Colony lineman weighing options

PALMER — As Trey Farber looks back on his final season with the Colony High School football program, he can see he’s achieved most of his goals.

Now Farber is hoping to check the next goal off his list. The Colony senior, who was named the Alaska large-schools lineman of the year by the Alaska Coaches Association last month, is being recruited by a number of college programs and is weighing the options for the future.

“I felt like I reached my goals,” Farber said recently. “I got those awards. I got to be captain and just had a fun year with my friends. The only downside, I was hoping we’d take it all.”

Farber, an all-state lineman on both offense and defense, helped lead the Knights to a Railbelt Conference title and top-four finish in the large-schools class. In October, Farber was the fifth Mat-Su Valley player to be named the state’s top lineman in the large-schools class. Now he’s trying to be the latest Valley product to earn a college football scholarship. Colony coach Brian McIntosh said Farber certainly has the ability to play at the next level.

“It’s the outside factors that make Trey so good,” McIntosh said recently. “His character, he’s a hard worker. He’s motivated academically and athletically gifted.”

Farber has been in contact with numerous schools at the Division I, II and III levels. Farber has been in contact with the recruiting coordinator of Division I programs such as the University of Washington. Ivy League programs have contacted him, not only for athletics, but also academics. Farber currently holds a 3.77 grade point average and is interested in pursing sports medicine.

Division I-AA programs such as Montana State and Northern Arizona have also been in steady contact.

Division III Linfield College in McMinnville, Ore., join Washington, Montana State and Northern Arizona in his potential top-four choices, Farber said.

Washington would be the choice of his dreams said Farber, who was born in Tacoma.

“I’ve always wanted to play there, ever since I was little,” Farber said.

Farber has already had the chance to take the field at UW’s Husky Stadium during a summer camp at the Seattle school. The Colony senior had the chance to compete in a number of football camps during the summer, including two at UW — a lineman camp and an all-positions camp.

Farber also attended the Boise State team camp in Idaho and a camp hosted by the Football University organization in Seattle.

His performance at the FBU camp earned him a spot in FBU’s invitation-only all-star camp in Virginia.

At the camp in Virginia, Farber said he had the chance to compete against Division I prospects in front of numerous college and NFL scouts.

“That camp really prepared me for the season,” Farber said.

Farber said playing college football has been a longtime goal.

“It’s always something I’ve dreamed about,” Farber said. “I didn’t know if it was going to happen, but I’ve always had it in the back of my mind.”

Farber became a starter for the Colony varsity as a sophomore, and was a two-way starter during his final two years with the program. Farber could potentially play on the offensive or defensive line at the next level. That may depend where he lands. At 6-foot, Farber is an undersized lineman by Division I standards. Defense may ultimately be a better fit, Farber said. He could potentially use quickness and technique, rather than just pure size.

McIntosh said he believes Farber can have success on either side of the ball.

“He’s good both ways,” McIntosh said.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/matsu_sports.