North Salem High School to host youth football camp with big name guests
A youth football camp, with guests and coaches who are well known to the local community, is coming next month to North Salem.
The inaugural TC Manumaleuna II Lil Viks Camp is set for 9:30 a.m. March 4 at North Salem High School.
The camp, organized by North Salem quarterback TC Manumaleuna, is free to children ages 8-14, and check-in is at 9 a.m.
Among the guests will be new Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei and new Oregon defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei.
DJ Uiagalelei recently transferred to the Beavers from Clemson. Matayo Uiagalelei is an incoming freshman for the Ducks.
“We want to show the kids how football can change people’s lives. It teaches leadership, respect, hard work and a bunch of good traits,” Matayo Uiagalelei said. “This is a big opportunity for me to prove my leadership. I’m not really like a vocal type of guy. So it’s good to get out of my comfort zone.”
Other guests include Dylan Raiola, the nation’s top quarterback recruit of 2024, and Brandon Baker, the nation’s top offensive tackle recruit for 2024.
The coaches consist of former North Salem and Southern Oregon wide receiver Dylan Young, as well as former Central and Boise State quarterback Grant Hedrick, former Oregon players Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (defensive back) and Jeff Maehl (wide receiver), and former NFL tight end Brandon Manumaleuna.
“I wanted to bring a camp here because I noticed the North Salem area didn’t do a lot of youth football camps,” TC Manumaleuna said. “I wanted to try and get the elementary kids start playing football early and to love it.”
Manumaleuna came up with the idea during a recruiting trip to Utah.
“(Utah head) coach (Kyle) Whittingham was telling me how my uncles Frank and Big John used to do camps in Carson, California, where my dad grew up, and it really made a big impact on the city,” he said. “I want to do the same thing here. When DJ and Matayo came to Oregon, I knew I had to do it.”
Statesman Journal reporter Pete Martini covers college and high school sports. He can be reached at pmartini@StatesmanJournal.com.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: North Salem High football camp features Beavers, Ducks players
