By Jason Hickman
MaxPreps.com
Football: Combine Draws Crowd
Nearly 400 student-athletes from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia gathered Saturday at Sunset Chevrolet Stadium in Sumner, Wash., for the second annual Competitive Edge Football Combine.
The event is the largest high school football showcase in the Pacific Northwest, a region with a long-held belief that its gridiron talent is underappreciated on a national level.
"It's a great opportunity for exposure, on multiple levels," event organizer Joe Albers said. "We reached more college coaches this year. We had a lot of Division III coaches in addition to Division I colleges. We had a coach from the University of Missouri, and coaches from all over the Pac-10."
Most of those coaches likely left with Zach Johnson's name scribbled on a notepad, or circled on the participant roster. Johnson, a senior-to-be at Tumwater High (Wash.), left an impression by clocking a 4.56 in the 40-yard dash, bench pressing 185 pounds 25 times, and registering a vertical leap of 34.5 inches.
Johnson's visibility heading into his senior season won't be hurt by the fact he plays for Washington's most successful high school football coach, Tumwater legend Sid Otton.
Timberline (Wash.) wide receiver/cornerback Bobby Barnes has been on the radar of colleges since his sophomore season, and did nothing to hurt his stock Saturday.
Barnes ran the combine's fastest 40, blazing to a 4.53, then popped an impressive 34.5 on the vertical leap.
Lincoln (Wash.) running back/linebacker Roman Pula was perhaps the most decorated player entering the event. Pula did not disappoint, weighing in at 213 pounds, running a 4.78 in the 40, bench pressing 185 pounds 24 times, and posting a 32.5 in the vertical leap. Pula rushed for 1,682 yards and 20 touchdowns as a junior and should receive plenty of attention from Pac-10 schools throughout the summer and fall.
Mount Si's (Wash.) Brandon Yakaboski is another productive running back who posted impressive measurables in Sumner. Despite rushing for 1,542 yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior, Yakaboski was overshadowed even within his own conference by perennial powerhouse Bellevue and the emergence of Liberty. That may have changed Saturday after running a 4.63 in the 40-yard dash and recording a combine-best 38.5 inches in the vertical leap.
Sophomore Kavario Middleton of Lakes put his name on the map simply by showing up. The tight end/defensive end measured in at 6-4, 246 pounds, clocking a very respectable 5.16 in the 40-yard dash. Middleton was a two-way starter for perennial powerhouse Lakes, the same school that produced Jacksonville Jaguar receiver Reggie Williams. The Lancers were 11-1 in 2005 and will be among the favorites in Washington's loaded 3A classification next season.
In addition to the large contingent from Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, the combine drew around 15 participants from British Columbia, Canada.
Competitive Edge Combine Top 10's
40 Yard Dash
4.53 Bobby Barnes, Timberline (Wash.)
4.56 Quincy Hurst, Centennial (British Columbia)
4.56 Zach Johnson, Tumwater (Wash.)
4.60 Jahsiah Miko, Centennial (British Columbia)
4.60 Terrance Williams, Timberline (Wash.)
4.62 Tyler Hart, Friday Harbor (Wash.)
4.62 Anthony Olague, Wilson (Wash.)
4.63 Brandon Yakaboski, Mount Si (Wash.)
4.63 John Koopman, Enumclaw (Wash.)
4.65 Adnin Mujic, Foster (Wash.)
Bench Press (185 Pounds)
32 Matt Thompson, Olympia (Wash.)
31 Mark Cook, Killarney (British Columbia)
31 Andrew Oney, Spanaway Lake (Wash.)
31 Steven Tanner, Okanogan (Wash.)
27 Brenton Guerra, Moses Lake (Wash.)
26 Cody Kramer, Tonasket (Wash.)
25 Sean Chatterton, Black Hills (Wash.)
25 Zach Johnson, Tumwater (Wash.)
25 Matti Maki, Grant (Ore.)
25 Lepon Mamea, Lincoln (Wash.)
25 Quinton Williams, Timberline (Wash.)
Vertical Jump
38.5 Brandon Yakaboski, Mount Si (Wash.)
38 Dylan Walker, Timberline (Wash.)
35 Bobby Gentry, Kennedy (Wash.)
35 Terrance Williams, Timberline (Wash.)
34.5 Bobby Barnes, Timberline (Wash.)
34.5 Gerard Boseman, Lake Washington (Wash.)
34.5 Zach Johnson, Olympia (Wash.)
34 Matt Johnson, Tumwater (Wash.)
34 Michael Ledgerwood, River View (Wash.)
33.5 Bryce Comfort, Bellarmine Prep (Wash.)
33.5 Alex Gatlin, Sumner (Wash.)
33.5 Eric Greenwood, Edmonds-Woodway (Wash.)
33.5 Andrew Kangiser, Bellarmine Prep (Wash.)
33.5 Jon Koopman, Enumclaw (Wash.)
Football: Anytime, Anywhere for Evangel Christian
Evangel Christian in Shreveport, La., is making a bid to become the Fresno State of high school football. The school's 2006 schedule proves that they are willing to play anybody, anytime, anywhere.
The Eagles, who have faced national powers like De La Salle, Calif., Springdale, Ark., and Cretin-Durham Hall, Minn., in recent years, will face their most daunting schedule to date next fall, featuring two storied Texas programs.
The gauntlet begins Sept. 1 when Evangel Christian welcomes Lufkin High to Shreveport. Lufkin's recent run has been somewhat overshadowed by fellow Lone Star State power Southlake Carroll, but the Panthers are on par with any program in the country, accumulating a record of 28-3 over the past two seasons.
Two of those three losses have come to the aforementioned Southlake Carroll, which also happens to be the next team on Evangel Christian's schedule, a meeting set for Sept. 15 in the Dallas suburb. The Dragons are in the midst of a dominant run in Texas' 5A ranks, boasting a record of 63-1 with three state titles dating back to 2002.
Of course, Evangel Christian has a little history on its side, as well. The Eagles have captured state titles in Louisiana 10 of the last 13 years, and have produced players like Brock Berlin (Florida/Miami), and the Booty brothers, John David (USC) and Josh (LSU).
Awards: Boardman Too Good to be True?
Balancing athletics and academics can be a difficult task for high school student-athletes. Unless you are Homewood High School's (Ala.) Wilson Boardman.
Boardman earned Alabama's Scholar-Athlete Award at the 21st Annual Bryant-Jordan Student-Athlete Awards banquet in April, and it's hard to imagine a teenager in America having a more impressive resume after four years of high school.
The senior is Homewood's 2006 Valedictorian, carries a 4.2 grade point average, scored a 2010 on the SAT, and a 31 on the ACT.
Boardman is a member of the National Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society, and Mu Alpha Theta (math honor society).
Despite the academic associations and accolades, he finds time to compete in football, soccer, wrestling, and basketball. Yes, a four-sport athlete. He is a member of five teams including his role with the physics squad. Boardman was an Academic All-State selection in football, soccer, and wrestling.
And Boardman's participation isn't just limited to sitting on the bench and raising the team's overall GPA. He has contributed to seven state championship teams, winning three in soccer, three in football, and one in wrestling.
Before We Go: Last week we mentioned Oregon golf phenom Rebecca Kim (Tigard High), her penchant for winning big, and her quest for a third-consecutive 4A individual title. Kim completed the three-peat by a 10-stroke margin, posting a 69-72-141 (-3).Two members of the 2006 MaxPreps Basketball All-American team finally found homes this week after signing with Oklahoma, then opting out after head coach Kelvin Sampson left for Indiana. Damion James of Nacogdoches, Texas, decided to stay in-state and play for Rick Barnes and the Texas Longhorns, while Scottie Reynolds of Herndon, Va., cast his lot with the Villanova Wildcats. Both will be eligible to play next season.
Jason Hickman: jason@maxpreps.com
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