Prep Football | Lindbergh's Frank Cange thrives in Eagles' nest

RENTON — Frank Cange can outrun most football players.

But his mother knew he couldn't outrun the kind of trouble chasing him in their Tampa, Fla., neighborhood.

So she moved her family, including a younger son and daughter, to Washington a little more than three years ago.

"She likes Washington," Cange said. "It's a safe place to be. [Tampa] was not safe at all. There were always bad things happening in our neighborhood. ... I had friends who were up to no good."

Cange, who is Haitian and can speak the language, admits he wasn't thrilled with the idea of relocating just before his ninth-grade year. He wasn't particularly happy as a freshman at Chief Sealth High School in West Seattle.

But when the family moved to Renton and he enrolled at Lindbergh his sophomore year, Cange knew it was the perfect change.

"This is the place I want to be," he said.

Cange has prospered in the classroom and on the football field for Lindbergh. He is a key reason the Eagles (10-1) are in the Class 3A state quarterfinals for the first time. They play at third-ranked Liberty (10-1) at 7 p.m. Friday.

"He's as explosive as any athlete in the state of Washington, bar-none," Lindbergh coach Pat O'Grady said. "He can turn a 5-yard pass into a 70-yard touchdown faster than anybody."

Cange had 304 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns in Lindbergh's 52-21 victory over Ferndale last week, scoring on a 10-yard pass reception, 80-yard run and 70-yard interception return. He also scored three touchdowns (all receptions) against Bainbridge in the preliminary playoffs, a 44-6 win.

The Eagles try a variety of ways to get him the ball. He's a receiver in one of their Wildcat formations — they call it the Bearcat when Cange is in the backfield.

"All he needs is a little crease or a small gap, and he's gone," Liberty coach Steve Valach said. "Anytime he has the ball in his hands, he's capable of going the distance, and he makes it look easy."

Cange, 5 feet 8 and 165 pounds, has worked hard to make up for his slight stature. Hours in the weight room have paid big dividends.

"He's solid as a rock," O'Grady said. "There's not an ounce of fat on him. He's an absolute monster in the weight room."

Cange can bench press 295 pounds and squat 365. He runs a 4.4-second 40-yard dash and has drawn recruiting interest from Idaho, Eastern Washington and Portland State, among others.

As a sophomore, Cange qualified for the Class 3A state track and field meet in the 100 meters, but failed to place. He was expected to be a challenger in both the 100 and 200 last year, then suffered a hip-flexor injury late in the season and was unable to qualify.

But his first love is football, even though he didn't enjoy it when he first started as a grade-schooler, because they played him as an offensive lineman. It wasn't until he arrived at Lindbergh that he found his football niche, at receiver and defensive back. He was a first-team all-Seamount selection on offense as a junior, and this season was voted Offensive Back of the Year and was a first-team choice on defense.

Cange is confident the Eagles can keep this historic season going.

"All we have to do is believe in ourselves," he said.