Seamount League: Hazen football, basketball player dreams of two-sport college career

Football or basketball. Basketball or football.

For some athletes, it's a choice they have to make when they reach the college level. For Hazen High School's Jamaal Presley, there won't be a choice to make. He will play both sports.

On the football field, Presley is a running back who can turn short gains into long touchdown runs. On the basketball court, he is one of the top players in the Seamount League.

Once he gets to college, Presley wants to be a double threat — kind of like a certain friend of his who is playing for Washington.

"I'd like to do what Nate Robinson is doing at Washington," said Presley. "He's only a freshman and he's made an impact in two sports. That's what I'd like to be doing."

Presley has the size (6-foot-3), background (playing varsity football and basketball since his freshman year) and desire ("I want to play Division 1," he said).

"I'll take a look at see who wants me," said Presley, who said he would like to end up at Oregon or Washington. "I just want a chance to show someone what I can do in both sports."

On the basketball floor, Presley can handle the ball, knock down a 20-footer, disrupt offenses with his quick hands — even get the water for his teammates during timeouts.

"Jamaal makes things happen," said Gary Schaplow, Hazen basketball coach. "You can turn him loose, and he can do just about anything."

Presley said basketball has always been his favorite. He's played since he was a little kid and will go out of his way to get in a game. He likes football, but right before his sophomore year at Hazen, decided not to play. After three games, he returned.

"I didn't like sitting in the stands and watching," he said. "I wanted to be out there."

Presley played tailback and defensive back as a sophomore before switching exclusively to running back as a junior. He gained 780 yards in six games as a junior and had more than 1,000 all-purpose yards as a senior. He also scored 17 touchdowns.

"Basketball is my love and passion and football is something I like because of the Friday nights and the large team camaraderie," said Presley. "I found out how much I missed football when I wasn't playing as a sophomore. I decided then I wanted to do both."

On the basketball floor, Presley led Hazen to the Class 3A state tournament last season and an 18-8 record overall and second-place finish in the Seamount League's King Division. The Highlanders went two-and-out at the state tournament, but Presley said the team enjoyed the stretch drive.

"We won three straight loser-out games and made it to state — that's a great season," said Presley. "It was a lot of fun to play and be a part of playing in those types of pressure games."

This season, the Highlanders are expected to challenge for the King Division championship. Hazen lost some key players, but return Presley and Kyle Dieckman.

"We have the right pieces to make something happen," Presley said. "We just have to put them together."