Catch him if you can. Graham-Kapowsin’s Roberson on verge of breaking school receiving records

Malaki Roberson says he learned plenty during the two seasons he played alongside former Graham-Kapowsin High School wide receiver Tre Mason.

“He really taught me,” said Roberson, now a junior and the leader of the Eagles’ young receiving corps. “Every since I came out (to play football) my freshman year, he put me as his little brother, and just taught me everything he knows.”

Roberson picked up on the lessons Mason taught him — how to run crisp routes, when to break, how to beat coverages — rather quickly.

Mason, who is now at Central Washington University, set Graham-Kapowsin’s single-season receiving record (73 catches, 1,243 yards, 12 touchdowns) last season as a senior.

And, less than a year later, Roberson is about to break it.

Entering this weekend’s trip to Lake Stevens, where the fifth-seeded Eagles (10-1) will meet the third-seeded Vikings (11-0) in the Class 4A state quarterfinals, Roberson has 71 catches for 1,142 yards and 10 touchdowns.

He needs just over 100 yards to top Mason’s mark, and add to an already impressive season, during which he led a stacked 4A SPSL in catches and receiving yards.

“He’s a dynamic player,” Graham-Kapowsin coach Eric Kurle said. “He has great quickness and speed, and understands the game. He brings energy and works hard in practice.”

Roberson, who also plays cornerback, has been on the scene for a while. He played varsity as a freshman, starting as a punt returner, and serving as a backup on offense and defense. He said that early exposure helped him grow as a player.

And, despite transitioning to receiver as a freshman — he played quarterback before he entered high school — promising results showed early on during Roberson’s sophomore season. Through the first four games, Roberson hauled in 13 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns, and averaged 21.8 yards per catch.

In that fourth week against Sumner, he fractured his fibula, and his breakout campaign was put on hold.

“We were in doubles formation,” Roberson said. “I ran down the field, ran a 12-yard curl, and while I was turning to plant, I got hit. ... I was just worried about the team, and wondering what we were going to do.”

Graham-Kapowsin still picked up a win over its league rivals, but Roberson missed the next seven games, opting to spend his time on the sideline encouraging his teammates.

“I was just helping the team out the best I could on the sideline, and giving out good looks to everybody, and just doing physical stuff to come back,” he said.

“We definitely missed him last year,” said four-year Eagles quarterback Dylan Morris, who is committed to Washington. “I know he wanted to be back on the field every game last year, and he’s really proved he’s one of the better receivers in the state. He’s just a playmaker. He’s always open. It’s really easy to throw it to him.”

Roberson returned for Graham-Kapowsin’s state quarterfinals game against Woodinville, but the Eagles couldn’t manage much offense, and Morris was injured in the season-ending loss.

The Eagles entered this season without any seniors in their primary receiving corps, and Roberson and junior Eython Daugherty (43 catches, 564 yards, five TDs as a sophomore) as the only returners with significant catches.

Roberson decided early on he wanted this to be his breakout season.

“He’s stepped up as a leader of this receiving group,” Morris said. “He’s worked really hard lifting and getting faster. He’s really perfected everything he wants to get good at, and it’s really shown on the field this year.”

Though the Eagles are averaging slightly more rushing yards than passing this season — 233.2 yards per game to 215.4 — Morris said Roberson is a big part of the offensive plan.

“A lot of it is designed. We’re trying to get him the ball,” Morris said. “He’s one of our best playmakers, so a lot of stuff is designed to get him open, and he does a great job of finding the right spots, and makes my job easier, too.”

Morris points to Roberson’s two most recent touchdowns — of 70 and 93 yards against Mead in the opening round of the state playoffs last week — as plays that feature the receiver’s big-play ability.

“Just this last game, both of the posts we threw to him, he set up the (defensive back) really good,” Morris said. “He did his part, and all I had to do was look down the middle of the field, and there he was.

“It’s definitely fun, especially when all of our receivers are on the same page, and our line is blocking great.”

Roberson finished that game with a career-high 247 yards and the two touchdowns on nine catches. It’s the fourth time this season he’s had 100-plus receiving yards in a game, and the second with 200-plus.

He caught 13 passes for 238 yards and four touchdowns in Graham-Kapowsin’s season-opening overtime win over Oregon powerhouse Sheldon in Eugene.

“I think you have a competitor that wants to get after it in a game,” Kurle said of Roberson. “He has great quickness, understands the game, and he’s tough.”