2015 Team Preview: Bremerton Knights

 

Key Players

QB Savante Perrigo (5’11, 160, ’18) – The sophomore takes over the Bremerton offense this fall and the coaches are very excited about what he brings to the table. Perrigo is a great athlete with the ability to be a threat as a runner, but he’s also shown the ability to throw the ball around and make big plays with his arm as well.

OT/LB Ryan Aaro (6’1, 190, ’16) – Aaro is the only returning starter along the offensive line for the Knights and he’ll also start at linebacker as well. He isn’t very big, but he’s strong for his size and he loves to mix things up. Aaro earned All-Olympic League honors as a junior last fall.

RB/LB Eathan Hacker (5’11, 180, ’16) – The expectation is that Hacker will be one of the leaders at tailback this fall and then, when the Knights are on defense, he’ll go to linebacker and be a playmaker there.

WR/LB Michael Barber (6’0, 180, ’18) – Like Perrigo, the coaches are excited about what Barber can do at the varsity level. He’s considered one of the best athletes on the team and once he “gets it”, look out.

WR/DB Diyamante Hall (5’10, 170, ’17) – When you are looking for speed and big-play abilities, Hall has those in spades. He’s deadly in the open-field and he’ll get the chance to be a playmaker as a receiver and in the secondary.

 

Overview

The 2014 football season was a let down, for Bremerton head coach Nate Gilliam and his staff as the Knights finished with a 4-6 record.

Last season, Bremerton lacked the depth and athleticism to be a factor in the Olympic League playoff picture.

2015 is shaping up to be a rebuilding year with quite a few sophomores and juniors looking at lots of playing time this fall. However, Gilliam thinks this team has a chance to compete with the best teams in the league this fall although he admits he’s merely going off of potential at this point.

“We’re definitely going to be young this year,” Gilliam said. “We’ll play a lot of young guys and I think as the season goes along, if these guys continue to work hard and develop, I think we’ll be pretty tough this season.”

After up-and-down quarterback play the past couple of seasons, Gilliam hopes he’s found the young man to lead his offense for the next three years in Savante Perrigo (5’11, 160), a sophomore, who can be a threat as a passer or as a runner.

“I think this kid is going to be special,” Gilliam said. “He’s a really good athlete and we think he can be a special once he gets more experience.”

The tailback position will be handled by a committee of four players comprised of seniors Ethan Hacker (5’11, 175) and Dar’ren Circulado (5’8, 175), junior Bradley Davis (5’11, 165) and sophomore Daniel Wright (5’7, 175).

At receiver, Bremerton can throw waves of players at opponents.

Juniors Jasiah Demarc (6’0, 170) and Javon Stoudemire (5’10, 160) will be the main guys out wide, but keep an eye on seniors Chris Laumen (6’1, 185) and Tony Watson (6’0, 170) and sophomore Michael Barber (6’0, 180) who the coaches are very excited to see get on the field.

Sophomore Max Boekenoogen (6’0, 175) will hand tight end duties and with his hands and blocking abilities, Gilliam and the rest of the coaches think he could be a real asset down the road.

Along the offensive line, while senior left tackle Ryan Aaro (6’1, 190) isn’t very big, he makes up for that with grit and strength. Aaro is the only returning starter along the offensive line and he’ll be counted on as a captain and leader for the team this fall.

Joining Aaro will be sophomore Anthony Shadle (6’1, 240) at left guard while junior Bryan Guerrero (5’7, 260) will handle the pivot and juniors Anthony Lopez (5’7, 24) and Zach Cantrall (6’3, 230) will be on the right side.

Junior Virico Nelson (6’3, 245) and sophomore Alex Defillippi (6’3, 240) provide a lot of size in the middle of the defensive line while senior Jonathon Cissell (5’10, 185) and sophomores Caleb Stone (6’0, 195), Stephen Shaw (6’0, 180) and Ethan Nolting (6’0, 180) will be in the defensive end rotation.

Barber and Aaro will handle two of the linebacker spots while junior Michael Webber (5’9, 175) and senior Albert Lucas (5’10, 185) will also see reps.

The secondary will feature Hall at one of the safety spots while the others will be handled by a combination of Watson, Davis and Stoudemier as well as junior Richard Bios (6’2, 185).

The Bottom Line: After going to the playoffs for the first time in nearly two decades back in 2012, the Knights regressed a bit and weren’t really contenders in an improved Olympic League. However, with the young talent they have, if they can stay healthy, Bremerton might be a darkhorse for a playoff spot this fall, however, they likely will be building for the future and could be a league favorite in a year or two.

 

Key Games

@ Cleveland (9/4)

Vs. Olympic (9/18)

@ North Mason (10/23)