BELLEVUE – Demetri Manning describes himself as a “band, football kid” who always wanted to make his grandmother proud.
Before Josephine Carter passed away when he was in fifth grade, she had one heartfelt request for her grandson.
“Whatever you do, whether that’s band or football, make it to the highest level possible,” she told him.
Those words stayed with Manning as he grew into a 6-foot-5, 330-pound lineman at Bellevue High School. Her message pushed him then, and, as he sat down to sign with Oregon in the Wolverines’ locker room on Wednesday, her voice echoed in his mind.
“For me, the highest level possible is the NFL, so that’s what I’m going to try to do,” the four-star recruit said.
Manning was joined at the signing day table by teammate Willi Wascher, who signed with USC.
“It means a lot,” Wascher said. “I’ve spent pretty much my whole life waiting for this – not just signing, but my senior year, coming down to the end of my high school road. I’ve been working the last 10 to 12 years for this moment right here.”
For Manning and Wascher, this milestone marks two significant achievements: signing to play college football with B1G programs and preparing to close their high school careers with one final game – Friday’s 7 p.m. Class 3A state championship against O’Dea at Husky Stadium.
“This is our senior night – Dec. 6,” Manning said. “This is the game we’ve worked for all year. We didn’t prepare to win one or two games. We prepared to win state championships.”
Wascher added, “We try to put our best out on the field and take nothing for granted. We’re playing not just for ourselves or future players but for our past brothers here. That’s what it’s all about. That’s what Bellevue football is.”
With family, coaches, and teammates looking on, Wascher and Manning inked their futures. For Manning, the “band, football kid,” it’s a step toward fulfilling his grandmother’s request.
Senior two-way standout Ryken Moon, son of Hall of Fame quarterback, Warren Moon, was in attendance to celebrate his with his teammates. Moon is still weighing his options.
