(Andrew Kirkland 6-5 295 Jesuit OL) |
Two kids we have gotten to know well over the last year are Andrew Kirkland (6-5 295 Jr. OL Jesuit) and Matt Sommer (6-5 290 Jr. DL West Salem). They have battled at our elite events in Portland recently, putting on D1 level showcases for others to witness.
A school that many know we have worked closely with is the upstart Wyoming Cowboys, led by Freshman All American Brett Smith out of West Salem. As reported earlier big news came when they decided to offer both Northwest big men.
Kirkland currently holds a Portland St offer, where Sommer did not have anything. Kirkland is ranked among the top 10 players in the state and is widely considered one of the top four offensive lineman in Oregon along with Brayden Kearsley, Evan Voeller, and Max Rich. He earned second team all league honors, 2nd Team Army All American combine honors, and 2012 Preseason 1st Team All Region honors by us at NEI.
Sommer has been a Second Team All League kid for the last two seasons, and was named to NEI’s 2nd Team All Region squad. Matt will be a leading candidate for Defensive Player of the Year in the Central Valley Conference, and is ranked as one of the top 15 Players in Oregon.
Both Kirkland and Sommer are even better people then athletes so once again we give a lot of credit to the Cowboy coaching staff for capitalizing on two outstanding kids.
We were be able to speak to Kirkland and Sommer as the offers came in and both kids and families were ecstatic. Sommer says, ” I was at the Rose Garden watching the State Basketball Tournament and my phone started blowing up so I went outside and saw Andrew Kirkland”. He continued, “I said what’s up man, and he replied I just got offered by Wyoming…Sommer said me too”.
This was a pretty cool deal for two kids who will most likely get plenty of additional offers. You never forget you first major D1 schoarship and this will be a moment in time that both can cherish.
You can’t help but appreciate people like the Kirkland family who have been working hard to help Andrew. They have been huge supporters of NEI, and we feel that he is one of the top O lineman in the western part of the United States. He will be part of a special Jesuit line that could average 6-5 1/2 285 across the board.
We look forward to a busy off season and reporting on all our top kids, as they train with us at Barton and move forward with their future.
(Matt Sommer 6-5 290 Jr. West Salem DE)
