Key Players
OL/DL Foster Sarell (6’6, 305, ’17) – It might sound like hyperbole, but many think Sarell could wind up being the best football prospect to ever come out of the state of Washington. He’s big, he’s athletic, he plays the game with an attitude and he is one of the hardest workers on his team. Sarell already has 20-plus offers and is ranked by several recruiting networks as one of the top prospects, regardless of position, in the entire country for 2017. He’s been an All-State player since his freshman season and there’s no reason to think that won’t continue for the next two years.
OL/DL Elijah Lugo (6’4, 285, ’16) – The shadow Sarell casts is pretty large, but Lugo is no slouch on the other side. The Graham-Kapowsin coaches think he’s one of the more underrated players in the state and he should have plenty of college options before it’s all said and done. Lugo earned First Team All-SPSL honors last season and the expectation is he could be even better this fall.
DB/RB Aaron Wright (5’9, 170, ’16) – The Defensive Back of the Year in the SPSL returns for his senior season and he will be counted on to be a leader in the secondary while also being a heavy contributor in the offensive backfield as well.
DB/WR Dylan Scaggs (5’8, 165, ’16) – Scaggs will be in the receiver rotation this fall, but his biggest contributions will be from the free safety spot where his ball-hawking and leadership skills will be put to the test.
DB/WR Jeremiah Kekoa (6’1, 180, ’18) – Aside from Sarell, there might not be a better college prospect on the Eagles’ roster. Kekoa had a fantastic offseason and the coaches expect big things out of him at both receiver and in the secondary this fall.
Overview
Expectations heading into the 2015 football season are high in Graham as the Eagles look like one of the top 4A programs in the state this fall.
Head coach Eric Kurle enters the season with a nice blend of experience (11 starters return from a team that went 12-2 last season) and talent at his disposal, so now it’s time to see how far this team can go.
Unlike most high school teams heading into fall camp, Graham-Kapowsin feels pretty good about what they have along the offensive line.
Junior Foster Sarell (6’6, 305) will man left tackle, the spot he’s held since his freshman season, and he’ll be the most dominant player on the field every Friday night.
Joining him will be senior Elijah Lugo (6’4, 285), an All-SPSL first-teamer, at right tackle and the interior spots will be manned by senior guard De’Andrae Houston (5’9, 220) and junior guard Matt Shook (6’4, 250) and junior center Ian Kurle (6’0, 205).
The quarterback spot will see a battle between junior Gage Hansen (5’8, 160) and up-and-coming freshman Dylan Morris (5’11, 180).
Morris is more of a running threat and once he figures things out, the sky is the limit.
Hansen is more of a pocket-passer who the coaches trust to make good decisions, but his ceiling is a bit limited, so it will be interesting to watch how Kurle handles things at the position.
At tailback, senior Kobe Merriweather (5’10, 170) will likely see the bulk of the carries, but expect senior Aaron Wright (5’9, 170) and sophomore Micah Smith (6’0, 180) to also get some work.
The receivers are loaded with talent.
Seniors Dalton Mershon (6’0, 190) and Dylan Scaggs (5’8, 165) are both solid receivers, but the most talented of the bunch is sophomore Jeremiah Kekoa (6’1, 180). The scary thing is, he’s just now starting to realize his full potential.
The tight end position will be a battle during camp between junior Beau Blowers (6’2, 205) and senior Mike Regan (6’1, 185).
Both are solid receivers, but Blowers may be the better blocker.
Along the defensive line, the Eagles will feature two All-SPSL players in senior defensive end Trea Hawthorne (5’10, 190) and junior defensive tackle Jeramey Thesenvitz (6’2, 225). Senior Kyle Matheny (5’10, 190) will man the other defensive end spot.
Sophomore Villama Hansen (5’11, 200) is set at one of the linebacker spots while junior Brandon Becker (5’10, 200) and Blowers are expected to see lots of reps at the position as well.
The secondary is in great shape and might be one of the deepest units on the team with Wright, last year’s Defensive Back of the Year in the SPSL, at one of the corner spots and Kekoa as a big, physical corner on the other side.
Smith and Scaggs are hard hitting safeties that fly around and make plays.
Senior Noah Harden (5’10, 175) will handle kicking and punting duties.
The Bottom Line: With the combination of talent and experience, Graham-Kapowsin should be able to make some noise in the 4A classification this fall. Eric Kurle has the program rolling and while they are loaded with talent right now, the scary thing is, their 2018 and 2019 classes could be even better. Expect a deep playoff run for the Eagles this fall with an outside chance at getting into the Championship Game if things come together like we think they will.
Key Games
@ Curtis (9/25)
Vs. Skyline (10/8)
@ Bethel (10/30)
