Jake Heaps piles up honors at college level
August 23, 2011
Brigham Young University sophomore Jake Heaps, one of the most celebrated quarterbacks in Skyline High School history, is earning preseason attention.
Of course, accolades are nothing new for Heaps, who earned all-state and national honors during his Skyline days.
Among his recent honors is being named to the 2011 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award Watch List. One reason why Heaps is on the list is because of the sensational freshman season he had last fall for the Cougars.
Last season, the 6-foot-1, 205-pound Heaps broke every freshman Brigham Young University quarterback record, including wins, games started, passing yardage, completions and touchdowns. He started 10 games in 2010, completing 219 of 383 passes for 2,316 yards and 15 touchdowns.
The former Spartan great, who led Skyline to three straight state championships, could follow the accolades of former BYU quarterbacks Jim McMahon, Steve Young and Ty Detmer. Each of these BYU greats won the O’Brien Award — McMahon in 1981, Young in 1983, and Detmer in 1990 and 1991.
This year’s list, compiled by a subset of The O’Brien National Selection Committee, featured 38 of the nation’s top collegiate quarterbacks who were picked based on their performance last year and their expectations heading into the 2011 season. Heaps is one of eight sophomores on the list.
The field of candidates will be narrowed to 16 semifinalists Oct. 24. The O’Brien Foundation and selection committee will announce three finalists Nov. 21 and the winner will be announced Dec. 8.
In addition to the O’Brien attention, Heaps is on the cover of the Athlon Sports College Football 2011 preseason football magazine. He shares the cover with Stanford’s Andrew Luck and Boise State’s Kellen Moore. Luck is regarded as the No. 1 quarterback in the nation and the likely top pick in next year’s National Football League draft. Moore, from Prosser, has been one of the nation’s premier signal callers, too. So Heaps is in fine company.
Where are they now?List of local athletes playing college football this fall based on most current rosters available: Issaquah
Liberty
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Heaps has come a long way in a year. This time last year, he entered fall camp expecting to share quarterback duties with Riley Nelson. The two shared the position in BYU’s season-opening 23-17 victory against Washington. Heaps completed 13 of 23 passes for 131 yards against the Huskies. When Nelson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury against Florida State on Sept. 18, Heaps became the starter for the remainder of the season.
He ended it with a record-setting MVP performance against the University of Texas-El Paso in the New Mexico Bowl. He was the first BYU freshman quarterback to start in a bowl game. Heaps completed 24 of 34 passes for 264 yards and four touchdowns in the Cougars’ 52-24 victory.
The four touchdown passes gave Heaps 15 on the season, another record for BYU freshmen quarterbacks. He broke Detmer’s record by two.
Heaps was selected to the College Football News Freshman All-American Team as an honorable mention.
Besides all of the football attention, the other big news in Heaps’ life came in late June this year when he married Brooke Shaw, whose father was a former BYU player.
Patriots moving in different directions
Three of Liberty High School’s standouts from last fall are moving on to the college ranks. Two of them are actually changing places after committing to other schools.
Quarterback Trey Wheeler is heading north of the border. He signed a letter of intent to play for Simon Fraser University, which is a member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Simon Fraser is the only Canadian team in that conference, which includes Central Washington.
Wheeler had been recruited by several schools and was offered a scholarship from the University of Wyoming.
“He went up to Simon Fraser and liked the program and the academics. He felt it would be a good fit,” Liberty coach Steve Valach said.
Chandler Jenkins, the 3A KingCo Conference offensive player of the year last fall, is a walk-on at Washington State University. Jenkins had originally committed to the Air Force Academy. He is scheduled to play as a slot receiver for the Cougars.
Jenkins joins the Simone brothers, Gino and Jordan, who are former Skyline standouts, at WSU. Gino is a wide receiver and Jordan is a safety.
Jake Bainton, a standout receiver and defensive back for Liberty, had signed a national letter of intent with Central Washington University. However, Valach said Bainton has changed his mind and plans to play for American River Community College in California.
The three former Liberty stars helped the Patriots reach the state playoffs the past three seasons, including the 3A state title game in 2009.
Other Liberty grads who will be playing college ball this fall are Nolan Liefer, Marcelle Bell and Robert Blair at Montana-Western; Cameron Talley at Linfield; Coleton Langdon at Portland State; Taylor Hamann at the University of Puget Sound; and Justin Whitman and Rob Marlow at Pacific Lutheran.
Bradley battling for No. 1 job
Joey Bradley, who was a standout quarterback at Issaquah, is vying for the No. 1 job at North Dakota University. He is one of three candidates for the position.
Bradley transferred to North Dakota from Diablo Valley Community College in California. He led all California community college quarterbacks in passing yards (3,656 yards) and touchdown passes (33) for Diablo Valley last fall.
In the North Dakota spring game, Bradley showed promise as he hit nine of 17 passes for 105 yards.
Another former Eagle expecting to have a big season is tailback Grant Gellatly, a sophomore at Cornell. Gellatly led his team and all Ivy League freshmen in rushing with 437 yards last fall. He also caught 15 passes for 82 yards.
Two Issaquah graduates are headed for Linfield College. Defensive back Adam Dondoyano and Evan Peterson will play for the Wildcats.
Dondoyano has recovered from a torn ACL, which kept him out of action for most of last fall. Peterson was an all-league receiver for the Eagles, and set school season and career records. Dondoyano and Peterson will be roommates at Linfield.
Jacob Everson, a redshirt freshman, will be playing for Minot State this fall.
Spartans starting at Eastern
Skyline graduates Jase Butorac and Tyler Washburn are listed as starters at Eastern Washington University, the defending NCAA Championship Sub-division national champions.
Butorac, 6-foot-3, 285 pounds, is listed as the starter at right guard on offense. He is a redshirt freshman. However, he impressed Eastern coaches for his efforts on the scout team last fall. Butorac was selected as the offensive scout team player of the year.
Washburn is listed as a co-starter at strongside inside linebacker. He did not play spring ball because of surgery following an injury late in the 2010 season.
Washburn started 12 games last season. He had one of the biggest plays of the season for the Eagles. Washburn returned a fumble for a touchdown in the Eagles’ 41-31 victory against Villanova in the semifinals.
Evan Day, another Skyline grad, is listed as a reserve defensive end for Eastern. Like Butorac, Day is a redshirt freshman. He was selected as Eastern’s defensive scout team player of the year last fall.
Joining the three Spartans is Issaquah’s Jay Deines, freshman offensive lineman.
The Eagles open their season Sept. 3 at the University of Washington.
The Eastern-UW game will resemble a Skyline alumni game. While Butorac, Washburn and Day will suit up for Eastern, the Huskies have former Spartans in wide receiver William Chandler, defensive end Connor Cree, linebacker Cooper Pelluer and wide receiver Kasen Williams.
Kasen Williams shows his skills in scrimmage
August 17, 2011
NEW — 3 p.m. Aug. 17, 2011
It was a play that officially didn’t count that might have spoke the loudest Tuesday as the Washington Huskies held their first significant scrimmage of fall camp.
Late into the 93-play affair, quarterback Nick Montana scrambled away from a rush and threw high into the back of the end zone — yes, a play that somewhat resembled one made famous three decades ago by his father, Joe.
And in reprising the role of Dwight Clark, UW freshman receiver Kasen Williams leapt high into the air to steal the ball away from 6-foot-4 safety Travis Feeney for an apparent touchdown.
Alas, UW coaches had called Montana down when he was touched by a defender.
For Devin Bennett, the final piece of a family legacy
July 19, 2011
In the quiet farmland of Pasco, where the scorching summer sun routinely drives temperatures into the triple digits, Devin Bennett wakes up before 5 a.m. to get to work.
Devin Bennett, Liberty High School senior, jumps out at the start of the 400-meter race May 20 during the 3A Sea-King District Championships, qualifying for state with a time of 51.01 seconds. By Greg Farrar
From mid-June to mid-July, he spends between 10 and 12 hours per day on his family’s cherry orchard, loading bins of fruit onto a tractor.
Although Bennett — a 2011 Liberty High School graduate — has come to the farm each summer for the past six years, this is the first year he has taken to grueling manual labor.
The hard work fits perfectly in line with his tremendous work ethic.
It’s a work ethic that led him to success as an athlete. It’s a work ethic that led him to success as a student. And it’s a work ethic he will build upon when he joins the track-and-field team at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, Calif., as a walk-on next year.
Driven by his will to put in the effort, Bennett hopes to become a college decathlete, competing in 10 different events.
Kasen Williams earns national male athlete of the year title
July 5, 2011
Kasen Williams, Skyline High School’s three-sport star, earned yet another honor last week when he was selected as MaxPreps.com’s 2010-11 National Male Athlete of the Year.
Williams, bound for the University of Washington on a football scholarship, had an amazing senior year. He won three titles at the Class 4A state track and field championships in May.
Williams set a record in the triple jump by going 50 feet, 9 1/4 inches. It was the third best mark in the nation this spring. He also won the long jump by going 24-5 1/4 and the high jump at 6-10.
During the winter, Williams earned all-KingCo Conference 4A first-team honors by leading the Spartans in scoring (12.3) and rebounding (9.3).
Last fall, the 6-foot-3 receiver hauled in 86 passes for 1,579 yards and 21 touchdowns. On defense, he added 89 tackles and four interceptions from his safety position. He earned first-team All-America honors from MaxPreps and was the Parade Magazine National Player of the Year.
Kasen Williams named top track and field athlete
June 28, 2011
Hopefully, recent Skyline High School graduate Kasen Williams will have enough room on his trophy case for yet another award.
Williams earned another honor June 23, when he was selected as the Gatorade Washington Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year.
In its 26th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Co., in collaboration with ESPN RISE, said in a release that Williams is the first Gatorade Washington Boys track and field Athlete of the Year to be chosen from Skyline.
The award recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the track. Williams is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year.
Kasen Williams named National Athlete of the Year
June 28, 2011
NEW — 3 p.m. June 28, 2011
Another week, another honor for Skyline High School’s Kasen Williams. MaxPreps.com has named the remarkable three-sport standout its 2010-11 National Male Athlete of the Year.
In track and field this spring Williams captured three titles at the Class 4A state championships. He earned all-KingCo Conference honors in basketball during the winter, leading the Spartans in scoring (12.3), rebounding (9.5) and 3-point shooting.
In football, Williams responded with his finest season, hauling in 86 passes for 1,579 yards and 21 touchdowns for the 12-2 Spartans. On defense he added 89 tackles and four interceptions from his safety spot. He was an easy first-team All-American pick for MaxPreps.
Parade Magazine also made him its National Player of the Year.
Kasen Williams is named Gatorade’s top track athlete
June 24, 2011
NEW — 11:45 a.m. June 24, 2011
Hopefully recent Skyline High School graduate Kasen Williams will have enough room on his trophy case for yet another award. Williams earned another honor Thursday when he was selected as the Gatorade Washington Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year.
In its 26th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Co., in collaboration with ESPN RISE, said in a release that Williams is the first Gatorade Washington Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year to be chosen from Skyline.
The award recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the track. Williams is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year.
Lakeside hurlers toss no-hitter
June 14, 2011
Connor Gilchrist, Aaron Sandefur and Andrew Kemmerer combined on a no-hitter June 11 as Lakeside Recovery’s Senior American Legion team blanked Garfield, 7-0, in the second game of a doubleheader.
Lakeside Recovery, 7-1 in league play and 7-4 overall, also won the opener, 11-1.
In the second game, Gilchrist was the starting pitcher and picked up his first victory of the season. The Skyline High School player worked the first three innings before getting relieved by Sandefur, of Newport. Sandefur pitched the next three innings. Kemmerer, of Issaquah, worked the seventh inning.
Nate Anderson, a Newport High School player, had three hits, one a home run, and knocked in three runs for Lakeside. Kemmerer had two hits and two RBIs.
In the opener, Lakeside scored 11 times in the bottom of the fifth inning to snap a two-game losing streak. Dan Altchech, a Newport graduate, had two hits and three RBIs to lead Lakeside.
Altchech capped the fifth inning with a home run. Wes Blackburn, of Skyline, had two hits and drove in a run. Winning pitcher Brandon Lundeberg, of Skyline, tossed a complete game, allowing two hits and striking out nine batters.
Lakeside Recovery dropped a tough nonleague game June 8 to Chaffey, 4-3, at the Husky Ballpark. Lakeside got a strong effort from pitcher Travis Snider, of Skyline, but poor defensive play cost the club, which made five errors.
Sports Illustrated features Skyline’s Kasen Williams
June 10, 2011
NEW — 2 p.m. June 10, 2011
Skyline High School standout Kasen Williams has picked up another honor.
Williams, who will play football for the University of Washington next fall, is in the June 13 Sports Illustrated issue in the Faces in the Crowd section.
Williams is recognized for his accomplishments in track and field and football.
Last month he swept the high jump (6-feet, 10 inches), long jump (24-5¼) and triple jump (50-9¼ for a state record) at the 4A state meet. A wide receiver, he holds school records in receptions (236), receiving yards (4,161) and touchdowns (56) and was named the Parade All-America player of the year.
Local athletes make strong showings at state track meet
May 31, 2011
Haley Jacobson, Issaquah High School senior, takes a jog down the track before her 100-meter dash at the 4A state championship May 28 in Tacoma. By Greg Farrar
For the seniors, the state championship track and field meet at Tacoma’s Mount Tahoma High School on May 27 and 28 marked the final athletic event of their high school careers.
