For QB, Schwab's an end, beginning

PREP WATCH: Connor Kavanaugh closes out high school career while looking ahead to PSU debut

By steve brandon

The Portland Tribune, Jun 19, 2007, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (1 Reader comment)

Lincoln’s Connor Kavanaugh has an idea of what it’s like to play in the Les Schwab Bowl — his older brother, Taylor, played in it two years ago.

L.E. BASKOW / Tribune File Photo

Lincoln High quarterback Connor Kavanaugh didn’t have far to look to find someone who could tell him what it’s like to play in the Les Schwab Bowl.

His older brother, Taylor, now a receiver and special teams player for Oregon State, competed in the annual all-star football game two years ago.

“Taylor said it was one of the most fun weeks of his life,” Connor Kavanaugh says. “He made a lot of good friends from other schools and met some guys who were going to Oregon State.”

This year’s North-South game, the 60th rendition, will kick off at 7 p.m. Friday at PGE Park.

The 37-man teams gathered Sunday at Portland State for a week of practice, bonding in campus dorms (each team on its own floor), bowling and movie nights, a trip to the Family Fun Center and Bullwinkle’s Restaurant in Wilsonville, and the traditional pregame banquet Thursday night at Nike’s Tiger Woods Center.

Kavanaugh, who signed a letter of intent to play at Portland State, already knows some of his North teammates. That list includes Lincoln wideout Elvis Akpla and the PSU-bound duo of Adam Kleffner of Jesuit and Greg Carradine of David Douglas.

Kavanaugh says he’ll probably room at college with Carradine, a QB-defensive back during his prep career who is ticketed for Viking duty at safety.

The 2006 PIL co-offensive player of the year (with Grant junior Andre Broadous) has been looking forward to this week in more ways than one.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a game,” Kavanaugh says.

It was Nov. 10, 2006, to be exact, the night Lincoln lost in the state playoffs 21-14 in three overtimes at Tualatin.

“That game left a little bitter taste in our mouths, so it’ll be good to get back out on the field,” Kavanaugh says.

The two-time all-stater has been working on his footwork and football skills with trainer and former PSU receiver Matt James at Velocity Sports Performance. Kavanaugh also has been throwing passes with Akpla and Lincoln receiver Ryan Henderson, already envisioning how he might fit into PSU’s run-and-shoot offense under new coordinator Mouse Davis.

“It should be a good offense for me,” says Kavanaugh, who guided a pass-oriented attack under Cardinal coach Chad Carlson. “There’s a lot of half-rollouts, quick reads, short throws and timing patterns, which is what I’ve done the last four years. The big thing is to be consistent. Coach Davis wants a quarterback who doesn’t make a lot of mistakes and can get the ball to the playmakers.”

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