Sarell an All-American and Stanford-bound

By Pat Jenkins

The Dispatch

Think last week was one Foster Sarell will always remember?

Sarell, already nationally known for his prowess on the football field for Graham-Kapowsin High School, was named a high school all-American, played in an all-star bowl game featuring many of the top prep players in the country, and announced on television that he’ll continue his gridiron and academic pursuits at Stanford University.

The senior offensive lineman, whose dominant blocking and physical skills made him one of the most highly touted high school players at his position nationwide, was named to MaxPreps.com's 2016 All-American team. MaxPreps, which is affiliated with the CBS company of broadcast and online networks, noted he's considered by some national rating services as "the second-best player overall in the country."

That reputation earned Sarell a selection in October to play in the Army All-American Bowl. In the 15th annual game, his West team lost to the East 27-17 last Saturday at the Alamo Dome in San Antonio, Tex.

During the game’s national TV broadcast on NBC, Sarell – in a staged announcement reported by virtually every major sports news outlet in the U.S. – said he’ll attend Stanford. Sarell said he also considered four other schools -- Washington, Notre Dame, Southern California and Nebraska.

“I made my choice this week. It comes down to best fit, where you want to be, and that’s where it came down for me,” Sarell said on the All-American Bowl website. “It was really tough. It was a lot of meeting with my family, rethinking everything.”

Sarell, 6 foot 6 and 310 pounds, already was a big deal after four seasons at Graham-Kapowsin, culminating with his selections last fall as an all-state performer and co-most valuable player in the South Puget Sound League’s South Division. The Eagles reached the first round of the state 4A tournament and finished with a 9-2 record in Sarell’s senior season.