The University of Washington's shocking victory over USC Saturday in Seattle provides hope for Husky fans that head coach Steve Sarkisian is on track to restore the once-proud program.
But the brightest signs this weekend for Washington may have came in the high school ranks, where recruits already committed to the Huskies shined on the West Coast.
Nick Montana looks off Skyline (Wash.) defenders.
Julian Tallino
One day before
Jake Locker led a game-winning, fourth-quarter touchdown drive, future Husky quarterback
Nick Montana was also delivering a victory for his team in the Evergreen State.
Taking on highly-acclaimed Skyline (Sammamish Wash.), ranked No. 12 in the Xcellent 25 heading into the game, Montana rose to the occasion, throwing for 261 yards and three touchdowns as Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.) escaped with a 28-25 victory.
Dozens of Washington fans clad in purple attended the game to get a sneak peek at their future signal caller.
"I love the support up there," Montana said of the Husky fans in the stands at Skyline High School. "I saw a lot of purple and gold."
Montana’s teammate, offensive lineman Eric Kohler, will also be heading to Washington a year from now. Skyline’s star junior wide receiver Kasen Williams had two touchdowns in defeat. His father, Aaron Williams, played for Washington in the 1980s, and the Huskies could be in the driver’s seat to land him.
Just hours earlier, another future Husky helped foster the growing sense of optimism under the Sarkisian regime.
Jesuit (Portland, Ore.) two-way star Keanon Lowe put on a show for a national audience in a game televised by CBS College Sports. Lowe only totaled 81 yards on offense, but had a nine-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter to help secure the win over Lake Oswego.
He also set up the team’s first score by returning an interception 44 yards to the Lake Oswego 11-yard line.
{VIDEO_a7f59d99-81ee-4569-8d39-9c0918987cab,floatRightWithBar}But the most impressive performance by a player committed to Washington came from Deontae Cooper, a running back for Citrus Hill (Perris, Calif.).
Cooper exploded for an astounding 412 yards rushing on 59 carries and scored four touchdowns to lead the Hawks to their 30th consecutive win.
After two games, Cooper, who committed to the Huskies last week, has already tallied 671 yards rushing and seven touchdowns.
As a junior, Cooper ran for 2,948 yards and 43 touchdowns. In talent-rich Southern California, Cooper is emerging as one of the region’s top players regardless of position.
Smith still chasing history
Lancaster Catholic (Lancaster, Pa.) quarterback Kyle Smith is still making a run at breaking Pennsylvania state records for passing yards and touchdowns, both currently held by former Downington East star Pat Devlin.
Devlin threw for 8,162 yards and 94 touchdowns. Smith has 6,184 yards and 77 touchdowns but sat out over the weekend with a sprained ankle.
Last season, Lancaster Catholic made it all the way to the AA state semifinals, playing a total of 15 games. If the Crusaders can advance as far this season, Smith would have 12 more games to pass Devlin.
By averaging 165 yards in those games, Smith would be able to break Devlin’s record. He appears to have a good shot of getting the 18 touchdowns needed to surpass Devlin in career TD tosses, especially considering he threw eight in two games prior to his injury.
Smith has garnered a lot of interest among programs at the next level, but most have yet to pull the trigger on an offer. A record-breaking close to his high school career should dispel change that.
Five recruits playing in the shadows
Here are five recruits who are outstanding players, but have been overshadowed on their own team;
Cody Riggs, defensive back, Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.): Since Lamarcus Joyner transferred to Aquinas, he has been the rage of the Raiders, becoming a valuable commodity on offense in addition to his fine play on defense. Colleges have not forgotten about Riggs, who continues to mull offers from numerous major programs.
George Farmer, wide receiver, Serra (Gardena, Calif.): While teammate Robert Woods is in the hunt for MaxPreps National Player of the Year honors, Farmer has quietly been every bit as productive. Only a junior, he’s recorded five touchdown receptions in three games, and will likely be as heavily recruited as Woods by this time next year.
Jackson Richards, defensive end, Carroll (Southlake, Texas): It’s not that any particular player has overshadowed Richards, but rather, the Dragon program as a whole. In 2007, the focus of the team was on new head coach Hal Wasson and the team’s showdown with Northwestern (Miami, Fla.) In 2008, the story was the Dragons’ two regular-season losses, highly unusual for the proud program. This year Richards is anchoring a defense that has been very stingy. The Texas Tech verbal commitment already has four sacks after finishing his junior year with 17, leading the Dragons to a 4-0 start.
Jackson Richards has quietly become a great player for Southlake Carroll (Texas).
Harvey Dunn
Pierson ended his sophomore campaign with 2,204 rushing yards after running for 1,038 yards as a freshman. But with mega-recruit Sheldon Richardson on the roster, Pierson was hardly the center of attention. He’s off to a great start this season and will continue to attract interest from colleges.
Chris McCain, linebacker, Northern Guilford (Greensboro, N.C.): With Keenan Allen vying for All-American status and Gabe King working through an eligibility controversy, McCain quietly has made a name for himself as an excellent linebacker recruit. A recent Oregon commitment, McCain had 97 tackles and four sacks last season.
