JUST SAYIN AND HIS FRIENDS AT CARLSBAD
Alabama-bound QB quick to praise RBs, tight ends, receivers
Julian Sayin is the marquee player at Carlsbad High School.
A 5-star quarterback, he is committed to play college football at Alabama, one of the country’s top programs.
It’s easy to see why. Sayin is 26-3 as Carlsbad’s starter, throwing for 6,503 yards and counting. He’s been intercepted just nine times — a ratio of one pick every 66 pass attempts.
Sayin is off to a tremendous start this season, completing 75 of 95 passes for 1,026 yards and 13 touchdowns for a team that’s 5-0. Idle this week, Carlsbad will take on Mission Hills on Sept. 29.
“Not only is Julian talented, he understands the game,” said Carlsbad coach Thadd MacNeal, who is known in coaching circles as a quarterback guru.
“He’s the best I’ve had. He’s a master of our offense. We’ve been together so long that we’re almost always on the same page. When a play comes in, he knows where we want the ball to go. Heck, he comes to the sidelines for a play, and he finishes my sentences.
“This is a kid with no ego. He loves his teammates, and they love him.”
Indeed, Sayin is surrounded by weapons — flyers on the outside, big tight ends inside, tailbacks who can run and an offensive line that is big and strong. The star QB talked this week about his talented teammates. Here’s what he said:
Senior receiver Jalen St. Paul
Stats: St. Paul has seven receptions for 145 yards and three touchdowns this season while racking up 120 yards in kick returns. A sprinter, he has run 11.38 seconds in the 100 meters and 22.44 in the 200.
Sayin says: “He’s dynamic. He plays inside and outside and can go get the deep ball. We use him on reverses and jet sweeps. He’s a special
player. And he goes both ways.”
Senior receiver Josh Ball
Stats: A transfer from San Marcos, Ball has 26 receptions for 296 yards and two touchdowns.
A sprinter, he has run 11.36 in the 100 and 23.20 in the 200. He had 49 catches for 811 yards and 8 TDs last season.
Sayin says: “He’s a burner. We try to get him the ball in space. He makes defenders miss and has been a great addition to our team.”
Senior receiver Will Cianfrini
Stats: A transfer from Galveston, Texas, Cianfrini has caught nine passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns. A 3-star recruit, Cianfrini has offers from 16 colleges, including Cal, Marshall, San Diego State, Tulane, UNLV and Grambling. He caught 33 balls for 505 yards last season in Texas, where he also played QB.
Sayin says: “Will’s a big guy at 6-5. And with Jalen and Josh, it’s kind of pick your poison for the defense. He attacks cornerbacks. He
can really jump for the high ball. And he’s faster than people think. We need to get him the ball more, but he has never complained.”
Senior receiver Griffin Rosenbloom
Stats: Rosenbloom has caught 10 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns. He’s receiving interest from Ivy League schools, Navy and UNLV.
Sayin says: “He catches everything … never drops a ball. He’s 6-5, so he’s a big target. He’s a go-to guy, a No. 1type
receiver, but we have so many options, he doesn’t get as many balls as he would on another team. But he’s so unselfish, a guy I’m confident will catch anything I throw him.”
Junior receiver Connor Hawk
Stats: A transfer from Clyde High in Texas, Hawk has caught four passes for 30 yards. He caught 41 passes for 534 yards and four TDs last year at Clyde. Hawk’s considered a good basketball player.
Sayin says: “He has great hands and is a really good route runner. At 6-3, he’s another big target. He has been a great addition.”
Senior receiver Noah Carey
Stats: Carey has one catch for 19 yards.
Sayin says: “A physical guy. Great blocker and a good route runner.”
Senior running back Mason Walsh
Stats: Walsh has rushed 47 carries for 485 yards and eight touchdowns. He also has 11 catches for 93 yards. Walsh rushed for 1,319 yards and 17 TDs last season with 15 catches for 249 yards. He’s also a two-time San Diego Section Masters Wrestling champion at 184 pounds. With a 4.0 GPA, Walsh is drawing interest from Ivy League schools.
Sayin says: “Mason is extremely talented. He’s a tough, hard-nosed runner. He’s so strong. A guy who breaks tackles and makes tacklers miss. He really complements our passing game.”
Senior running back Harrison Koenig
Stats: Koening has rushed 32 times for 148 yards and a touchdown and has caught four passes for 42 yards. He had just 14 carries last season. Koenig also wrestles and plays lacrosse.
Sayin says: “Harry’s a different back than Mason. He runs well in space, is shifty and has great vision. Plus, he’s good in the passing game. We usually don’t use Mason and Harry in the same backfield, but we most certainly can.”
Senior tight ends Luke Ferrelli and Alex Airey
Stats: Ferrelli is a 3-star player who is committed to Stanford. He has three catches for 18 yards and a TD on offense and has racked up 23 tackles, 8 tackles-for-loss and 21⁄2 sacks on defense. Airey has three catches for 37 yards and two TDs.
Sayin says: “I love our tight ends. They’re big and physical. They can catch, and they can block. We’re really fortunate to have two guys this good at that position.”