Below is a breakdown of Day Two from the Northwest 9. While this event is QB specific, there was a group of select skill athletes brought in to run routes and do some 7-on-7 work. At the bottom of the page will be a few skill athletes, bot not all those in attendance.
The second day of the Northwest 9 started off a little bit on the colder side, as a 8am workout was greeted with a wet field. Those conditions didn’t last long, and by the end of the morning session, it was another bright blue summer day in the Pacific Northwest.
For the morning workout, the athletes were put through general drills. This session worked mostly on rollouts and escaping the pocket, while keeping eyes down field at their target.
Following the session, Kaden Jenks (’17 Royal) was selected as the Session MVP, and thus receiving the #1 spot on the first release of the Northwest 9 Standings. Jenks comes from a small 1A school, but looks every bit the part of a D1 athlete. He is no doubt making a case to be the state’s top 2017 QB.
Right on his heels in that morning group was Jacob Sirmon (’18 Bothell). One of the things that really stands out to me with Sirmon is his attitude. Everything comes with a “Yes, coach” and even though I am not his coach, it is rather refreshing to be shown a different type of respect.
Sirmon went into lunch at #2, but would jump to the top spot following his MVP status during the night session.
Gig Harbor’s Davis Alexander (’16) is #2 in the standings heading into the final day of competition, and just continues to impress. His ability to throw while on the move is some of the best I have seen, and work either and willingness to learn are right there as well. Alexander is going to make some college program very happy.
After the morning session, Juanita’s Tavin Montgomery (’16) was smack dab in the middle at #5. Montgomery jumped two spots to #3 following a great night session where he showed good accuracy and some of the best skills in reading a defense.
Making the biggest jump from the first to second ranking was Blake Gregory (’16 Skyline). While he started the day with a nice morning performance and an initial #7 ranking, Gregory buckled down and made a three spot jump to #4 after dinner. The way he is throwing, I could easily see Gregory finishing in the top spot.
Justus Rogers (’16) of Bellevue High School was on the outside looking in after the initial standings release, but he gradually got better as the day went along, and snuck into the #9 spot at the end of the day. His attitude towards working, getting better and being a top level QB is second to none and a lot of fun to watch.
Speaking of getting better as the day goes, Amandré Williams had a solid morning session and was slotted at #9 during the first release. He had a very nice night session and would finish the day in the #7 slot. Williams has tremendous arm strength, and continues to show progress in other aspects of his game as he strives towards being a well-rounded QB.
Gresch Jensen (’16 Auburn Mountainview) had a steady day and finished in the #5 spot. Jensen has a ton of talent and I fully expect him to step up his game on Friday, as he makes a run towards the #1 spot.
There are a few QB’s hanging around on the outskirts of the standings I think could rise up and really surprise on Friday. Liam Fitzgerald (’16 Camas) has had a really strong showing thus far and could make a late run. I really like what I have seen from Wyatt Hutchinson (’16 Clackamas), who is recovering from a left elbow injury, but isn’t really showing any ill effects and appears to have a great understanding of the position.
O’Dea’s Nathan West (’16) had a strong showing in the night session, and was very close to jumping into the standings. Look for West to pounce on his opportunities Friday, and don’t be surprised if you see his name in the final standings. I think Liam Bell (’16 Gonzaga Prep) is a kid that could make a serious run as he has steadily gotten better with each rep.
Moving into the skill positions from the night session, I don’t think you will have many arguments with Kale Wong (’16 Gig Harbor) grabbing the Defensive MVP. At one point, Wong picked off three passes in four plays, and was really a terror the entire session.
You could go a few different ways with your Offensive MVP, but I would go with Tyson Penn (’16 Bellevue). The Oregon State commit has such great length and overall athleticism that he is near impossible to guard. Penn had the catch of the day with a one-handed snag that looked meant to be, even though it was on a 40 yard bomb to his outside shoulder.
Penn’s teammates Benaiah Ellington (’16) and Jesse Beringer (’16) were two of the better defensive players on the day. Ellington has lockdown CB abilities, and frankly, I am not sure he surrendered a pass on the day. Beringer has the ability to play both Linebacker and Safety, and played both on Thursday. He has a great understanding of his position and is really aggressive in every aspect of his game.
I liked what I saw from Keyell Davis (’16 Gig Harbor). This was the first time I have seen him up close and was impressed with his athleticism and attitude. Another Gig Harbor athlete that had a nice day was Kyle Olson-Urbon (’16). He is a highly skilled offensive play, but showed a willingness to help the cause by playing some defense, and certainly did not look out of place.
Linebacker Maika Magalei (’16 Lakes) has the look of a D1 athlete. He’s got nice size at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, and really flies around the field making plays. His athleticism was impressive, but his understanding of the position was really is most impressive attribute.
Graham-Kapowsin was well represented on both sides of the ball, but two really stood out to me. DB Aaron Wright (’16) is really aggressive and does a great job breaking on the ball. His athleticism was quickly evident and he did a great job all day. This was the best showing I have seen from Robert Mason (’18). Physically, it looks like he is beginning to fill out, and with more strength and power, looks to be a WR to keep an eye on.
Great showing by Cade Otton (’17 Tumwater) on both sides of the ball. Being a TE and LB can be very tough in 7-on-7, but Otton is so athletic and does a great job putting himself in the best spot to succeed.
Issaquah WR Tyrus Tuiasosopo (’16) continues to impress me. He has a long athletic frame, a great work ethic and is flat out fun to watch. Bradley Kim (’17 Skyline) had a nice all-around day, most defensively from what I saw, and did a tremendous job at multiple DB spots, even coming away with a few picks.
I am going to finish with Donovan Sellgren (’16 Arlington) and Noaki Harmer (’17 Interlake). Both are WR’s and showed very well, with multiple catches and showed versatility as coach Alex Brink used each athlete in a variety of spots.
