I'm sorry for the late (early?) post, but I was out at Basha-Cienega tonight for ArizonaVarsity.com (be sure to check it out -- it's a lot more just great stuff from @Ralph Amsden) and got a chance to look at some potential future recruits. Here's my brief thoughts on the two guys to keep an eye on:
Ryan Kelley -- 2017 QB
We all know the name, and it was just the second time I got to see Kelley play live. The first time came against Chandler during his sophomore season, so it was refreshing not having to see him scramble around just to get a throw off nearly every single snap. Kelley was by no means perfect (he was a bit careless during the second quarter in throwing into traffic, eventually having his pass tipped and intercepted) but one thing stood out to me -- bounce-back ability.
Even during last season's game against Chandler, Kelley never really appeared too rattled. Cienega battled hard, but it just seemed like Kelley and the Bears just always had an answer. His best throw of the night by far came on his second touchdown pass, when he rolled to his right to launch a bomb to Hunter Dean-Gibson for the 60+ yard score.
Stat line: Two touchdowns, one interception (no official yardage count).
Jonathan Nathaniel -- 2017 OL
Nathaniel's name was one I hadn't heard until Ralph gave me a heads up to check out this guy. He wears a different jersey number than the one listed on MaxPreps and I honestly wouldn't have found out until I saw this kid's size.
He's tall (6-foot-5) but definitely a slender-built 225 pounds, but was without a doubt the best lineman on the year for the Bears. I noticed him more in pass protection from the right tackle than in the run game, and I don't think he'll ever have the high school reputation of being a mauler.
All in all, the guy still has one more year of eligibility, but I wouldn't be surprised to see some big-name local schools show interest in Nathaniel throughout this season and going into next year.
Ryan Kelley -- 2017 QB
We all know the name, and it was just the second time I got to see Kelley play live. The first time came against Chandler during his sophomore season, so it was refreshing not having to see him scramble around just to get a throw off nearly every single snap. Kelley was by no means perfect (he was a bit careless during the second quarter in throwing into traffic, eventually having his pass tipped and intercepted) but one thing stood out to me -- bounce-back ability.
Even during last season's game against Chandler, Kelley never really appeared too rattled. Cienega battled hard, but it just seemed like Kelley and the Bears just always had an answer. His best throw of the night by far came on his second touchdown pass, when he rolled to his right to launch a bomb to Hunter Dean-Gibson for the 60+ yard score.
Stat line: Two touchdowns, one interception (no official yardage count).
Jonathan Nathaniel -- 2017 OL
Nathaniel's name was one I hadn't heard until Ralph gave me a heads up to check out this guy. He wears a different jersey number than the one listed on MaxPreps and I honestly wouldn't have found out until I saw this kid's size.
He's tall (6-foot-5) but definitely a slender-built 225 pounds, but was without a doubt the best lineman on the year for the Bears. I noticed him more in pass protection from the right tackle than in the run game, and I don't think he'll ever have the high school reputation of being a mauler.
All in all, the guy still has one more year of eligibility, but I wouldn't be surprised to see some big-name local schools show interest in Nathaniel throughout this season and going into next year.
