Time for OregonPreps.com to take a look at the Juniors who will be the guys in the Class of 2013 who should make a big impact this year and help the success of their team. Now to do that we are going off the kids we have seen first hand at least once and then we will backfill with data submitted by your our readers. Over the next couple of weeks will cover top athletes 3 or 4 at a time until we have listed out at least the Top 30 to be watching this year. Will your favorite be one of them? Come join us and see!
The first three guys are three Portland area kids. Again in no particular order or position here are 3 of the very best of the Class of 2013.
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Nathan is a special athlete with terrific top end speed, great hands, and a gift for the game
Nathan Halverson; Grant High Generals; 5’11”, 170
Nate is a terrific talent and cut from the same mold as his older brother Daniel who is a Top Recruit for 2012. He has great speed at 4.5 or better, quickness, and makes great decisions for such a young guy.
He can play slot, WR, DB, TB, and any number of positions rigth now including special teams. This will be the year that Nathan defines himself as a player in terms of what his best strengths are.
The Generals are so very talented and a Senior group including Daniel, Paris Penn, Jamar Graves and Johnathan Haley will provide a good group to hone his skills with.
One of our favorite young guys and another Grant athlete that Collegiate Coaches will want to make the trip to NE Portland to see.
- Brayden Kearsley is one of the top big men in the region and pledged his 6’5″ and 280 pound frame already to the BYU Cougars. Brayden is as tough as they come.
Brayden Kearsley; Aloha
6’5″ and 280 Pounds: OT/DT
Here is the big man of the Class. He is big for sure and was an All State OL and DL last year as a 10th grader. This season he comes in after a great camp performance at the Nike NFTC Camp and other stops he made were equally successful. But the best thing he did by his own admission is the time he spent at BYU where he not only was offered a scholarship but also where he has pledged.
Other schools were circling the Junior to be figuring the they had time. They were wrong cause Brayden is running Cougar Blue all through those giant veins of his.
He is a dominating force on the line both sides and is rarely beaten if ever. This year he will once again anchor the Aloha Warrior line and thinks he and his boys have a legit shot to defend the Title.
“This is ours to defend and we can do it. That is the mind set we are all in,” he said.
The kid is one heck of a football player and his skill set has been well influenced by his father and Coach Stuart. He can play the game very well.
Bruce Jones JR. just moved to Sunset and takes his considerable talents as a Corner, RB, Slot to the Apollos. And to think he was slated to be a Warrior. This is one talented young guy who should be a major recruit once he settles in.
Bruce Jones JR., Sunset High School; 5’11”, 174 pounds
Bruce was slated to be an Aloha Warrior and would have been before a move took him to Valley Catholic last year and on to Sunset this year. His addition to the Apollos will be a great one and fans who watch them this year are going to hear it here first. This is a future collegian here and he can project to the highest levels if all goes well.
He has a 4.55 40 already and is a good leaper. His lateral speed is good as well and with time he will get faster and faster.
But it is his nose for the ball and ability to read plays that make him a very alluring player and prospect at RB and at Corner.
We have seen him in several 1 on 1 battles with some of the best upper classmen in the region and he shines in the 7 on 7 competitions.
Time will only tell how high he will go but this Junior year of his should cement him into the position of being one of the top athletes for the Class of 2013.
We wish him the very best this season as we do all the kids.
Tomorrow we will cover three more athletes in this class. It looks like it is going to be a great one that may rival this years class which right now is the best ever in Oregon history.
Welcome to these three into our 2013 watch list of Oregon’s finest.
