Story Photos
 Clatskanie senior fullback Jesse Oblack (21) prepares to take a pitch from quarterback K.C. Taylor during last year's game against Rainier. Oblack is a TDN Preseason All-Area selection at running back. Bill Wagner / The Daily News
|
The Daily News Preseason All-Area Teams
Thursday, September 4, 2008 4:30 PM PDT
By Ben Zimmerman
Printable version
E-mail this articleScouting Report: Offense
QB Cody O’Connor
A true gamer who is not afraid to take chances downfield or mix it up in the trenches, O’Connor barely edged Clatskanie senior K.C. Taylor on the first team because he has so much upside.
As a sophomore in ‘07, O’Connor stepped in and helped lead Toutle to the state championship game. He has good tools at the position and Ducks coach Scott Grabenhorst trusts O’Connor to run the offense and limit mistakes.
His touchdown pass in overtime of the state semifinals was a play Toutle fans will never forget.
RB Andrew Allen
The 240-pound Allen rushed for 1,435 yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior to lead the Columbians to the Oregon Class 3A state semifinals.
His coach, Thor Ware, called Allen “a load.” But when it comes to local football, this bruising, explosive fullback is more than “a” load. He is THE load.
Foes must either stop Allen — or lose. His control over tempo and time of possession is that profound. That’s the good news for the opposition. The bad news is that he worked extremely hard in the offseason, especially on his speed and footwork, so his trademark, 30-yard, chain-moving runs could turn into 70-yard homers this year.
RB Jesse Oblack
Highway 30 sure has its fair share of awesome fullbacks this season. Just down the road from Mr. Allen’s domain of pain, another missile-in-shoulder-pads lurks as the leader of Clatskanie’s trench toughies. Oblack is a beast between the tackles, relentless and powerful, who is a big reason the Tigers are ranked No. 8 in the preseason.
He’s also the perfect complement to halfback Trevor Marioni and quarterback K.C. Taylor in Clatskanie’s ground-happy attack.
TE Elijah Denis
Denis may end up at wide receiver for the reloading Beavers. In fact, his height and athleticism make it likely that Denis will line up wherever head coach Mark Greenleaf darn well pleases.
Wherever the 6-2, 200-pound leaper ends up, he’ll create matchup nightmares on the pass and running lanes when he blocks.
WR Shane Brady
With Denis and multi-purpose end Elliot Moss, Brady makes the Beavers a very dangerous team in the vertical game. He was honorable mention all-league at wide receiver as a sophomore and does a little bit of everything at the position.
If Woodland’s new-to-varsity quarterbacks can get the ball in the air, Brady can go get it and make things happen.
WR Zack Gehring
One of the top three all-around football talents in SW Washington, Gehring is poised to lead the Rockets to glory as a senior. Talented, physical, athletic and tough, Gehring is a two-time first-team all-leaguer and a two-time first-team all-TDN honoree.
He is an impossible matchup given his special set of skills, his speed and leaping ability.
Gehring is a close second to Andrew Allen in terms of most dangerous offensive weapon in the Lower Columbia area.
OL Jake Welch
When historians look back on this decade of Monarchs football (if historians did that kind of thing), they’ll point to Welch as a pillar of the program’s climb from doormat to respectability to deep November threat. He was already the best run-blocking lineman in the GSHL 2A by the middle of the last season, holding his own against current Oregon freshman Nick Cody of Hockinson and leading the way on more scoring and chain-moving runs than can be counted during MM’s rise to the playoffs.
Welch will play on Saturday’s someday. On TV. In prime time.
OL Justin O’Neill
As a sophomore, Mr. O’Neill earned second-team all-league honors for a Hilanders squad that took its lumps but never folded during a rebuilding year.
O’Neill loves contact and is a relentless blocker who will be counted on by Kelso brass for leadership and intensity as the program ventures into the rough-and-tumble realm of 4A football.
OL Eli Pesio
Ask some of Clatskanie’s more decorated graduates and they’ll tell you that Pesio is the leader of the Tigers’ unheralded but essential blocking brigade.
While hard-nosed runners like Oblack and Trevor Marioni will hog the highlights and headlines this fall, it will be blue-collar grinders like Pesio who do the gruntwork behind that glory.
OL Shon Elizondo
Elizondo is very good, very tough, very strong and very hard-working, but his most crucial role as the only returning starter on the Woodland line this fall will be more subtle. The Beavers need this lead-by-example brute to underwrite a chemistry project involving four new starters.
Elizondo watched as four new starting seniors led the way to a powerful running game and league title in ‘07, and now it’s his turn to show the next generation of new blockers how it’s done.
OL Tyson Bain
The conductors of the Mule Train call him “Baby Bear,” but opponents do the same at their peril. All bear and no baby, this mobile, punishing blocker earned first-team all-league honors in the brutal Central 2B League as a sophomore during a down year in Wahkiakum.
He’ll do it again as a junior, and all-state honors are not a reach. Bain would start for any program in the area.
Ut Austin Burkhalter
If you need a well-thrown pass, an acrobatic catch made in traffic, or a first down run on third-and-11 in the fourth quarter of a tie game, Burkhalter is the smart-money number to call.
He’ll provide Comets partisans with plenty of thrills in a variety of ways this season.
Scouting Report: defense
DL Chase Alderman
Alderman has the kind of toughness you want on your side when you’re making a goal-line stand. Or fighting a Grizzly Bear.
As a junior, his coming-out party was the Kalama game, when Alderman helped the Rockets set a no-nonsense tone at the line of scrimmage and give the Chinooks what would turn out to be their biggest scare of the regular season.
DL Tyson Bain
Bain takes over for Bobby Ferguson as the leader of the Mules’ defensive front, bringing all-league credentials to the task. He and Blake Anderson will set the tone for Wahkiakum this season as it looks to return to the postseason.
DL Jacob Wishard
Kelso football is all about tradition, and Wishard has some big cleats to fill. As one of the top defensive performers of ‘07, he’ll step it up this year and seek to invoke memories of great Scotties linemen of the past, such as Tyler Minium.
DL Mike Shirley
A two-way all-league performer for the state quarterfinalist Comets last year, Shirley is surely due for a big season in ‘08. He’s a gritty player with a nose for the ball and a love of contact, who can help Naselle to another playoff run.
LB Robby Sanders
Sanders has been starting at linebacker since his freshman year. It’s safe to say that no other player in the area has more varsity experience.
Sanders brings athleticism, speed and smarts to the position — plus a resume’ no one else comes close to matching: Second-team all-league and honorable mention all-TDN as a freshman; first-team all-league, first-team All-Area and honorable mention all-state as a sophomore; and first-team all-league, first-team All-Area and honorable mention all-state as a junior.
He’s the man. Period.
LB Trevor Marioni
Like Sanders, Marioni has been in the thick of the varsity fray since his freshman year, and despite injury problems the past two seasons, he brings a ton of experience to a crucial position for one of the area’s elite programs.
Marioni has the skills and savvy to play safety, corner, inside linebacker and outside linebacker, and is a serious candidate for MVP of the Lewis and Clark 3A League.
He’s also one of the top five football talents, overall, among all 13 local teams.
LB Zack Gehring
The perfect linebacker.
Gehring looks the part, acts the part and knows the part. He has been starting for three years on defense at the Rock and was first-team all-Trico in ‘07.
A rare two-way first-team pick on our All-Area slate.
LB Jeff Campbell
Campbell steps out of the shadows and into the limelight as the leader of the Ducks’ defense this season. He has been one of the best linebackers in the Central 2B League for years, and this year he is the clear front-runner for Defensive MVP of the league and a strong candidate for all-state honors.
A great hitter, hard worker, good teammate and true leader.
The guts, heart and soul of the Toutle defense.
DB Colby Holt
Holt will actually play quite a bit of linebacker for Woodland, which shows his versatility. Holt was second-team all-league as a defensive back last year and will be counted on by Beavers coach Mark Greenleaf to anchor a defense full of new faces.
Holt has great range, good size and speed, and a fearless, freight-train approach to the art of the tackle. He’ll be the eye of the Green Swarm on many a Friday night.
DB Brandon Walker
Walker has lots of experience and an all-league pedigree as a lock-down corner. He’s also not afraid to come up and pop someone in the mouth. He and Sanders are the only “big-name” hold-overs from the great defensive squads of ‘06 and ‘07 at Kalama.
Bet on Walker to preserve the reputation.
DB Blake Zytniowski
An interception machine.
Zytniowski was responsible for six of Rainier’s state-leading 27 interceptions last year and was a key force driving the Columbians’ march to the state semifinals.
Opponents who did not learn their lesson in ‘07 could help him bump his pick totals into double digits this time around.
Second-team All-Area as a junior.
OFFENSE
FIRST TEAM
QB CODY O’CONNOR, Jr., Toutle Lake
RB ANDREW ALLEN, Sr., Rainier
RB JESSE OBLACK, Sr., Clatskanie
TE ELIJAH DENIS, Jr., Woodland
WR SHANE BRADY, Jr., Woodland
WR ZACK GEHRING, Sr., Castle Rock
OL JAKE WELCH, Jr., Mark Morris
OL JUSTIN O’NEILL, Jr., Kelso
OL ELI PESIO, Sr., Clatskanie
OL SHON ELIZONDO, Sr., Woodland
OL TYSON BAIN, Jr., Wahkiakum
Utility AUSTIN BURKHALTER, Jr., Naselle
SECOND TEAM
QB K.C. TAYLOR, Sr., Clatskanie
RB MIKE WHITE, Sr., Toledo
RB JEFF CAMPBELL, Sr., Toutle Lake
TE CHRIS FOSTER, Jr., Toutle Lake
WR SAGE CHAPMAN, Jr., Toutle Lake
WR COLIN SMITH, Sr., Mark Morris
OL STIAN VIK, Sr., Wahkiakum
OL JOSH FIAS, Sr., Toutle Lake
OL JON SUEK, Sr., Mark Morris
OL NICK HUELTER, So., Rainier
OL MIKE SHIRLEY, Sr., Naselle
Utility DALTON EARLYWINE, Sr., Rainier
DEFENSE
FIRST TEAM
DL CHASE ALDERMAN, Sr., Castle Rock
DL TYSON BAIN, Jr., Wahkiakum
DL JACOB WISHARD, Sr., Kelso
DL MIKE SHIRLEY, Sr., Naselle
LB ROBBY SANDERS, Sr., Kalama
LB TREVOR MARIONI, Sr., Clatskanie
LB ZACK GEHRING, Sr., Castle Rock
LB JEFF CAMPBELL, Sr., Toutle Lake
DB COLBY HOLT, Sr., Woodland
DB BRANDON WALKER, Sr., Kalama
DB BLAKE ZYTNIOWSKI, Sr., Rainier
SECOND TEAM
DL KYLE PALMER, Sr., Rainier
DL BLAKE ANDERSON, Sr., Wahkiakum
DL JOSH FIAS, Sr., Toutle Lake
DL JON SUEK, Sr., Mark Morris
LB BOOMER NASH, Sr., Toutle Lake
LB JOE DILLARD, Sr., Mark Morris
LB ALAN ERICKSON, Jr., Naselle
LB JESSE OBLACK, Sr., Clatskanie
DB JOEL FUDGE, Sr., Wahkiakum
DB J NUSSBAUM, Jr., R.A. Long
DB ELIJAH DENIS, Jr., Woodland
Past Month's Most Commented Stories