NWC Players to keep an eye on

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the season about to begin in about a week, here are some players within the Northwest Conference that you should have your eyes on.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='693680' first='Marcus' last='Nixon']</strong> - RB - Squalicum HS - <em>Eastern WA commit</em> - Marcus is one of the best playmakers in the conference, arguably being in the top 2 best players in the conference alongside [player_tooltip player_id='945855' first='Colton' last='Lentz']. Nixon will return back to his natural position of RB with the Storm finding a new QB on the roster. He will be the main part of the offense and could rush for 1,000+ yards this upcoming season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='945855' first='Colton' last='Lentz']</strong> - RB - Nooksack Valley HS - <em>U of Montana commit</em> - As I mentioned, Colton is likely the best player in this entire conference. He has continued to dominate each and every year and is poised for an even bigger senior season. He is hungry for a 1A state championship and is ready to put the entire team on his back to do so. I expect a massive season from this dynamic, powerful running back. He sees the field well and knows which holes to hit at the right time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='348156' first='Andre' last='Watson']</strong> - WR - Sehome HS - <em>2025 graduate</em> - Andre has some of the best hands within the entire state. Watson catches almost everything thrown his way and lays out for passes too, being able to snag it with one hand too. He is explosive off the line, running sharpe routes and being able to create enough space for his QB to get the pass in. He is dynamic in open field and can break away from almost anyone in the conference.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cole Turrell</strong> - OL/DL - Sehome HS - <em>2025 graduate</em> - Cole is looking more lean and athletic heading into this season and is ready to dominate both sides of the ball. He has excellent hand placement as a guard, using his strength to his advantage as well. He is quick off the line on the defensive side of the ball and I think will cause some havoc for offensive lineman.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='945865' first='Brant' last='Heppner']</strong> - QB - Lynden HS - <em>2025 graduate </em>- Brant is a big quarterback, standing at 6'6" and having a big frame that is tough to bring down on the field. When he scrambles, it takes multiple opposing defenders to drag him down when they are able to get their hands on him. He delivers accurate passes across the middle of the field and short passes under 10 yards. We will see if his deep passes have gotten more accurate throughout the off-season when the year starts.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='957347' first='Landen' last='Downey'] </strong>- RB - Meridian HS - <em>2025 graduate</em> - Landen is a top running back in the conference, putting up top rushing numbers in the league last season. He can catch the ball out of the backfield nicely and is dynamic in the open field. He has put on some weight and is poised for a bigger workload for the Trojans this upcoming season. He sees the field effectively, knowing where the defensive weak spots are to gain positive yardage.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mick Owen</strong> - DB/WR - Lynden Christian HS - <em>2025 graduate</em> - Mick is a dynamic athlete who I think will play a pivotal role in the Lyncs offense. Owen has gained a lot of muscle, weighing roughly 190 pounds now but is still just as athletic. He evades opposing defenses quickly and will be one of the most athletic players in the league next year. I'm not 100% sure who will be the quarterback for the Lyncs with Jeremiah Wright graduating, but I think Owen will still make impactful plays.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->