2010 Lineman of the Year expected to make quick impact

PALMER — One stroke of a pen was all it took for one of Colony High School’s best football players to draw pleased applause from Palmer and Wasilla head football coaches.

Trey Farber, a perennial All-State lineman on both sides of the ball and 2010 Lineman of the Year, will continue his playing career at Linfield College, a powerhouse program in the NCAA Division III Northwest Conference. Farber signed his National Letter of Intent Wednesday to play for the Wildcats and will be the next chapter in a rich Linfield legacy with deep roots in the Valley.

Palmer head coach Rod Christiansen and Wasilla’s new head coach Kent Rialtos are also former Lindfield players, as is Colony baseball coach Jamie Mayo, Colony wrestling coach David Booth and Palmer Junior Middle School Principal David Russell. Russell was an All-American halfback who earned an invitation to the NFL combine.

Farber said he listened to the advice of all the local coaches who encouraged him to choose Linfield, but in the end it was the school and coaching staff that made the difference.

“Yeah, there was some (local) pressure and they were obviously biased when it came to my choice, but in the end it all just worked out.”

Although Farber said his dream growing up was to play for the University of Washington, a top Division I school, Linfield gives him the opportunity to play right away as a freshman, and has a good biology department, where he’ll take his 3.8 GPA to study pre-med.

“I really liked Linfield because they’ve been recruiting me for two years now and they just have the right stuff academically,” he said. “I like all the coaches. I like what I saw and thought it was a good fit.”

At 6-feet, Farber’s is shorter than the prototypical Division I offensive or defensive line, but he could’ve gone to Washington as a walk-on. But he likely wouldn’t have had a chance to play on the defensive line, where he’s been told is his likely place at Linfield.

“Washington has a really good pre-med program, too,” he said. “I would’ve had to be a walk-on and I really like the idea of being able to play early. I just feel more comfortable at Linfield.”

That’s an expectation shared by Linfield head coach Joe Smith, who commented on Farber’s place on the team in an email.

“We are very excited about Trey being a Wildcat,” he said. “He is someone who we hope can come in and contribute early in his career here. Trey plays with great desire and has a tremendous motor as a defensive lineman. I have seen few defensive tackles make as many tackles as Trey did his senior year.”

Aside from Farber’s athletic ability, Linfield is also impressed with his academics and off-the-field intangibles.

“We want young men of high character who are strong athletes and can help us compete for a national championship,” Smith said. “Trey is exactly that type of young man.”

It didn’t take long for Farber to make an impact on the field at Colony, said Knights head coach Brian McIntosh. He played in Colony’s playoff game as a freshman and went on to be a three-year starter.

“Complementing his ability with his football knowledge makes him a phenomenal athlete,” McIntosh said. “The only reason he isn’t going Division I is he’s just not tall enough. To do D-1 you need to be 6-4, 6-5, but he’s going to an elite D-3 school.”

Farber’s road to the college gridiron was paved early. His father, Richard Farber, coaches the defensive line at Colony and was a five-year player at Washington State University. At this point in his son’s career, Richard sees Trey as more advanced than he was coming out of high school.

“His strengths are he’s extremely explosive, quick and very technical,” Richard said. “That’s all it takes to play that spot (on the defensive line). He’s been well versed in it. I give all the credit to my son or any football player who goes on to play in college. As a defensive lineman, I say that he’s way more advanced than I was. He’s more technical. I depended mainly on strength and speed, he depends on technique.”

So, what did dad, who played at Washington State, feel when he learned his son was considering rival Washington?

“You know, your first response is, ‘OK, man, are you doing this on purpose or what?’” Richard said. Then he remembered his own youth. “My dream was to play at Washington out of high school, too.”

As proud as he is of Trey’s signing on Wednesday, Richard said he’s more proud of his success in the classroom.

“From a fatherly perspective, academics is where it’s at,” he said. “I told him if he wants to be on the football field in the band, I’m fine with it. The first and foremost priority in our household is academics.”

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.