Football showcase at Camas sees high school players show up for college coaches

Adam Mathieson’s message to 180 high school football players began with how the meaning of the word “competition” has been distorted.

The Camas head coach explained how the word comes from the Latin “com-petere,” meaning “to strive together” instead of defeat each other.

Sunday, players from nearly every high school in Southwest Washington put aside their rivalries as they pursued a common dream — to play college football.

It’s a goal that has become more difficult due to the college transfer portal and other recent changes that have reduced incentives to recruit high school athletes.

That’s why this spring, the Washington State Football Coaches Association (WSFCA) has organized a series of eight showcase events around the state. High school players can show their skills in front of coaches from more than two dozen college programs.

Sunday’s event at Camas High School drew coaches from programs as big as Boise State to smaller NCAA Division III and NAIA schools.

Those coaches watched players from the classes of 2027-29 perform agility, speed and strength drills in a combine-like setting for three hours on a 90 degree day. At least three dozen local high school coaches volunteered to run the event.

Mathieson has seen the recruiting landscape change since his first high school head coaching job at Ferndale in 2003.

The all-time winningest coach at Mountain View from 2008 to 2022, Mathieson said it used to be the norm to have 25 players on his team actively recruited by college programs.

He said that number has fallen roughly in half despite Camas winning six consecutive 4A Greater St. Helens League titles and reaching the 2024 state championship game.

The reasons come down to transfers and timing.

Most notably, the transfer portal has meant programs spend much of their time and resources recruiting college athletes to meet immediate needs instead of developing talent straight out of high school.

In addition, the extra eligibility given during the COVID year of 2020-21 created a glut of athletes staying in college longer. Then came the 2025 House vs. NCAA antitrust settlement that imposed roster limits on NCAA programs, including a cap of 105 players for football.

Ridgefield coach Scott Rice represents District 4, which encompasses Southwest Washington, on the WSFCA board. He said fewer college programs are taking chances on high school players who aren’t standout recruits.

“Getting recruited as a high school kid, either (Division II) or higher, right now is hard,” Rice said. “You need to be a top-tier kid. The transfer portal is killing high school recruiting at the top tier.”

The showcase series also addresses a timing issue that could dampen high school football recruiting in Washington.

Last year, the NCAA changed its recruiting calendar. NCAA Division I and II coaches are allowed to visit high school campuses and talk to coaches and players from mid-April through May. But the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association doesn’t allow football practices or organized team activities until June 1.

Into that void have emerged for-profit organizations that put on showcase events and camps, touting exposure to college coaches. These can charge upwards of $300 per session, compared to the $50 entry fee for Sunday’s WSFCA event.

“We wanted to make something where every kid could spend a couple hours and get real college coaches’ eyes on them,” Rice said.

Rice said football remains special because much of the recruiting still happens through high schools instead of travel teams competing in exclusive tournaments.

“In the future, it’s what we have to do to compete against those outside influences,” Rice said. “We’re working hard as an association for that.”

As Sunday’s event began, word spread that a player at the Olympia showcase that morning was offered a scholarship by Boise State on the spot.

For most players in Camas on Sunday, any chance to play college football will be at the small-college level. Mathieson said the quality of small-college football is rising as Division I scholarships become rarer.

“We need to emphasize to kids that there’s nothing wrong with playing at a (Division II) program,” Mathieson said. “Playing college football is a blessing.”