Sawyer Racanelli has had a number of special moments throughout a memorable high school football career for Hockinson.
Friday, he wrote his next chapter announcing his verbal commitment to the University of Washington.
Racanelli, a junior receiver who’s led Hockinson to consecutive Class 2A state titles, is considered one of the state’s top players. He’s ranked as a three-star recruit by the national recruiting website 247sports.com. Racanelli becomes UW’s first in-state recruit for the class of 2020 and fourth overall, according to 247sports.com’s national recruiting editor Brandon Huffman.
Racanelli took to social media to announce the news Friday, giving thanks to God, his parents, Sundee and Josh, also the Hawks’ offensive coordinator, and praising coaches and teammates for “pushing me to be the best I can be.”
He also dedicated the commitment posting late maternal grandfather, Roger Seekins, who died in 2017.
“This one’s for you, Gramps.” Racanelli wrote.
Growing up in Southwest Washington, Racanelli told The Columbian on Friday afternoon he was never focused on just one college football program, but quickly became a fan of the Huskies. Visits to Husky Stadium and family ties to the coaching staff members under ex-head coach Steve Sarkisian, Racanelli said, made UW what he called a “dream school.”
“Once I started realizing what football was,” he said, “that’s when I was drawn toward UW.”
The Racanellis also have ties to current head coach Chris Peterson. Josh Racanelli played quarterback at Portland State when Peterson was the school’s quarterbacks coach from 1993-94.
“We know who he is,” Sawyer Racanelli said, “and what he’s about.”
At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, Racanelli said UW recruited him to play receiver. The junior is closing in on the state’s all-time leader for career receiving yards held by Prosser’s Cody Bruns (5,177 yards) from 2004-’07. Last fall, Racanelli had 101 catches for more than 1,700 yards and 35 total touchdowns in 13 games to help Hockinson win its second straight title, a 42-37 win over Lynden at the Tacoma Dome. In that game, he set a state title-game record five rushing touchdowns. He also ranks fourth all-time for single-season receiving yards.
Racanelli had official scholarship offers from Oregon State, UCLA, Boise State, Cal, Utah State, Michigan, Arizona, and Washington State before choosing the Huskies. He took an official visit to UCLA last weekend, and plans to take an official visit to UW later this year, he said.
