Latest / Whatcom Preps Podcast / Whatcom Preps Podcast Episode 187 - Meridian Trojans Preview

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Whatcom Preps Podcast Episode 187 - Meridian Trojans Preview · Whatcom Preps Podcast

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This is Murdy and Junior Landing Downey and you're listening to the Meridian Football Preview
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and Welcome Preps Podcast with Tyler and Rylan. Go Trojan's Greetings and welcome to
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the Welcome Preps Podcast. You're listening to the twenty twenty three Meridian Trojan's team
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Preview. I'm Rylan Spencer along with me as always Tyler Anderson of all Welcome
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Preps. Tyler, how are we doing doing awesome? Man? We get
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we're getting close to the end of this of these previews, but we're still
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gonna talk a lot of football. Yeah. I might fall asleep. I'm
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a little tired here. We've been hammering these out, Tyler, just grinding
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for the folks at home listening. Yeah. This is the ninth of ten
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team previews as we get ready for the upcoming season. We've already covered every
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other team other than Ferndale, but you can find them later today five pm.
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If you would like to listen to any of the other team previews,
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head over to walk on preps dot com. You can find everything right there
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on the front page. Also tomorrow we will have our Week one preview with
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predictions, fantasy picks, look at all eight games on the schedule. Be
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sure to subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcast so you can get
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notifications when we post future shows. Tyler, we would like to think a
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young man named Landon Downey the only non senior, would I say that,
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right? The only Yeah, the only non senior to do an intro here,
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so very special one. They're that land and Downey. He is let
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me tell you, let me, let me let me tell you, guys,
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Tyler, you were out there and Laurel, good old Laurel Laurel Tyler.
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Yeah, yeah, how was the day? It was awesome. I
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love going out there. It's one of those schools where when I go out
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to practice, it's like I could, you know, I could tell if
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someone was coming for the first time, I could tell them exactly what they're
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going to see. And then they'll show up and they'll be like, wow,
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how did you know? You know? It's it's awesome. It's you
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know, you're gonna see every single kids in a different you know, practice
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Jersey. It's it's it's awesome. It's just a kind of like a tradition.
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I mean, there's all sorts of colors. It looks like it looks
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like, you know, my dryer for crying out loud. When I do
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laundry, there's all these bright colors. It's like paint my number. Yeah.
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They have the old like like the old tackling dummy that comes at you
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when you pull the lever down. You know. I love that, Like
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I haven't seen that anywhere else in walking count you know, and I always
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it's at It's at Meridian every year and it's it's uh, it's just you
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just see everything you see. You see coach Bob Aims now an assistant,
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you know, sitting in his chair and and uh and taking it all in.
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And I you know, it's so funny because when I go to a
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Meridian practice, I don't talk a lot of football. I'll go find uh,
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I'll go find mister Bob Aims and I'll just we'll just talk like,
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you know, we'll talk John Wayne movies or uh, you know, just
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anything. And I just love talking to him. And that's one of my
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favorite things to do. When I'm out at Marine and practice. I probably
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spend more time talking to him than I actually do watching the kids. You
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know. It's just it's just a it's just a good time and I love
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going out there, and it was and it was kind of probably the latest
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practice out of all the ones I went to. So it's like, you
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know, it was starting to get a little dark, and I was worried
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about getting pictures done and the lighting and everything. But it was awesome.
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I had had a great time. Tyler. It's gonna sound really weird when
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I say this, but this is the fourth season of Patrick Ames as the
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head coach. Yeah. Fourth season. Wow. I mean we've got to
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four seasons really quickly with this guy. Yeah. I mean it seems like
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just yesterday we were interviewing him for his zoom you know interview that we did
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during the COVID times. I was down a little bit so home field at
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already in high school. I got a feeling it. I mean, it
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can't be too long before they renamed that place, right, Yeah, you
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never know, I mean I would think, so make it happen there,
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guys last year six and four, the year before five and four, so
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technically they've improved. I mean, yes, this year seven and four,
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no key losses. I think this is very interesting, Tyler. Key losses
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only five names. That being said, all five yep, dudes. I
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mean all five big time guys here, Hunter Jones, Amrit Negra, Eli
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Jensen, a guy that I feel like we picked quite often in the in
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the fantasy, you know, Marcus Castaneda, Wylett, whyatt Dueling. I
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mean, these are some guys that I mean, I'm Tyler, what do
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we got here? One? Two? Maybe? In terms of the top
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one hundred, I mean there's a couple of names there, so you know
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they lose some guys that now when we talk top returnees, there's a lot
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of names here too. And you mentioned it to me off the air,
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Tyler, quite a few of these top attorneys are going to be back again
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next year. I mean, this is a team that they look like a
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team that is a program, let's say, that is definitely on the rise.
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And there's some serious pieces. And I think the first one we're gonna
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talk about here, Tyler, like we always do, the quarterback, and
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this is a this is a guy that I feel like we've been talking about
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for you know, a half decade. We still got two more years left
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him. That's Jagger five. Last year two hundred and sixteen attempts, one
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hundred and thirteen completions twelve hundred and seventy yards, nine touchdowns. So Tyler
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the one I don't know, black Eye, if you say, on his
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stats here is ten interceptions. But off the air we're talking and you told
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me, you said Jagger Fife looks maybe like the best looking Jagger Fife we've
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seen. And tell you what, he's a good looking kid regardless. Yeah,
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you're absolutely right. And it always seems like we're talking about a kid
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for a long time. And when he does big things as as a freshman,
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which he did, he intercepted passes, he was split out and played
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some wide out, he played some quarterback that like you know, he was
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doing all sorts of things as a freshman. And then as it goes on,
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he's starring on the basketball team as a freshman. He's starring on the
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baseball team as a freshman. So I've seen him play six seasons already and
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at the versity level, so it does feel like he's just been around forever.
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I just love that as as he keeps filling out and gets bigger and
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stronger, he's throwing the ball which with much more velocity, much more conviction.
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I think that he's learning more about the quarterback position. Now, you
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know, you don't want to give too much to a kid too soon early
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on, and so last year there was still some some growing pains and that
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you see that with the ten interceptions. But it reminds me a lot of
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Joey Brown as a sophomore he had a lot of interceptions, and then his
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junior year he didn't throw an interception until like week six or five or I
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mean, it was a while, and it was it was the learning of
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the position. And I could see Jager five doing that exact same thing this
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this upcoming season. I think that the more he grasped the offense, uh,
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it's just gonna it's just gonna get better and better. He's got a
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great line in front of him, and he can run the ball too.
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He's got really good speed. So I'm really excited to see his progressions and
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how it plays out on Friday nights. Tyler, you know how we used
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the all Uh song for Tommy Funk. Yeah, I think maybe we need
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to get the old movies like Jagger Moves Jagger. What do you think I
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think we need to do? It might happen. It might happen, now,
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Tyler, as we talk about the running backs in the backfield there.
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Uh, if you were a running back in high school, Tyler, you
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would be Josh and Elmer. One fifteen carries one thousand, fifty four yards,
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maybe the craziest number, like almost of any number in the county.
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Nine point two yard average for Josh and Elmer last year. Uh, and
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eleven touchdowns. But that's not all. Landon Downey eighty three carries four h
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three six touchdowns. They returned a lot of touchdowns from the from the offensive
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backfield, Tyler. So are we still looking at the same names anybody moving
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around? What's the what's the skinny if you will? Yeah, Well,
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those two are definitely the main two. And I loved Elmer's progression from sophomore
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to junior season. First time they had a thousand yard rusher in quite a
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while. Actually, Uh, they do like to share the wealth, and
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they still shared it last year. He just he just made the most of
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his opportunities. You know, you mentioned the eleven touchdowns. I would I
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would say that more than half of those were at least forty yards or more.
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So. He's a home run threat. He's one of those guys that
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if he breaks through You're not gonna catch him. He just has that different
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kind of speed. Not the biggest guy in the world five seven, one
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hundred and forty five pounds now a senior, uh, it's he's a he's
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a difference maker with the ball in his hand. Now, he struggled against
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the better teams, but you know that he had a young line ahead of
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him and different things like that. I think he's gonna I think he has
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all the potential in the world to have more breakout games and he's gonna be
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crawling up that list of all time leading rushers for Meridian history. And so
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we'll see how that goes as the season progresses. You know, last year
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they had kind of a three back I mean they would play two backs at
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once and they could have them both split out, they could have them both
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in the backfield, one in the backfield, one split out or whatever.
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But they had a third back that they always every play they would just rotate
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those three backs and u and so Marcus Castaneda was the other of the three.
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With him graduating. Now, that third back I think is gonna be
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Kelly Gray. He looks like a Josha Nel McClone five six, one hundred
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and sixty pounds, and and so with him in Landing Downing. I love
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Landon Downey's game. He's five eleven hundred and eighty five pounds, but he
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is the Swiss Army Knife of all Swiss Army knife. I mean he he
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carries the ball, he lines up wide, he runs great patterns, he
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does a ton on defense special teams. So I think, you know,
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with them still having all these rushing you know, all these guys returning,
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I would expect even bigger numbers. And then Ross Driscoll's another junior, and
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he's got good size too, six feet tall, one hundred and seventy five
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pounds. So you got Elmers senior and the other three guys are all juniors,
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and they all have experience carrying the ball. But I think Kelly Gray
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is going to be that guy that's gonna see some big jump in his playing
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time in the backfield. Tell you what with all these running backs you're talking
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about here, do you think we're talking about Ferndell? Who you know shaming
10:26
the self? Plug here later today five pm. Subscribe to the podcast.
10:28
You get the notification when that one becomes available. But Tyler, let's talk
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about the receiving corps. Now, obviously they lose a couple of big name
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guys here, but I'll tell you what Josh and Elmer seventeen catches, he
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led the team, leads the team in terms of returners landed down here,
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he leads in yards returning, and he has the only touchdown reception coming back
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for the Trojans. So, Tyler, who are some of the newer names,
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because there's got to be new names because a couple of these guys you're
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talking about here, guys coming out of the backfield. Yeah, that was
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my biggest question mark for for coach Patrick Ames. I mean I I kind
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of said, you know, you lose Hunter Jones, you lose Eli Jensen,
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you lose Amritnagra, you know. And I was like, who do
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you got because I know Elmer's gonna get split out wide sometimes. I know
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Landon Down he's gonna get split out wide quite a bit. But you like,
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there's got to be times when they're both in the backfield and you have
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to have eleven guys out there. And so he was telling me, you
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know about James Headall. James is a kid that was went to State as
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a hurdler as a sophomore. He's got a lot of raw technique, but
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he's still learning the position. You know, he kind of came into Meridian
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football as you know, an edge rusher. He has that build. He's
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six five, two hundred pounds, just a junior, and and it's just
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they have a lot of guys that can kind of do that, but they
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look at him as a project split out wide. Uh, you know,
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with that size, if he could just you know, pick things up really
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well, and you're gonna have a good line blocking for him and you have
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a pass that's gonna be thrown accurately. All you gotta do is catch the
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ball and let your athletic abilities take over after that. So I think he's
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gonna he's kind of that. He might be that main option on the outside.
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I think brock Hogan is a kid that played tight end last year,
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but he'll be asked to be split out at sixty one, one hundred and
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seventy three pounds. He's also a junior, him and he dollar both juniors
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and then a kid that not many people know about. And I know Coach
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James, you know, he's he's saying this kid is super fast, and
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he's made huge plays as a in junior high football. His kid's just a
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freshman. He's just he just wishes He's like, I just wish he could
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just add twenty pounds and just get a little bit taller. But that's the
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case with a lot of freshman But he's small. Five six, one hundred
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and sixteen pounds. Who is a kid named Casey Brennan And he's just a
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freshman. I'm not sure how much time he is gonna get, but I'm
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I've been hearing a lot of things about how fast he is, how how
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twitchy he is, he can make moves, and you know, you just
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never i mean goa James will find a way to you know, do a
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hook and ladder right, have Downy catch it and just flip it with his
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kid and watch him just go. Uh. They'll find ways to to to
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get him the ball, I think. But you know, he's kind of
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down the depth chart a little bit, but you just never know he could
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be needed. And then at tight end, you know, I kind of
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looked at he'd All and Hogan as tight ends, but those are guys are
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learning how to these wide receivers split out wide Meridian has always had an amazing
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you know tight ends over the years, five or six guys that have been
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All State. A senior, Christian Clawson who's decided to come back out.
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He's a former lineman, but he's grown into a big time tight end body
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at six six, one hundred and eighty five pounds, a senior, one
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of the few seniors on the team. He's kind of settling into that tight
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end spot. So so yeah, they they find very very uh you know,
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creative ways to getting the tight end involved and tight end screens and just
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mismatch things and flood the field to one side and put him on the other
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and you know, just doing all sorts of things with with the tight end.
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So I expect him to to to do some big things in his first
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year playing the position. Is it just me or does it seem like Meridian
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always has one receiving threat that is like six six eighty pounds They have over
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the years. They had a kid that was like six nine about about ten
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years ago. I his name is escaping me right now, but he was
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he was huge. And then Marcus McQuinn was about sixty seven, you know,
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he played about you know, seven or eight years ago. So yeah,
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you're right, they do have some. They will have. They have
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really tall guys every once, didn't they didn't They have a quarterback that was
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super tall at one point just recently. Yeah that's uh well yeah, well
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Marcus McQuinn was. He played some quarterback too. Okay, I think he
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might even gone to college to play quarterback, but yeah he was. You
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know, they do have some. They have some big dudes out there.
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Well, not that the roster would say it, but you know, yeah,
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yeah really, I mean, my goodness, but yeah, speaking of
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big dudes, Tyler, when we start talking about the trenches here, it
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gets you fired up a little bit because I start to feel like this is
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your you're almost like your old school Meridian offensive line is kind of what we
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got here. And I mean there's some guys that we already know, our
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our big time potential guys, and they're mean and they're nasty, and we
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still get to see these guys for a couple more years. Uh, let's
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talk about the offensive line because I think I think this is something that might
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I think it very well could become a major strength for this team. Yeah,
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I agree this this coming into the season, this is kind of one
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of the strengths, but I think by the by season's end it will be
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the strength. I think this is an an awesome group of five. Four
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of them started last year and they're all underclassmen, and you just don't see
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that very often now. So if we go left to right, we'll start
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with Rhett dirsch Rhett is a six six foot tall, two hundred and five
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pounds sophomore and just a kid that you know, a lot of kids can
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put out huge workout numbers in the weight room, and but can it translate
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to the field, you know what I mean, Like, there's a lot
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of guys that can do a lot of things, but it does for him
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in all sorts of ways. I mean, he went to State in the
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shot put last year as a freshman and not you know, you go to
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State in the shot put and you see all these guys that are throwing shot
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put that are like two hundred and fifty pounds or more. He's two hundred
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pounds and he was a freshman and he was competing with those guys. So
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he's he's got he's really strong. He benches about two hundred and ninety pounds
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right now and he's you know, and he's you know, fourteen, fifteen
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years old. I mean, it's it is. It's a kid that I'm
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really impressed with. Uh he so I'm really bright future for him. Left
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guard is Mason Appellis. He's put on some weight in the right way.
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He looks great at six feet tall, two hundred and thirty pounds. He's
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a he's a junior. He got he got some playing time here and there
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a lot last year both sides of the ball. Center is Carson Campbell.
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I love his games, super smart, uh never makes mistakes. He's the
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small guy in the group, five eleven, one hundred and seventy five pounds.
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Also a junior. Right guard is Jackson Hurlbut who you know. He
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was starting some games as a freshman last year or two years ago, I
17:34
should say last year. He was off to a great start before he hurt
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his ankle and then he was out for the rest of the season. And
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that was just a bummer because he was he was in the near the lead
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and tackles for losses and all sorts of things. But and he has you
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know, he looks great out there. He's getting bigger as well as six
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one two hundred ten pounds and then at right tackle is just he's is the
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man, right, I mean, he's the guy that the next levels should
18:00
be looking at. Just a junior at six five, two hundred and fifty
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two pounds, Lincoln Hofer he is and just great like athletic ability, I
18:11
mean speed like he's one of the faster kids on the team. He's the
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biggest guy on the team. And those guys always stand out, you know.
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It's I think of like Adam Cruizitch that played there about five years ago,
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that was a big kid. Yeah, and he's he's like that.
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You know, he's a guy that boy he's gonna seal off that edge and
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you're gonna open up some big lanes for him. He's just a big body
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that has learned how to play the game the right way. You know.
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He was thrown into it as well as a freshman and he was just kind
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of a big kid, you know, and it just they just it was
18:45
at a necessity. And last year he did he did a lot of improving
18:49
and I think this upcoming year he's gonna turn in a dominant performance. Now,
18:53
Tyler, when I look over the stats, I see a lot of
18:56
tackles for a loss coming back, and I mean a lot of them.
18:59
I also see a lot of sacks. I mean, heck, just between
19:03
Jackson Lincoln Loan, I mean, those two guys put up stats that are
19:07
just unbelievable. But on the defensive side of the ball, I mean,
19:10
this is a team that goes both ways a lot. And so obviously those
19:15
two guys who are the who are all of the names we're looking for on
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the defensive line. Well, the interesting thing about Meridian football is it's about
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as close to positionless players as as you could think. Yeah, it's it's
19:27
hard to go, well, he's a lineman or he's a linebacker, he's
19:30
in the secondary, because they move guys around a lot. I mean,
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you they put more guys on the line of scrimmage than anybody. They they
19:37
dare you to throw. It's hard to run on them. And that's why
19:41
you're looking at all those tackles for loss because they they kind of make you
19:47
try to do that and then and then they you know, then you have
19:51
to start throwing. And they rely on that talent in the back half,
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in the back you know, in the secondary. Uh, it's gonna be
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interesting what it's gonna be like this year because they don't have a ton of
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returning guys in the secondary. Uh, but up front you could you could
20:04
imagine, you know, the Christian Clausen and Lincoln Hope for a couple of
20:07
guys six six and six five on the ends. Uh, they could be
20:11
standing up, they could be in a three point stance. You just never
20:14
know. Sometimes they'll put six guys on the defensive line. But they love
20:18
to put smaller guys in the middle. You know, I'm talking like like
20:22
me. You know, they like putting small guys in the middle that can
20:25
just get low and get under guys line. I mean, hey, I
20:30
wouldn't. I mean, he doesn't do that very often, but he he
20:33
blitz his the a gap lot. He would kill it, right. And
20:37
so, but like I said to Kelly, Kelly Gray at five six,
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I could see him at nose tackle. Cayden Clinkhammer is a new kid coming
20:47
out at five how about how about that name? By the way, don't
20:49
don't just swing by that one for a second, Caden Clinkhammer. I've only
20:55
heard the name Clinkhammer once and that was a hockey player for the Seattle Thunderbirth
20:57
and I always thought that was the coolest name him to have on the back
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of a J clinkhammer. I mean one name. Yeah, five eight hundred
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and sixty pounds and super quick. His twin brother is runs on the track
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team a sub eleven one hundred meter dash. Think about thinking about that.
21:15
Why isn't this guy playing in the slot. He's probably gonna go run track
21:19
somewhere the next the next level, but he should be running football on the
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fall. Yeah, I think so too. And coach James is the track
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coach. Yeah, I mean, it's not like he's gotta make the guy
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mad, but if he does, he can talk to him in the bathroom.
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Yeah. Uh. And so, but that's a kid that is extremely
21:37
quick too, that could that could do some damage in the middle. Not
21:40
that fat or not that big, but very very fast. And then Jackson
21:44
role. But is a kid that had a huge year last year, eight
21:48
and a half tackles for loss and he only played a little more than half
21:51
the season. I mean, he was he was dominating the year as the
21:55
year was going on, and you could see him play some defensive events,
21:57
some defensive tackle or some stand up middle linebacker. He's kind of that you
22:02
know, he's kind of that guy that depends on the team you're playing against,
22:06
or maybe even the formation that they're seeing, they like to do with
22:07
so many different things on the defensive line, that that moves guys around.
22:11
Yeah, I mean when Tyler, when you just look at Jackson's numbers,
22:17
twenty nine and a half tackles, eight and a half tackles for a lost,
22:21
two sacks, one force fumble, two passes defended. And you said
22:25
he played what like five games? Yeah he yeah, he missed like half
22:27
the season. Yeah. I mean, that's a guy that if you just
22:30
let's just say it, if you just double up those numbers, you start
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talking about a guy that's in the running for defensive Player of the year exactly,
22:38
you know, and if he's able to do that, and Lincoln Hofer
22:41
and you know whoever the tiny guy is in the middle. Yeah, I
22:45
mean, whoa, whoa. We're talking about some serious, some serious issues
22:49
here for an offense, right, I mean, this looks like it could
22:53
be fun. And then I mean we haven't even talked about the linebacker.
22:56
I mean, I guess we did tech. We did mention, but obviously
23:00
kind of jokingly. But Josh and Elver seventy nine and a half tackles,
23:04
eleven tackles for a loss, two sacks, one fourth fumble, two fumble
23:08
recoveries, and one pass defended. And I already mentioned his rushing numbers.
23:15
I mean, this guy is ridiculous. Yeah, he just he is just
23:18
going top speed all the time. You know, it's like it's like someone
23:22
just wound up, you know, the like the toy and then let it
23:26
go and had it go. But then but then but then after it was
23:29
wound up, like somebody shot some magic serum into it and it can go
23:33
forever. Yeah, it's just it's unbelievable to watch him on both sides of
23:40
the ball. You know. I put a pistat a few weeks ago on
23:42
walking prepps dot com that shows the career leaders and tackles for loss coming into
23:48
this season of active players still and he's number one. I mean, you're
23:52
talking about guys like like John Stremmler and Doukaliopioppi and all these guys that have
23:56
been playing since they were freshmen putting up a lot of tackles for loss,
24:00
not as many as Elmer and Elmer's blitz in that a gap you know,
24:04
at only five six, five seven, he can hide behind a defensive tackle.
24:08
He literally does that. He's so good at just hiding and then shooting
24:11
the gap and they don't even see him and he just goes in there and
24:15
he's a strong kid, makes a sure tackle. Boy, he gets them
24:19
going. And he from that middle linebacker spot. I tell you he makes
24:23
a ton of plays. Now other other linebackers. Landon Downey is another really
24:27
good linebacker. He was thrown in there as a freshman as well, and
24:30
he's a junior now. Ross Ross Driscoll is another kid that is just a
24:36
tough kid. You know, he's a junior as well that could that can
24:38
make some plays at the linebacker spot. You know, he's a kid.
24:41
Funny story about Ross was last year was his first year playing varsity football and
24:47
he's a running back linebacker type kid, you know, and going into week
24:51
one playing at Grant Falls because of injuries and ineligibilities and not enough practices and
24:56
all that stuff, they only had four offensive linemen. Wow, and you
25:03
know it was like uh and they said, hey, Ross, you want
25:07
to start at left tackle? First varsity game ever ever? And you know,
25:11
jump in and play left tackle. Put a lineman number on him and
25:15
he played left tackle and and uh and Meridian put up five hundred yards offense.
25:21
He's a kid that I you know, do you ask him to do
25:23
anything, He'll do it. And so he could get a lot of run
25:26
at that linebacker spot as well. What about in the secondary? Three interceptions
25:32
returning, but oddly enough, uh, you know it's it's the quarterback that's
25:38
got two of them. I mean, you know what I mean. But
25:41
and then he also has thirteen passes defended, which I'm sorry, anytime you
25:47
have a double digit in in well, let's just say this, anytime you
25:49
have double digit in anything other than just tackles, Yeah, you did something
25:56
and yeah, and to have thirteen of those, but then to also have
25:59
three tackles for a loss, Tyler, What the heck are we talking about
26:02
here? Is Jagger Fife? I mean, you know, there was a
26:06
there was a time in which Simon Burkett was playing in the secondary, right,
26:10
Yeah, and then there was a time when Simon Burkett wasn't playing in
26:12
the secondary. So are we still expecting to see Jagger Fife out there roaming
26:15
around? Yeah? You know, he played corner last year and played it
26:19
really really well. Obviously when you when you see those numbers, and I
26:25
think that last year, you know, Eli Jensen was such a shut down
26:27
corner that as a senior that was about six two sixty three, they tried
26:33
to pick on Jagger a lot more and he ended up leading the team and
26:37
passes defended, and so they kind of learned that, Hey, they're both
26:41
pretty good. I think Jagger will be more of a safety this year.
26:47
I think that you know, they tend to do that with their quarterbacks quite
26:51
a bit. He could move back there. He could play some strong safety
26:55
that he's getting bigger and stronger. He's a good tackler, so I think
26:59
putting him in the middle of field is kind of what they're what they're looking
27:02
at here. Brock Hogan could also be another safety for me. Ridian,
27:07
This is a this is a crew here now where five is like the returner
27:11
and he's gonna have to lead this secondary group. We talked about James headall
27:15
that six five, two hundred pounds you know, receiver. Uh, that's
27:19
you know, just kind of learning the game and and and picking up things
27:22
every single day. They're gonna put him out at corner and It's been kind
27:26
of a thing that we've been talking about over these over these previews. Is
27:29
a big, physical, tall corner. A lot of these teams have it.
27:33
He's six five for crying out loud and so I and just a junior.
27:37
So as he learns that he'll do really well. I mean last year
27:41
coming off the edge, he had seven tackles for loss, uh and a
27:45
sack. So he's a guy that he can just use his you know,
27:48
his blessed abilities, physical abilities and get the job done. He can turn
27:53
his hips and go with the best of them. So uh. Like I
27:56
said, a guy that went to State in the high hurdles, so he
27:59
can. He's got the athletic ability. Taylor Sharp as a kid that's kind
28:03
of waited his turn. He's a senior now, he's been with the program
28:06
for for four years, hasn't had a ton of playing time, but it's
28:08
kind of his turn to start at corner. He's about five, eight hundred
28:12
and fifty pounds. And then that little kid, Casey Brennan, the freshman
28:15
one hundred and sixteen pound freshman. There was a game and there was a
28:21
junior high game where he nearly had three pick sixes in one game. So,
28:26
uh, he's just a kid that can play back there and he's just
28:29
got a nose for the ball and and make plays. So h he might
28:33
even get some playing time in the defensive backfield. Uh, you know it's
28:37
Meridian. You know, they didn't they don't have a ton of kids out,
28:41
you know, kind of like kind of like Baker where they're talking about
28:45
probably not even having a JV team. They'll just have a varsity and a
28:49
C team. And you know, it's just kind of the way things are
28:55
right now with numbers and different things. You just kind of never know what's
28:57
gonna happen playing playing high school foo ball. You and I both know it
29:00
is not the easiest thing in the world to do. And right now,
29:03
there's a lot of other things that you know, there's all sorts of games
29:06
and stuff that kids play. But man, so the kids that are coming
29:10
out and want to play for their teams, I love it. I love
29:12
it because there are a lot of distractions out there nowadays. I mean,
29:15
they didn't have smartphones and stuff when we were playing. You know, it's
29:18
just they're just weren't those distractions. We couldn't wait to go to football practice.
29:22
You know it was, it was. It was great. If you
29:25
had a bad day at school, you could take it out at football practice.
29:29
And so I just I'm just super happy when kids are out there and
29:33
playing and working hard and showing what they can do. Tyler, you remember,
29:37
like early nineties when you wanted to record a song off of the radio,
29:42
you know you, and you'd put it in the in the cassette player
29:45
and you remember like, okay, so enter stand Man by Metallica. It
29:48
has like a minute in ten seconds before there's a word even said, right
29:52
right, yep, And you'd be like, oh, oh, enter stand
29:56
Man's coming up next, so you'd have it ready to go, and then
29:59
boom you hit record and the stinking DJ talks over the whole intro and you're
30:03
like, hey, man, shut up and fund record this. Yeah he's
30:07
talking up to the post as they say, yeah exactly. But now,
30:11
Tyler, we talk special teams here and I'm looking at two categories field goal
30:15
extra points, and I see a lot of zeros because Eli Jentsen is gone.
30:19
Yes, rumor is it he maxed out his eligibility. May have you
30:22
even graduated? And who are you looking at? Who's kicking extra points.
30:27
And then I'm looking at the kick returns and I see a name not really
30:32
familiar here, Joshton Elmer, who's kicking extra points, who's kicking some field
30:37
goals? And then, uh, are they gonna let Josh and Elmer breathe
30:41
a little bit? Yeah? Well, uh, Landon Downey, Well,
30:45
you know he does a big time soccer background as well. He he punted
30:51
last year and did pretty well, averaging over thirty three yards of punt.
30:53
He's gonna take over the kicking duties kickoff and and kicking pats and field goals,
30:59
and so he'll be doing all the special teams stuff as as far as
31:03
that goes. And then and kickoff returned, punt returned. Yeah, I
31:07
mean, you know Elmer's he rarely leaves the field. You know, it
31:14
was funny because I remember in the in the Sheland game last year, I
31:17
think there was I saw it I think twice in the first quarter where he
31:19
returned to kickoff and you know, he gets tackled and he starts coming off
31:25
the field and Ben Patrick's like you're still in He's like oh yeah, and
31:29
you know he just it's weird because when there's a change of possession and stuff,
31:33
and you're in the heat of the moment. Sometimes it's kind of like,
31:34
okay, and it was the first home game of the year, you
31:37
know, and and uh it's you know, he's I think he knows now
31:41
he's never leaving the field, so yeah, it's uh. I would imagine,
31:47
and he just does some great things returning kickoffs, and you know,
31:49
uh, I could imagine him returning punts as well. You could see landing
31:53
Downey back there. And I mean, man, I'd love to see Casey
31:56
Brennan, the little freshman back there, but I don't think it's quite time
32:00
for that yet. But I would imagine, Yeah, I imagine the future.
32:05
Once he gets a little bigger, he's gonna be a dynamic player in
32:07
special teams. You know. Would you say he is one hundred and sixteen
32:09
pounds, yeah, one hundred and sixteen pounds Brennan. I mean, if
32:15
he was, if he was breaded, that'd be like a meal from me,
32:16
one hundred and sixteen pounds. Let's take a look at the schedule here,
32:21
Tyler. It's a straight flip from last year. Granted falls at home
32:24
on the road to Shellan. That's a decent little road trip there, but
32:28
they get Kingsway Christian at home, then at Friday Harbor, which I think
32:31
we talked about before on one of them where that means they got to go
32:36
down to what Anna cordis to get on a ferry, I believe, unless
32:38
somebody knows differently than me, which if you do, I mean, maybe
32:43
they're taking a helicopter. Maybe they've got one of those Uh what are those
32:47
a harrier? You know what I mean? They're just take off right from
32:51
from good old Laurel Nooksack Valley at home at Blaine home for Lyndon Christian at
32:59
Bay and then they finished with a non league game in week nine against Bellingham.
33:06
Obviously, Tyler, I'm looking at this one, two, three,
33:08
four or five. They finished with five straight against Walcomb County teams, so
33:13
that's gotta obviously, uh you know, get your heart palpitating. But overall,
33:17
Tyler, some of these games and you told me Friday Harbor I believe
33:22
used to be in the Walcom County League. Was that? Is that what
33:23
you said before? Yeah, they joined the Walcom County League, I believe,
33:28
like I don't know, early nineties ninety two, I think so there's
33:34
some history there, and I know there's definitely a history with Granted Falls.
33:37
Seems like everybody's played them, right, Yeah, and you know Friday Harbor
33:40
and they were like it was like from ninety two to ninety six and then
33:45
and then in the late two thousands they were back in for a little bit.
33:49
Uh, and then actually in the Northwest Conference just for football, but
33:53
I think, uh for a little bit because there wasn't that many one A
33:57
teams up here at the time. Blaming Mount Baker were both up in two
34:00
ways. So so yeah, there's definite history. They played each other quite
34:02
a bit. And yeah, Granted Falls. I mean, Merdin has played
34:07
Grant Falls so many times, but I and I think the average score is
34:12
something like, oh man, like sixty to two over the years that Martin
34:17
has played Grant Falls. I'm pretty sure I saw a real bad one not
34:22
a few years ago. Yeah, on a Tuesday, right. Yeah,
34:23
it was that crossover game. Yeah. Actually it's probably like the last crossover
34:28
game before that league just finally said you know, what the heck with those
34:30
guys? Yeah exactly, that's a good way of putting it. Uh.
34:35
And so yeah, so there will be you know, I love the Bellingham
34:37
game obviously, that they that they play each other and makes it great for
34:40
me. I love Kingsway Christian. I think that's a that's a Saturday game
34:46
at five pm, boom only game in town. I'll be there. Yeah,
34:52
I think that. I think that they're gonna be improved from last year.
34:55
I think there'll be an even bigger jump next year. I'm really excited.
35:00
But you don't want to look ahead too far. It really depends on
35:02
how they do this year. Uh. You know, it's a really really
35:07
tough conference obviously. Uh. Coach James has never had a losing season.
35:10
I mean that first year he went one and one, there was you know,
35:14
it was just a weird COVID year. Yeah, they didn't get to
35:17
play that many games. Uh. Then they go five and four, then
35:21
they go six and four. So he's just kind of kept that thing afloat,
35:27
and I think that, Uh, I don't know, I just I'm
35:30
just really excited about where it's going. I think there's a lot of great
35:36
pieces for this year, and if some of these guys that are kind of
35:39
going into new positions, if things you know, turn out, you know,
35:45
better sooner than later. Uh, they could be turned in some heads
35:49
even in the conference. I think that, uh, there's a lot of
35:52
good, good talent here and and they brought they you know, they lost
35:54
a couple of coaches that went over to see home, but they brought in
35:59
you know, Recolp, Wade Coning. These are Meridian legendary players that have
36:04
been coaching in the youth system and you know, their kids are now up
36:07
to either high school or junior high to where you know, there's no like
36:10
you know, it's taken over with act that you know, the coaches that
36:14
don't have to be parents and all that stuff, so they can hop in
36:15
and slide right into the meridian coaching and they know what it takes. These
36:21
are guys. Corey Colp's state champion. You know, Wade Coning brought him
36:23
deep into the playoffs as a quarterback and as when he played tight end.
36:27
That you know, there's there's a there's a culture there in Laurel And And
36:32
you know, I think that the schedule works out pretty decent. I think
36:36
it's the only schedule where it's home away, home away, home away,
36:37
home away, home away, home like it it goes back and forth the
36:40
whole season which is kind of nice to get into that rhythm sometimes, you
36:44
know, usually I noticed weird quirks like that, and I didn't even pick
36:46
up on that one, Tyler. Yeah, and I think it's the only
36:49
one. I think it's the only one. Yeah, it seems like it
36:51
seems like there's a lot of streaks and with the schedules, Yeah, where
36:53
there's like a couple of teams that play three on the road in a row
36:57
or stuff like that. Yeah, Tyler, I'm gonna everyone here that I
37:00
think is like a Marquee Matt you know, like, look at it.
37:04
This is gonna be an awesome game. I like that game October sixth of
37:08
playe. Yeah, I think that's gonna be a fantastic football game. I
37:13
mean, two teams that are pretty similar in terms of like the roster makeup
37:16
if you will, you know, and you know, we're a big fan
37:22
of our guy Andy Olson. We're a big fan of him over there,
37:28
and obviously we love the Ames family. But I think that's a I think
37:31
that's a that's a real nice one. They were sandwiched in between knok Sack
37:35
Valley and Lyndon Christians, so U yeah, good luck Layer, But Yeah,
37:38
Tyler, let's talk about the breakout player. And you know, when
37:45
we talk about these breakout players, I'm not sure there's a bigger one than
37:49
the one that we're gonna talk about here at Lincoln Hopford junior tackle defensive end.
37:52
Now, this is a guy we've talked about. But you know,
37:57
and and and when you look at stats, yeah, he's got some nice
38:00
stats here or whatever. I think you're onto something here. I think this
38:02
is the year where everybody college coaches. I think this is where they wise
38:08
up, you know what I mean, where everybody goes. Okay, Yeah,
38:12
we got another one here at Meridians. So what are you looking for
38:15
at a HOF for this year that makes him your breakout player? Well,
38:20
I think that there was good improvement last year, but I think the way
38:23
things are going, I think it could be monumental improvement this year. Obviously
38:30
on the offensive side, I mean, he can block the sun out,
38:32
he can do everything at that right tackle spot. But I think him like,
38:37
I think he's going to be like in a two point stance coming off
38:40
the edge, and he's got great speed and he could just he might.
38:45
You know, he's one of those guys that might lead the conference in sacks,
38:47
you know, and he's got that kind of potential to be like a
38:52
you know, an MVP type season, and it's just the way that things
38:57
are progressing for him. He's got a great head on his shoulders. I've
39:00
talked to him a little bit. Uh he's he understands kind of what it
39:06
takes and everything. His dad, Mike, was a great player at Nooksack
39:08
back in back in the olden days, back when I played him, and
39:13
he, you know, he graduated with t. J Ackerman and and played
39:16
with Britt Lance and those guys. You know, he's got you know,
39:20
his sister is playing volleyball in college. You know, there's just a great
39:22
athletic background around him. It's in the jeans. Everything's kind of setting up
39:28
for him to take that major step forward. He has all the tools,
39:32
and I just I think that he could be a scary player for opponents.
39:36
I you know, on both sides of the ball. I think that when
39:39
when when you're talking about breakout, I mean it's like the breakest of breakouts
39:44
for him. I'm really really excited to see how he does anything else.
39:49
Tyler. Before we head on to our last team preview, I don't think
39:52
so. I just think that you better not underestimate Meridian because uh, you
39:58
know, they do it the right way and it's gonna be fun to watch
40:00
him play. Yeah, I'm pretty excited for this season for those guys,
40:02
and obviously, as you mentioned, we don't want to get too far ahead
40:06
of ourselves, but the next two years could be pretty exciting there at Meridians.
40:10
So yeah, that is number nine. We got one more left to
40:15
go. The Ferndale Golden Eagles upped later today five pm, or if you're
40:20
listening to this after Wednesday the thirtieth at five pm, it's already up,
40:22
so go find it over on walcome prepps dot com and then tomorrow Thursday morning,
40:29
be on the lookout for our week one preview. You can find all
40:32
of it by subscribing to the podcast wherever you get your podcast, and get
40:37
your future shows as soon as they are available. But he is Tyler Anderson.
40:42
I'm Rylan Spencer. You've been listening to the twenty twenty three Meridian Trojan's
40:45
at Team preview here on the Walcom Prepps podcast. We will talk to you later today