Eastern Eagles add 17 players to football class

CHENEY, Wash. — A total of 17 high school players will join the Eastern Washington University football program and play for the Eagles next fall, head coach Aaron Best announced Wednesday (Dec. 16). The list includes 16 who have signed national letters of intent and one who is an invited walk-on who has been admitted and confirmed attendance at EWU.

The list includes a trio of wide receivers and five defensive backs, with a particular emphasis on the Tri-Cities in Washington State. The Eagles signed three players from Kamiakin High School in Kennewick, and another multi-talented player from Pasco.

In all, eight of the 17 players are from high schools in Washington, with five from California, two from Utah, one from Arizona and one from Oregon.

“We haven’t replaced seniors with a signee — we look two years in advance,” said Best. “We felt like we were top heavy at the safety position with upperclassmen now. We had some individuals we recruited who we felt were players we really liked on the field and did their work off the field, and their families were awesome in the process.

“There was no need to pass up players and wait until 2022,” he continued. “It just worked out that we would sign a lot of defensive backs. We need players who can play man coverage, tackle and play fearlessly. We needed to make a statement at that position that we are going to be better and we would create more competitive depth. It starts in fall of 2021 with these players we bring onboard.”

The three players signed from Kamiakin were all offensive juggernauts for the Braves back in fall of 2019 when they last played. Tuna Altahir was an All-State running back, Woodley Downard earned first team All-MCC honors as a wide receiver and Messiah Jones, signed by EWU as a tight end, earned honorable mention All-MCC as a WR. Altahir was the league’s offensive MVP.

Eastern already has three Kamiakin graduates in its program – offensive guard Wyatt Musser, cornerback Darreon Moore and wide receiver Champ Grayson.

Additionally, the Eagles signed Desmian Licon from Pasco, Wash., as a defensive back. He earned a trio of first team All-MCC honors as a wide receiver, defensive back and returner.

It was the second time in the last four years the Eagles have signed three players from the same high school in the same recruiting year. In the 2018 class, Eastern signed wide receiver Freddie Roberson, wide receiver Anthony Stell Jr. and cornerback Darrien Sampson – all current Eagles. Eastern also signed three from Pasco HS in 2002, a trio from Mead High School in 2001 and three from Renton HS in 1992.

“It’s not often you sign three players from the same school, so it was fun to watch their film because every down one of those guys was making a play,” said Best. “We couldn’t be prouder of all four of them for EWU to be their next stop, just two hours away from where they lived, attended high school and played football. We’re happy to continue those inroads to the Tri-Cities.”

The Covid-19 pandemic affected recruiting in a way Best has never seen before. Instead of on-campus and in-person recruiting, schools adjusted to virtual means of communications and a seemingly endless and changing stream of regulation.

“A lot of people kind of wondered how it would go – not just for us but in general,” Best explained. “The NCAA rules and regulations seemed to come out every two weeks in terms of interpretations, adjustments and time frames. We tried to stay with the theme of being creative proactively. We stayed old-school with some of our approaches – phone calls are always the best calls in my opinion. Obviously, Facetime helps this day and age and Zoom works very well with multiple people on at the same time.

“But we wanted to be ahead of things instead of being reactionary,” he continued. “You couldn’t go off campus and they couldn’t come to campus, so it came down to the way your creative juices were flowing that day, that week and that month. (Recruiting coordinator) Marc Anderson, (assistant) Pat McCann and (assistant) Allen Brown did a great job of attacking this process in a lot of different ways. We had a lot of different ideas and did it at a high clip for the better part of 7 1/2 months.”

More Comments from Coach Best:

On Receivers Signed: “Coach (Pat) McCann probably used his best maneuvering to talk us into more receivers than we expected to sign. He has a point though – we need more because we are a productive offense and we are going to stay productive. We have to have more players to develop that production with. Three is what we came out with, and we are very excited, privileged and honored that they want to be a part of our football family. We couldn’t pass up a player who was going to make us better on the field.”

On Kamiakin Connection: “We commend coach (Scott) Biglin for what he’s done there and get that program rocking and rolling. We’re excited about bringing in even more Kamiakin Braves to our program. It’s not very often we’ve had three players in one class from the same school. All three of the players we signed are very athletic and very long, and two are basketball players. They are gifted, not just as athletes but as people. They are close to one another and we’re fortunate we became their destination after high school.”

On Desmian Licon: “Desmian was one Coach (Allen) Brown had his eyes set on early. He plays both ways and can help us in the return game and special teams units. He can play man coverage, he’s fearless and is a hard worker – he just has a knack for the football offensively and defensively.”

On Recruiting Length & Position Flexibility: “We really focused on position flexibility and we wanted length – you can’t teach that just like you can’t teach speed. When a player can play bigger than his size, that’s constitutes length as well. Recruiting players with the possibility of being position flexible is something we’ve always coveted. But we put a little more emphasis on that into this class. It was easy to see on film, but it was more challenging because we didn’t see them in person. We found players who were open to both sides of the ball, and that made them a little more coveted to us more than maybe a one-trick pony.”

EWU’s 2020-21 Early Signing Class (Dec. 16, 2020)

Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Hometown / High School
Tuna Altahir	RB	6-0	215	Kennewick, Wash. / Kamiakin HS ’21
*Ronald Davis	DB	5-11	190	Federal Way, Wash. / Federal Way HS ’21
Woodley Downard	WR	6-2	195	Kennewick, Wash. / Kamiakin HS ’21
Isaiah Howard	WR	6-2	185	Fresno, Calif. / Clovis West HS ’21
Josh Johnson	WR	6-3	190	Los Angeles, Calif. / San Pedro HS ’21
Messiah Jones	TE	6-6	240	Kennewick, Wash. / Kamiakin HS ’21
Desmian Licon	DB	6-0	175	Pasco, Wash. / Pasco HS ’21
Joseph Obeto	DB	5-10	190	Covina, Calif. / Charter Oak HS ’21
Armani Orange	DB	6-0	180	Moreno Valley, Calif. / Rancho Verde HS ’21
Shane Schwake	OL	6-8	290	Eugene, Ore. / Sheldon HS ’21
Sean Skladany	DE	6-3	215	Gig Harbor, Wash. / Peninsula HS ’21
Davante Smith	RB	5-10	180	Ventura, Calif. / Pacifica HS ’21
Daniel Taumoepeau	DE	6-0	195	Daly City, Calif. / Westlake HS (Utah) ’21
Emilio Veater	LB	6-1	195	Wellsville, Utah / Mountain Crest HS ’21
Chad Vidican	DT	6-2	270	Renton, Wash. / Hazen HS ’21
Kekoa Visperas	QB	6-0	190	Spanaway, Wash. / Bethel HS ’21
Kentrell Williams Jr.	DB	5-10	180	Chandler, Ariz. / Chandler HS ’21

*Walk-on has been admitted and confirmed attendance at EWU.

Pronunciations
Altahir – All-tuh-hear
Desmian Licon – Dez-me-on Lee-cone
Obeto – Oh-bet-oh
Schwake – Shh-walk-ee
Veater – Vee-ter
Vidican – Vid-ih-cun
Kekoa Visperas – Kay-koh-uh Vi-spare-us
Skladany – Skluh-day-knee
Taumoepeau –Tau (like the beginning of “ouch”)-moy-pay-ow

 

Tuna Altahir                  

Coach Aaron Best on Altihir: “Tuna had multiple offers in the Big Sky. He’s a power back with great hands, and he’s smooth and has great vision. We’ve had him at Eastern camps so we’ve seen him progress since ninth grade. He’s a great individual and was very excited to announce his commitment to Eastern. He’s excited to play along with his teammates and wants to continue that bond when he gets here. We’re excited to re-load at the running back position. Coach (Kevin) Maurice has done a great job of getting eyes on players, building relationships and getting the most out of them on and off the field. Tuna is in line with all those individuals we’ve brought in.”

HS: Will graduate in 2021 from Kamiakin High School. Was listed as a three-star recruit by 247 Sports. Altahir was selected by Washington Scorebook Live as the 27th-most impactful high school player in the state of Washington as a junior in 2019. That same season he earned honorable mention All-State honors from Associated Press as a running back. He was the Mid Columbia Conference Offensive MVP while earning first team All-MCC honors as a running back and honorable mention as a defensive back. He rushed 188 times for 1,406 yards (7.5 per carry) and scored 20 total touchdowns in 2019 to lead the Mid Columbia Conference. He also led the MCC with 1,613 total all-purpose yards and 122 total points. Kamiakin finished 7-2 overall and 6-2 in the 3A/4A Mid Columbia Conference in 2019, falling to Mt. Spokane in the playoffs. Entering the 2019 season, Washington Scorebook Live picked Altahir as one of the 40 most impactful juniors in the state. He also earned second team All-MCC honors as a running back in both 2018 and 2017, and honorable mention as a defensive back in 2018. As a sophomore, Kamiakin finished 6-5 overall and was 5-3 in the league, and fell to O’Dea in the State 3A Playoffs. As a freshman in 2017, he was a second team All-MCC selection as a running back. The Braves were 9-2 overall and 6-1 in the MCC as the defending State 3A Champions. Kamiakin won a playoff game over Lakes before falling to Timberline 26-22 in the State 3A Playoffs. Was coached in high school by Scott Biglin, and joins five fellow Braves at EWU – Woodley Downard (’21), Messiah Jones (’21), Champ Grayson (’18), Darreon Moore (’17) and Wyatt Musser (’17).

Personal: Interested in majoring in business or criminal justice at Eastern. Born 10/12/02 in Cairo, Egypt. Parents are Samuel Tahir and Wahiba Tutu. He is a first generation college student in his family. Name is pronounced “All-tuh-hear.”

*Ronald Davis               

*Walk-on has been admitted and confirmed attendance at EWU.

Coach Aaron Best on Davis: “Ronald played on both sides of the ball, but we looked at him probably as a safety. We really felt we needed to bring in defensive backs and then figure out what position they settle in at. He could factor into our return game and be on multiple special teams units. Being from Federal Way High School he knows how to win and we like his winning ways. He has great energy, a great vibe and is a great package of person and player combined.”

HS: Will graduate in 2021 from Federal Way High School. Was listed as a two-star recruit by 247 Sports. Earned All-North Puget Sound League honorable mention honors as a defensive back as both a junior and a sophomore. He had 22 1/2 tackles, an interception and 10 passes broken up as a junior in 2019. He also scored 10 total touchdowns on offense in his high school career. The Eagles were 7-3 in his junior season and finished a perfect 3-0 in the 4A North Puget Sound League Valley Division. As a sophomore, Federal Way was 6-4 overall and 2-1 in league play. Was coached in high school by Marcus Yzaguirre. Also competed in track and field in high school.

Personal: Interested in majoring in communications at Eastern. Born 2/27/03 in Seattle, Wash. Mother is Arnetia Davis. Nickname is “RD3.”

Woodley Downard       

Coach Aaron Best on Downard: “Woodley is long and has a high ceiling. He’s an individual who always seems to have a smile on his face, is friends with everybody and just loves the moment he’s in. He’s very energetic and makes a ton of plays. He plays bigger than he is and is a very good basketball player, which shows he has sport flexibility. We look for big things out of Woodley. He knows what the legacy and tradition is at wide receiver on our red turf and in this offense. He wants to compete and be a part of something special.”

HS: Will graduate in 2021 from Kamiakin High School. Was listed as a three-star recruit by 247 Sports. Was a first team All-MCC selection as a wide receiver as a junior in the 2019 season for the Braves. He had 45 catches for 874 yards and nine touchdowns. Kamiakin finished 7-2 overall and 6-2 in the 3A/4A Mid Columbia Conference in 2019, falling to Mt. Spokane in the playoffs. Entering the 2019 season, Washington Scorebook Live picked Downard as one of the 40 most impactful juniors in the state. Downard was also on the roster as a sophomore, helping Kamiakin finish 6-5 overall and 5-3 in the league. The Braves fell to O’Dea in the State 3A Playoffs. Was coached in high school by Scott Biglin, and joins five fellow Braves at EWU – Tuna Altahir (’21), Messiah Jones (’21), Champ Grayson (’18), Darreon Moore (’17) and Wyatt Musser (’17). Also competed in basketball and track and field in high school. He had bests in high school in the 100 (11.70), 200 (23.86). 400 (52.38) and high jump (6-0) as a sophomore in 2019.

Personal: Interested in majoring in psychology at Eastern. Born 10/21/01 in Port au-Prince in Haiti. Parents are Dan and Melanie Downard. Nickname is “Woody.”

Isaiah Howard               

Coach Aaron Best on Howard: “Isaiah has some stuff to him. We felt he was under-noticed, which is fine to us. He has some great upside and his best years are ahead of him. He’s multiple in terms of where you can put him – he can be a big slot or he can go outside and catch the 50-50 ball. Coach (Pat) McCann looked at him as only getting better each day he is here. He’s very serious about his way and his competitive nature. He was a phenomenal triple jumper as a sophomore which shows his athletic ability. The sky is the limit for Isaiah Howard.”

HS: Will graduate in 2021 from Clovis West High School. Was listed as a three-star recruit by 247 Sports. Howard was nominated for All-State honors in the CIF Los Angeles City Section. The Golden Eagles finished his junior season with a 4-8 record. As a sophomore, Clovis West was 2-9. In his freshman season in 2017, he caught 23 passes for 430 yards and a touchdown to help the Golden Eagles finish 9-3 overall and 4-1 in the Tri-River Conference. His team advanced to the CIF Central Section Championships but lost in the first round. Was coached in high school by Tim Randall. Also competed in basketball and track and field in high school. He finished eighth in the triple jump at the CIF North Area Championships as a sophomore in 2019 with a leap of 42-0, and had a personal-best of 43-6 a week earlier. He had a personal record in the long jump (20-3) and in the 100 (12.08) as a junior in 2020 before the season was stopped, and his best 200 time (25.95) came as a sophomore in 2018.

Personal: Born 9/22/03 in Fresno, Calif. Parents are Edwin and Carolyn Howard.

Josh Johnson               

Coach Aaron Best on Johnson: “Josh kind of has the whole tool belt at the wide receiver position. He plays both ways, has some flash and plays with confidence. He can catch the 50-50 ball but he can also run the middle screen. He’ll attack you on defense and as a tackler and ball hawk. He’s a football player who happens to be 6-3, 190 and can play inside or outside. You can hand it off to him too, so you can put him in different spots. Coach (Pat) McCann was willing to forge the relationship with all of the receivers we recruited. We’re excited about Josh being a factor here for the next four to five years.”

HS: Will graduate in 2021 from San Pedro High School. Was listed as a three-star recruit by 247 Sports. Earned first team All-Marine League honors in both 2019 and 2018 for the Pirates. He also earned CIF Open Division first team honors in 2019 and CIF Division I City Section first team honors in 2018. In his junior season in 2019, he caught 24 passes for 439 yards and five touchdowns, and on defense had 21 tackles, three interceptions and a pass broken up. San Pedro was 10-2 and won the Marine League with a 4-0 mark. The Pirates won a quarterfinal game in the CIF Los Angeles Section playoffs 17-0 over Carson before falling 28-25 in the semifinals to eventual champion Birmingham. As a sophomore in 2018, Johnson caught 13 passes for 191 yards to help San Pedro finish 9-5 overall. On defense he had 56 tackles, two interceptions and four passes broken up. Despite finishing just 2-2 in the Marine League and were seeded sixth in the postseason, the Pirates beat top-seeded Dorsey 22-20 in the championship game for the CIF Los Angeles Section title. Was coached in high school by Corey Miller. Also competed in basketball in high school.

Personal: Interested in majoring in athletic training at Eastern. Born 12/26/02 in Los Angeles, Calif. His mother is Jennifer Johnson. Nickname is “J.J.”

Messiah Jones             

Coach Aaron Best on Jones: “Messiah is a great hooper and his high school basketball videotape is very impressive. We look forward to kind of building on what he did in high school and look forward to seeing him with his hand in the dirt. He has a big body and has a chance to play next to an offensive tackle as a tight end, or split out. He can block and you can run screens to him – he’s going to be just fine with the ball in his hands. He’ll be a good tight end and has a high ceiling. He’s willing to be coached and he’s yearning to take the next step to hone his skills as a football player.”

HS: Will graduate in 2021 from Kamiakin High School. Was listed as a three-star recruit by 247 Sports. Earned honorable mention All-MCC honors in 2019 as a wide receiver for the Braves. Kamiakin finished 7-2 overall and 6-2 in the 3A/4A Mid Columbia Conference in 2019, falling to Mt. Spokane in the playoffs. Entering the 2019 season, Washington Scorebook Live picked Jones as one of the 40 most impactful juniors in the state. Jones was also on the roster as a sophomore, helping Kamiakin finish 6-5 overall and 5-3 in the league. The Braves fell to O’Dea in the State 3A Playoffs. Was coached in high school by Scott Biglin, and joins five fellow Braves at EWU – Tuna Altahir (’21), Woodley Downard (’21), Champ Grayson (’18), Darreon Moore (’17) and Wyatt Musser (’17). Also competed in basketball in high school and was an all-league selection. He helped lead the Braves to a top 8 finish at the State 3A Tournament his junior season.

Personal: Undecided on a major at Eastern. Born 3/12/03 in Richland, Wash. Parents are Lee Jones and Alexandra Rios. Nickname is “Siah.”

Desmian Licon

Coach Aaron Best on Licon: “Desmian is always around the ball and when he has the ball in his hands he does something good with it. He’s sneaky fast and he has burst. He loves to cover and tackle as a cornerback – that was one of the things Coach (Allen) Brown really embodied as a player here. He wanted to play with toughness and to tackle people, and Des is like that. He’s good-sized cornerback and has a nose for the ball. He was very productive on both sides of the ball. On special teams he was a huge factor as a return specialist. He rarely came off the field, and we are anxious to get him in the defensive backs room and finding out his fit. He can play multiple positions back there and we’re excited to see what is yet to come for Des.”

HS: Will graduate in 2021 from Pasco High School. Was listed as a three-star recruit by 247 Sports. He was a three-way first team All-Mid Columbia Conference selection as a junior in 2019 for the Bulldogs. He was selected as a wide receiver, defensive back and as a returner. He had a game-winning 70-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in Pasco’s 16-14 win over Richland on Sept. 27, 2019. It was voted as the top play of the year statewide by Washington Scorebook Live. Pasco finished 3-7 in his junior season. Entering the 2019 season, Scorebook Live picked Licon as one of the 40 most impactful juniors in Washington. Was coached in high school by Leon Wright-Jackson. Also competed in basketball and track and field in high school.

Personal: Undecided on a major at Eastern. Born 6/14/03 in Pasco, Wash. Parents are Theo Hurley and Joanna Licon. He is a first generation college student in his family. Nickname is “Des.” Name is pronounced “Dez-me-on Lee-cone.”

Joseph Obeto

Coach Aaron Best on Obeto: “Joseph plays bigger than his 5-11 frame, and can play in man-to-man and zone schemes. He’s a factor in a lot of different facets. He has a nose for the football – he is always around the ball when he doesn’t have the football and is always making large and big plays when it is in his hands. We recruited him later than a lot of the other recruits, but we developed a great relationship and he has a great personality. He really sees himself at Eastern and has another gear for determination – you can hear it in his words and see it in his eyes. He plays longer than he is, and we’re excited about putting him on an island, giving him a receiver and having him play man-to-man. He’ll make a lot of plays in those situations for years to come.”

HS: Will graduate in 2021 from Charter Oak High School. Earned All-Area honors as a defensive back in 2019. His team finished 4-6 overall and 2-3 in the Hacienda League. The Chargers were 2-9 in his sophomore season, but he was also on the roster as a freshman in 2017 when Charter Oak finished 12-0 and was 5-0 in the Hacienda League. The Chargers advanced to the semifinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 3 Championships. Was coached in high school by Dominic Farrar. Also competed in track and field in high school. As a sophomore in 2019, he won the 100 (11.57) and the 200 (23.93) to win titles at the Hacienda League Championships. His bests in those two events that season was 11.53 and 23.93.

Personal: Interested in majoring in kinesiology at Eastern. Born 7/31/03. Parents are Peter and Liz Obeto. Is related to Ucehnna Nwosu of the Los Angeles Chargers. Nickname is “Obei.” Name is pronounced “Oh-bet-oh.”

Armani Orange

Coach Aaron Best on Orange: “Armani played both sides of the ball and is a very mature football player. He has more speed than you anticipate and it deserves respect. A couple of teams made late runs at Armani, but he’s been with us from the get-go in terms of his commitment and relationships he’s built with Coach (Zach) Bruce and Coach (Allen) Brown. Once he substantiated his relationship in the recruiting process, it didn’t matter — he’s been in Eagle mode for quite a while now. He has a great family and has a great vibe. He’s eager to start his Eastern career, and we couldn’t be happier with the addition of Armani.”

HS: Will graduate in 2021 from Rancho Verde High School. Earned first team All-Ivy League honors while scoring five different ways as a junior in 2019 for the Mustangs. He rushed for 645 yards on 75 carries (8.6 per carry) and scored six touchdowns, and caught 34 passes for 328 yards and four more scores. He had a trio of 100-yard rushing performances with a high of 126. On defense he had 31 tackles, three interceptions with one returned for a TD and three passes broken up. He returned six kickoffs for 260 yards (43.3 average) and eight punts for 222 yards (27.8 average), scoring on an 89-yard kickoff return and a 97-yard punt return. In addition, he completed 7-of-11 passes for another 82 yards and two scores. Rancho Verde finished the season 11-1 overall and won the Ivy League with a 3-0 mark. The Mustangs beat Serra 26-20 in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division 2 Playoffs. They lost 13-9 in the quarterfinals to San Clemente, which later had to forfeit the game. Thus, Rancho Verde officially ended the season with a nine-game winning streak. As a sophomore, Orange rushed for 233 yards on 18 carries (12.4 per rush) and scored four times, and had a pair of catches for 42 yards. He also had 22 tackles, one interception and 13 passes broken up. That squad finished 13-1 and was 3-0 in the Ivy League, and lost its lone game 24-13 to Upland in championship game of the CIF Southern Section Division 2 Playoffs. Orange added 296 rushing yards on 20 carries (14.8 per rush) and four touchdowns as a freshman, including a career-high 154 yards on just eight carries (19.3 per carry) with a TD in a 63-27 win. The Mustangs finished the season 12-3 overall and were 5-0 in the Inland Valley League, and the season came to an end in the CIF Division 2-AA Regional Finals. Prior to that, Rancho Verde beat St. Francis 44-22 for the CIF Southern Section Playoffs Division 3 title. Was coached in high school by Pete Duffy. Also competed in basketball and track and field in high school.

Personal: Interested in majoring in business at Eastern. Born 12/17/02. Parents are Arthur Orange and Joshanne Pryor. He is a first generation college student in his family.

Shane Schwake

Coach Aaron Best on Schwake: “Shane is big, large and massive, and you can’t teach that size. He had multiple opportunities to see where his fit was, but chose Eastern. A lot of that had to do with Coach (Jase) Butorac and the way he recruited Shane and will coach Shane. They’ll make some memories together. Shane was excited about the tradition and legacy of our offensive line over the years. The vision here has been in place for a long time, and the reality was that Shane was intrigued. He’ll play outside as a tackle for us, and is a player who has ability and some good raw talent. Coach Butorac is truly excited to coach him.”

HS: Will graduate in 2021 from Sheldon High School. Was listed as a three-star recruit by 247 Sports. Despite not having a season because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Schwake was selected to the 2020 All-State team by SBLive Sports in Oregon. He earned second team All-6A Southwest Conference honors as a junior for the Leprechauns. Sheldon went 6-5 in 2019 after a five-year run which saw the school go 52-11. Coached in high school by Josh Line. Lettered two years in football in high school.

Personal: Interested in majoring in business management at Eastern and is also interested in going into law enforcement. Born 4/17/03 in Eugen, Ore. Parents are Eric and Andrea Schwake. Name is pronounced “Shh-walk-ee.”

Sean Skladany             

Coach Aaron Best on Skladany: “Sean is a swiss army knife with every tool available. We lost track, but I think he played seven positions – defensive tackle, defensive end, linebacker, tight end, running back and fullback. He’s a flat-out football player and plays louder than he is as a person. Peninsula plays good football there, so he is used to winning and he knows how to win. He’s about as productive as a player as we have in this class – he played multiple positions to get that done. He has length to give him position flexibility here, but at this point we look for him as a defensive end under the tutelage of Coach (Eti) Ena. He has a great future ahead of him.”

HS: Will graduate in 2021 from Peninsula High School. Was listed as a two-star recruit by 247 Sports. Was the South Sound Conference MVP in 2019 while playing for the Hawks. He was a second team All-Area running back in 2019 as selected by the Tacoma News Tribune. He ran for 821 yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior, and on defense had 63 tackles, seven sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception. He helped Peninsula win the 3A South Sound Conference title and advance to the State 3A Playoffs for the second-straight season. The Hawks lost to Mt. Spokane on the road in the first round in 2019 and finished 8-3 overall and 7-0 in the league. As a sophomore, he earned second team All-North Puget Sound League Mountain Division honors as a defensive lineman as the Hawks finished 9-3 on the season and 6-1 in the league. Peninsula beat Bethel 55-34 in the first round of the State 3A Playoffs before falling to eventual runner-up O’Dea. Coached by Ross Filkins in high school, and fellow Peninsula graduate Debore’ae McClain (’17) is also on the Eagle football team. Also competed in basketball in high school.

Personal: Interested in majoring in business at Eastern. Born 9/26/02 in Tacoma, Wash. Parents are Shane and Suzi Skladany. Name is pronounced “Skluh-day-knee.”

Davante Smith

Coach Aaron Best on Smith: “Davante played both ways in high school and is a workout warrior. I wish I had his energy – since he’s been in fourth grade he’s been working out at the highest clip with his father. And it shows. He has football in his bloodlines, and he knows how to play the game. He has position flexibility, speed, hands and vision. He is going to get everything out of himself. He’s committed to being the best player and person he can be through his sheer mentality, commitment and dedication to work out. We’re excited to bring him into our Eagle family.”

HS: Will graduate in 2021 from Pacifica High School. Was listed as a two-star recruit by 247 Sports. Although he couldn’t not play his senior season for the school, the Tritons finished the 2019 season 15-1 overall after finishing second in the Pacific View League with a 4-1 record. Pacifica beat La Serna 42-41 for the CIF Southern Section Division 6 title, then beat Birmingham 51-23 in the CIF Division 2-A regional finals and McClymonds 34-6 for the State 2-A title. The Tritons finished with a nine-game winning streak. Was coached in high school by Mike Moon. Also competed in track and field in high school.

Personal: Interested in majoring in criminal justice at Eastern. Born 3/29/02 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Parents are Danny Smith and Angela Calhoun. Nickname is “Dmoney.”

Daniel Taumoepeau     

Coach Aaron Best on Taumoepeau: “We haven’t signed many individuals from Utah, but Daniel was easy to see. He knows how to get to the quarterback and is a very quick-twitch football player. He loves the game of football and it becomes obvious in the plays he makes and the emotion he shows when he makes those plays. His natural ability to get off the ball, get to the quarterback and tackle him behind the line of scrimmage is something that is second nature to Daniel. We’re excited to get him onboard. He plays the game the way it should be played — fast, furious and fearless. It’s fun to watch and we’re excited to add him to the defensive line.”

HS: Will graduate in 2021 from Westlake High School in Saratoga Springs, Utah. Was listed as a three-star recruit by 247 Sports. He earned first team All-State honors as an outside linebacker from the Deseret News as a senior in 2020. He also earned first team All-Valley honors from the Daily Herald in Provo, Utah. Taumoepeau finished the year with 114 tackles, including 10 sacks and 25 total tackles for loss. Westlake finished 4-8 in his senior season in 2020 as one of the few states to play high school football because of the Covid-19 pandemic. He earned 6A All-State honors in 2019 by Vinco Athletics.com as a “rising star.” Was coached in high school by Louis Wong.

Personal: Interested in majoring in business or engineering at Eastern. Born 7/12/03 in Sacramento, Calif. Parents are Siliveinusi and Tovale Taumoepeau. Related to former Eagle football player Kendrick Bourne. He is a first generation college student in his family. Nickname is “Daniel Son.” Name is pronounced “Tau (like the beginning of ouch)-moy-pay-ow.”

Emilio Veater

Coach Aaron Best on Veater: “Emilio is undersized now, but he won’t be for very long. He’ll be a very athletic linebacker, and was very appreciative of the recruiting process. He’s done a lot of studying about our program and school, and he’s authentically excited. He has an infectious smile and has a huge career in front of him. He has some length but we’ll get some more weight on him. Having played on both sides of the ball will enhance his abilities at linebacker. We aren’t going to ask him to play early, so he has time to add that weight. When he does he’ll make the most of it.”

HS: Will graduate in 2021 from Mountain Crest High School. Was listed as a three-star recruit by 247 Sports. Earned honorable mention All-State honors from the Deseret News as an outside linebacker as a senior in 2020 for the Mustangs. Mountain Crest finished 2-9 in his senior season in 2020 as one of the few states to play high school football because of the Covid-19 pandemic. As a junior, He earned 6A All-State honors in 2019 by Vinco Athletics.com as a “rising star.” He also earned honorable mention All-Region 11 honors from the Cache Valley Daily and also received All-Valley honors from the Herald Journal News.  He finished the year with 60 tackles, including 10 sacks and a total of 17 for loss. He forced a fumble and recovered another, and picked off a pass and returned it 95 yards for a touchdown against Bonneville. The Mustangs finished 5-7 and 4-1 in Region 11 to advance to the second round of the State 4A Playoffs. In his sophomore season, the Deseret News selected him to its second team All-Region squad. Mountain Crest finished 5-7 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the State 4A Playoffs. He also played as a freshman on the varsity squad, which finished as the runner-up in the State 4A Championships. That squad finished 12-2 and 4-1 in Region 12. Was coached in high school by Jason Lee. He also competed in wrestling, lacrosse and track and field in high school.

Personal: Interested in majoring in pre-med at Eastern in hopes of becoming an orthodontist. Born 2/1/03 in New Mexico. Parents are Felipe Rios and Ashley Veater. He is a first generation college student in his family. Nickname is “Mayo.” Name is pronounced “Vee-ter.”

Chad Vidican

Coach Aaron Best on Vidican: “Chad is a consummate defensive tackle. Coach (Brian) Strandley wants workers and players who allow others to make plays by doing their jobs. He wants players who want to work out, get into the weight room and want to get better in the classroom. He wanted to be an Eagle and we’re excited that he wanted to be here as much as we wanted him here. He’s not the biggest player at defensive tackle, but Coach Strandley wants activity. We’ll sacrifice a little length a times for the characteristics we look for. Chad represents a lot of those characteristics – he’s tough, a great teammate and loves brotherhood. He’s excited about his journey starting in 2021 in Cheney.”

HS: Will graduate in 2021 from Hazen High School. Was listed as a two-star recruit by 247 Sports. Twice earned All-4A North Puget Sound League Valley Division honors as both an offensive and defensive lineman for the Highlanders. He was a second team choice as both an offensive and defensive lineman in 2019. Hazen finished 2-7 overall in his junior season. In his sophomore season he was second team all-league on offense and honorable mention on defense as the Highlanders finished 6-4. He also received the school’s Dillon Hamer Award. Was coached in high school by Christopher Bennett. He lettered three years in football, and also competed in track and field. He had a bests in 2019 of 44-4 1/4 in the shot put en route to winning the Renton All-City title in that event, and also competed in the discus and javelin at the All-City Championships.

Personal: Major is undecided but interested in becoming a firefighter. Born 4/12/03 in Kirkland, Wash. Parents are Daniel and Florentina Vidican. He is a first generation college student in his family. Name is pronounced “Vid-ih-cun.”

Kekoa Visperas

Coach Aaron Best on Visperas: “Everything screams stardom for Kekoa. He’s a mild-mannered individual and lets his play do the talking. But he’s competitive, and knows the challenge and legacy to play at the quarterback position here. He’s excited about the opportunity. Coach (Ian) Shoemaker did a great job in his recruitment of Kekoa. We received rave reviews about him, and everything pointed to him being our quarterback in this class. We’re glad we waited and did our homework because we felt we found a good one. He has the ability to be great as long as he’s willing to work for it, and we think he will. He comes from a great family, and is a great person. We’re looking forward to him leading our program in the future.”

HS: Will graduate in 2021 from Bethel High School. Was listed as a three-star recruit by 247 Sports. Earned first team All-4A South Puget Sound League honors as a junior in 2019 for the Braves. He passed for 2,500 yards and 27 touchdowns that season in helping Bethel finish 8-4 overall and 6-1 as the runner-up in the 3A Pierce County League. The Braves beat Garfield 21-0 in the first round of the State 3A Playoffs before falling to Kennewick 21-20 in the quarterfinals. He a letterwinner since his freshman season on Bethel teams which finished 7-4/5-2 in 2018 and 9-2/6-1 in 2017. The 2018 and 2017 squads both advanced to the first round of the State 3A Playoffs. Was coached in high school by Mark Iddins. Also competed in basketball and track and field at Bethel, and was a member of the school’s National Honor Society.

Personal: Interested in majoring in business at Eastern. Born 4/17/03 in Puyallup, Wash. Parents are Jerry Visperas and Delaney Anderson. He is a first generation college student in his family. Nickname is “Koa.” Name is pronounced “Kay-koh-uh Vi-spare-us.”

Kentrell Williams Jr.    

Coach Aaron Best on Williams: “Coach (Zach) Bruce fell in love with him early, and Kentrell fell in love with us late. It was a match that will lead to a lot of plays and memories being made here in Cheney. He’s a state champion at a nationally-renown program at Chandler. He’s a football-savvy player and knows his X’s and O’s, and we can’t wait to get him on campus. I’ll probably learn a ton from him – he can coach me up with what he knows. He’s a football player from a winning program rich in tradition. To watch one of your recruits on national TV is pretty special. He wants to compete early in his career here and has the anticipation to play for us early. He wants to make a name for himself at any position because he wants to play early. Whatever it is he’s willing to do it. He’s done the work to potentially play early. We’re excited to see his progress – he’s going to make us better on the field and off it as well.”

HS: Will graduate in 2021 from Chandler High School. Was listed as a three-star recruit by 247 Sports. In his career as a three-year starter, he had 141 tackles, seven interceptions and 12 passes broken up. He played on teams which won back-to-back-to-back state titles and won their final 36 games and were a perfect 13-0 in the 6A Premier League. Williams finished his senior season in 2020 with 48 tackles, as Arizona was one of the few states to play high school football because of the Covid-19 pandemic. He also had four interceptions and broke-up a pair of passes. He had a season-high 12 tackles and an interception in a 31-7 win over Centennial. He also returned a pair of punts for 90 yards, including a 72-yard touchdown. The Wolves finished 10-0 and 5-0 in the 6A Premier League, and successfully defended its Arizona Open Division state championship with a 23-21 victory over Hamilton in the title game. He received honorable mention All-Region honors as a junior in 2019 for the Wolves. Williams helped lead the Wolves to a perfect 13-0 record and the State title in the Open Division in Arizona as a junior. They beat Saguaro 42-35 for the title, and were 4-0 in the 6A Premier League. He had 58 tackles, with two interceptions and six passes broken up. As a sophomore, he had 35 tackles, an interception and four passes broken up. The Wolves were 13-1 overall and 4-0 in the Premier League, and beat Perry 65-28 for the title at the State 6A Championships. Was coached in high school by Rick Garretson.

Personal: Undecided on a major at Eastern. Born 1/19/03 in Chandler, Ariz. Parents are Kentrell Williams Sr. and Barbara Williams.

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