As we expand at NEI and Barton Football one place we always love to get out to every year is Las Vegas. This weekend’s Showcase event in Seattle will feature one of Nevada’s top 2015 Athletes in Albert Lake of Green Valley High School.
Lake recently ran the fastest shuttle time in the country (3.83) on the Nike SPARQ Combine Tour, while in Tigard, Oregon. The Henderson, Nevada product will be one of the featured members of a Gators team that went (9-2) last season, also featuring one of the top offensive linemen in the country in Tyrell Crosby (6-6 295), headed to Oregon.
Brian Castro will be in his 3rd year as the head coach and has done a phenomenal job with the program. The Gators have gone (14-7) in the last two seasons, as compared to (24-30) from 2006-10. As a school, 2012 was Green Valley’s best season in years, as they are currently a potential top 5 team state wide.
Coach says, “We are senior heavy at the skill positions and return most of our guys on offense.” Castro added, “we only return two starters on defense so we will have some work to do there.”
The Gators have 9 nine starters returning on the offensive side of the ball, and Lake will get most of the carries out of the backfield. He projects as one of the top DB’s in the west for his class, but offensively he will be there go to guy.
Green Valley will have key senior Gio Hernandez (5-9, 175 Sr. ATH/DB) back as a three year starter, and someone that should see the ball often. Coach says, ” Gio is one of the better players in the conference and will be a leader for us this year.” Carter Nielson (6-4, 305 Jr. OL) and Joel Salakieu (6-4 275, Jr. OL) are two other talented junior lineman that will team with Crosby to help up front.
Junior’s Christian Lopez (5-11 185 QB) and Larry Norman (5-11, 190 S/RB) are two of the other very talented young athletes who will team with the underclassmen up front. Lopez just attended the Elite 11 in San Francisco, and Norman is a kid that projects as a safety and can come up and stick you.
The Gators just lost elite LB Micah Klorman to a knee injury for the season, but bring back talented WR Sean Squires (6-1, 195 Sr. WR/LB) and one of Nevada’s top kickers in Conor Perkins (5-10, 170 Jr.).
Overall Green Valley looks like one of the better teams in the state of Nevada, and Coach Castro and his guys are excited to get things underway. In closing the humble Lake says, “My personal goals include earning all conference honors on both sides of the ball, but more importantly helping Green Valley to its first ever state championship.”
