(Tanner Davies 6-4 275 Jr. OL, One of OR’s top ranked lineman for 2014) |
(Yadie Dunmore 5-11 175 Jr. ATH with new Duck and brother Oshay Dunmore) |
(Marcus McGovern 6-2 215 Jr. LB- One of OR’s top backers for 2014) |
(Liam Talty 6-4 220 Jr. DE- One of NEI’s projected breakout performers of the year for 2012) |
One of the most well run programs anywhere in the country is Sheldon out of Eugene. You have heard us talk about them numerous times, not just because of the talent but due to the classiness of the program from top to bottom. This year will prove no different.
Connor Strahm (6-1 210 Sr. ATH/S) returns as the SWC Player of the year after 1900 All Purpose Yds and 28 Tds. Put the pads on Strahm, and its hard to find someone that’s more exciting to watch on Friday nights. Dylan and Mitch Lewis are both all league standouts coming back, and will be important on both sides of the ball. Chet Spears (6-2 300 Sr. DL) and Brett Nielsen (6-4 230 Sr. OL/DL) will return to represent a line that did very well last season shutting down most opponents.
Taylor Alie (6-0 170 Sr. QB) is an outstanding overall athlete, and will replace record setting QB Dillon Miller behind center. Alie won’t be the passer that Miller was, but he will be able to use his feet a great deal more. Most importantly he will just need to manage the game well, and play mistake free football.
Two big time senior transfers in James Banks (6-1 225 Sr. LB/FB) and Mike Ralston (6-6 240 Sr. TE/DE) will also play huge roles. Banks comes over from Marist and is considered one of the top backers in the state, and Ralston transferred from Jesuit last season and already has a D1 offer from Northern Colorado out of the Big Sky.
Add in returning all league linebacker Ivan Faulhaber (6-3 215 Sr. TE/LB) and returning OL starter Henry Asay (6-2 295 Sr. OL), and you have a senior class that will rival any school in the state.
That said, the overall difference will come with the junior class and how quick they are able to step up. Yadie Dunmore’s (5-11 175 Jr) transfer to Sheldon from Newport is huge for the program, as he is considered one of the top players in the entire state for the class of 2014. He is the brother of all everything athlete Oshay Dunmore who is ranked as one of the top Safety/Athletes in the country for the 2012 class, and will now be a Duck.
Tanner Davies (6-4 275 Jr. OL) is considered one of the best O lineman in the region for the class and is a legit D1 prospect, while Liam Talty (6-4 215 Jr. DE) is one of the more exciting D ends that we have seen on the camp circuit as the kid just fly’s off the ball.
You can expect Marcus McGovern (6-2 215 Jr. LB/DE) to be another kid that will need to have a big year making up for some of Dawson Housley and Sam McCaskill’s overwhelming presence from last season. McGovern has looked outstanding and is a student of the game, and one of the better defensive players for the 2014 class.
Mitch Herbert (6-3 180 Jr. WR) and Taylor Tharp (5-9 180 Jr. RB/LB) also played Varsity football as sophomores, and will definitely play a role if the Irish are to make another state title game.
The support within the community for this Sheldon program has been nothing short of phenomenal, and Coaches Lane and Marty Johnson have been instrumental in building a class program, recognized nationally for its talent and consistency.
All of us at NEI and Barton Football have spent the last year getting to know a lot of these athletes on a personal level, and they are just as good of people as they are players. Credit all those parents and coaches within the program of setting a standard on and off the field.
Expect to see the Irish ranked as one of the top 3 teams in the state at the 6a level by NEI. Sheldon grabbing a title will come down to how well the junior class can make their mark, with a very talented senior class already established. They will all have to play lights out to beat the Jesuit, Central Catholic, and Aloha’s of the world so be excited to see how it goes down in 2012.
