High school football: Local players turning heads

How good are local high school football players compared to their peers in other states?

Pretty good according to new rankings from Scout.com. Utah had 18 players on the 2009 Scout.com Northwest Hot 100 list.

Cottonwood, Bingham and Timpview each have four players on the list, while a number of individuals from various schools were also recognized. The top-ranked player in the poll was Manti Te'o, a linebacker from Hawaii, whose older brother just committed to BYU. Xavier Su'a Filo, an offensive tackle from Timpview, who is being recruited by LSU, BYU and USC, to name a few, was the top-ranked local player.

"There are a lot of quality high school football players in Utah," said Bill Conley, of ESPN, who was in town for the Nike-SPARQS combine last week. "That's due good coaches and good programs."

Utah players who ranked on the list include the following:

2. Xavier Su'a-Filo, offensive tackle, Timpview

3. John Martinez, offensive guard, Cottonwood

4. Richard Wilson, tight end, Spanish Fork

5. Latu Heimuli, defensive tackle, Highland

14. Craig Bills, safety, Timpview

17. L.T. Filiaga, linebacker, Bingham

21. Vyncent Jones, offensive guard, Jordan

35. Isi Sofele, running back, Cottonwood

41. Tui Chrichton, offensive guard, Timpview

52. Keenyn Walker, CB, Judge

63. Talai Livai, offensive tackle, Bingham

66. Jeff Manning, quarterback, Logan

68. Asi Hosea, safety, Cottonwood

75. Kyle Johnson, offensive guard, Jordan

77. Percy Taumoelau, offensive tackle, Cottonwood

78. Travis Van Leeuwen, wide receiver, Timpview

79. Michael Edmunds, wide receiver, Bingham

90. Remington Peck, tight end, Bingham

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E-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com