Now is when the scouts will scrutinize Jenks
ROYAL CITY — College football scouts who are considering Kaden Jenks for their teams will likely scrutinize his performance more than ever this week and potentially next week.
This is when the state 1A playoffs get really tough. Regular season victories over Ellensburg, Zillah and Connell are distant memories. Deer Park, which will be playing near home, should be as tough an opponent as Royal has had in the last two seasons. The Stags are 10-1 and swept through Northeast League.
The Stags bounced Colville, 42-16. That’s the same Colville that gave Royal a rough go in the first round of the playoffs. Their lone loss was to St. Maries, Idaho.
There is no doubt Jenks, considered the top senior quarterback in the Northwest, has been Royal’s leader over four seasons. He has his team in the playoffs for the fourth straight year.
What the college coaches want to know now is how he plays in big games. He played exceedingly well in last year’s championship game, but that was last year. College football is a what can you do now proposition.
The good news for Jenks is that the scouts will be seeing him on defense too. He has good pass coverage skills at the free safe position, and he hits like a freight train. There could be offers for him as a defender.
Royal fans want their boys to win this semifinal and advance to the finale for sure. For that to happen, the Knights will have to come up with their strongest effort of the year. The Stags’ last win came against SCAC West champ Zillah, 24-7.
The best of Jenks’ many football attributes is the way he plays when he is not passing the ball. He is dedicated to winning, for the team.
In the two playoff games so far he has run more than he did all of the regular season. They have been determined runs, punishing anyone who gets in the way of his 6-2, 215-pound frame. He has been a leading tackler in both games.
Jenks can be a cheerleader at times, but mostly he leads by example. That is the best kind of leadership.
On another football front, losses by the Huskies to USC and the Cougars to Colorado have taken some of the luster off of the Apple Cup game at noon this Friday.
But it is still for the Pacific-12 North championship, perhaps the national playoff or quality bowl games. The Cougars will be desired for their Air Raid flair. The Huskies will be coveted for returning to football glory.
It’s anybody’s guess who will win this contest. As good as these two teams are on offense, it will probably be a defensive nail-biter.
I’m hoping for offensive fireworks, maybe something like 56-55 Huskies. But if my Cougar friends enjoy victory, I’ll be the first to congratulate them.
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