Bethel’s Zaydrius Rainey-Sale is The News Tribune’s 2024 All-Area player of the year
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Coaches tried to run plays away from Bethel High School linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale this year. They knew how good he was pursuing anyone and everyone carrying a football.
But all season, Rainey-Sale kept hunting running backs, receivers and quarterbacks down, from sideline to sideline, wherever they were on the field. The 6-foot-3, 230-pounder showed his elite closing speed and, when he got to ball carriers, they went down hard and fast.
In the South Sound, there was no player who single-handedly made a bigger impact on his team than Rainey-Sale did this year. He is The News Tribune’s 2024 All-Area player of the year.
Bethel coach Travis Domser calls him a “once-every-30-years” type of player.
“He’s the real deal, the real package,” Domser said. “If someone asked me what an NFL kid looked like … he would be it.”
Coaches from around the 4A SPSL were equally wowed by Rainey-Sale’s ability and presence on the field. Yelm coach Jason Ronquillo has coached some talented linebackers in recent years, most notably four-star recruit Brayden Platt, who is now playing at Oregon.
“That’s the closest athlete I’ve seen move like Brayden Platt, ever,” Ronquillo said. “Just his skill set. The size is not necessarily what stands out — it’s the skill that goes with it. When he runs, it just flows.”
Rainey-Sale got injured (knee) midway through Bethel’s Week 9 game against Curtis, but while he was on the field, Curtis coach Darren McKay saw again how talented he was.
“Just his athleticism,” McKay said. “That stands out most. For us, you always had to know where he was. They moved him around. We had to make that decision, ‘Do we even block him? Are we better off going at a different point of attack?’ You always had to know where he was.”
Even when teams would try to go away from Rainey-Sale, he still factored into the play more often than not.
“He runs to the football,” Domser said. “He plays with reckless abandon. He plays at a high level, super fast all the time.”
In the classroom, Rainey-Sale carries a 3.7 grade point average and is in a handful of advanced-placement classes. When coaches from big-time college football programs from around the country would come to visit, they’d often have to wait until Rainey-Sale was out of class because he didn’t want to miss anything.
That love of studying showed up on the football field, too. Time and time again this fall, Rainey-Sale blew up plays before they even had a chance to develop because he knew from film study exactly what was coming.
“That has to do with what’s between the ears, the film study, the preparation,” Ronquillo said. “With a body like that, when you can put your mind to the preparation, there’s a reason he can diagnose plays so fast.”
Rainey-Sale, the 4A SPSL South division MVP, had 98 tackles and an SPSL-leading 87 tackles in league play with four scores on defense, taking three interceptions back for touchdowns and one scooped fumble returned for a touchdown. At wide receiver on offense, he had 10 touchdowns in 10 games.
“He’s a smooth runner,” Ronquillo said. “He can run like a deer if you want him to. He can jump, bounce, catch. His lateral speed is really good. He’s a super talent.”
HOMETOWN HUSKY
Rainey-Sale, considered a four-star recruit and the state’s No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class by 247sports.com. He recently signed with UW, choosing the hometown Huskies over offers from Oregon, Alabama, Miami, Texas and others.
Two things worked in Husky coach Jedd Fisch’s favor to secure the coveted Rainey-Sale: the proximity to home and the opportunity to compete for immediate playing time.
“That’s a very big deal for me in the future, having film early as a freshman,” Rainey-Sale told The News Tribune at a signing day event earlier this month. “Just to start building a legacy young. … I feel like I can build my legacy here, close to home, close to family.”
He also liked how Washington uses its linebackers from a schematic standpoint.
“I feel like that was the best opportunity for me to strive as a player,” he said. “The way they use their players, versatility. I think I will fit well in their program.”
Domser will have a gaping hole to fill on his team and on his defense next year. While Bethel didn’t make the state tournament this year, Domser said he’s grateful Rainey-Sale never looked to transfer somewhere else, wanting to put Bethel back on the map.
“Just proud of the loyalty for him and to stay loyal to the program, loyal to Bethel really shows a lot of character,” Domser said. “Just super proud of him.”
This story was originally published December 11, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
