The path to the collegiate playing fields is often lit by exposure. The more an athlete is seen, the better chance he has at being “discovered” by a college recruiter.
Oak Harbor High School senior football player Aaron Boesch decided last winter it was time to be seen. The 6-4, 205 pound receiver attended eight camps and combines since January to collect as much knowledge, skill and exposure he could leading into this fall’s high school season.
In January he attended the Barton Football Academy at the University of Washington and encountered 10 days of intense training. Ex-Husky quarterback Tyler Barton, who runs the Academy with his father, then hosted football combines at Mercer Island High School and Willamette University in Oregon. The Bartons urged Boesch to attend to show off his athleticism. The combines test athletes in the 40-yard dash, standing long jump and agility shuttle run. These events help measure athleticism and gives athletes an idea how they stack up against others.
At Mercer Island, Boesch ran a 4.8 40; jumped 8 feet, 4.5 inches; and recorded a time of 4.69 in the shuttle.
Two weeks later, May 15, at Willamette and after working out with the his Oak Harbor High School track team, Boesch’s marks improved to 4.79, 8-10 and 4.54.
Boesch continued to work with his Wildcat track team (where he helped Oak Harbor qualify for the state meet in the 4×100 relay) and then attended the Nike Football Combine in Portland June 5.
Nike rates players with the SPARQ system (speed, power, agility, reaction and quickness). The system uses results from four events (40-yard dash, shuttle run, powerball throw and vertical jump) and combines them with a rating system to measure sport-specific athleticism.
Boesch’s marks of 4.74 seconds, 4.17 seconds, 38 feet and 31.2 inches earned him a score of 101.55 and placed him sixth out of over 500 athletes from across the country who attended Nike combines to that point.
This earned him a spot on the ESPN all-Oregon Nike combine team as a tight end.
Since he was one of the top 25 athletes, he was invited by Nike to attend a camp at Oregon State University where he received instruction from the school’s coaches and ex-NFL athletes.
After all of the Nike combines from across the country were finished, Boesch was rated the No. 2 tight end out of 14,000, according to Kim Boesch, Aaron’s mother.
Later in June he attended the Jason Gesser Nike Washington State University Camp and was voted the Rising Star MVP award for tight ends.
Boesch then attended camps at the University of Washington and Portland State University and ran 40 times of 4.59 (the camp’s fastest) and 4.54.
Oak Harbor High School coach Jay Turner said, “He has the physical tools to play at the next level; he is very athletic and has a lot of speed for somebody who is 6-4 and 200 pounds.”
Ted Boesch, Aaron’s father, said that he and his wife are “motivated by Aaron’s motivation” and are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to help their son be successful. He said, “It was very educational for us to learn about our own son’s abilities.”
The elder Boesch noticed a change in his son last track season. The sprinters vowed to qualify for state in the relay and he sensed a change in Aaron’s commitment.
The big push for Aaron came after the first camp with the Bartons. They invited him to the first combine. He said, “I did really well,” and that led to more combines. With work, he improved with each event.
The ultimate goal, Boesch said, is to play in college, hopefully under scholarship. Portland State University has been the most persistent in contacting Boesch, and he said he would like to play for the Vikings. It’s a plus that PSU also has a strong engineering program, the career path Boesch, a 3.5 student, hopes to follow. Washington State University has also shown interest.
Boesch plays wide receiver and defensive end for the Wildcats. He is projected as a college tight end. Ironically, Oak Harbor doesn’t use a tight end in its base offense. All the more reason Boesch needs to get out to be seen.
