Cascade is a small conference with big recruits

Published 9:35 am Thursday, September 2, 2010

By Aaron Lommers

Herald Writer

Every year, college football coaches around the country are on the lookout for their next starting quarterback. Some want a conventional pocket passer, others a dual-threat QB who can run as well as he throws.

Either way, a coach just might find what he’s looking for this fall in the Class 2A/1A Cascade Conference.

The league boasts two of the top quarterbacks in the state in Lakewood senior Justin Lane and King’s senior Thomas Vincent. Both QBs have drawn the attention of schools from around the country.

Lane, 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, is the more conventional quarterback, with a strong arm and pinpoint accuracy. Vincent is a hybrid. He can run as well as pass. He led the Cascade Conference in both passing yards and rushing last season.

Lane, who has a scholarship offer in hand from Illinois State, possesses one of the strongest arms on the West Coast, said his coach, Dan Teeter. “He’s got an arm that is really unparalleled,” Teeter said.

Lane’s talent for throwing a football also drew the praise of former Washington State quarterback Jason Gesser, who has worked with Lane for two years.

“This kid is the real deal. I have been training him for the past two years and he is going to be a college stud,” Gesser said in an interview published on Rivals.com. “I would match him up against Sam Bradford from OU (University of Oklahoma) to make any throw on the field. That is his thing; his arm is so strong and live that he can already make every throw, not just for college, but the NFL throws too, and he is only getting better and better.”

Said Teeter: “That’s a huge compliment coming from him.”

As a junior, Lane threw for 2,105 yards and 18 touchdowns and completed 53.9 percent of his passes. The accolades are nice, Lane said, but he values victories more than acclaim.

“We haven’t had a lot of (winning) in my four years here,” Lane said. “If it means I don’t have the stats, I really don’t care. I just want to win.”

Vincent, 6-foot and 195 pounds, led the Cascade Conference last season in passing yardage (2,584) and touchdown passes (41) and completed 53.6 percent of his throws. He also rushed for 1,621 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Vincent has gotten looks from Washington, Portland State, Eastern Washington and Boise State, among others, but has yet to receive a firm offer.

“It’s hurry up and wait, I guess,” Vincent said. “I think I will have a much better idea by the end of the year who really wants me and where I want to go.”

Vincent is not only talented, but is a hard worker, King’s coach Jim Shapiro said. “His work ethic is like no other,” Shapiro said.

Vincent’s ability to both run and pass poses a problem for just about any defense.

“Vincent’s numbers last year were outstanding,” Granite Falls head coach Terry Bechtholdt said. “Although he lost some of his weapons, he still has the ability to beat you with his arm or his feet on any given night. He is the real deal.”

Vincent said his goal this season is to get the Knights to Tacoma, site of the Class 1A state championship game.

He doesn’t care much for statistics, winning is primary, but he did show his humorous side, adding “60 touchdowns wouldn’t be bad again.”

Shapiro said the future is bright for both of the Cascade Conference’s talented signal-callers.

“From what I know of Thomas, his work ethic is like that of no other,” Shapiro said, “and from what I hear about Justin, it’s the same.”