Talking NW Athletes w Andrew Nemec at 1080 The Fan
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The other night I was once again able to catch up with Andrew Nemec on his show at 1080 The Fan. For the better part of a decade we have been able to talk on Northwest athletes and how our…
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Continue ReadingThe other night I was once again able to catch up with Andrew Nemec on his show at 1080 The Fan. For the better part of a decade we have been able to talk on Northwest athletes and how our region compares. Monday evening, we got into a list I just posted on Prepredzone, ranking the top 200 athletes in Oregon & Washington for the 2024-26′ classes.
Nemec and I primarily talked on the top 50 and some of the young guys who could potentially get in the mix in the coming seasons. We also referenced NW High School teams in general, and whether Oregon may be turning a corner after a very successful year playing Washington programs, with West Linn potentially being the region’s next juggernaut.
Here is a summary with some of the key bullet points we discussed.. Listen to the show here
*How good is Wiley Donnerberg Wiley Donnerberg 6'4" | 200 lbs | ATH West Linn | 2024 State OR , Jayden Fortier Jayden Fortier 6'5" | 220 lbs | TE Tualatin | 2024 State OR , and AJ Noland AJ Noland 6'2" | 185 lbs | DB Tualatin | 2024 State OR ? Could they end up the top three prospects in the state when all is said and done over USC commit Joey Olsen Joey Olsen 6'6" | 220 lbs | TE Lakeridge | 2024 State OR , Ducks commit AJ Pugliano AJ Pugliano 6'4" | 220 lbs | TE North Medford | 2024 State OR , and heavily recruited lineman Devin Brooks Devin Brooks 6'4" | 290 lbs | OL Clackamas | 2024 State OR ? Only time will tell but they have a legit shot.
*West Linn just won the state championship, and they might not lose for a while. The 45-6 beat down of Washington 4A state champion Lake Stevens, along with Central Catholic’s win on the road over 2021 3A state champion Bellevue, set the tone for an impressive season from the Oregon teams. Can that continue is the question, with Washington’s dominance over the years.
*Back in the day individuals we touted as Oregon’s top guys were not highly recruited, and a lot of questions were asked when we had Justin Herbert and Brady Breeze ranked the top athletes in the state. How did people miss on an All Pro QB and the Rose Bowl MVP?
*Who are some of the athletes listed #26-50 with a chance to blow up and why? We talked on 6-5 220-pound DE Will Haverland Will Haverland 6'5" | 220 lbs | DL Sheldon | 2024 State OR of Sheldon and Lebanon TE/OLB Hayden George Hayden George 6'4" | 235 lbs | TE Lebanon | 2024 State OR 6-4 230. Also mentioned were standout athletes from the Valley, Parker Williams Parker Williams 5'10" | 175 lbs | DB South Salem | 2024 State OR and Pierce Walker Pierce Walker 5'10" | 170 lbs | DB North Salem | 2024 State OR , who have helped Team ALPHA reach national prominence on the 7v7 circuit.
*A few of the current freshman have a chance to be big time, so what do RB Ansu Sanoe Ansu Sanoe 6'2" | 210 lbs | RB Lakeridge | 2026 State OR Lakeridge HS (OR), DE FA Siale O’Dea HS (WA), and OT Kodi Greene Eastside Catholic HS (WA) bring to the table.
A lot of credit to 1080 & Scorebook Live on Nemec’s hire as the National Recruiting Director. His influence has been a game changer for the region and should be recognized as such.