Fireworks coming: Led by two Division I bound players, Lakes has high-flying offense
There will be some fireworks at Lakes High School football games at Harry Lang Stadium this fall. The Lancers return a pair of Division I bound players in versatile running back/receiver Leo Pulalasi (BYU commit) and wide receiver David Wells (Oregon State commit).
The pair of seniors committed to their college programs during the offseason, both somewhat late bloomers in terms of Power Five offers. Oregon State was Wells’ first Pac-12 offer and he jumped on it.
“I told myself, once I get my first Pac-12 (offer), if they treat me well, that’s where I’m gonna go,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to play in the Pac-12, Power-Five school. So it just felt good when it came.”
Pulalasi held some Big Sky offers. BYU offered in April and he committed to the Cougars in June. While some high-profile players see major offers come their way when they’re only freshmen, Pulalasi and Wells’ recruitment looked more traditional. They had to keep showcasing their talent, biding their time and letting things play out.
“I think they did a great job staying with the process, working hard, not getting into all the other distractions,” said Lakes coach Dave Miller.
Their recruitment out of the way, the duo can focus solely on playing football this fall. Pulalasi and Wells were both first-team selections to The News Tribune’s 2021 All-Area team. Pulalasi, the 3A PCL offensive player of the year, rushed for 931 yards and 13 touchdowns, caught 21 passes for 380 yards and five touchdowns. Wells was a first-team 3A PCL receiver, defensive back and kick returner. He caught 40 passes for 920 yards and 10 touchdowns last fall. Defensively, had four interceptions, 36 tackles and 14 pass break ups.
If Pulalasi is Lakes’ thunder, Wells is the lightning.
“David is very explosive, great catching radius, good speed, gets in and out of breaks really well, has a lot of experience now,” Miller said. “He’s really improved this year on his run after the catch, versus just being a stretch guy. Now we’re throwing screens to him and he can take it to the house running. Leo is just a 6-1, 215-pound, hard to tackle, deceptively-fast downhill runner. But he’s also an athlete.”
Having two Division I bound athletes to get the ball to should make for a relatively soft landing for freshman quarterback Legend Galeai, who’s already drawing rave reviews from coaches and teammates.
“Can make all the throws,” Miller said. “Big, strong kid. Composed. Coachable. Really talented. Probably the most physically gifted incoming quarterback that we’ve ever had. Just 6-3, can run, can make all the throws. It’s just a matter of gaining experience. We did a lot of scrimmages and 7-on-7’s this summer and he got better every time. Makes good decisions. Luckily, he’s got a lot of senior weapons to get the ball to. Two running backs and four receivers that can make plays.”
Count on his teammates to pump up the hype machine, too.
“I think he could be the next DJ Uiagalelei, if not probably better,” Pulalasi said. “I think he’ll probably be one of the biggest prospects to come out of Lakes since Zach Banner, Jermaine Kearse. I’ve got a lot of faith in that guy.”
Whether that potential will pan out remains to be seen, of course. For now, the players are confident fans will see a high-level offense this fall.
“I’d probably say we have the most explosive team,” Pulalasi said. “Our linemen aren’t that big but we’re very fast, faster than every other team. Our skill players, we’re fast too. Our quarterback is young, has got a lot of weapons that he can use. If we come together as a team, I don’t think anyone can stop us.”
It’s a tough league at the top, with Lincoln, Spanaway Lakes and Lakes all title contenders. Lakes’ players feel they have what it takes to come out on top.
“Just playing together,” Wells said. “In the offseason, when we played together, we were a really hard team to beat. So I think if we do that, we’ve got a league championship on the way.”
