Kennedy Catholic’s trio of receivers have wrapped up their impressive careers. Their next stop? The Pac-12
Junior Alexander already has the dates marked — he knows exactly when he will see his Kennedy Catholic High School teammates in Pac-12 play next fall.
The Arizona State signee is already looking forward to the Sun Devils hosting Washington State in October, and a trip home to Seattle in November, when they play Washington.
“All I’m saying is, Sun Devils are on top, beating both Washington teams,” Alexander said. “Let’s go. Forks up.”
Kennedy Catholic’s other two Pac-12-bound senior receivers — Jabez Tinae (signed to UW) and Reed Shumpert (preferred walk-on at WSU) — have different ideas about who will win those meetings, as well as the Apple Cup in November, of course.
“It’s going to be a lot of (losses) for these ones, man,” Shumpert said with a smile, gesturing to his teammates.
Whatever the outcome of those future meetings between teammates who will become opponents in college, the three receivers got to enjoy one more high school win together as a unit Saturday afternoon at Highline Memorial Stadium. The Lancers routed Mount Rainier, 54-14, to secure their second consecutive undefeated Class 4A North Puget Sound League title.
“It feels great,” Alexander said. “Especially finishing up with these guys. I came in with these guys and we’re leaving as champs.”
Each caught a touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Mason Hayes in their final game — Alexander finished with three catches for 77 yards and a score, Tinae with three catches for 79 yards and a score and Shumpert with three catches for 96 yards and two touchdowns — before they exited the game one-by-one in the third quarter to an ovation from the crowd.
Kennedy Catholic was well in control by that point, and when the final buzzer sounded, Alexander brought the league championship banner onto the field with a new phrase that read “back-to-back.”
Lancers coach Sheldon Cross then prepared to address the team at midfield, and the three receivers doused him with water as they celebrated finishing 17-1 their final two seasons, including a 6-0 run in this COVID-19 pandemic-shortened schedule.
“I’m proud of these three for playing with a new quarterback, and playing for the memories and playing for each other,” Cross said of his receivers. “I’m so proud of them for sticking it out.
“I’m glad that these guys got to finish their high school careers with a win.”
Alexander and Tinae were the top two targets for five-star quarterback Sam Huard — who broke the state’s career passing yardage record (13,226 yards in 35 games) in his final game in Week 3 before enrolling early at UW — the past four seasons.
Each posted more than 1,000 yards in a season twice during their careers — Tinae as a freshman and sophomore (career-high 1,281) and Alexander as a sophomore and junior (season-high 1,328) — and both passed 4,000 receiving yards for their careers in the first half against the Rams.
Alexander wrapped up his career with 236 catches for 4,032 yards and 63 touchdowns across 37 games. His career catches tie Skyline’s Kasen Williams for fifth on the state’s all-time list. His yardage ranks sixth just behind Williams. And those touchdown passes he hauled in — he had double-digit touchdown catches each of his four seasons, including 24 as a junior — rank tied for third with Hockinson’s Sawyer Racanelli.
Tinae finishes ranked seventh in state history in career yardage just behind Alexander after hauling in 189 catches for 4,030 yards and 43 touchdowns across his 35 games.
Shumpert joined the Lancers as a sophomore after playing defensive back at Stadium as a freshman, and finished his career with 92 catches for 1,460 yards and 23 touchdowns.
“Every one of them was proud of the other ones when they made plays,” Cross said. “It’s amazing. On most high school football teams there’s one star receiver and he’s best friends with the quarterback and they go to each other all the time, and that guy is usually the one with the stats.
“This group was so good at everybody getting the ball, everybody getting equal touches in the game. … For them to be able to all produce and have so many yards, it’s such a testament. I can’t even believe it, seeing those numbers and how many catches they all have and how many touchdowns. It’s just amazing.”
And they got to wrap it all up with perhaps the stat that means the most — a win in their final high school game.
“I think it’s just a testament of our hard work, and I don’t think anyone deserves it more than we do,” Tinae said.
Now, the three receivers will prepare to begin their college careers. Each of them plans to report to their respective Pac-12 programs in June.
They will join a few more former Kennedy Catholic standouts in the conference, including Huard, receiver Justin Baker (Cal), linebacker Sav’ell Smalls (UW) and defensive back Zane Thornton (WSU).
