(Oregon’s top tackler at the 5a level in 2011 Tanner Fiez) |
(Oregon’s Top recruit for the class of 2014 Tanner Sanders) |
(One of the region’s top lineman Austin Powell) |
The top team in the state of Oregon at the 5a level in 2012 could very well be the Crescent Valley Raiders out of Corvalis. The Scott Sanders lead team faced a host of injuries last season, but is back and better then ever with everybody healthy. They showcase the state’s top recruit for the class of 2014 in Tanner Sanders (6-5 200 Jr. QB/WR/S) who has already been offered by Oregon St and San Diego St, and will have many more offers before he is done.
He’s a phenomenal talent that received an offer from his home town Beavers less then two weeks ago. As a freshman Sanders earned first team all league honors and was ranked statistically as one of the top 10 freshman receivers in the country. (39 rec, 8 Tds, 662 Yds, 17 ypc).
Last season Sanders took over the QB duties and was injured fairly early in the season. This was a big blow for the Raiders who had injuries to a host of other key players including lineman Austin Powell (6-4 260 Sr. OL/DL) and Bryon Bodon (6-4 275 Sr. OL/DL).
Sanders projects as a kid that can play on either side of the ball and be the best at whatever he does. That is what makes him so valuable and the #1 recruit overall. Head coach Mike Riley told Sanders that they offered him as an athlete, and was someone that could play a multitude of positions including defensively.
Sanders says, " We have been looking forward to this year for a long time with our two classes together, our goal is to get that state title and settle for nothing less"
Powell will be another key to the Raiders season, and will be looked at as one of the top D lineman in the northwest. His recent commitment to Portland St was quick, and now Powell has immediately turned his attention towards the season.
"The journey has just begun for me, this commitment is not an excuse to flip it on auto pilot and cruse, instead I have to ramp it up a gear and work harder then I ever have before to help my team get that title".
Austin did very well at the showcase at UW, and showed the athleticism necessary to progress rapidly at the next level. His abilities as a wrestler speak volumes about what he is able to do on the interior, and there is a good chance other universities will still come in and try to sway Powell their way.
Add in one of the top linebackers in the state in Tanner Fiez (6-2 220 Sr. LB) and you have a general patrolling your defense that was the state’s leading tackler as a junior (119 total, 11.9 per) at the 5a level (Max Preps). Fiez is a big, fast kid that flies to the ball and has rapidly gotten better. We currently have him ranked as a State Top 10 linebacker, and someone that will be a viable candidate for Conference Defensive Player of the Year Honors.
Fiez says, " We want to win our conference and then try to get that state title, we feel its important that we reach our potential because we fell short last year". Tanner has been very methodical and smart about which camps to hit, and has done well at places such as Eastern Washington, Montana, and PSU.
He will also be able to mentor one of the state’s top junior backers to be in Jacob Bucher (6-2 220 Jr. LB) who is another kid we really like. Bucher racked up (85 tackles, 8.5 Per, 3 sacks) last season as a sophomore and has legit skills that make him a top prospect for the 2014 class.
Last but most definitely not least will be two super talented lineman, one of which already has 2 D1 offers in Bryon Bodon (6-4 275 Sr. OL/DL), and junior Will Heck (6-2 260 Jr. OL) who is one of the more talented underclassmen on the O line returning in Oregon. Bodon holds offers from Portland St and North Dakota, and if he can stay healthy will be one of the top lineman in the region.
In all the Crescent Valley Raiders are going to be an extremely dangerous team coming into 2012. They potentially could hold a #1 ranking from NEI at the class 5a level coming into the season. Beware of the talent that is big, athletic, and finally healthy out in the valley. CV is on a collision course with ultimate success or a battle for the ages with some other top teams, so be very excited for the 2012 season.
