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While the state of Washington is loaded with talented senior quarterback prospects this year, a look at the 2014 recruiting reveals that there are already some promising prospects to keep an eye on.
So far this offseason, one that has been most impressive for the work he’s put in at the Barton camps has been Capital (Olympia) QB Derrick Becker, a first-time starter in 2011 and a player poised to take his team on a deep playoff run this fall.
“Last year I didn’t get a lot of chances to throw the ball,” Becker told Northwest Elite Index recently. “We called a play and if the defense wasn’t right (to allow a successful play) then I basically became a runner. I did that a lot this year and they had some boots for me that I could be a run option and we ran some option too.
“When you have a guy like Kai Van Sickle behind you running the ball and an offensive line giving him the room to make yardage on the ground, you have to understand as a quarterback that you take a back seat and you do what helps your team win.”
As the starter under center, Becker led the Cougars to an 8-4 record by completing 64.7% of his passes for 1,205 yards with 12 touchdowns and eight interceptions while rushing for 349 yards and five touchdowns but at 5’11” and weighing 167 pounds, Becker knows he needs to get bigger and he’s been hard at work on that as well as improving his passing skills as well.
“I’m a quarterback who is an athlete, not the other way around,” Becker said. “I like running the ball, but I know I need to get bigger and stronger and I’ve also been going to some of the Barton camps and there are some great players there, like (Skyline’s) Max Browne. When you see a guy like him out there working hard, it pushes you to keep improving and get better as well.”
Becker is a signal-caller who is one to watch as he develops his game in the coming years. He is an outstanding athlete with a great work-ethic and that could prove to be a deadly combination for Capital’s opponents this fall.
Editor’s Note: I wanted to add to Scott’s article due to Becker’s outstanding performances at our winter elite events. Derrick played well, but it was his over the top drive and work ethic that set the kid apart.
He is considered one of the top sophomore QB’s in the State of Washington and earned all league honors this past season for his efforts. Capital has to be very excited with the group they have coming back. Becker’s the type of kid that makes every program better because he cares a lot and is willing to put in the work. He is a class kid in every sense of the word, and we think he will continue to develop into one of the better QB’s in the entire northwest.
Capital’s move from 3A to 2A immediately puts them in a position to be a title contender with the lIkes of Kai Van Sickle, Derek Chase, and Baylor Hahn. They were already a good 3a Team so the drop makes them even more lethal.
We are excited to have Becker training with us during the year, as he has definitely earned the label of one of Washington’s Elite early in his career.
