Moving up

Three Highclimbers sign to play college football

Matt Baide | Apr 20, 20230

Matt Baide count

From left, Shelton High School seniors Blaze Andrews, Bradley Eleton, Shelton football coach Mark Smith and Mason Goos pose for a photo with the flags of the universities the three Highclimber football players signed to play college football at next season at a signing ceremony Monday at the Student Union Building at Shelton High School.

Shelton's Mason Goos, Bradley Eleton and Blaze Andrews all signed to play college football at a signing ceremony at the Student Union Building at Shelton High School on Monday.

Goos signed to play at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. Goos was a three-year starting quarterback for the Highclimbers and is the all-time Shelton leader in career passing yards.

"It's been crazy. I didn't think I was going to play football in high school and then sophomore year, Andy Conklin reached out to me and said, 'Hey kid, you've got an arm,'" Goos said during the ceremony. "I was like, thank you. He said you should come out to football and I was like, alright, sure, whatever. And I didn't think much of it but now looking back, it was probably one of the best decisions of my life and I'm grateful to be here."

Eleton and Andrews signed to play at Montana Western University in Dillon, Montana. Eleton was the Journal's All-County football offensive MVP. He scored five touchdowns in the district crossover game against Washougal. He played offense and defense, but is signing to play running back for the Bulldogs.

"Once a Climber, always a Climber," Eleton said during the ceremony. "This is my home and the community is so supportive of the program and I'm forever grateful for that."

Andrews was named the Journal's All-County football defensive MVP.

"(I'm) just a small kid from a small town. I just wanted to go see the bigger lights as a Skokomish tribal member because I've never actually seen anybody from my tribe make it to the next level," Andrews said during the ceremony. "It was just my dream to make it to the next. I love the support they (Skokomish Tribe) give me, it's actually unbelievable how much support they give me. All I can say is thank you for everything they have given me."

Andrews said he was invited to play in a football game in Hawaii and the Skokomish Tribe helped pay for him to attend and play in the game.

Shelton football coach Mark Smith said it takes a village to help players earn a spot to play in college.

"All that support allows us to have success and to that, we're very thankful and fortunate for," Smith said during the ceremony. "That's what makes this night. It wasn't about one day, one game or one year, it's about going back to their childhood when they were playing junior Climber football back whenever it was and all the other sports that they played. A lot of these kids coming up here tonight are multiple sport athletes and so those things really came into play this year and they had great seasons."