Ballard High Football Seniors Named in Kingco 4A Conference Honors

Seniors Nate Rauda, left, and Dominique Smith, high five after Rauda makes a big catch courtesy of quarterback Jonny Verduin (not pictured). All three made Kingco Conference honors as top players.

Photo by Heather Nelson

Fri, 11/16/2012

By Christopher Duclos

Three players on the Beavers roster have succeeded in being awarded as one of the top players in the conference. This was not an easy feat considering that Kingco 4A is the hardest conferences in the state of Washington. Two of the three players listed below have captured honors on both sides of the ball -- Dominique Smith and Nate Rauda, both dynamos on offense and defense.

1st Team:

Offensive Specialist: Dominique Smith
Wide Receiver: Nate Rauda

2nd Team:

Quarterback: Johnny Verduin
Corner: Dominique Smith
Safety: Nate Rauda

Offensive Specialist (runningback) Dominique Smith did more than just fill in for injured power back Dominic King. The transfer from Franklin High School racked up 416 rushing yards, 530 receiving yards (946 total) scoring 12 total touchdowns for the season. Defensively, Smith made some throws difficult for opposing quarterbacks. He led the Beavers in interceptions with 4 (151 return yards after interception). He caused 1 fumble.

Nate Rauda is a special player. No other teammate came close in number of tackles -- 98 total. He also had a pair of turnovers, an interception and a fumble recovery. On the offensive score sheet, Rauda was quarterback Johnny Verduin's (also listed) favorite target. Rauda totaled 829 receiving yards on 45 receptions, averaging 18.42 yards per catch. Nate's name was heard a lot on offense, scoring touchdowns on 7 out of 10 games during the season.

When it came to consistency, look no further than senior quarterback Johnny Verduin. The Beavers offense took to the air after the injury to Dominic King, calling for Verduin's productivity. He showed up well every night completing 49.6% of his passes (120/242 attempts made). He aired out 13 total touchdowns and totaled 1,786 passing yards.

There were also several honorable mentions:

Johnny Verduin, Sr. –- Punter
Justin Simon, Sr. –- Linebacker
Elliot Brockl, Jr. –- Linebacker
Max Marshall, Jr. –- Linebacker, Wide Receiver
Asher Clasen, Jr. –- Offensive Tackle
Darnell Akers, Jr. –- Offensive Tackle
John DeGarmo, Jr. –- Wide Receiver
Adam Deehring, So. –- Defensive Line

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