By RayJaun Stelly, The Seattle Medium
The Garfield Bulldogs arguably have one of the best quarterback/receiver duos in the state. Quarterback EJ Caminong and wide receiver Rahshawn Clark have given opposing teams a difficult time preparing for and playing against them.
Clark, a 6-foot, 180-pound senior who transferred to Garfield this year from Federal Way High School, is a three-star athlete according to Rivals.com. In his first and only year with the Bulldogs, Clark has already made his presence felt within the Metro League. Through three games, he has already collected 10 receptions, 195 yards, and four touchdowns.
Over the course of his high school career, Clark has caught the eye of college coaches across the country, receiving scholarship offers from Arizona, Colorado, Florida Atlantic, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Oregon, Oregon State, Utah, Washington, Washington State, and California.
With an impressive list of offers, Clark committed to the University of California a week after his teammate Caminong gave his verbal commitment to California via Instagram.
“Cal had been ahead because I took back-to-back trips,” said Clark. “Meeting the players and seeing how they lived and talking to them and getting my questions answered was a big thing for me. I felt comfortable.”
“Throughout the process, they prioritized me,” added Clark. “They made me feel like a priority.”
Caminong, who previously committed to the University of Washington before changing his mind to head to California next year, says his decision to switch his commitment to California came once his recruitment picked back up.
In addition to receiving offers from Washington and California, Caminong received offers from Brigham Young, Oregon State, Texas A&M, Colorado, and Washington State. However, California will be his new home in his collegiate journey despite things not working out with Washington.
“Some things just aren’t meant to be, California was there and recruited me heavily since they offered me in the spring, and the rest is history,” Caminong expressed.
Teaming up in their senior year, Caminong and Clark are building chemistry both on and off the field. Even though Caminong, who has thrown for 514 yards this season, spreads the ball around pretty evenly to all of his receivers, four out of his six touchdown passes have gone to Clark.
“It’s been super fun, one of my best friends just off the field, I mean the success is translating,” said Caminong. “As for next year, it’s good to have someone to go through this college process with you rather than by yourself, so again to have a good friend to help you through that is a plus.”
This year, both players are key components of the Bulldogs’ offense. With Caminong’s arm strength and ability to escape the defense once the pocket closes, and Clark’s speed and effective route running, the Bulldogs average 34 points per contest. To date, the duo has proven to be unstoppable when they are in rhythm and seem to be getting better with each game.
“[Caminong has] always had the physical tools and the arm strength, but where he’s improved greatly is in his pocket presence and his decision-making, instead of forcing throws like he did as a sophomore,” said 247sports’ Brandon Huffman. “He’s going through reads, keeping his eyes downfield, and dropping passes right into the tightest of windows.”
“Clark is one of the top two-way prospects in the state regardless of class. He has Power 5 offers for both cornerback and receiver. He’s rated as an athlete, and while we think he’s got more upside on defense, his heart is on offense,” says Huffman. “He’s also a good returner, a player who can use his speed and vision to break off long returns. As a receiver, he’s a natural pass-catcher and probably projects best inside as a slot but could split out wide too depending on the offense.”
As one can expect, the ultimate goal for the seniors is to be crowned state champions as their high school careers come to a close.
“My senior year is everything, my last year to play with my teammates and coaches who’ve been playing with me for the past few years,” said Caminong. “I just want to win, and so does everyone else.”
“I want to be known as the first Garfield quarterback who led his team to a state championship,” added Caminong. “I feel like once I can do that, the legacy part will come; I want to write history.”
