2012 Northwest Elite Football Camp Preview

SEATTLE - When Jason Gesser decided to go back to college, a lot of people wondered; what would happen to his camp? The Nike NW Elite Football Camp, started by Gesser a few years back, became a wildly successful endeavor because it brought in college coaches from throughout the Northwest and beyond to coach up high school kids - much like the All-Poly Camps held in Hawaii and Utah.

But when Gesser accepted a job with Idaho to be their Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach, it definitely put the future of the camp in jeopardy. But Cole Morgan has stepped up to fill the void. Morgan, a former Ballard High star who went on to play quarterback at Washington State and Central Washington, had been working with Adrenaline Fundraising to help high school sports teams. The relationship between Gesser and Morgan made it a natural fit for the Seattle native to take over the camp.

Set to take place Friday, June 8 from 5-8 pm at Mercer Island High School, this year's camp is expected to be the biggest and best, with well over 500 campers expected to attend and coaches from at least 15-17 colleges at every level available to coach them up.

That's the beauty of this camp; as long as there is no combine attached, the coaches are allowed to 'coach' but not 'evaluate' players. That way each prospect is getting first-class instruction from a college coach who is there to do just that - coach. There will also be a handful of the state's top high school coaches on hand as well to assist the college coaches with their workouts.

Here is a preliminary list of the colleges that have already accepted their invitations to coach:
Schools:
University of Washington
Washington State University
Arizona State University
University of Idaho
Boise State University
University of Montana
University of Wyoming
University of Nevada
Princeton University
Portland State University
University of Puget Sound
Pacific Lutheran University
Central Washington University
Eastern Washington University
Simon Fraser University
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Willamette University

The Northwest Elite Coaching Staff:
Johnny DuRocher - Quarterbacks
Gary Rogers - Quarterbacks
Joey Thomas - Defensive Backs
Greg Prator - Receivers
Brandon Gibson - Receivers (Currently with the St. Louis Rams)
Adam Riggers - Quarterbacks/Receivers
Tony Thompson - Tight Ends
Kenny Alfred - Offensive Linemen

High School Coaches Coaching at Camp:
Doug Trainor - Stanwood
James Sharkey - Ferris
Rory Rosenbach - Glacier Peak
Joey Thomas - Ballard

Here's a sampling of the prospects that are registered for the event (2013 class, unless noted):
ATH Jake Gall - Cle Elum
OL Jarred Sonneborn - Gonzaga Prep
OL Austin Kanouse - South Kitsap
RB Kai Van Sickle - Capital (Olympia)
LB Mikey Tupou - Inglemoor
QB Billy Green - King's
DB Jimmie Davis - Kentridge
ATH Ryan Turman - Interlake
WR Isaiah Brandt-Sims - Wenatchee (2014)
QB Trey Reynolds - Eastside Catholic
ATH Andrew Shadle - Bremerton
LB Micah Breland - Foster
ATH Kahlil Dawson - Graham Kapowsin
ATH Reuben Mwehla - Bellevue
ATH Ari Morales - Bellevue
OL Dayne Herron - Oak Harbor
LB Michael Cummings - Meadowdale
ATH Nic Sblendorio - Skyline
OL Chris Miedema - Everett
QB/ATH Isaac Dotson - Newport (Bellevue)
ATH Tere Calloway - Seattle Prep
WR Forrest Russell - Skyview (Vancouver)
WR Trevor Barney - Skyline
DL Cody Moorhead - Hazen
ATH Cole Madison - Kennedy (Burien)
WR/DB Calvin Chandler - Bellarmine Prep (Tacoma)
DB Cole Karstetter - Ferris (Spokane, 2014)
LB Peyton Pelluer - Skyline
ATH Chico McClatcher - Federal Way (2015)
WR Tanner Shipley - Wilsonville (OR)

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For more information, please go to the NW Elite Football Camp webpage.

Below is a recap of the 2010 event, held at Eastlake High School: