NOTES: Reps at receiver earning extra recruiting interest for Silverado’s Clayton
College coaches already knew Devion Clayton was a talented cornerback prospect.
This season, the senior at Silverado is showing recruiters he can also can play on the other side of the ball.
Clayton has developed into one of the top wide receivers in the Sunrise Region after transferring from Palo Verde, and his rare combination of size and speed has an increasing number of Division I schools interested.
“Coming here, playing receiver, it just feels a lot better,” Clayton said Tuesday after practice. “It’s just me. It’s what I’m used to playing. It’s another comfort zone I’m in. I feel like I’m able to contribute more as a receiver to the team.”
Clayton started at cornerback for Palo Verde last season as a junior, finishing with 19 tackles and one interception. But with the Panthers utilizing the run-based, double-wing offense, Clayton was unable to showcase his receiving skills.
Clayton transferred to Silverado in order to enroll in the Clark County School District’s Select School program and has provided the Skyhawks (4-3, 1-1 Northeast League) with a boost in all three phases.
Clayton leads Silverado with 29 receptions for 447 yards and five touchdowns, and has returned two kickoffs for touchdowns while rarely being thrown at on defense.
“There’s not a better cornerback in the state, in my opinion,” Silverado coach Randall Cunningham said. “As a wide receiver … his speed is there, he runs great routes, he’s very strong and he’s very aggressive blocking.”
Clayton had four catches four 81 yards in last week’s 44-6 loss to Liberty, and he caught the winning touchdown in the Skyhawks’ 13-7 overtime victory over Palo Verde on Sept. 18.
“That felt good, to be able to contribute to the team and help out in the win,” Clayton said.
The 6-foot-3-inch, 193-pound Clayton was fourth in the 100-meter dash at the Division I state track and field meet in May and owns a personal best of 10.65 seconds in that event.
Clayton was offered a scholarship by Southern Utah, Weber State and Division II Adams State (Colo.) as a cornerback, and Cunningham said Clayton is receiving interest from schools such as Arizona State and UNLV now that he has film playing receiver.
“The kid is, in my opinion, probably the most talented kid in the state overall,” Cunningham said. “If he would have been able to do this the last two years, they would be all over him.”
POUTASI TO PLAY — Desert Pines senior offensive lineman Samuel Poutasi is expected to see his first action of the season Thursday when the third-ranked Jaguars (7-2) take on Cheyenne (7-2) in the opening round of the Division I-A Southern Region playoffs.
Poutasi suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in April and missed the entire regular season. The 6-4, 305-pound Poutasi is a three-star recruit and has scholarship offers from schools such as Hawaii, Oregon State, San Diego State, UNLV, UNR and Washington State.
POLL POSITIONS — Arbor View’s girls soccer team is No. 7 in the latest USA Today/National Soccer Coaches Association of America Region VI rankings, while Coronado is tied for 15th. Green Valley’s boys soccer team checked in at No. 8 in the Region VIII rankings, with Western at No. 13.
Liberty’s football team remained at No. 10 in USA Today’s Pacific Region rankings.
RECENT COMMITMENTS — Faith Lutheran senior Brenna Rohnkohl to Carroll College (Mont.) for women’s soccer.
Contact reporter David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidSchoenLVRJ.