ER’s Boston starting to cash in on breakout junior season

As Andrew Boston rattled off his list in his hands, he realized this was exactly what he believed was possible last summer.

It was a list of the Division I colleges that have come calling to Emerald Ridge High football, looking to bring the Jaguars’ star receiver on board.

“It’s a great feeling knowing that all the hard work is paying off,” Boston said after a short pause from thinking about the list of colleges interested in him. “The work has been worth it.”

Nine colleges have offered Boston so far, as he holds offers from Central Washington, Portland State University, UC Davis, Idaho, Hawaii, Weber State, Montana State, Air Force and Eastern Washington.

“Other than (my offers) it’s just been a normal summer like last year. My summer’s been about getting better and helping my team,” said Boston, who is the first player from the football program to be offered a D-I scholarship.

Last season, Boston had 752 yards on 63 receptions with seven touchdowns, leading the team in each category.

Boston also impressed at the three big college camps this spring as Boise State, Washington and Washington State coaches all took notice of his soft hands as much as the 6-foot-3, 180-pound frame of the Jaguars’ top weapon.

“He’s incredible. Just how he dedicates himself to get better in the weight room, taking extra time at practice to work with (coach) Graham Madland,” Emerald Ridge co-head coach Troy Halfaday said. “You couldn’t have asked for better kid to have on your sidelines. I mean, when you want to point to someone the younger guys should look up to and follow their example, Andrew is the guy you can do that with. He’s always had the talent, but he’s made himself into (the prospect) he is.”

Boston was a can’t-miss highlight each week for Emerald Ridge, making diving, one-handed grabs that would make Doug Baldwin proud or powering through defenders on a short route to break off big gains down the sideline.

And each game, opposing teams knew exactly who Emerald Ridge would target. Without a consistent rushing attack to support the passing game, teams would stack two to three defenders on Boston.

“I feel that people started taking notice in spite of what I went through last year,” Boston said. “(The passing offense) didn’t have support last year, and teams just played us one way on defense. They knew what we were going to do — going to come my way, yet I still was able to put up big numbers. We have so much potential in our passing game.”

As the summer months roll on and camp creeps closer, Boston is relieved he has accomplished the goal he set out 12 months ago. Scholarships are in hand.

Yet, there’s a sense of unease within him. A restlessness that burns within him as his drive is far greater than achieving what is already there waiting for beyond next season. Call it foresight or call it ambition, but Boston knows that next season can cement his legacy with Emerald Ridge.

“I want all the records when I leave,” said Boston, before letting personal pride break away to honesty. “The truth is, I (really) don’t care about the statistics. I wanted to leave a legacy at Emerald Ridge. Something future Jaguars will look up to, not just on the football team, but at the high school demonstrating what it means to be a leader. ”

This story was originally published July 13, 2016 at 12:56 PM with the headline "ER’s Boston starting to cash in on breakout junior season."