Greg Barton Summer 2007 Showcase

Barton Marketing Workout Brings out the NW Big Men

May 14, 2007Barton Marketing Workout
Recap Dirk KnudsenSpecial to OregonPreps.com
Talk about it in OP Members Forum

It was an overcast day here on Saturday at Williamete University at the Barton Marketing Fottball Combine, but there were easily 200-250 players here during the event. There were actually quite a few colleges at this event as well. Head coach Mike Riley of Oregon State was personally on the field and was busy taking notes. Steve Greatwood from Oregon was there, and coaches from the likes of Washington, Idaho, Idaho State, Western Oregon, Linfield, Stanford, Southern Oregon, Assumption, and former Portland State Coach Tim Walsh now at Westpoint/Army (who says "Hi" by the way) were there as well. Coaches from PSU were there in force....and there were several others.The $100 entry fee seemed to have kept away some of the best talent in the State but for most that went it was a very good day.

The AM session featured an excellent group of QB's, Backs, and Receivers from around the State. All eyes were on Raphiel Lambert of Jesuit and the speedy back did not disappoint showing great quickness and agility as well as some acrobatic catches. Equally impressive was Paul McCoy of Grant HS. His speed and ability to get vertical was perhaps the best we saw this day. Sounds as if his committment to play basketball at Pepperdine is pretty solid but there is no doubt that Paul will have other offers to play football coming in. Also looking good at receiver were Jay Matthews from Lake Oswego, Jordan Freelander and Demetrius Guice from Central Catholic, and Joel Gross from Beaverton.[Photo][Photo] [Photo]Nick Green is making up for missing all of last seasonQB's: The Oregon guys were for the most part excellent. I thought that Nick Green from Central Catholic and Josh Hill from Westview looked the best. I also liked Dan Buckmeier from Westview at QB. Also impressive were Gabe Linehan of Banks and Robbie Kool of Lakeridge. There is also no doubt that Kellen Mastrud of Southridge has improved and would appear to be leading his team for the next 2 years. Andre Broadous from Grant was the most mobile of the bunch and appears to be quicker than ever.

Linemen were very solid! Washington clearly has a class of several premier linemen. But the Oregon Boys showed there stuff. Standouts were Jacob Ayala from Cascade Christian at 6-foot-4, 305-pounds. and man does he bring the nasty stuff. Gavin Drake from Central Catholic impressed on defense. Marist of Eugene will probably outsize anybody in the State this year with Bronson Durrant at 6-foot-4 and 275-pounds; very quick, Rahkim Price at 6-foot-5 and 265-pounds, Thomas Singell at 6-foot-3 and 265-pounds, and junior sensation Charles Siddoway at 6-foot-6, 290-pounds. Watch this group folks. They are well coached, agile and may give Sheldon a handful in week two of the season. Siddoway is capable of being the top recruit in next years class and moves very very well for a big man.Also on the line, John Moore of Hood River gets the work horse award and is listed at 6-foot-5, 285-pounds. Jon Eric Opperud from Milwaukie also had a good day and is listed at 6-foot-7, 280-pounds. Joe Pittman from Glencoe is going to be tough to move as well and at 6-foot-3, 310-pounds, he can generate some great leverage.Perhaps one of the best Senior Linemen I saw all day was Kyle Ritt of Aloha. Great use of his feet and hands and at 6-foot-3 and about 280-pounds, he appears to be in top shape for his season. Matt Lipski draws attention wherever he goesI could not close this look at the Barton Event without discussing Matt Lipski of Ashland. I have only heard about Matt through sources but seeing this giant sort of completed the picture. Now I have seen some similar size but he carries this 6-foot-9, 350-pounds+- frame very well. Matt was capable of throwing opposing players off their feet. He clearly can play and I believe will play D-IA ball. If his agility within a 10-15 yard burst continues to improve he can really be something special. This is the type of tackle that colleges across the Nation dream of. Not only that he is a quality kid.Congrats to all of the players. This is a unique event. That is noted by the fact that the Washington players equaled the Oregon Players.

There are few if any Summer Camps you can get to or events where many coaches can see you as a player at one time. This event was the same as the Barton Sunday workout at Air Attack and was a great way for these players to get seen. Linemen should get to the Western Oregon Line of Scrimmage Camp and all players should get to the June 8, Nike Sparq Combine at Hillsboro Stadium. These are two very good events.One thing the coaches kept coming back to. Speed, Quickness, and Agility! This is the key factor they are looking for and those that had it garnered the most attention.Great job guys! Keep working hard.

Oregon Football in the Summer Heats Up!

OREGON FOOTBALL HEATS UP
June 13, 2007Dirk KnudsenOregonPreps.com Staff WriterTalk about it in OP Members ForumSpring may have come in like a lamb but it is going out like a lion. This past weekend we saw two great events bring out some of the best Football talent on the West Coast. Oregon players were no exception taking to the road to hit the Nike Sparq Training Event at Hillsboro Stadium and the Nike NFTC Football Camp at the University of Oregon. It was my privilege to cover these two great events. We witnessed some great action.Starting at Hillsboro Stadium on June 9th, 2007 we had about 450 players come to take on the SPARQ testing events. The bench, 40, 20 yard shuttle, and vert. jump were all tested by this group. Several individual efforts stood out including Tigard's Scott Grady with a 4.59 electronic 40. 6'3" 189 pound Jordan Bishop from West Salem continued his ascent to the top of the 2007 recruitment list with a blistering 4.13 shuttle and a solid 4.7 40. This is a great athlete that sprints with Oregon's elite and who high jumps 6'7" plus. College recruiters will want to follow both Mr. Grady and Mr. Bishop this year.While many athletes stood out I could not help but notice the number of very fit athletes from Westview, West Salem, and Grant. No coincidence that all three of these teams are considered Top 10 if not Top 5 teams. Results are still out on the SPARQ Scores but the high score of the day was 77.8.The next morning at U of O we saw many of the same faces. There were some great individual efforts. Here are some of the best competitors Saturday:QuarterbacksAndre Broadous, Grant HS: He was in a word spectacular. His quickness and speed as well as his arm stand out in this senior class. Broadhus projects as an Athlete that can do it all. The talent is undeniable. His challenge will be height at the QB position but man he lacks nothing else.Nick Green, Central Catholic: Yah I know he has something to prove still. He got it done this day folks and looks the part of a mobile QB.Robbie Kool, Lakeridge: A very solid effort again and he was throwing the ball well all day. I expect his #'s to shine again this year.Josh Hill, Westview: I know he is a Junior but this kid has the whole package and I thought moved with the best feet and delivered some nice balls. He again proved himself to be in the best of State bracket.Running BacksKaale Papas, Westview: Great feet and nice ball control. Should have a great season next to Hill all year.David Puckett, Glencoe: Runs with Purpose and hits the hole very well.Sam Buckingham, Grant: The former LO Laker looked very good. Should add a dimension at Grant to compliment Broadous.Wide receiversScott Grady, Tigard: 5'11" and 180. This kid may just be the real deal. Fast. Great hands. Hard to defend and he can jump. He was selected as the #1 Camp receiver and that was a real compliment out of this group. Scott does it all. Watch this to complete that thought: http://youtube.com/watch?v=60Va5jUncM0Spencer Arns, Westview: Arns is a terrific athlete with terrific hands and just finished a championship run for Westview baseball. Very quick and can accelerate through his patterns very well. Should be a first team all state athlete if he lives up to his potential. Another potent weapon for the Cats.Billy Mitchell, Lakeridge: The 6'2" Mitchell who also is an accomplished sprinter proved his hands and feet among the best. Mitchell is a second year player and Junior next year at Lakeridge.Tight EndsStandout was Tyler Carey from Westview. At 6'2" and 225 Carey is poised for a break out year. He recently ran a 4.85 at the Nike event and is displaying very good hands. Missing were Demetrius Guice of Central Catholic who has just received official offers from Cal and Washington and John Gallagher the speedy 6'2" 232 pound TE from West Salem.Offensive LinemenThe big men were really mixing it up. Once again the boys from Marist topped my list led by Charles Siddoway Jr . I would say that for the Oregon group we are seeing the emergence of Keith Rader from Westview who took on some great one on one challenges and was not beaten. Keith is 6'4" and 240 and possesses superior footwork and technique. Melvin Jenkins of Grant was also in good form. He has some technique issues but with a little work Melvin promises to be one of the biggest and best in the State.Defensive LineEric Perry , Westview: The 6'4" 260 pound State heavy Weight wrestling contender was solid all day. Perry was mugged by an opposing linemen form Idaho and gave back more than he got. He will be solid again this year.Demetri Enesi, The Dalles-Wahtonka: 6'2" and 255. Faster and had better feet than anyone on the field. He is very quick off that edge and cuts back well if and opposing linemen open up to stop his outside rush.LinebackersReni Diaz, Lincoln: Big. Athletic. And very sound technique. Overall a very solid player. He and team mate Ethan Johnson promise to bring the defense to the Cardinals opponents this year.Jordan Tuia, Westview: Third year varsity player Tuia displayed great awareness and hands. Along with team mate and 80 point SPARQ score Jayme Morgan the Wildcats would appear ready to lay the wood on some teams.Overall this event drew from a smaller group. There is no doubt that the Washington Schools are loaded up as well. The Oregon boys got a chance to work against some of the best of the West. This looks to be another great year for Oregon Prep football and as the school year comes to an end. I can hear the lions roaring and ready for battle. --Dirk T KnudsenPresidentRe\max Metro: #1 ranked Sales Team in Portland: 2006Re\Max Hall of Fame503-799-8383 (Cell)http://www.theknudsens.com/http://www.derbycamp.com/

Portland Oregon's Ethan Johnson Selects Notre dame

Chad Carlson expected a quiet night at home on Wednesday.
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Johnson felt very comfortable on the Notre Dame campus.What the head coach at Lincoln High School in Portland, Ore., got was a non-stop stream of phone calls about his standout defensive end Ethan Johnson. The 6-foot-4, 266-pound athlete was fresh off a camp stop at Notre Dame that finished with a verbal commitment to the Irish, but Johnson immediately left South Bend for vacation with little confirmation coming directly from the nation's No. 48 overall prospect.That all changed on Thursday morning when Carlson caught up with Johnson about the four-star prospect's decision to choose Notre Dame over USC and Michigan. Johnson, who'll line up as a defensive end in Corwin Brown's 3-4 scheme, is the 17th verbal commitment in Notre Dame's next recruiting class and the fifth from a defensive lineman."Ethan had a good idea about Notre Dame for a long time," Carlson said. "Ethan is the kind of guy who's going to really think about all his decisions. He wanted to make sure that he felt comfortable at Notre Dame with the campus and the type of people there."Johnson met with several of his future teammates during the camp trip but it was the contact with Charlie Weis, Corwin Brown and Jappy Oliver that really kept the ball rolling for Notre Dame. Earlier this year Weis made a spring trip to Portland to meet with Carlson, a sit down that helped convince the high school coach that Notre Dame might be the perfect fit for his star."Coach Weis was unbelievable," Carlson said. "The straight-forwardness and the genuineness of Coach Weis, he'll look you in the eye and you believe what he's telling you. A few other coaches did that, a few didn't. Coach Weis was very impressive. He's more than a football coach and that's important."And for Johnson, Notre Dame offered more than a chance at early playing time. Carlson said every school that courted the defensive end told him he could get on the field quickly, but Notre Dame's academic reputation was what helped push the Irish over the top. Johnson plans to enroll in Notre Dame's business a school."He really liked the academic side and being accepted into the business school where he can focus on that right away," Carlson said. "Ethan thought about academics more than he did about football because that's great at other places too like Michigan, USC, Oregon, Boise State and most every other school in the nation that was looking at him."Carlson said he wasn't surprised by Johnson's ultimate decision or by its timing.In fact, Weis told Carlson that Johnson would get a gut feeling on Notre Dame almost immediately during his camp visit."Weis was right," Carlson said. "From the get-go I felt that Notre Dame was the right place for him to be. He's the right kind of person, a very good person inside. I'm not saying that other teams don't have good people, I just think Notre Dame overall makes the most sense for him."

Getting Recruited: Advise from the Experts

MARKET YOURSELF TO GET RECRUITED


We first need to put the importance of marketing yourself t into perspective. According to NCAA statistics, the probabilities of high school senior athletes going on to play in any NCAA Division, by sport are:

• 3% or less than 1 in 35 boy's basketball players.
• 3.3% or 3 in 100 girls' basketball players.
• 5.7% or 1 in 17 football players.
• 6.1% or 3 in 50 baseball players.
• 11% of boy's ice hockey players.
• 5.5% or less than 3 in 50 of boy's soccer players.
• Statistics on other sports are not available.
  

So what do these numbers mean? First, they demonstrate just how competitive it is to play in the NCAA (and we haven't even started talking about scholarships). Second, unless you are a blue chip athlete, and by that I mean a nationally ranked athlete, you will not have college coaches knocking down your door with offers. From the coach's perspective, it's a buyer's market - there are more athletes than available roster spots.

Now here is the million dollar question; what do many of the athletes that got recruited have in common? Several things. First, they positioned themselves by having the grades to meet NCAA standards. Second, they made a commitment to train and bring their game to the next level. Finally, unless they were a blue chip athlete, they aggressively promoted their abilities to college coaches. In other words, instead of waiting to be recruited, they recruited the coach.

How to Recruit the Coach
The first thing to understand is that college sports is a business and recruiting is part of that business. Once you think of it in business terms you can begin to realize the importance of marketing yourself to college coaches. When you get right down to it, your athletic ability is a product and what is at stake is a full or partial scholarship potentially worth tens of thousands of dollars.

Getting recruited requires a lot of work on the part of athletes and their parents. Understanding the process and rules will help you save time and money and is critical to running an effective recruiting campaign. Here are ways to effectively promote yourself to college coaches:

• Communicate at all levels of the organization. It is important to establish a relationship with the head coach as well as the recruiting coordinator and assistant coaches. Coaching positions change often and you want to maintain continuity.
  
  
• Use email to communicate. Coaches prefer to communicate with recruits and prospects via email. It is one of the best ways for underclassmen to communicate with the coaching staff as it is convenient for everyone and coaches can reply to your email. While underclassmen are free to call coaches, coaches cannot return phone calls to prospects or their parents. They can, however, reply to email.
  
  
• Maintain frequent communication with your target coaches. Had a great game against a tough opponent? Won an academic award or had a great academic quarter? Received athletic recognition? Make sure you keep your coaches up to date with an email or copy of a news article.
  
  
• Maintain your electronic profile/website. Provide coaches with a single point of reference to get information about you and stay up to date with your season.
  
  
• Send your video. Coaches are most interested in athleticism and mechanics and a skills video is the best way for coaches to assess your ability. Keep your video to 3 minutes, and highlight your best stuff within the first 30 - 60 seconds. Make sure to edit out misses cues, providing coaches with a quick pace of information. Forget the flash, fancy graphics and music - just keep it simple. Game footage is ok as long as it is done professionally and limited to a few edited highlights. Start by sending a skills video and then follow up with game highlights during your season.
  
  
• Send coaches your schedule. Coaches can't see you if they don't know where and when you'll be competing.
  
  
• Go where the coaches are. Get to combines, tournaments and showcases where coaches will be instructing or observing. Click here for a list of camps and showcases.
  
  
• Pre-sell yourself. If you are participating in an event that college coaches attend, get a list of coaches that attended in the past and email them a copy of your profile/weblink and let them know you will be there competing. Why go to an event hoping to get noticed? Get noticed before you get there.
  
  
• Get coaches to your events. Let's say you live in Ohio and you will be competing in an event in North Carolina. Find out what colleges are in the area (within 2 hours), provide them with your information and let them know you'll be there. If you are going to be there for several days, arrange for a college visit and meet the coaching staff.
  
  
• Don't be afraid to pick up the phone and call the coach. Rule #1, coaches want to talk with recruits, not their parents. Rule #2, if the parent must call, avoid the temptation of telling the coach what a great athlete your son or daughter is. Instead, focus on the intangibles: committed, great work ethic, disiplined, etc. Their athleticism will speak for itself.
  
  
• Respond quickly to requests for more information and follow up. As obvious as that sounds, coaches have complained to me about the lack of follow through by recruits. It gives the impression that you are not interested and coaches will move quickly on to the next prospect.
  
  
• Have your coach follow up with colleges. If you get a letter of interest from college coaches, have your coach follow up with a phone call to the head coach. Additionally, ask your coach if he has any college contacts and if so could he help you. Your coach is a vital component of your recruiting campaign and can be a great resource.