Potential Record Setters: Brian Mannion & Keenan Speer-Johnson
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Twenty-four years ago, two of the best players ever to play High School football in Oregon, Taylor Barton and Jesse Levin shattered the state’s all-time passing and receiving records.
Barton finished with 4,047 passing yards and 56 TDs, with Levin accounting for 2,139 receiving yards and 28 TDs on 103 receptions. Growing up and playing multiple sports with both of them I can speak to their dominance. They were on a different level.
Heading into the Fall season QB [player_tooltip player_id="28837" first="Brian" last="Mannion"] (6-2 180 22’) and new Mountainside HS teammate [player_tooltip player_id="28836" first="Keenan" last="Speer-Johnson"] (6-3 180 WR 22’) have a shot to do some big things. I’m not saying they will break those records, but I do believe they will be one of the top tandems anywhere in the country.
Johnson recently moved into the Mountainside district from Tigard HS. He is listed as one of the top WR’s on the west coast, holding offers from the likes of (Maryland, Kentucky, Nevada, Utah St and most recently Florida Atlantic). As most know he comes from a football family with NFL and D1 genes.
Mannion is my #1 ranked QB in Oregon and listed #8 overall for the 2022 class. He is another athlete who many know by his last name, with brother Sean Mannion spending the last 6 years in the NFL, after an outstanding career at Oregon St. His father and head coach John Mannion is one of the best coaches ever to represent the state of Oregon.
I have stated numerous times that Brian should be considered one of the top QB’s in the West. He is an incredibly humble and talented kid, and someone I for see holding offers from a handful of Mid Major or even Pac 12 type programs before he is done.
He would be the best quarterback in the Big Sky if he was to land there. Bold statement but true. I consider it a borderline crime that none of those schools have offered yet.
As a sophomore Mannion led his team to a 2nd round victory over a #1 ranked and undefeated Tigard squad. It was at that time you realized how special he was, performing at a level rarely seen.
The Mavericks graduate two of the state’s top perimeter athletes in [player_tooltip player_id="28723" first="Andrew" last="Simpson"] and [player_tooltip player_id="28786" first="Justin" last="Hughes"]. KSJ will require a consistent double team if you want to have a chance of containing him. Even with that Mannion has pinpoint accuracy, as they should be able to offset numbers all season, with Johnson’s presence. No one will be talking about records but expect this duo to be one of Oregon’s most dominant in some time.
