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Forum nameOkay Sports
Topic subjectNarbonne's Keishawn Bierria (swipe)
Topic URLhttp://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=2023291&mesg_id=2081718
2081718, Narbonne's Keishawn Bierria (swipe)
Posted by Warren Coolidge, Thu Nov-29-12 07:11 PM
on a team a several top D-1 prospects...including 4 national all-americans.... Keishawn probably has the most upside as far as projecting to the next level...

I know Oregon is hot and heavy after him

http://www.dailybreeze.com/sports/ci_22079554/high-school-football-narbonnes-keishawn-bierria-is-strong

Physically gifted linebacker keeps his teammates going full speed as they prepare to face Crenshaw in L.A. City Section title game.
By Tony Ciniglio, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/27/2012 11:53:39 PM PST
Updated: 11/27/2012 11:54:04 PM PST

At 6-foot-1, 213 pounds, Narbonne senior linebacker Keishawn Bierria certainly passes the eyeball test.

His bruising hits, his relentless energy and his immense athleticism give him game-changing ability from the linebacker position.

Bierria is not afraid to get in someone's face and mix it up, and teammates are not exempt if Bierria feels they are not doing their job.

"He's like Deebo from `Friday' - he's our big enforcer," Narbonne quarterback Troy Williams said. "He doesn't beat around the bush. No one likes losing, and he makes sure that doesn't happen here."

Bierria has been a driving force in Narbonne's 13-0 season and has the Gauchos closing in on a second straight L.A. City Section Division I crown and possibly the school's first berth in the CIF State bowl playoffs.

Bierria carries a demeanor that the rest of the Gauchos try to emulate, on and off the field. The top-seeded Gauchos will certainly feed off Bierria in Saturday's City Division I final against No. 2 seed Crenshaw (12-1) at 7:07 p.m. at East L.A. College.

"What makes him so successful is that he is driven. He has been on a mission his whole senior year," Narbonne coach Manuel Douglas said. "He's really got a motor, and he goes hard all the time.

"Our motto is that big players make big plays in big games, and he is going to be that guy because of his work ethic. He's going to be successful in whatever he does in life."

With 10 of 11 players returning from a talented defense that won a City title last year, Bierria said he holds himself and his teammates to high standards.
And Bierria lets them know if they are not meeting those expectations.

After all, there is an unbeaten season, a City title and a CIF bowl berth to chase.

"I'm doing what a captain is supposed to do: keep everyone in check," Bierria said. "I've probably (made) some people (mad), but it's to help them out, not bring them down. Every week, sometimes on offense, sometimes on defense, it gets pretty heated.

"I have no problem being the person everyone's mad at, as long as we're winning."

Bierria has made three straight City finals appearances - one with Carson, two with Narbonne.

Bierria was an All-City linebacker as a sophomore at Carson when the Colts advanced to the 2010 City final before losing to Crenshaw when his brother Dominique was a standout tight end/defensive end.

But Bierria, who lost his father Lowell to cancer when he was just 8 years old, had been struggling in school at Carson.

His grandmother Michelle thought Bierria would benefit from living with his uncle Jarrod, who lives within walking distance of Narbonne.

"She thought I could use a father figure," Bierria said.

So they applied and were granted a hardship waiver to transfer. The results have been impressive.

"I was going to be a captain at Carson, but it was not working out there," Bierria said. "When I got to Narbonne, I led by actions rather than words at first. I always put in extra workouts, extra work."

Bierria was a major factor in last year's foundation-setting run to the City title, but Bierria has put Narbonne on his broad shoulders this year.

Bierria had a 50-yard fumble return for a touchdown in an impressive 22-9 win over Serra.

"That was my first score ever - Pop Warner, high school ... ever," Bierria said. "I thought Taz (Serra running back Anterio Bateman) was going to catch me from behind too."

Then there was the 92-yard punt return touchdown in an 18-17 win over Mater Dei, a where-did-that-come-from kind of play that showcased Bierria's versatility and athleticism.

"Every time I see that on film, I wonder why I caught that ball at the 5 instead of letting it go to the end zone," Bierria said. "I never returned a kick before."

Bierria has taken an unofficial visit to Oregon State and said he prefers to play in the Pac-12.

Bierria, whose hits can seemingly be felt from the stands, has 86 tackles, two sacks and two fumble recoveries this season.

"When people hit, there's like a fear thing, but when I come to hit, I'm not scared," Bierria said. "I see the ball and attack. It's like my natural instinct."

It remains to be seen who bears the greater brunt of Bierria's actions: an opposing player trying to break a big play or a slacking Gaucho who is not carrying his weight.

"It's just the fire in him," said Narbonne linebacker Marquis Lomax, another leader on Narbonne's hard-hitting defense. "He loves the game so much, he just wants us to be successful. And any time he does it, I stand by him. I tell them, `He's right.'

"He's a good linebacker. I trust him. If I miss a tackle or make a mistake, he's going to be there to clean it up. He's an athlete - he can run, he can catch ... he can do anything."