Hockinson quarterback Canon Racanelli followed through on his preseason pledge to lead the Hawks to the state championship game, and then win it. Ariane Kunze/The Columbian Photo Gallery
No Southwest Washington quarterback has matched the senior season or three-year starting career made by Hockinson’s Canon Racanelli.
The 57 single-season passing touchdowns thrown over 14 games is now in the Washington all-time prep record books. So is the 124 career passing touchdowns and nearly 10,000 career passing yards.
Racanelli threw for more than 300 yards in over half of Hockinson’s games, and accounted for at least three touchdowns every game to lead the Hawks to the Class 2A state championship — a game the quarterback guaranteed to the local media they’d play in back in August.
The numbers Racanelli, The Columbian’s All-Region Football Player of the Year, talks of first when reflecting on his career is being part of a senior class that changed the culture at Hockinson. It leaves with a 43-5 win-loss record and includes four consecutive 2A Greater St. Helens League titles.
What he’s proud of most, though, is the impact Hockinson’s championship has on others.
Most notably following the 35-22 state-title victory Dec. 2 over Tumwater is when first-year football player Blake Sparks approached Racanelli after the quarterback’s 2A title-game record 27 of 45 passing performance.
Through the sea of celebration, Sparks, a 6-foot-3 back-up receiver, thanked the quarterback for convincing him to turn out for football over golf. He said couldn’t imagine a world without his one and only season of Hockinson football.
And that right there, Racanelli said, makes a championship season more memorable: the people.
“That kid means so much to me, and everyone else on the team,” Racanelli said. “I’m glad he got the payoff he deserved.”
Racanelli is the area’s first player from a non-Class 4A or 3A school to be named All-Region Player of the Year in football since the newspaper began the award in 2001 with Mountain View’s Ben Warren.
While he isn’t from a big school, the numbers were far from small. The ability to pass for 4,128 yards and 57 touchdowns or rush for 653 yards and 17 touchdowns made him a dual-threat his senior year. It rivaled no other quarterback in the state.
Racanelli threw a career-best seven touchdown passes to open the 2A state playoffs against Pullman. That put his name into the state record books, and with each game thereafter, kept climbing.
He ended his career tied for sixth in single-season touchdowns, tied for seventh in career touchdowns, and his 9,970 career passing yards rank him seventh all-time.
Racanelli and the Hawks proved a small 2A school, and in his words, “from a town no one has heard of” can win a state title against one of the traditional 2A powers.
It continues Racanelli’s tradition of excelling in an undersized role he’s played his entire life.
When Racanelli’s coach asked him to add 15 pounds last offseason to be a dual-threat quarterback as a senior, Racanelli, instead, added 20. When outsiders labeled Tumwater the state title favorite, Hockinson proved otherwise.
Now, he’ll take that undersized mentality to the next level.
Rick Steele’s coached at Hockinson for all but one season since the school opened. He’s seen four players go onto Division I programs, and Racanelli could be the fifth if a school can get past his 6-foot, 185-found frame and see the overall quality.
Steele puts Racanelli right up there with among the Northwest’s elite, even so after attending a 7-on-7 clinic last summer that drew the state’s top quarterbacks.
“I saw all those big-names kids,” Steele said, “and not one of them has anything on his arm strength. I guarantee they’re not calling as many of their own plays as Canon is.
“What they have on Canon is three inches.”
The arm strength, awareness, dissecting defenses, mobility, playmaking abilities on third-and-22 for a 76-yard pass, changing a play five times before a 29-yard touchdown run, speak for themselves. That will to win is what Racanelli called his best attribute as a quarterback.
“I really don’t like losing,” he said. “I haven’t met anyone more competitive as myself.”
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No one did that better than Racanelli and the Hawks. They averaged a 2A-best 46 points per game after losing the final game of the 2016 season, a 35-12 defeat to Black Hills in the district playoffs. And when Racanelli said the Hawks would play for a state title in December — and win it — he and his teammates backed it up with the season of their lives.
“If you can get everyone around you to play at a higher level,” Racanelli said, “you can be the better team.”
In the 2A title game, he threw for 316 yards and three touchdowns to rally Hockinson back from a 10-0 deficit in the game’s opening 4 minutes.
That will to win: a must-have intangible and Racanelli’s got it. Steele knows any school will be getting a steal of a quarterback.
The proof’s in the trophy case at the high school.
“I will never forget this season,” Racanelli said. “I’ve learned how to become a better person. Being a better man and growing up as a person not just learning how to be a better at football.”
Said Steele: “He’ll go somewhere, and he’ll do really well.”
Rest of All-Region offense
JoJo Siofele, Union
Junior RB lifted Titans to 4A GSHL title, state playoffs behind 7 yards per carry and nine rushing touchdowns.
Wyatt Dodson, La Center
Junior RB was 1A Trico offensive MVP,led region in rushing with more than 1,500 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Sawyer Racanelli, Hockinson
Big sophomore season goes down as one of the best in state history. Receiving yards (1,766) and TDs (27).
Darien Chase, Union
Equally lethal on defense as offense, junior WR had nearly 1,100 receiving yards on 45 catches and 14 touchdowns.
Drake Owen, Camas
Special of a receiver (772 yards, 10 TDs), the senior might’ve done the most damage as a return specialist.
Jordan Howes, Camas
Young Papermakers offensive line matured as the season went along with help from the senior OL.
Kordell Johnson, Hockinson
Hawks’ offense poweredin part to the senior right guard who also learned to play center on the fly.
Beau Braden, Columbia River
Not much got past senior OL, and as the playoff-bound Chieftains found their groove, so did the offense (20.2 ppg).
Joey Roberts, Mountain View
Can’t dominate the run-game without dominating line. Senior OL helped Thunder to consecutive 3A GSHL titles.
Solofua Vercher, Heritage
Labeled a beast by opposing coach. sophomore was top vote-getter among offensive lineman in 4A GSHL.
Quadrese Teague, Hudson’s Bay
Senior specialist made first year of high school football was memorable with 12 touchdowns.
Andrew Boyle, Camas
In addition to hitting 3 of 4 field goals (his longest being 39 yards), junior kicker made 37 of 39 point-after tries.
All-Region defense
Jack Hiller, La Center
Senior lineman was the 1A Trico League’s Most Valuable Player. Coach calls him the best to come out of La Center.
Aiden Nellor, Union
Two-way first-team all-4A GSHL honoree, senior DL used his size and explosiveness to dominate on defense.
Ja’Michael Shelton, Camas
Senior DL’s athleticism allowed him to dominate up front, and have breakout games at wide receiver, too.
Zion Faaopega, Union
Few pass rushers stressed out opponents like the Titans’ senior defensive lineman. He had 11 tackles-for-loss.
Luke Bruno, Camas
Senior LB was an all-league standout who helped the defending 4A state champions reload in many areas.
Akilotoa Kaumatule, Hudson’s Bay
Junior LB impressed from start to finish all season, helping the Eagles to their first postseason berth since 2001.
Riley Miller, Union
A true motor that doesn’t stop, senior LB was 4A defensive MVP averaged nearly 10 tackles with three sacks.
Colton Wheeler, Hockinson
Two-way starter labeled as a rock by his coach, senior LB led a defense that shut down opponents’ run game.
Isaiah Abdul, Camas
Senior wasleader in the Camas secondary, Abdul kept big plays from happening. But made big plays, too.
Tyler Flanagan, Woodland
Junior DB was a do-it-all athlete had more than 50 tackles and three interceptions for playoff team.
Matt Henry, Hockinson
Senior DB described by his coach as a “fantastic open-field tackler.” Had a team-best seven tackles in title game.
Angelo Sarchi, Skyview
Opposing QBs shied away from the senior DB, earning him repeat All-Region and all-league honors.
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