Signing Day tour: TNT stops at AMV, Bethel, Federal Way, Tahoma as student-athletes finalize college plans

Gavin Robertson really wasn’t sure what it means. He’s the first player from Auburn Mountainview to commit to a Pac-12 school and Wednesday became the first to sign, sending his letter of intent to the University of Arizona.　

"It’s cool, it’s cool," Robertson said, who hopes to compete immediately for a spot at starting safety. "I’m happy."

Auburn Mountainview coach Jared Gervais was just trying to figure out how the fax machine worked as he sent early-morning paperwork to Arizona, Idaho (for receiver Vaughn Daggs) and Montana (for quarterback Gresch Jensen).　

"It’s great just to say ‘We’ve done that before. We’ve sent kids to play in the Pac-12,’ " Gervais said. "Every once in a while you’ll hear that ‘Oh, but this program sends kids to Pac-12 schools.’　

"We send out emails, but at the end of the day, the Arizona coaches watched his film and said, ‘We like him. … He’s fast. He hits hard. I want him to come play football for us.’ "　

So of the players to come through AMV, why Robertson?　

"I knew when we were sophomores and he was on scout team jumping over guys," Jensen said. "You knew he was going to be something special and he is going to do special things at Arizona."　

Receiver Vaughn Daggs visited Idaho this past weekend and signed his letter of intent with the FBS school on Wednesday.　

"I’ve worked my whole life to go play Division I football and now that’s coming true," Daggs said. "It’s a blessing."　

Auburn Mountainview’s season ended in the first round of the 3A state playoffs, losing to eventual state champion Eastside Catholic.　

And that was without Robertson. He broke a bone in his leg in the fourth quarter against Lakes and missed the final five games of the season – though Gervais said he would have been available the next week if AMV had beat Eastside Catholic.　

Robertson was limited to playing mostly defense, anyway, because he broke his thumb in a jamboree before the season. Though he did break Daggs’ record for longest touchdown reception in school history when he sprinted for a 92-yard score just before halftime against Lakes.　

It’s that kind of athleticism Arizona hopes it got.　Robertson took his visit there during the summer.

"I’m hoping I can come in and play my freshman year and just make a big impact," Robertson said. "And just work to be the best I can be."　

BETHEL TRIO SIGNS

Bethel football coach Mark Iddins took his college football route hard way.

He went from quarterback at Kamiak, to a junior college in California, eventually to Montana State.

So when Bethel senior Bryce Missey decided he’d take his chance as a preferred walk-on at Washington State, it took Iddins back.

"He’s in the same boat I was in high school," Iddins said. "My goals was to be a Division I quarterback. The offers didn’t come right away for me out of high school and this gives him a chance to prove himself. I went the junior college route and it was the same thing – I had to prove myself.

"If there’s a kid who is capable of working for that. It’s Bryce."

Missey joined Wednesday’s signing ceremony alongside teammates Ezra Cleveland (Boise State) and Elijah McLeod (Central Washington). Mike Asahara signed with Everett Community College for baseball and Kaylee Fish with Fairleigh Dickinson in New Jersey for softball.

Missey was named a second-team 4A SPSL South selection as a quarterback this past season despite separating his right shoulder and missing three games. He threw for 1,740 yards and 24 touchdowns his first six games of the season – 290 yards, four touchdowns per game.

But he knows he has his work cut out at Washington State.

"They got something special brewing over there, and who doesn’t want to be part of a Pac-12 offense? And what quarterback doesn’t want to go to a team with that offense?" Missey said. "It’s like a dream come true for me.

"I can definitely see myself starting in the crimson and gray one day."

Cleveland was named to The News Tribune’s All-Area team as a defensive lineman. But He said the plan is to play offensive line at Boise State.

His speed sets him apart. Cleveland, at 6-foot-6, 290 pounds, was even playing running back.

"I’m not a running back," Cleveland laughed.

Still …

"People don’t realize how fast this kid is," Iddins said. "His body is perfect for an offensive tackle and his speed. He’s got good feet.

"The coaches there sold him on tackle and said ‘You are an NFL offensive lineman if you really want to work for it."

McLeod missed his junior season with a broken leg, but received an offer from Central Washington right after a summer camp there. He finished with 45 receptions for 903 yards and 15 touchdowns, despite missing his starting quarterback at the end of the season.

"It’s like a dream come true," McLeod said. "I hope I can make my family proud and represent my school."

Iddins believes he’ll do more than that.

"I still believe that Central is getting a steal here," Iddins said. "In my eyes, he’s a Division I receiver. He can do some special things there, I think."

WAIT, WHICH SPORT?　

Andrzej Hughes-Murray is 31-0 as a 220-pound wrestler at Federal Way.　

D’Jimon Jones was recently selected as a first-team all-4A SPSL Northwest boys basketball selection, helping the Eagles’ reigning state-champion boys basketball team to a 20-0 start.　

But in football? … They were part of a team that went 2-8 this past season.　

Hughes-Murray will head to Oregon State next year and Jones to Washington State — both for football. They spent this past season nursing frustrating injuries (Jones was one of three quarterbacks to miss games and he played sporadically in just three).　

But when they’re healthy there’s no question they belong in the Pac-12, Federal Way coach John Meagher said.　

"Honestly, I worked and I worked and I worked," said Hughes-Murray, decked in an Oregon State hoodie and a white Beavers hat. "And I talked to the right people, I put myself out there. And with a little bit of God’s grace, I’ve here now (as he smiled and spread out his arms).

"There were times people told me I couldn’t do it. That my goals were too high. I even thought myself that maybe this is too much. But once you get past that doubt and you tell yourself that you can do anything, I think you can."

Meagher said the Oregon State coaches spoke to him about playing Hughes-Murray right away as a freshman next season.

Hughes-Murray said wrestling has helped him hone his mental toughness. He placed third in the 220-pound state championships last year.

"My wrestling coaches have probably helped me the most out of everyone," Hughes-Murray said. "They push me and expect the best out of me, not just on the mat, but in the classroom and making sure my grades never slip."

Jones didn’t play a down of defense in 2014, when as a junior quarterback he helped Federal Way reach the 4A state quarterfinals.

But then he also went on to help the Federal Way boys basketball team win the 4A state title and placed second in the high jump at the state track and field championships, finishing an inch shy of his season-best mark of 6 feet, 9 inches.

He said Washington State offered him during the spring break to come play cornerback.

"My plan is to compete right away," Jones said. "Hopefully I’ll be able to start. That’s what my mindset is – to go there and start. They said I could. I’m going to go there and work."

He was slated to switch between quarterback, receiver and cornerback for Federal Way this past season. But he broke his ankle the second game of the season against Camas and didn’t return until six weeks later against Todd Beamer, playing on a few series.

Federal Way had five players sign letters of intent Wednesday – Hughes-Murray, Jones, Sam Han (Wesleyan University in Connecticut), Ben Koler (Western Oregon) and Bobi Sims (Western Oregon).

It has as many players sign with Pac-12 schools (two) as it had wins (two).

"We had a lot of talent," Jones said. "And just a lot of injuries. I wish we could have gone farther with that team because that was a good team.

"Just watch me next year. That’s what I will say (to doubters). Everybody on this team worked hard. But we just got hurt. For everybody who is doubting us – we’ll see what happens when we get to the next level."

TAHOMA’S WILLIAMS SIGNS WITH UW

Just what was Amandre Williams thinking about, the morning he was to sign his letter of intent to play football at the University of Washington?

"I woke up this morning and thought about how much I didn’t want to go to work," Williams joked.

He didn’t know what to do with his phone. Notifications came by the millisecond Wednesday morning as he went to work at Thrive Fitness at 8 a.m. and there faxed his letter of intent to Washington, where he plans to play outside linebacker.

"I tried to get there as soon as I could to get to a fax machine. It’s been crazy ever since," Williams said. "My phone’s blowing up. Everybody is just really excited for me and congratulating me. It feels good.

"I think today it finally hit me to know that my college future is going to be paid for and I’m going to be able to play college football for such a great place like UW."

Williams led the 4A SPSL in passing yards each of the past two seasons.

Yes, passing. Since when does an elite quarterback double as an even more elite defensive lineman? He led the South Sound with 3,235 passing yards and 29 touchdowns (His 579 yards passing against Rogers in 2014 is the second-most single-game yards in state 11-man history behind current Boise State quarterback Brett Rypien’s 613 yards at Shadle Park in 2013.

But he said UW quarterback Jake Browning won’t have to worry about his job security.

"Unfortunately, no more quarterback," Williams said. "But it’s whatever. I’m looking forward to playing football. It probably hit me a while ago and it’s something I’ve accepted. It’s something I love doing, but I just love playing football."

Yet Williams also finished with 61.5 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks on defense. His father, Tyrone Williams, was a defensive tackle in the Canadian Football League and spent four seasons in the NFL with the Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs and Washington Redskins.

"For some guys, this was a dream. For Amandre, it was the guy sitting across from the dinner table," Tahoma coach Tony Davis said.

"There is a drive to him that is unique. I was talking to some of the underclassmen on our team and they had this shocked look on their faces telling me how between two-a-days, when everyone else is in the gym crashing on air mattresses, Amandre is over getting a workout in the weight room. And that was before we had the chance to even get our lifting schedule in."

Amandre Williams, at 6-3, 225, will first get a shot at outside linebacker at UW. He’s never played there, except in summer camps. His last day of school at Tahoma was last week, but he just missed being able to enroll at UW for the winter quarter, so he’ll officially enroll in March.

"He can’t work out with the team because of whatever rules they have, but you don’t have to worry about him getting his workouts in," Davis said. "It all comes from him.

"The success at the next level comes from the combination of the mental and the physical. Everybody has the physical or they would not have signed (Wednesday) morning. Everybody does. But Amandre’s ability to process and best utilize his physical tools will be the thing that gets him going. I think physically and mentally he could be playing his first year, and I think that’s where that playing quarterback comes into play in just being able to understand his position."

This story was originally published February 4, 2016 at 12:02 PM with the headline "Signing Day tour: TNT stops at AMV, Bethel, Federal Way, Tahoma as student-athletes finalize college plans."