Six area high school football players will receive college scholarship money on Wednesday from the Clark County chapter of the National Football Foundation during the organization’s awards event. A total of 33 area seniors will be recognized for excelling on the football field and in the classroom.
The event starts at 7 p.m. at Hudson’s Bay High School. Tickets cost $15 and are available at the door.
The featured speaker is Derek Sparks, who in 2014 — his first season as coach — guided Seattle’s Garfield High School to its first state playoff berth since 1979. A former Washington State running back, Sparks is the coauthor of a book, “Lessons of the Game,” about his experiences as a heavily recruited high school athlete.
Sparks said his talk will focus on the lessons he learned as a high school athlete that have helped him in all areas of his life, including as a career guidance counselor and football coach.
For the 23rd year, six players — three backs and three linemen — will share in $15,000 worth of college scholarships. A committee selects the scholarship winners based on three criteria: contributions to their football teams, academics and community involvement.
Here are the players who were nominated by their schools for scholarship consideration:
Chris Waters and Nic Manuel of Battle Ground, James Price and Gabe Lopes of Camas, Gabe Evenson and Nathan Hawthorne of Columbia River, Kobey Eaton and Tupre Wickliff of Evergreen, Jarod Luedecker and Jeremiah Kelly of Heritage, Joe Davis and Joshua Carter of Hockinson, Anthony Sanchez and Nick Embleton of Hudson’s Bay, Max Hiller and Blake Johnston of La Center, Garrett Jones and Jeff Adams of Mountain View, Justin Pena and Emilio Ruiz-Idera of Prairie, William Noce-Sheldon and C.J. Farrell of Seton Catholic, Zac Shomler and Parker Baker of Skyview, Jordan Rodriguez of Stevenson, Nolan Henry and Tate Nelson of Union, Brandon Casteel and Sam Barnes of Washougal, Josh Lewis and Isaac Bell of White Salmon, and Troy Flanagan and Nathan Cloud of Woodland.
