told me that he had over 80 yards the first half of last week's game before getting hurt. According to Coach Sharkey, he was really ripping it up.

Jared Karstetter (2008) was just Jared Karstetter. Solid, dependable. Made the only offensive touchdown on the night for either team. He's just a great big target. They tried to get him in 'jump ball' situations a few times, but credit the LC secondary. They never let him really utilize his height advantage.

The two guys I really thought had great games were McKenzie Murphy (2008) and Erick Cheadle (2008). Both had picks, and were all over the place defensively. You can tell Sharkey relies on Murphy heavily to be in places to make plays (O, D and as a return guy). He's not a big kid (5-8), but he plays with a ton of heart and has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. In terms of just having the instincts to play the game, he might be the best in the GSL, IMHO.

Cheadle is a really, really good high school player. He does exactly what you'd want your leading LB to do - stick his nose in there and be a sound, fundamental tackling machine. He also had the pick to seal the game for the Saxons, so he has some range to his game. With all the really fast LB's that are out there, I'm not sure he has the footspeed to be a D1 guy, but if he doesn't end up in the Big Sky it's a crime. He's every bit the dominating LB you'd see at Eastern or Montana.

Quarterback Jeff Minnerly (2008) is an intriguing prospect. At this point, only his inconsistency in the passing game is keeping him from being in the elite group of top QB prospects in the state, but the best thing about Minnerly's game at this point is his poise, decision-making and game management skills. Rarely does he force a pass, and is one of the better signal-callers in the state when it comes to the old adage of taking what the defense gives you. As his passing skills continue to develop, he'll become an even more dangerous part of the Saxons' offense.

Other Saxons to look to down the road - Garret Saike (2009) - he had a kickoff return for 6. Andrew Weigand (2009) - called his name a lot, a very versatile performer. Will most likely be the McKenzie Murphy of next year's team. Nathan Tonani (2009) - a runner in the Shaw mold, just not as explosive. We'll see what a year of seasoning does to his game down the road. His best position may end up being linebacker.

And the coaches are raving about a youngster - Kjelby Oiland. 2010 prospect on the DL, 6-foot-4, 276 pounds (as listed in the program). I'm going to have to consult the tape to see whether or not he played (I usually focus on the skill guys live, then watch the line during replay), but the Saxons coaches had nothing but big-time things to say about his potential. So there's another name to remember.

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Mariner at Jackson
Mariner really put it to Jackson who is very young. They were up 28-0 when I left part-way into the fourth quarter. We all know about Tyler Tuiasosopo, the Mariner QB, but there were several younger players for recruitniks to keep an eye on over the next couple years. Mariner ended up winning 28-7.

Mariner QB Tyler Tuiasosopo (2008) – He just doesn’t look like a D-1 or even a D-1AA quarterback to me. He’s just too small to be that effective with the lines he would have to play behind at those levels. He does have a strong arm and he’s got good quickness so the Mariner coaches used him on quarterback sweeps and he scored on a six-yard run. He looks like a guy who would be an ideal D-2 or D-3 quarterback.

Mariner WR/RB Adrien Black (2009) – Good looking athlete. Runs a little high when he’s carrying the ball, but has good vision and has good speed when he opens it up. Also has good hands – he made a leaping catch in traffic on 3rd and 14 for a first down. He’s a player to keep an eye on.

Mariner DT/OL Kshaun Jennings (2009) – He’s got a really quick first step. He caused a fumble when he hit the quarterback while he was trying to hand the ball off. It was recovered but you could definitely see his quickness and strength. He’s got good size (6-1, 250) and appears to have the frame to add some more weight as well.

Mariner TE/DE Mychael Tuiasosopo (2010) – Not sure how he relates to the first family of Washington sports, but he’s got more size than the other Tuiasosopo’s (Matt, Marques, Zach, Trenton and Tyler) than I’ve seen. He’s already 6-2, 245 and he started on both sides of the ball. I thought he looked better on the offensive side of the ball. He was able to really drive his man off the line and usually got the second level pretty quickly and he was always looking for a downfield block. He also was in on quite a few tackles, but they were usually down the field a ways. He looks like a solid athlete that may be able to grow into a lineman at some point.

Jackson RB/DB Taylor Cox (2009) – He’s just got that great tailback look about him. The way he walks and runs reminds me a lot of Willie Hurst. Now is he that type of a back? I’m not ready to say that, but he’s about the same size and he’s got soft hands out of the backfield. He made a couple of guys miss when they were right there after he took the handoff. He’s super-quick, but he might have too many moves because he seemed to juke too much and allowed the defense to close on him. He also stopped moving his feet a couple of times which isn’t good. On defense he played linebacker, but he looks like he could be a hard-hitting safety. He made a couple of plays in the open field and just popped guys. He was the best player on the field.

Jackson DE/OT Jahleel Barnes (2009) – He’s got a great frame and he was the most enthusiastic player on the field. Hustled on every play – offense or defense – and he was constantly trying to pump up his teammates. He’s a better DE or DT candidate, able to get great penetration and showed good closing speed while running down Tuiasosopo for a sack and combine with a teammate for another sack. He played a bit high a couple times, but a lot of high school linemen do that. He and Cox will both have plenty of scouts from D-1 schools eyeing them next year.

Jackson QB Andy Gay (2010) – He has a good frame (6-3, 180) but he wasn’t the most mobile signal-caller I’ve ever seen. He didn’t start the game, but when the starter was ineffective they sent in Gay and he performed well. It will be interesting to see how he develops down the road. Doesn’t have a big arm, but showed good touch on a couple of passes. Good prospect.

Jackson TE/DE Trevor Hegeberg (2010) – Good size and a very good blocker. Really sealed off his side on several running plays and sprung Cox on two of his longer runs. Not as aggressive on defense. Started on both sides of the ball.

Jackson S/FB Riley Carr (2010) – Another sophomore that starts on both sides of the ball for the Timberwolves. Carr has a good body (6-1, 200) and he was the lead blocker for Cox, but I loved him at safety. He came up and filled against the run hard. He’s a very sure tackler and just blasted a couple of guys in the hole. I could see him growing into an linebacker carrying about 225 before he leaves. Probably the best of the young players on the field.

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Shorecrest at Edmonds-Woodway
This game was no contest from the beginning, even though Shorecrest scored the first touchdown of the night. The Warriors just had too much firepower, eventually scoring 63 points.

Shorecrest RB/LB Marek Domanski (2008) - A really big kid at 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, Domanski runs well enough, but it was hard to get a real good read on what he can do athletically because the Scotties were more than happy to run him right up into the pile on nearly every offensive possession. Defensively, he's probably a defensive end in college, but could bulk up into a 3-technique. Has the body for D1, not sure about the rest, since this is the first time I've seen him play.

Shorecrest QB/DB Lars Swenson (2008) - Swenson can run, no question about it. He's got good size (6-1, 187) and leads his offense pretty well. I just don't think he's got the passing game yet to be a sure-fire college quarterback, but he could probably learn that. Based on what I saw, at this point he'd probably have to make a decision - work hard at being a well-rounded QB, or look at all his possibilities and play defense in college. With a good frame and the ability to run well, Swenson has at least the physical makings of a 1-A or 1-AA defensive back.

Shorecrest RB/DB Michael Harris (2010) - Still have a ways to go in Harris' recruitment, but he made plays out there on an out-manned Shorecrest team. Announcer was calling his name all night. Has decent size already (5-9, 175), and I'm sure he'll keep getting bigger. At this point, speed is going to be the only thing that keeps him from going to a bigger college. He's already shown that he's got some innate football instinct.

E-W RB/LB Tony Heard (2009) - Washington assistant Bob Simmons was at this game, and I'm sure one of the players he was watching closely was Heard. Now that he's out of the shadow of big brother (Josh), Tony is getting lots of carries and making the most of it. He's definitely not a single back at the D1 level, but fullback is a definite possibility. He's a tough runner, physical and is surprisingly agile for his size (5-11, 225). Heard plays both ways, so that just adds to his versatility.

E-W QB/DB Kyle McCartney (2008) - McCartney had a ton of weapons at his disposal last year, and since he doesn't have quite the arsenal this season, he's having to do more things himself - and that's not been a problem. One of the few 4A quarterbacks to play both ways, his work at DB has clearly given him an edge at quarterback when he needs to make plays with his feet. He's sneaky fast, and can get away from defenders. That was clear on a 25-yard touchdown run he had in the fourth quarter.

E-W WR/DB Antoinne Wafer (2008) - Wafer, at 5-7, probably will never get a shot playing D1 ball, and that's a shame - because he's really fun to watch. He had two kickoff returns for touchdowns against Shorecrest (92 and 88 yards), and a 51-yard touchdown grab from McCartney. He doesn't have exceptional juke or outstanding speed - he just makes plays and knows how to find open space.

E-W WR Din Kuses (2009) - Kuses isn't at tall as former Warrior and current Idaho Vandal Eric Greenwood, but at 6-2 he definitely knows how to stretch out and get after a pass. Good hands, solid route runner from what I could see. He's going to be a guy to keep an eye on for next year.

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Oak Harbor at Meadowdale
This was a GREAT game. The Mavericks had a chance to pull a big upset at home, but Oak Harbor just knows how to win. The defending Washington State 4A champs pulled one out of the fire, 14-9, in what Dick Vitae would have called a 'Maalox Masher'.

Oak Harbor WR Michael Bell (2008) - A huge kid (6-5, 225), Bell could end up playing a number of positions. I would probably project him out at TE right now, just because he's not super-fast or agile. But he is a big body that makes catches and seems to have a decent feel for the game. A lot of players his size might look awkward because they are still growing into their bodies, but Bell seemed to run OK and play with some athleticism. A D1 kid? That's hard to tell on just one game.

Oak Harbor QB Johnny Encinas (2008) - Talking with Coach Dave Ward before the game, he had talked about how well Encinas was playing, how he had thrown eight touchdowns prior to the Meadowdale game. And then he went out and promptly threw a pick on the first pass of the game. But I'll give Johnny plenty of credit; he kept his team in the game when things weren't clicking on all cylinders, and scored the go-ahead touchdown with a minute left in the game. Has the size to play D1 (6-1, 185), but the jury is definitely still out on how well he manages the game throwing the ball

Oak Harbor WR Rodrick Rumble (2008) - Rumble was a big part of OH's run to the state championship in 2006, but has since been dealing with a knee strain he suffered during a summer camp at Washington State this past summer. He made plays, but certainly didn't appear to be 100 percent. He wasn't far off, however. At 6-3 and 205, he's a physical specimen. The question mark right now is how much has the knee problem taken away from his physicality and overall toughness?

Oak Harbor TE/DE Jake Rouser (2008) - Coach Ward said that both Washington and Washington State are starting to look seriously at Rouser, and at 6-4 and 220 pounds, he has a nice frame that could be built upon. He runs very well, which is probably the biggest reason he might have a chance to actually play in the Pac-10. But is it on scholarship, or as a preferred walk-on? I'll definitely be paying attention to Rouser's ascension this season. He is definitely an intriguing prospect.

Meadowdale QB Matt McDonagh (2009) - Saw glimpses of a player that could be very good for the 2009 class. Again, a QB with decent size (6-1, 160), but he'll have to definitely continue to mature physically to gain the attention of scouts. Coached by former UW great Mark Stewart, and you can tell he is fundamentally sound in the passing game. Just need to continue to see normal progress.

Meadowdale LB A.J. Carroll (2009) - A sideline-to-sideline linebacker, Carroll is a rangy (6-3, 185) athlete who looks like he could end up playing as a SAM at the next level. I liked the way he ran, ran and ran some more - showing a lot of energy on the field. Another rising junior that will have to continue in his development to get looks as a senior.

Meadowdale WR/TE Connor Hamlett (2010) - Related to former Edmonds-Woodway TE Casey Hamlett? If he's not a younger brother, he must be at least a cousin, because their bodies are awfully similar. Hamlett, at 6-5 and 230, is a load for a rising sophomore. And he can run. Coach Stewart actually uses Hamlett out wide as a receiver, a true testament to his athleticism. Definitely going to be a player to watch out for in a couple of years.