Eagles add 12 players to recruiting class on NLI day

CHENEY, Wash. — An additional 12 players will join the Eastern Washington University football program, head coach Aaron Best announced Wednesday (Feb. 5) on the first day of the February signing period.

The list includes nine who signed national letters of intent to attend EWU and play for the Eagles next fall, plus three other invited walk-ons will join the Eagle program and are being announced after being admitted and confirming attendance at EWU beginning this fall.

In December, EWU announced the addition of 14 high school players who signed letters of intent, plus the addition of Arizona State transfer Ely Doyle, who will join the Eagles as a safety and will be eligible to play as a sophomore in 2020.

The latest signees include local product Ben Voigtlaender from nearby Mead High School, who is one of three defensive ends the Eagles signed. He is among the 10 players from the state of Washington the Eagles added, including five who earned All-State honors. Defensive end LeAndre Gaines out of W.F. West High School was one of them, and the third defensive end signed was Taalefili Fata from Clover Park HS.

“I think we have a great blend of recruits with a high football IQ, and guys who want to truly compete on the football field and in the classroom,” said Eastern head coach Aaron Best, who enters his fourth season at the helm in 2020. “I think there is a level of mental toughness and some grit within the group overall, and we finish the signing class off in February on top of what we had already added from a foundational aspect in December.”

Wide receiver Malaki Roberson from Graham-Kapowsin High School is among the All-State selections after catching 146 passes for 2,361 yards and 24 touchdowns in the last two seasons alone. Also on the list of signees is quarterback Parker Johnson out of Cascade Christian in Puyallup, Wash., where he had nearly 10,000 yards of total offense and accounted for 97 touchdowns in his four-year career.

Besides the three defensive ends, Roberson and Johnson, the new additions included two cornerbacks, two linebackers, another wide receiver, a running back and an offensive lineman. The invited walk-ons include linebacker Ahmani Williams of Skyview High School in Vancouver, Wash. His father, Julian Williams, was an All-America safety for the Eagles in 1999 and 2000.

“After the early signing period we knew we had to touch on the cornerback position, get another linebacker or two, and same with defensive end,” explained Best. “Those were three needs going into the second signing period, and I think we have touched on those very well. We weren’t going to touch a couple positions unless there was a really special case, so we kind of concentrated our efforts on defensive end, linebacker, and cornerback. And the addition of two wide receivers helps us round out that wide receiver class.”

Eastern also added All-State players from Nevada and Alaska, giving the Eagles a total of seven All-Staters.

“We’re really excited about the opportunity to go above and beyond,” added Best. “But it’s not about this year, it’s about the next five years. So the journey has just started, and we’re excited that this recruiting class wanted Eastern to be a part of their journey. With the two signing classes I think we filled a lot of needs. The next five years will be the unveiling of the commitment that those players have to not only their craft but also to the classroom. We are excited to be a part of the journey.”

Eagle Football in 2019 . . .

Although denied what could have been a 14th berth in the NCAA Football Championship Playoffs, the Eagles still finished the season as the champions in FCS in total offense, averaging 524.8 yards per game. Eastern also closed with its 13th-straight winning season and went undefeated at home on the red turf at Roos Field for the second-straight year.

Eastern finished 7-5 overall and 6-2 in the Big Sky Conference to finish in a three-way tie for third with two other league schools who were selected among the top six seeds in the 24-team playoffs. Big Sky co-champions Weber State and Sacramento State earned the No. 3 and 4 seeds, respectively, after finishing 7-1 in the league, while fifth-seeded Montana State and No. 6 Montana joined EWU with 6-2 records in the Big Sky.

Eastern started the season 1-3 and lost its first five road games. However, the Eagles finished a perfect 5-0 at home to extend its school-record winning streak at Roos Field to 14 games. Eastern won its last two road contests to finish the 2019 season with a four-game winning streak.

Eastern closed the 2019 season with the best offense in FCS, finishing at 524.8 yards per game. Eastern also ended the regular season second in scoring (40.6), fifth in passing (317.1) and eighth in turnover margin (+0.92 per game). The Eagles also ranked 19th in rushing at 207.8 yards per game, and were the only team in FCS to rank in the top 24 in total offense, rushing and passing.

More on EWU’s 2019 season may be found at: http://goeags.com/index.aspx?path=football

EWU’s 2019-20 February Signing Class (Feb. 5, 2020)

NLI SIGNEES
Taalefili Fata	DE	6-3	225	Tacoma, Wash. / Clover Park HS ’20
LeAndre Gaines	DE	6-3	240	Chehalis, Wash. / W.F. West HS ’20
Justice Jackson	RB	5-11	180	Discovery Bay, Calif. / Liberty HS ’20
Parker Johnson	QB	6-4	215	Puyallup, Wash. / Cascade Christian HS ’20
Conner O’Farrell	LB	6-0	210	Anchorage, Alaska / Service HS ’20
Malaki Roberson	WR	5-9	175	Graham, Wash. / Graham-Kapowsin HS ’20
Cage Schenck	CB	5-9	165	Woodinville, Wash. / Woodinville HS ’20
Ben Voigtlaender	DE	6-2	255	Spokane, Wash / Mead HS ’20
DaJean Wells	CB	5-10	165	Seattle, Wash. / Ballard HS ’20
WALK-ONS/ANNOUNCED
Mike Rivera	WR	5-10	170	Sunnyside, Wash. / Sunnyside HS ’20
Kellen Wallace	OL	6-7	275	Moapa Valley, Nevada / Moapa Valley HS ’20
Ahmani Williams	LB	6-0	205	Vancouver, Wash. / Skyview HS ’20

Pronunciations
Fili Fata – Tall-uh-feel-ee (also goes by Feel-ee) Fah-taw
Malaki Roberson – Mal-uh-kie Raw-ber-son
Cage Schenck – Skank
Ben Voigtlaender – Voit-lander

Taalefili Fata

Head Coach Aaron Best on Fata: “He is a defensive end we were really excited about from Clover Park High School. Coach Ena said nothing but great things about him once he got into the school and started talking with everybody there. There was nothing that was said that wasn’t less than incredible about Fili. He is from a great family of great people. He is very studious in the classroom and he puts it all together on the football field. Fili is a worker and has a quiet personality, but he doesn’t play the game quiet. And he doesn’t go into the classroom quite as far as his production in the classroom. We are excited to get him on board in the 2020 class and kind of round out that defensive end position. We didn’t sign anybody in the early recruiting period other than Sandrey Mitberg, so much like the linebacker position, we signed one early and then signed two late. It gives us some depth at that position and I think Fili has a great upside with his body type, with his mindset and with his position flexibility.”

HS: Will graduate from Clover Park HS in 2020. He was named by the Seattle Times as a “White Chip” selection as one of the top 100 prospects in the state of Washington. He was a three-star recruit by 247 Sports. Clover Park finished 4-5 his senior season and 2-3 in the 2A South Puget Sound League. In his junior season, he was the 2A South Puget Sound League Offensive Lineman of the Year and was a second team choice on the Tacoma News Tribune All-Area team. The Warriors were 5-5 overall and 2-4 in the league, and were 2-8 and 1-5 in his sophomore season in 2017. Was coached in high school by John Randall. Also played baseball at Clover Park, and has played city league rugby.

Personal: Interested in majoring in business at Eastern. Born 2/27/02. His parents are Anetone and Ulalemamae Fata. Nickname is “Fili.”

LeAndre Gaines

Head Coach Aaron Best on Gaines: “LeAndre is a player who has a huge upside. He wants to get into nursing, so he is well and wise beyond his years from an educational standpoint. Coach (Eti) Ena has liked him from the get-go. He is from W.F West, and every so often the Centralia/Chehalis area will produce players, and he is one of the good ones. He stood out in film and he stands out even brighter when you see him in person. So he is excited to get on board. We look at him as a defensive end, but he is a player that has position flexibility. He has length so he is going to grow immensely onto his 210-pound frame right now. He has a commitment to off-the-field community service and classroom aspects as well.”

HS: Will graduate from W.F. West HS in 2020. He earned first team All-State honors from the Associated Press as a defensive lineman. Was selected to The Olympian All-Area team in 2019 as a defensive lineman. Gaines was the Defensive MVP in the 2A Evergreen League. He had 43 tackles, including 13 for losses and six sacks as a senior. He also intercepted a pass and recovered two fumbles, and played as a wide receiver and tight end on offense. He helped W.F. West to an 8-2 record and a 4-1 mark in the 2A Evergreen League. The Bearcats finished 5-5 his junior season and 8-3 when he was a sophomore, advancing to the State 2A Playoffs. Coached in high school by Danny Hill. Also played basketball and baseball in high school. He earned honorable mention All-State honors from Scorebook Live in baseball in 2019 as an infielder.

Personal: Interested in majoring in nursing at Eastern. Born 5/16/02 in Centralia, Wash. His parents are Leandre Gaines Sr. and Shana Middleton. Nickname is “Dre.”

Justice Jackson

Head Coach Aaron Best on Jackson: “He wasn’t able to play an entire senior season so he didn’t have a lengthy body of work. But we saw he has some position flexibility. He played his senior year in high school as a wide receiver, but we are planning to play him as a running back. He’s a long and taller running back and runs with a great profile. He has a nose for yards and a tool belt of options when he gets the ball and can make people miss. He’s a grinder. He’s a great student and comes from a great family. We’re excited to get him onboard.”

HS: Will graduate from Liberty HS in Brentwood, Calif., in 2020. He was a three-star recruit by 247 Sports. In his senior season, he earned first team All-Bay Valley League honors as a wide receiver. Jackson had 25 receptions for 493 yards and six touchdowns in five games played, averaging 19.6 yards per catch with a long of 72. He helped the Lions to a 10-2 record and advance to the CIF Division I North Coast Section Football Playoffs. They lost in the semifinal round to Pittsburg High School 21-14 after a quarterfinal victory against California High School 50-18. Was coached in high school by Ryan Partridge.

He was a first team all-league running back in both 2017 and 2018 while competing for Berean Christian in Walnut Creek, Calif. His team finished 5-5 overall and 4-2 in the league in his junior season, and were 4-5 and 3-2 as a sophomore. He rushed for 910 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2017, and also caught seven passes for 81 yards. He also competed in track and field in high school.

Personal: Interested in majoring in visual communication design at Eastern with interests in digital art and media. Born 3/2/02 in Walnut Creek, Calif. His parents are Ramon and Ruth Jackson. Nickname is “Juice.” He is a first generation college student in his family.

Parker Johnson

Head Coach Aaron Best on Johnson: “He was arguably the best quarterback in the state this last year in the state of Washington. He had opportunities to go other places, but he decided to come to Eastern based on our tradition, our offense and based on his ability to compete. He felt like EWU was the best fit for him for the next five years. He is a player who can get above the rim in basketball and make you look silly. The rim actually bends when he gets above it and he can flush the ball, and I’m jealous because I’ve never been able to do that. Any quarterback — or anybody for that matter – who can do that with ease is intriguing to us, so it speaks to his athleticism. He can really spin the football, and he is not small – Parker is put together well and has deceptive speed. In our offense we like to think the first step in recruiting a QB is finding one who can make the first guy miss. He has been able to do that and we expect the same at the college level. So we are excited from him to come on board and compete with Shane Jennings in his class and also the other quarterbacks on our roster.”

HS: Will graduate from Cascade Christian HS in 2020. Was a two-star recruit by 247 Sports. He played four seasons as the starting quarterback for the Cougars, passing for 8,953 yards and rushing for another 765 for a total of nearly 10,000 yards of total offense. He completed 64.4 percent of his passes and had 83 touchdowns, with 25 interceptions. Johnson averaged 9.2 yards per rush and scored another 14 times for a total of 97 touchdowns accounted for. He led his team to four 1A Nisqually League championships and four berths in the State 2A Playoffs, with a collective league mark of 25-0 and a 35-6 record overall. He was a four-time first team All-1A Nisqually League selection at quarterback from 2016-19, and was the league’s Offensive MVP the latter three seasons.

As a senior, he earned honorable mention 1A All-State honors from Associated Press as a quarterback. Johnson completed 123-of-175 passes (70.3 percent) for 2,780 yards and 21 touchdowns, with just four interceptions. He also ran for an additional 422 yards (9.8 per carry) and seven scores. He had seven passing performances with at least 300 yards, including 474 with two touchdowns in a 38-38 win over White River when he also rushed for a season-high 108 yards and three more scores. He had five TD passes in a 60-7 victory against Klahowya, plus rushed for one. He led Cascade Christian to an 8-1 record and perfect 5-0 record in the 1A Nisqually League. The Cougars fell 41-12 to eventual runner-up Lynden Christian in the first round of the State 1A Playoffs.

In his junior season, he passed for 2,132 yards and 19 touchdowns, with eight interceptions. He had five performances with at least 300 yards passing (high of 392) and one with 100 yards rushing (103). Cascade Christian closed the year 7-2 overall and 6-0 in the league, losing to Lynden Christian 20-0 in the first round of the State 1A Playoffs. As a sophomore, he passed for 2,276 yards with a high of 294 and 26 touchdowns, and rushed for another for another 88 yards and two scores. The Cougars were 10-2 overall and 7-0 in the Nisqually League that season, beating Nooksack Valley 61-53 in the first round before falling 41-35 to La Center in the State 1A quarterfinals. He passed for 1,765 yards and 17 scores as a freshman, with a high game of 268. Cascade Christian finished 10-1 overall and 7-0 in league play, and suffered its first loss in the second round of the State 1A Playoffs after receiving a first-round bye.

His high school coach was Devin Snyder. Besides playing four years of football, he also played four years of basketball at Cascade Christian. He was honored on the All-1A Nisqually League team as an honorable mention selection as a freshman, second team as a sophomore and first team as a junior.

Personal: Interested in majoring in electrical engineering at Eastern. Born 11/21/01 in Federal Way, Wash. His parents are Keith and Shari Johnson. He originally committed to Yale prior to his senior season but de-committed on Dec. 1, 2019.

Conner O’Farrell

Head Coach Aaron Best on O’Farrell: “Linebacker was a position that we attempted to recruit two or three players. Conner hails from the 49th state of Alaska. He is a productive player and has a high football IQ, but has a higher work ethic so the film turned us on to him early. Our relationship was built early and only got better from there, and it just didn’t work out during the early signing period for Conner to sign. We were still kind of evaluating some players at some positions, but it did work out to get him on board in the second signing period to accompany our other linebacker recruits. So those individuals will round out our linebacker corp. We’re excited to have Conner on board.”

HS: Will graduate from Service HS in 2020. Was selected as the Defensive Player of the Year on the All-State team as chosen by the Alaska Football Coaches Association. O’Farrell was a first team All-State choice as an inside linebacker. He closed the 2019 season with 121 total tackles, including 20 1/2 for loss and 3 1/2 sacks. He had 16 quarterback hurries, an interception and three passes deflected. He recovered two fumbles and forced a pair. Service finished the season 8-3 overall and 2-2 in the Cook Inlet Conference. Was coached in high school by Kahlil Bolling.

Personal: Interested in majoring in construction management at Eastern. Born 10/22/01 in Anchorage, Alaska. His parents are Justin O’Farrell and Regena Earhart. Nickname is “Conan.”

Malaki Roberson

Head Coach Aaron Best on Roberson: “Roberson is a player we had our eye on in the early signing period, and we just didn’t know where that wide receiver position was going to go for us. We were trying to vet a few things out for that position here on campus and also the position as a whole as far as the 2020 class. We are privileged to bring Malaki on board from a perennial playoff team. Graham-Kapowsin coach (Eric) Kurle does a great job, and we have had the likes of Micah Smith and Matt Shook join our program in the last few years. They are prepared for not just football, but also for the classroom when they come from Graham-Kapowsin. Malaki has quite a personality and when he plays he makes people miss. He has some position flexibility as in terms of being a return specialist along with being a wide receiver. He is put together well, he understands the game, and he has a very high football IQ.”

HS: Will graduate from Graham-Kapowsin HS in 2020. In his last two years alone, he caught 146 passes for 2,361 yards (16.2 per catch) with 24 touchdowns. In his four years in the program, the Eagles were 40-7 overall and won 29 of 32 games in the 4A South Puget Sound League. All four years the school advanced to the 4A State Playoffs and won its opener before losing in the next round (three times in the quarterfinals). All four seasons the Eagles lost three times to the eventual runner-up and one to the eventual state champion. As a junior and senior, the collective records for G-K were 21-3 overall and 15-1 in league play with one title.

As a senior, he was named by the Seattle Times as a “White Chip” selection as one of the top 100 prospects in the state of Washington. He was a three-star recruit by 247 Sports. Roberson was selected to the Seattle Times All-State team for all classifications. He earned first team 4A All-State honors from the Associated Press as a wide receiver. He was the 4A South Puget Sound League Offensive MVP and on the Tacoma News Tribune All-Area squad for a second-straight season. He had 72 receptions for 1,164 yards (16.2 per catch) and 13 touchdowns as a senior when he also averaged 23 yards per punt return. He had 235 rushing yards and two scores, and, in addition, had a pair of touchdown passes. His 72 receptions were two short of the school-record 74 he had in his junior season. Graham-Kapowsin won the league title with a perfect 8-0 record and finished 11-1 overall. The Eagles beat Gonzaga Prep 41-17 in the first round of the State 4A Playoffs before suffering their first loss of the season to eventual runner-up Bothell by a 30-27 score.

As a junior, Roberson was selected to the Tacoma News Tribune All-Area squad and was a first team All-South Puget Sound League selection. He finished with a school-record 74 catches for 1,197 yards (16.2 per catch) and 11 touchdowns. He had four games with at least 100 receiving yards, including a pair with at least 200. He also added four interceptions as a cornerback. Graham-Kapowsin finished 10-2 overall and 7-1 to finish as the 4A SPSL runner-up. The Eagles beat Mead 45-38 in the first round of the State 4A Playoffs, but lost 45-28 to eventual runner-up Lake Stevens in the quarterfinals.

Roberson saw limited action as a sophomore, but did catch 16 passes for 296 yards (18.5 per catch) and two touchdowns. The Eagles finished 10-2 overall and 7-1 in the 4A SPSL as the runner-up in the league. The Eagles lost 49-17 to eventual State 4A runner-up Woodinville in the quarterfinals of the State 4A Playoffs after beating Lake Stevens 38-31 in the first round. He was also on the roster as a freshman when G-K finished 9-2 overall and 7-1 in the league, and the first of four-straight appearances in the State 4A Playoffs. The Eagles beat Kentlake 55-28 in their opener before falling to eventual champion Camas 55-6 in the second round.

Coached at G-K by Eric Kurle. Also attending Graham-Kapowsin were his EWU teammates Micah Smith (’18) and Matt Shook (’17).

Personal: Born 11/24/01. His parents are Leonardo and Nellie Roberson. Nickname is “Mai.”

Cage Schenck

Head Coach Aaron Best on Schenck: “He is certainly is one of the most dynamic football players I’ve ever watched on film with the ball in his hands. He also plays on defense, and we are recruiting him as cornerback. He has a return specialist skill-set as well. He has speed, he has a football IQ and he has the change of direction ability. He has intangibles that you just can’t teach, and that was evident on film. We didn’t sign a cornerback in the first go-around in December, and because of that we wanted to make sure that the fit was right both for Cage and Eastern. He fell in love with the school and the family feel. Wayne Maxwell does a great job at Woodinville. We have had multiple players from Woodinville High School come over here and have great success on and off the field, and it will be no different for Cage. He is an exciting player to watch on film but probably even more exciting to have conversations with. So the sky is the limit for him and what he can do. We look at him as being a cornerback and being able to get in the way and pose problems for quarterbacks in this league for years to come.”

HS: Will graduate from Woodinville HS in 2020. As a senior, he was named by the Seattle Times as a “White Chip” selection as one of the top 100 prospects in the state of Washington. Schenck was selected to the Seattle Times All-State team for all classifications. He earned honorable mention 4A All-State honors from the Associated Press as a defensive back. He also earned a spot on the Seattle Times Star Times All-Area squad. He earned first team All-KingCo 4A Crest Division honors as a wide receiver, cornerback and return specialist. He finished with 706 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on offense, and had 34 tackles and three interceptions on defense. He helped Woodinville finish 11-2 in 2019, including a 3-1 league mark. The Falcons beat Skyview (38-17) and Kennedy Catholic (55-42) in the first two rounds of the State 4A Playoffs before falling to eventual runner-up Bothell (31-21) in the semifinals.

As a junior, he was named first team All-KingCo 4A as a wide receiver, defensive back and kick returner. He had 22 receptions for 557 yards and seven touchdowns while also racking up 43 tackles and tying for the team lead with five interceptions. Woodinville won the league title with a 4-0 record and was 11-2 overall. The Falcons beat Skyview (34-21) and Gonzaga Prep (45-24) before falling in the semifinals to eventual runner-up Lake Stevens (28-14) in the semifinals. Was coached in high school by Wayne Maxwell. Also played basketball at Woodinville and received All-KingCo 4A League honors.

Personal: Interested in majoring in at Eastern. Born 4/27/01 in Seattle, Wash. His parents are Kevin and Christy Schenck.

Ben Voigtlaender

Head Coach Aaron Best on Voigtlaender: “It kind of came down to the bitter end with Ben. He is a local talent, not just from with his helmet on but also with his helmet off. He is a great student with an emphasis on great. He is very studious in everything he does, whether he is working in the classroom setting or with less fortunate kids in the high school in one of the classes he takes. Ben was also a standout wrestler prior to his senior year. (Mead head coach) Benji Sonnichsen does a great job – he has been there for a few years now and had nothing but positive reviews on Ben and what he brings to the table. He has had summer camp experience here, so we have had our eyes on him during the month of June. Our relationship with him only improved once we got to know Ben a little bit more. His abilities both on and off the field can make us a better team and better community service members as we go forward.”

HS: Will graduate from Mead HS in 2020. He was named by the Seattle Times as a “White Chip” selection as one of the top 100 prospects in the state of Washington. He was a three-star recruit by 247 Sports. He earned first team 4A All-State honors from the Associated Press as a defensive lineman. He was also a first team selection on the All-Greater Spokane League squad as a defensive lineman. The Panthers finished 7-3 overall and 4-1 in the GSL to share the 4A title with Gonzaga Prep. Mead won its 10th league title in school history with a 21-16 victory over Ferris. The season ended one game later with a playoff loss to Chiawana.

Voigtlaender also earned first team 4A All-State honors from the Associated Press as a defensive lineman in his junior season. He was the GSL Defensive Player of the Year in 2018. The Panthers finished 7-4 overall and 5-2 in the GSL, and defeated Richland 35-21 in a playoff game to advance to the State 4A Playoffs. Mead lost to Graham-Kapowsin 45-38 in the first round the tournament. Voigtlaender was also on the roster as a sophomore in 2017 when Mead finished 5-6. Was coached in high school by Benji Sonnichsen. He also wrestled at Mead, earning All-GSL honors as a junior.

Personal: Interested in majoring in sociology at Eastern. Born 2/7/02 in Spokane, Wash. His parents are Mark and Lara Voigtlaender.

DaJean Wells

Head Coach Aaron Best on Wells: “DaJean is a corner out of Ballard High School and is a player we had our eye on. That was one of the positions we emphasized going into the later signing period because we didn’t find a corner in the first go-around and this go-around we sign two. DaJean was very sought after by us. His test scores and grade point average matches up well with what we are looking for. He has great speed and has great instincts. He plays on both sides of the ball and he rarely came off the field in high school. He did a great job not just from an individual perspective but also from a leadership perspective as well. DaJean came to campus and fell in love with it. His family is great – they moved to the Northwest from New Orleans so he spent about over half his life in New Orleans and about close to half his life now in the Pacific Northwest. He has great upside and the ceiling is very high for him. There’s no reason why DaJean can’t reach his ceiling in the five years he’ll have an Eagle jersey on.”

HS: Will graduate from Ballard HS in 2020. He was the Metro League Sound Division MVP as a wide receiver and cornerback in his senior season in 2019. He finished the year with 19 receptions for 515 yards and four touchdowns with a long reception of 67 yards. He also had 20 tackles on defense with two interceptions, one he returned for a touchdown. He also returned four kickoffs for a 28.0 average and a long of 97. Ballard won the Metro League title with a perfect 6-0 record, and finished 9-1 overall after falling 28-25 to Marysville-Pilchuck in a play-in game for the State 3A Playoffs. He also played both positions as a junior when Ballard was 6-4 and won the Metro League title with a 4-0 record. As a sophomore, Ballard was 6-4 overall and 4-1 in the league and Wells saw action in all 10 games. Coached in high school by Ross Humphries.

Personal: Interested in majoring exercise science in at Eastern. Born 1/2/02 in Metairie, La. His parents are Demarcus and Shalanda Wells. Nickname is “D.”

Mike Rivera

HS: Will graduate from Sunnyside HS in 2020. He finished his three-year career with 151 catches for 2,674 yards and 29 touchdowns. He had 12 performances in his career with at least 100 receiving yards, including a school-record 206.

He was the MVP in the Columbia Basin Big 9 Conference as a senior, and was a unanimous first team All-Big 9 choice as a wide receiver and defensive back. He caught 60 passes for 950 yards and nine touchdowns in 2019, with four performances with at least 100 yards. During the season he was named the WIAA Athlete of the Week for setting a school record with 206 receiving yards on eight catches with four touchdowns in a 62-0 victory over Cleveland High School. Sunnyside finished 8-3 overall and 5-1 in the Big 9, finishing as the co-champions with Wenatchee and Eastmont.

As a junior, Rivera caught 50 passes for 1,102 yards and 13 touchdowns, with six performances with at least 100 yards. The Grizzlies were 7-3, finishing 5-1 in league play to close the season as the runner-up behind unbeaten Eastmont. As a sophomore, he had 41 receptions for 622 yards and seven touchdowns, with a pair of 100-yard performances. Sunnyside was 6-4 overall and 3-3 in league play. Was coached at Sunnyside by John Lobbestael. He also competed in track and field at Sunnyside.

Personal: Interested in majoring in athletic training at Eastern. Born 10/9/01 in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. His parents are Felix Rivera and Betty Maysonet.

Kellen Wallace

Head Coach Aaron Best on Wallace: “You can’t teach length and he has it. He’s raw right now, but we’re excited to see where he can go. If he takes the opportunities he’ll receive in the weight room, the training room, with nutrition and in the classroom, he can put it all together on the football field. He has a great upside, but we’ll have to wait to see where that takes him. He’s been in our state, so he’s familiar with our area and Eastern Washington football.”

HS: Will graduate from Moapa Valley HS in 2020. Is listed as a two-star recruit by Rivals. He earned second team 3A All-State honors, as well as first team All-Southern Region and All-Sunrise League honors. He helped lead Moapa Valley to a 7-5 record in 2019 after finishing 3-2 in the 3A Southern-Sunrise League. The Pirates advanced to the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) 3A Southern Region Playoffs and fell to Virgin Valley in the semifinals after beating Pahrump Valley 35-0 in the quarterfinal round.

In his junior season, he earned second team 3A All-State honors as an offensive lineman. He was a first team All-Southern Region offensive lineman, and was also a first team choice on offense on the All-Sunrise League team. He led his team to a 10-2 finish overall and the 3A Southern-Sunrise League title with a 4-0 record. Wallace’s team beat Cheyenne 42-19 in the semifinals of the 3A Southern Region Playoffs. As a sophomore he was honored on the All-Sunrise second team as an offensive lineman when the Pirates finished 6-3 overall. Coached in high school by Brent Lewis. Also competed in track and field at Moapa Valley.

Personal: Interested in majoring in mechanical engineering at Eastern, and interested in joining the United States Air Force after earning his degree at EWU. Born 10/24/01 in Ellensburg, Wash. His parents are Stephen and Jenny Wallace.

Ahmani Williams

Head Coach Aaron Best on Williams: “He has Eagle bloodlines. His father Julian and I had the opportunity to come into the same class in 1996. Julian was a great safety, so anybody that has that Williams talent and skill-set has a chance. Julian certainly had that and Ahmani shows those talents at the linebacker position. He is going to play in the box and compete for many years to come. Ahmani is a great student, and one of his big personal decisions was the academic aspect. He is looking way beyond football and he is looking at life beyond football. The opportunity to pursue a major he wants aligns with the football values that we uphold here at Eastern, and that enticed Ahmani to want to get onboard. He is put together well, and he is only going to get a touch bigger. He has a nose for the football and he played on both sides of the ball. He comes from Skyview High School and was coached by Steve Kizer, another Eagle resource for us to lean on in the recruitment of Ahmani. We are excited to get him onboard and get him started at linebacker in this class of 2020.”

HS: Will graduate from Skyview HS in 2020. He earned first team All-4A Greater St. Helens League honors as a linebacker in his senior season. The Storm finished the 2019 season 8-3 overall, falling 38-17 to Woodinville in the first round of the State 4A Playoffs. Skyview was 3-1 in the 4A Greater St. Helens League behind 4-0 Camas, which would go on to win the State 4A title. He was also on the roster in his junior season when the Storm finished 6-5 overall and 2-2 in the league, as well as in 2017 when Skyview was 5-4 overall and 2-2 in the league. Coached in high school by former EWU defensive coordinator Steve Kizer. Also competed in track and field at Skyview.

Personal: Interested in majoring in political science/sociology at Eastern. Born 6/18/02 in Portland, Ore. His parents are Julian Williams and Chantell Villeneuve. His father played safety for Eastern from 1997-00 as a teammate of current EWU head coach Aaron Best. Williams earned honorable mention All-America honors in both 1999 and 2000 when he was also a first team All-Big Sky selection. He earned second team honors in 1998 and was also honored once on the Big Sky All-Academic team. He had 288 tackles in his career, a mark that once ranked fifth in EWU history and is now 11th. His 26 passes broken up now ranks sixth after ranking fourth at the time. A 1996 graduate of Mountain View High School in Vancouver, he signed a contract with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL in 2002 before returning to live and coach in Vancouver.

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