Brandon Huffman, West Recruiting Manager
This weekend I'll be in the greater Seattle area for two games with talented prospects headlining.
Thursday: Lindbergh at Kennedy
On Thursday, I'll be seeing the talented Patriots of Kennedy, who've been on a tear of late, winning five in a row since their Emerald City Kickoff Classic loss. Few players have had the start in the backfield like Tre Watson, who's already gone over the 1,000-yard mark this year. Watson has run for 1,036 yards on 63 carries, and has gone over 200 yards in the last three games. He's also scored 17 touchdowns. Leading the Patriots offense is quarterback Nolan Washington, who's also a three-star defensive back. Linebacker D'Mario Carter anchors the D for the Patriots.
Friday: Issaquah at Skyline
This is not only the best game in the region this weekend, it features the best 2010 prospect in the West — and possibly the country — in Skyline quarterback Jake Heaps. With 15 offers from around the nation, Heaps is hands down the top prospect in the West in the class of 2010. And he's got the benefit of throwing to one of the elite 2011 prospects nationally, receiver Kasen Williams, a sophomore with offers from Boise State, Washington and UCLA, the state's top receiver prospect in the class of 2009, Gino Simone, a commit to Washington State and the trustee Jake Knecht, another 2009 prospect. Skyline also has a slew of 2010 linemen, led by Jase Butorac. Issaquah, also unbeaten, boasts 2010 prospects Grant Gellatly (RB) and Daniel Fleischman (OL), and 2009 tackle Christian Rennie.
Jason Jewell, Southwest Recruiting Analyst
Friday: Scottsdale Saguaro vs. Scottsdale Chaparral
I get the chance to to see three of Arizona's top five players in one game when I go out to watch Scottsdale Saguaro and Scottsdale Chaparral. These bitter cross-town rivals played two of the best games in the state last year when they faced each other in the regular season and in the playoffs.
Saguaro has been known for its great offensive and defensive lines and this year is no exception. Five-star defensive tackle Corey Adams leads Saguaro along with Arizona State commit Kody Koebensky at guard and Boise State commit Justin Jungblut at defensive end. Running behind those big guys is Beau Burton, who at 5-foot-11, 205 pounds, has the size to pound the ball but has the speed to score at any time. He is averaging of 12 yards per carry and received his first offer last week from UNLV.
Quarterback Cole Rarrick is having a great season and at 6-4, 200, is getting plenty of interest. Rice commit Paul Porras and Erik Brown are two of the better playmakers in the state.
Chaparral has some great players of its own in four-star DE Craig Roh and four-star offensive tackle Taylor Lewan. Roh has 8.5 sacks already and has committed to Michigan while Lewan (6-7, 270) has blown up recently and now has 15 offers to his name. RB Dwayne Garrett is making his case as the top in-state RB in the class of 2010, averaging over 12 yards per carry himself.
This game has all of the makings of a great one. Both are undefeated and ranked
No. 1 and No. 2 in the state, have a ton of talent, are heated rivals and the winner of this game will likely decide who wins the region and will have major playoff implications.
Allen Trieu, Midwest Recruiting Analyst
This week, I'll be venturing into the Windy City. Rather than just hitting one game, I'll be going to the various high schools in the Chicago area and checking in with the area's top prospects.
My first stop on Thursday will be at Chicago Hubbard, where the team is 6-1 and features linebacker Darius Moffett, who holds several FBS scholarships. From there, I will jump over to Leo Catholic, the home of two Illinois commitments, Lendell Buckner and Leon Hill as well as QB Darwin Rogers.
That afternoon, I will be at Morgan Park's walkthrough as the Mustangs hope to keep their playoff hopes alive. I will be checking in with five-star defensive end Craig Drummond, running back Dominique Bell and standout junior QB Daron Brown.
I will round out the trip with a stop at Harvey Thornton, where QB Darren Jones holds several offers. Thornton also features Illinois commitment Greg Fuller at fullback and wide receiver Jamal Gray, who is receiving looks for both football and basketball.
Dave Berk, Midwest Recruiting Analyst
Two days and four games highlight my travels this weekend. We’ll be in Cincinnati, Ohio for both days and will have a chance to see some great action on the field.
Friday night I’ll be at Paul Brown Stadium home of the Cincinnati Bengals. While the NFL team has had its issues of winning this fall, we’ll have a chance to catch a couple of very good programs in a double header for the night.
Game One we’ll have a chance to watch one of the top tight ends in Ohio as Ted Bolser of Indian Hill (Indiana verbal) will battle Deer Park. Bolser has already picked up 711 yards receiving this fall. Indian Hill quarterback Bo Cordell doesn’t get much talk in recruiting circles but he’s passed for 2,397 yards with two games remaining. In the second game we’ll catch a couple of juniors in Jibreel Black and Jacob Allsop. Both have been showing signs of being key prospects in Ohio. Also in action will be senior tight end Jacob Green. Wyoming will battle Mariemont who has seen it’s struggles this fall with a 1-7 record. Wyoming and Indian Hill will battle next week in what looks like a battle for their conference championship on the line.
Satuday brings some great action as our first game will have Lakewood St. Edward battling Moeller at the University of Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium. We’ll then travel over to Elder High School and watch the Panthers battle Cleveland Benedictine in what should be a great battle.