The Eagles landed another prep athlete from the South Sound. Steilacoom receiver Greg Ford verbally committed to play football for Eastern Washington on Wednesday.

In only his second year of football, Ford finished with 48 catches for 1,080 receiving yards and 15 total touchdowns for the Sentinels, helping lead Steilacoom to the Class 2A playoffs.

Ford went on a recruiting trip to Cheney last weekend, and came back home impressed. He also said Eastern’s recruiting class, which has several players from the South Sound, including Lincoln’s Roman Tinitali-Pula and Fife’s Cody Pollock,

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Josh Garrett is headed to the Rocky Mountains.

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound senior verbally committed to attend the Air Force Academy during a trip over the weekend to Colorado Springs, Colo.

Selected to The News Tribune all-area team as a defensive back, Garrett also was named defensive back of the year in the South Puget Sound League South division.

He helped lead the Vikings to a 8-3 overall record and a playoff berth in the Class 4A state tournament.

Garrett said he also was recruited by Central Washington and Western Washington, but felt comfortable at the Air

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The state’s career receptions leader may be close to landing at a place to play college come fall. Life Christian’s Tyler Hjelseth, who ended his tenure playing for the Eagles with 227 career catches, had received interest from Stanford and California early in the recruiting process. But after some coaching changes at those perspective schools changed their priorities, the 6-foot-5, 210-pound senior is headed to Minnesotat on a recruiting trip this weekend.

The connection for the Gophers is recently hired offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar, who left Cal to take the same job with

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One of the top high school lineman recruits in the South Sound found a home to play college football next season.

Lakes High football player Bilal Liggins verbally committed to play at the University of Idaho over the weekend.

The 6-foot-3, 260-pound senior made his trip and was offered by new coach Robb Akey while he was there, and accepted.

"Coach Akey really impressed him," said Bilal’s father, Earl Liggins. "He’s really good people, and I think he will be in good hands with him."

Liggins helped lead the Lancers

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One by one, the names for Eastern Washington University’s football recruiting class keep adding up.

Fife High’s Cody Pollock wanted to add his name to it, and did Wednesday, giving an oral commitment to the Eagles over Idaho State, West Point and Western Washington as a tight end.

“Seeing all those guys, it does mean a lot. It means they are having a great recruiting class,” said Pollock, who becomes the seventh South Sound product to choose Eastern.

Oral commitments are not binding until recruits sign on national letter of intent day on Feb. 7.

Pollock

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Graham-Kapowsin linebacker J.T. Albers verbally committed to play football at Idaho State on Tuesday.

He’ll join Eagles’ teammate Ryan Ancheta and new Bengels coach John Zamberlin, the former coach at Central Washington.

At 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, Albers was selected to The News Tribune all-area team, and named SPSL South co-linebacker of the year.

Albers also gained more than 1,000 yards rushing last season, and scored five touchdowns in one game for the Eagles.

Albers took a trip to Eastern Washington over the weekend and had offers from both Eastern Washington and Idaho State.

“He just

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Lincoln’s Alex Montgomery continues to improve her game as the Abes get ready for the postseason. Evidence of that came last night, as the Georgia Tech-bound senior notched a rare quintuple-double in Lincoln’s 66-49 win over Central Kitsap.

Montgomery finished with 27 points, 22 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 blocks and 10 steals. Her outstanding performance comes after Lincoln lost its first Narrows League game to Mount Tahoma last Friday, 75-62. Montgomery had 32 points and 26 rebounds in that contest.

Lincoln coach Kevin Strozier was a little surprised looking at the stat sheet afterward.

"I looked at

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The legacy of Tacoma’s all-time leading rusher will continue after high school.

Lincoln High’s Roman Tinitali-Pula, who totaled 5,300 yards and 72 touchdowns in a star-studded Abes’ career, gave an oral commitment to play at Eastern Washington University on Tuesday morning.

Tinitali-Pula, the 5-foot-10 and 215-pounder, chose Eastern over Western Washington. Both universities were the only programs to offer scholarships.

"It felt relieving. I’ve got a school to go to where I’m comfortable with," said Tinitali-Pula, a two-time All-Area selection, including The News Tribune’s player of the year in 2005.

"Even though I wasn’t recruited as

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