The state of Washington is loaded with impressive looking football players in the senior class of 2012 and Bethel (Spanaway) WR/TE David Fontenette figured he had what it took to play in the Pac 12 early on, but since his offer from Oregon State, the athletic and big wideout didn’t get a lot of attention, however, with a good senior season, schools have begun to pick up the pace and he told NEI recently that’s just fine with him.
“It’s good that they are showing interest, but right now Oregon State is my only offer so that’s my favorite school,” Fontenette said recently. “I’m going to visit there next month and see what it’s like down there. I really like the coaches there. They believe in my ability and they like me as a tight end or as a H-Back, so I think I can do well in their system.”
In addition to the consistent attention from the Beavers, Fontenette said both Eastern Washington and Idaho have also picked up the pace.
As a senior this season, Fontenette used his big frame — 6’2″, 220 pounds — and soft hands to hurt defenses and he hauled in 52 receptions for over 700 yards and seven touchdowns while rushing for 350 yards and six more scores while leading the Braves to a 8-3 record and a berth in the state playoffs.
“We had a good season and with us playing (Odessa, Tx.) Permian we felt like we had a chance to have some big games to prove ourselves,” Fontenette said. “We struggled a little early on, but then we made a run and a lot of that is a credit to our coaches and the senior class because we wanted to go out with a state playoff team.”
Even with his status as one of the top skill-position players in the state, Fontenette didn’t rest on his laurels this summer.
“I think the biggest thing about me is my speed and that people assume I’m slower than I am because of how big I am,” Fontenette noted. “I worked this past summer a lot on my routes and that was mostly footwork drills and speed drills, getting in and out of my cuts quickly.
“I feel like I have good hands and that will help me a lot at the next level.”
Fontenette had been a three-sport athlete for Bethel before this year, playing football, basketball and running track, but this year he’s opted to forego the hardwood, and will focus on track and getting ready for his college football career to begin this coming summer.
“I played basketball as a sophomore and junior, but I’m not playing it this year” Fontenette said. “In track I’ll do the 100 and 200 which helps me stay in shape and it helps me work on my explosiveness.”
We will have more from Fontenette in the coming weeks as he gets closer to making his decision.
