Connect with us

Featured

Chasing The Dream Week 5: The Best of the Northwest

Chasing The Dream Week 5: The Best of the Northwest

// // //

What is the one thing that at the end of the day so many thousands of kids and parents dream of? What is the dream they share when they strap that helmet on as high school football begins it’s annul grind? Is it to be the best or is it something much more?

This year we invite you to join us on a journey into the lives of several Pacific Northwest high school athletes as they travel a road only they can travel. Together we will share their stories as they work to manage their lives on and off the field.

Let there be no doubt. They all want to play football in college and share that common dream. Getting there is the trick.

Join us this pre-season and all year as we bring you their stories in our ground breaking series. Join us on the inside where anything and everything is possible. From strength training, combines, camps, and the season itself…join us.

Join Us for “Chasing The Dream”. Chapter 5: 4/7/2011-


Meet The Athletes: Update For Week 5


Trent Sewell is a top rated Wide Receiver in the Pacific Northwest and one of the hardest working athletes we have ever seen. At 6’2″ and no at 205  pounds he is a big target. Trent will be a Senior and attends Bothell High in Bothell, Washington; home of the “Blue Train” as they are known. One of the few kids we are covering who gained enough recognition to garner offers his Junior season, Trent begins the preseason with offers from Pac 10 WSU and UCLA. He just returned from the All American Combine and was named Honorable Mention All Combine Team. But can he make the leap and gain offers from more schools? Only time will tell. We are so glad to have a kid like Trent along for the ride. His story will be a great one.

Update: We caught up to Trent this past weekend as his Team Washington took on the best of Oregon at the OSU 7 On.  He is massive.  He is fast.  And he caught every single ball that was thrown to him.  It was another in a long list of terrific showings for Sewell.  He is a quiet kid so he is not always going to stand out by the fact he is running his mouth.  He is without a doubt one of the very premier kids on the West Coast and he is also a fine defensive kid too.


Nicholas Rothstein Jesuit High Portland

Nicholas Rothstein will be a Senior at Portland’s Jesuit High School. “Rocky” as he is known is 5’11” and 199 pounds of solid muscle. One of the most gifted athletes on the West Coast he is a guy who gets it done. Offense or Defense he shines and was one of the premier players in Oregon last year. He was awarded many honors and named to the All State Team. His 105 Sparq Rating really opened some eyes and Nick is hearing from some of the Nations biggest schools along with many smaller schools. He feels he is close to an offer as pre-season begins. His story took a turn recently as the starting QB at Jesuit left last month and he is being asked to step up and be the starting QB at one of the largest and most successful schools anywhere. He projects to college as a safety or slot back but told us he welcomes this challenge. His story to reinvent himself will be a great one to watch unfold.

Update: Here updates:

“Team Oregon at the UNLV Badger Sports 7 On consisted of four kids from Oregon, two from California and two from Texas.  I guess some early commits dropped out because of costs or timing.  The four teams they played on Saturday had 15 – 20 players each and had a full defense and a full offense and a few subs.  Team Oregon had about an hour to get to know each other and stretch and run a couple plays.  They willed themselves to a 3 and 1 record on the first day and they were seeded 6th out of the 34 teams in Vegas.  They were jacked going into their first game on Sunday but they ran into the eventual champions ( B2G ) in their first game and after all of them going two ways in four games on Saturday just didn’t have the legs to keep up and lost by a couple TD’s..  They played until 9PM (last game) on Saturday and had to be there at 7AM on Sunday.  Washington was next up for B2G and they lost right after us.  I thought Rocky, Taylor, Sean and Alex played extremely well and I expected them all to get mentioned but Scout was focused on a few teams with some CA players and that was it.

The visit with UNLV went well.  The head coach took a few moments to let Rocky know he knew Ken Potter and he had a 1.5 hour tour and then went to practice and met all the coaches and spoke with the recruiting coordinator for 45 minutes. ”

Rothstein Is on everyones Radar now.  He is showing some incredible poise as well having to move from RB to QB to help his team this year.  That is going to potentially take the focus off of him as a skill player.  And he will be taxed while on Defense.  He will be tested like no other this year. Now at 205 pounds of whip steel he looks ready for it all and it is only April!  Wow!


Steven Long Sherwood High School Running back

Steven Longis a household name in Oregon. He is one of the most prolific runners in Oregon Prep football history. He rushed for 217 yards and 2 TD’s and helped his team win the Oregon 5A State Championship. No one has done more to improve them selves and get to the collegiate level. But one thing challenges this young man and that is his stature. At 5’7″ his height is a factor but not necessarily an insurmountable one. Jacquizz Rodgers was 5’6″ and 180 his Senior year and was no faster or more athletic then Long. “Quizz” has certainly changed the way teams look at smaller backs and he has just declared for the NFL draft. Long is working tirelessly to add some size and is almost 170 pounds in this picture. His story will be a terrific one to follow. He can play collegiate ball and should. Where he ends up is anyones guess.

Update: “This was another good week for me.  I have been putting together a list of camps I will attend this summer.  I also plan on attending spring practice for Oregon State and The University of Idaho.  My dad and I are taking a trip up to Washington State for an unofficial visit.  I am meeting with Coach Ungerer the Running Backs coach who will show us around their campus and facilities.  Things are really heating up right now for me. I’m just enjoying every minute of it and soaking it all in.  Right now is spring break and I took a few days off to  go down to the beach and relax and hangout with my friends. When I return, I plan on picking up where I left off in continuing my hard work. :)”

Long is fighting the size question with everything he has.  His strength numbers are incredible.  These barriers he has had in front of him keep falling.  Some lucky school will get him.  He is the complete package.  A positive kid who keeps his nose clean and can play play play!!!!


<a  data-cke-saved-href=viewprospect.asp?Sport=1&pr_key=123882 href=viewprospect.asp?Sport=1&pr_key=123882>Kieren McDonagh</a> Skyview HS

Kieran McDonagh will be a Senior at Skyview High School in Vancouver. He is a fantastic athlete physically. At 6’2.5″ and 225 pounds he is lean and commands a presence. He passes what is known in collegiate recruiting as “the look test”. But “Rocky” as he is known is still awaiting his shot. A chance to manage a team an entire season. Something he has had to wait to do since his family moved last year. But make no mistake. This kid can play and given a chance appears to have all the skills a team would want in a QB. Next to Jeff Lindquist (star multi-Offer QB of Mercer Island) McDonagh may be the best. For him the issue will be garnering attention from schools as most big colleges are offering Juniors to be and well through their recruiting cycle. We think he is going to be terrific and his development and ascent as the season comes along a fast one.

Update: “This week  I  continued with my APX training, so I am getting stronger and more importantly much more explosive. I have lost some weight but gained  muscle mass which will help me next season.  I was unable to make it to 7 on 7 at Oregon State University due to a funeral but did make it to Barton Camp on Sunday. Coach Greg Barton thought I did very well and to keep on improving on all the little things to make myself better. This past week I  began planning out my visits, camps and combines in the spring and summer.  As of now I will be going to the University of Idaho Junior day next month, the Elite 11 Quarterback Camp at the University of California in May, and the NFTC camps in Eugene, Seattle and possibly Oakland.  I was also invited  to and am considering going to Princeton’s Junior day as well.  I have been busy sending out my highlight tape all over the country in hopes of getting noticed.  As for where I stand right now in the recruiting process, I  know I am behind the rest  as a result of transferring schools during my sophomore year, and  I really need to do as much as I can to gain attention and achieve my overall goal. Spring ball is almost hear and I can hardly wait to strap up those pads and put a helmet on again, I’ve been counting down the days since the end of last season!”

Kieran remains one of the top 1 or 2 QB’s we have seen anywhere this year and looks so good both throwing and running with the ball.  He is progressing and looking better all the time.


Adam Winterling Jesuit High

Adam Winterling will be a Senior at Jesuit and up until now a little known Wide Receiver. His asset is his size at 6’4″ and now 200 plus pounds which makes him one of the biggest athletes on the West Coast playing that spot.  Adam also has terrific hands and his route running ability is excellent.  Speed will be an issue but he is getting better and better and training 6 days a week to get there. He is also a terrific student who has big plans in life and who also plans to play college ball. He wants to “go-big” as the kids say but is open. He loves football and thrives in the life style. We look for great things and a great look at the life as Adam chases his goals.

Update: This last week has been great for me. I have had an increase in mail/questionnaires, and I just took an unofficial visit at Oregon State. I’m encouraged by the response I’ve gotten from coaches! I’ve also been sending out film and have had received good feedback from that. Recently, I have been in touch with Princeton, who requested my films and SAT/ACT’s scores. I was also invited to Brown’s prospect camp so I will hopefully be making stops on the east coast this combine season! I’m continuing to get correspondence from schools, and overall it has been a great week! I’m using this time to talk with coaches and build relationships which will hopefully result in the opprotunity to play colllege football. Outside of the recruiting process, my focus is on finishing my academic year strong. I’m taking the ACT this Saturday and the SAT soon after. The combine season starts in a few weeks, and I’m doing everything I can to prepare!

ADAM has been amazing this past few weeks.  He is almost 20 pounds ahead of last year.  He really looks great and we feel he is amongst the top 5 or 6 receivers in Oregon right now.


Walker Williams is currently the biggest linemen in the region. The Senior from Tacoma Baptist also happens to be one of the biggest recruits. He is not a household name but is known within the circle of sports writers and analysts and some Pac 10 schools. That will change. This young guy had transformed his 6’7″ and 320 pound frame in the past 6 months to something that will blow people away. God gave him a gift in his size and he is learning how to use it. Woe be the Defensive linemen that has to take on Mount Williams this year. The other thing about Walker is his amazing grace and character. A more outgoing person with a positive heart you will not find. Walker is another guy with a 3.8 GPA that could play at Yale or at USC. Stay tuned because anything can happen here.

Update: Walker Williams is making the rounds around the West Coast to check out schools and the massive offensive tackle from Tacoma (Wash.) Tacoma Baptist picked up his first offer in recent days during a swing through Los Angeles. UCLA was the first school to offer Williams, a 6-foot-7, 320-pound prospect who said he got to know coach Rick Neuheisel better during the trip and that the Bruins are going to be seriously considered in his recruitment.

“That was my first offer and I got to know coach Neuheisel a little better because he took us around the campus and gave us a tour,” Williams said. “He seems like a really cool guy. He seems like a coach I wouldn’t mind being around more for my four-year athletic career if I chose to commit.”
During his trip, Williams also visited USC. While the Trojans did not offer, the coaching staff told the Tacoma Baptist standout that they’d like to see him back at their lineman camp this summer. Williams is thinking about making a return trip.

“It’s a great team and a great school,” Williams said. “They’re building a whole new facility and that’s going to be outstanding. They said they’re not going to know whether I’m going to get offered until after the lineman camp.

UCLA made a Smart move here. He likes the schools and the coaches and they are his first official offer! What a huge week for our Tacoma big boy! Way to go Walker. He joins Trent Sewell as the first two of our CTD to obtain offers. More to follow!


Brady Watts is returning to the High School football scene as a Senior for the Tualatin Timberwolves.  Last season his Wolves came up just a little short in their efforts to win it all loosing to Aloha in the Oregon 6A State Title game. But Watts is a 6′, 195 pound stud that is a punishing hitter and a hard charger.  He is projecting well as a Linebacker into College but will be a featured Running Back in Tualtin’s ground game too. He is realistic about his chances and is looking to hit as many events as he can. Following his development as he comes into his Senior year should be great. Brady has a lot to offer any program.

Update:  “Over the last week I have been intensely focused on getting my letters to coaches/universities written and my DVDs made, and I have begun sending it out to a number of colleges that I think are the right fit for my abilities and adademic goals.. It’s a big relief to finally have it done and now I can begin to see what kind of real looks I get. It’s been stressing me out ,but I feel like now I can get a better idea of what my chances of playing where will be. It is exciting and nerve-racking at the same time to see what will shake out. In the meantime, I have also been continuing to train 5 days a week to be able to perform well at combines as well.  I have gained 10 pounds of muscle since I started at PTC, while shaving tenths of seconds off my sprints and gaining inches on my vertical.  Lately, I have seen my squats steadily rising with being able to rep 25 more pounds than previous weeks.  I can feel myself become more and more athletic all the time and I can not wait to start strapping on pads and show how hard I have been working.”

Watts is going to surprise some people this year.  He was very good last year.  But this 2 way work horse is going to get a whole lot more action this year and is one guy that we know will be 100% ready.


Evan Voeller West Linn High School Football

Evan Voeller is only a 10th grader at West Linn High School. But the 6’5″, 285 pound giant is known throughout much of the land as he took on some serious competition at the NIKE NFTC Camps and the NUC Combines and proved himself against older kids. He is on several “watch lists” which are circulated in the sports world where names of future stars are mentioned. Evan just smiles. He has work to do and he knows it. But he is still only 15. He trains 5 or 6 days a week and is sure looks like his rise to the top ranks of the O’line group is on its way. Evan is a wonderful person and hard worker in school as well. Let’s ee what happens with him this season.

Update: “I’m most excited about my new training phase I started this week.  Some of the new aspects include running hills, broad jumping, box jumping and speed training.  I know going into Spring training this will help tremendously. I’m feeling faster, stronger and looking forward to seeing the benefits on the gridiron!

I’ve also have been looking at what college practices to attend this spring. Oregon, Oregon State and University of Washington have all expressed interest. I weighed in this week at a lean 275. Looking forward to the Nike combine in early June!
Many Thanks.”

Voeller is all we have hoped he would become.  He is not another big kid.  No  he is not.  He is a big powerful explosive kid with two more years to grow and develop.  That is what is so scary about this guy.  He is going to be really great potentially.


AJ Glass west linn football

AJ Glass is a Junior to be at West Linn. He is a WR/RB and excellent on defense as well. AJ has above average agility and gained National attention at the NUC combine regionals last year. He is fluid and smooth and very accomplished in his athletics. Right now he is 6’1″ and 198 pounds and really starting to fill out. Time will tell how this 2013 grad will wind up but the jouney to get on to the College ranks is well underway!

Update: “Spring break started with my new work out at PTC.  I am spending more time working on my speed and cardio.  So it means more explosive jumping, hurdle bounds, and hill runs.   It is really paying off.  I have hit new PR’s in the squat-440lbs.  The bench- 270lbs and  the vert. 34 in on the sticks .  (which for me relates to 36in on the jump pad  I have a hard time with the sticks)  My sprints are getting better too.  1.47sec  for 10 yds. And 2.57sec for the 20 yds.   Mark McLaughlin is driving me hard, but it is really paying off.  I have been to two of Barton’s 7×7 tourney’s and this last week played for the Skyview Team.  Great guys-thanks for letting me join in.  (we lost in the championship game to Team Washington).

I am scheduled to start the combine season with the Barton combine mid May.  Then the NUC at the end of May in Salem.  Sparq Oregon and NFTC Oregon is June 4th and 5th.   I am signing up for Oregon State’s Premier Performance  camp  on June 10th and then off to the Univ. Of Colorado skills camp on the 13 th.  NFTC Washington is the 19th and then to Los Angeles for the USC Rising Star Camp June 22nd and 23rd.  There are a couple of camps back east that I would love to go to, but I don’t know how to work  out the timing.   University of Oregon invited me to their contact camp and I am trying to figure out if it is ok to go for just one or two days.   The last two weeks I have been listening a lot to the CTD guys a year ahead of me, on which camps make sense and where I should focus my attention.  I have heard a lot of positive comments on PSU’s camp and Gessers’s camp where the Washington State coaches participate.  Long and short, summer looks busy.  Mom and Dad, if you read this,don’t worry about finals the second week of June I’ll study in the car.”

AJ Showed some good poise this week at the 7 On when things got a little heated.  We want to commend him for taking the high road; it was a moment of maturity for a young kid like he is.  Boy is he getting bigger just these past 2 months!


Caleb Smith is going to be a Senior at Kentridge. He joins us this week and this 6’7″, 240 pound converted QB is on the rise. Caleb earned his wings at the Army All American Combine this January and is now rated a 3 star prospect. No offers yet but Caleb is on the rise and has great athletic ability. He and his team from Kentridge are heaidng to the Tacoma Dome for the WIAA State Basketball Championship Series and are in the elite 8. We welcome Caleb and his awesome family to Chasing the Dream!

Update: “This week I attended the 7 on 7 at Oregon State for the second time. I thought I had a pretty good showing and I spoke with Taylor Barton who said that the Oregon State staff is going to analyze the film from the event and decide whether or not they want to offer me or not. Other than that I’ve just been lifting. I’m also working on making my way out to a couple UW practices this week.”

Editors Note: Phone calls are coming in from schools all over about Caleb as Coaches want to know more about this true big fats kid.  We saw him again at the 7 On and a big kid like him just should not be able to do the things he can do.  His hands are getting better and better.  It is really great to see.


Chevy Walker is a Junior at Eastside Catholic and will be one kid to watch next year. Walker is a rising kid (6′ and 180 pounds) as well and tallied up over 2,000 yards of offense last year out of his RB and Special Teams positions and is a very hard working athlete. He definitely projects to college as a football player and is accomplished in track . Chevy comes from a very hard working family; his mom Erin and his Dad Chevelle Sr. and a host of extended family are all working very hard to help Chevy and we welcome this gifted athlete to Chasing the Dream. Look for his first update next week.

Update: “I came back from Las Vegas and had a great outcome!  I scored in ALMOST every game and had two interceptions and some deflections that saved our team from losing. I had to leave early because of a mishap  and so I was frustrated with how my team lost by only 1 point to the team who won the whole tournament and I wasn’t there to help them.

On a lighter note, track season is here! My father (Chevelle SR, who ran track in college and is very experienced in long jump/triple jump) is helping my team and I to a State Title.  Also God bless you TYLER I’m glad your ok Bruh!!  I have received some JR invites that I will be attending, also I’m off to the Ivy Leagues and New York for Spring break.”
Another good week for the speedster from Eastside who can do so many things and do them well.  This trip he is taking could easily help him to gain an offer.  He is defintitely a low hanging piece of fruit for any collegiate recruiter.

Josh MItchell is going to be a Senior next year at Mount Si out in Snoqualmie, Washington. We invited Josh because he brings to the series that gutsy edge that only a wrestler can bring. We salute Josh, all 6’3″ and 265 pounds of him, for just winning the 2011 State Heavy Weight Championship for the 3A WIAA Division. Josh is going to be a force at both sides of the ball and loves that Trench Warfare. He projects well as a Nose Tackle and Defensive Tackle and projects to play at a well put together 280 pounds as Summer comes and he can eat once again. Look for Josh’s first update next week and we welcome the Mitchell’s to CTD.

Update: “I have continued to talk to the University of Washington and I am going to go to their spring practices and sit through the meetings with their team. I am continually talking to the coaches and am receiving more interest. Also, on saturday I went to the University of Washington to attend Barton. This football camp really helped me out and this was my first time back on the field since football season.

Other schools I have received letters from this past week are Princeton, more letters from Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Stanford and San Diego State. I am also continuing to receive high interest from Arkansas, Oregon, Washington, WSU and Wyoming. On tuesday Boise State called and talked to my head coach. I then called the Coach back later that day and talked to him for a while and I am trying to make it down to their school for a visit and their summer camp.  I am continuing to lift weights twice every day along with speed training 3 times a week.  Through all this recruiting I am continuing to stay focused on school and my upcoming senior football season.  This series is very helpful to me through this recruiting process because I get to see what everyone else is doing and what to do or not do. Also it is helping to get me a lot of attention from numerous schools.”

Mitchell is a student of the game and the process.  Man a big athlete who is a thinker and can beat every other heavy weight on the wrestling mat.  That has Nose Tackle written all over it.  Another very special kid who we have enjoyed seeing progress these past few weeks!


That is 12 kids; 6 from Oregon and 6 from Washington. Not the top recruits but very good athletes. We chose them randomly in no particular order because we wanted to be able to have a snap shot at a variety of kids and positions. In this way we hope to help all of you guys out there trying to make it to college. The stories and lessons of our CTD 12 will tell the story of recruiting and the struggle to get noticed. Everything that goes into that soup that is college recruiting will be touched upon this year.

If you are amongst our audience of readers we hope you will send us feedback and that you enjoy our series.


NEW FEATURE

Do you know someone that you want to nominate or have us do a weekly feature on? Well we are going to do a Guest Player of the Week in each article to share the story of another player from the Pacific Northwest. Therefore if you have an athlete you wish to nominate regardless of position or level of play we are looking for suggestions. Please send us any nominations you wish to make to dirkknudsen@gmail.com


Guest Player of the Week:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is South Salem High School’s Maximo Junior Espitia.  He was recently written up as one of the finest athletes in the State of Oregon bar none.  Junior is born to play WR or Safety and with his almost 6’3″ frame and quick twitch muscle mass he creates big issues for opposing teams.  He plays QB right now for his team which has him below the Radar with colleges but not with us.  He is at #3 right now in the State.  If you are a recruiter or a Coach you better plan on stopping in Salem to make an introduction to this amazing athlete.

 

NEW FEATURE: Highlight Video of the Week:

Brady Watts of Tualatin:  Great Film Work here and a lot of great moments of Brady Watts skills!



This was another good week for me. I have been putting together a list of camps I will attend this summer. I also plan on attending spring practice for Oregon State and The University of Idaho. My dad and I are taking a trip up to Washington State for an unoffical visit. I am meeting with Coach Ungerer the Running Backs coach who will show us around thier campus and facilities. Things are really heating up right now for me. I’m just enjoying every minute of it and soaking it all in. Right now is spring break and I took a few days off to go down to the beach and relax and hangout with my friends. When I return, I plan on picking up where I left off in continuing my hard work. 🙂


Please join us all season with our series “Chasing The Dream”.

I am the Founder of the Northwest Prep Report. For 17 years I have led the way to the best of my ability to promote the best talent from the Pacific NW free of charge. It is my pleasure to continue to serve High School athletes from all over the Pacific NW and beyond. Formerly with Rivals.com my sites have now crossed over 8,000 stories, 7 MILLION Video Views, and 15,000 regular followers. Together with the best football people in the USA we pursue excellence for our NW athletes.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in Featured