Five Key Players
DB Jake Oliver (5’10, 175) – Oliver is a talented prospect with a lot of athleticism. He’s the leader in the secondary and will be a player to keep an eye on as college coaches get a look at him this fall.
LB Marcus Osborne (5’11, 205) – The talented junior was an All-State selection as an outside linebacker. He totaled over 60 tackles and really is a player that should garner more and more attention with a big 2014 football season.
RB/LB Will Brennan (6’0, 195) – Brennan’s older brother Matt was Shorecrest’s top offensive threat, but now that he’s gone, Will has the opportunity to be an even better player if he continues to develop. He’s a talented two-way player who can have a big impact on games on either side of the ball.
WR/DB Brantle Harris (6’0, 175) – The senior two-way player was a First Team All-Wesco 3A wideout last year and he’ll be counted on to help ease in the new quarterback who will take over this fall. His ball skills also help him on the defensive side of the ball and he’ll be counted on to be a playmaker in the Scots’ secondary this fall.
OL/DL Brennan Quirk (6’1, 205) – Quirk is the leader up front on offense for the Scots. When they need to run the ball, he’s the guy they run behind.
Overview
The Scots return 11 starters (five on offense; six on defense) to a team that went 2-8 last season and they definitely have some young talent that should make them a tough game week in and week out during the 2014 football season.
Junior Brigon Weaver was a starting slot receiver for Shorecrest last year, but this year he’ll make the move to center where his speed, quickness and athleticism will be a huge asset and help keep defenses honest.
When Weaver drops back, he’ll have one of the top returning wideouts from the Wesco in Brantle Harris who hauled in 40 receptions for 585 yards and five scores as a junior in 2013.
Joining Harris outside will be players like junior Aubrey Victor and senior Jake Oliver.
While Weaver will be a part of the running game as well, when the Scots want to run the ball they will use a committee of juniors Will Brennan and Marcus Osborne and senior Tyree Jones.
The offensive line features two senior starters in Brandon Quirk and Brandon Bradley and junior Diego Fountain.
Along the defensive front, the Scots have senior Sonny Ho, a 5’8, 235-pound rock in the middle of their defense that is tough to move.
Junior Isaiah Banks, is a team captain and he will hold down one of the two end spots, he also plays some tight end, while Fountain and Jones are the other expected starters along the defensive line.
A player to keep an eye on this fall is Hudson Lewis, a junior transfer from Kamiak, who is expected to add a lot of depth and talent to the roster.
The strongest part of the Shorecrest’s defense is their linebackers where
Brennan and Osborne are All-Wesco caliber players and they add in sophomore Jake Smotherman at outside linebacker and senior Devon Pusey.
The cornerback spots will be held down by the likes of Marvin Yong, a junior, as well as a young man who is probably the Scots’ most explosive player, sophomore Rayce Treat with Oliver and Ian Prieve manning the safety positions.
Bottom Line: It’s been ages since Shorecrest has been relevant in the discussion of which programs can win the WESCO. The expectations and goals for the Scots need to be tempered to focus more on getting to .500 before they focus on anything else. With the talent level improving and the program Brandon Christiansen has put in place entering its fourth season, this is the year then should be able to make a move. At the very least, they should present a much tougher challenge to their opponents and if they can get a bit of luck on their side, a .500 season could be within their reach.
Key Games
at Lynnwood 9/12
vs. Shorewood 9/26
vs. Meadowdale 10/24
