MUKILTEO — Fifty-yard passes are floating into the corner of the end zone as Kamiak receivers and defensive backs give chase down the sideline.

After each play, they come back to midfield for advice from the guy flinging the left-handed spirals. He pats them on the back, offers a suggestion or two, and they repeat the drill.

Funny thing is, it's not a coach or a quarterback throwing balls and offering tips. It's Rebel Hall, the Knights' senior receiver, who happens to do a pretty good quarterback impersonation.

The best impersonation he's doing right now, however, is that of coach and mentor to the young receivers and defensive backs.

"He's helped me a lot," said junior receiver Ben Iddins, whose brother Mark threw to Hall last year. "Last year and this summer, he just took me by his side and gives me tips on how to play the position. He's been a big help for me and he does it without being asked. I can't even explain how much he's helped me. Who knows if I'd even be out here getting the chance to play without Rebel. He's really the guy, along with the coaches, who taught me how to play the game."

And that, as much as last year's league-best 786 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, is why Kamiak is the team to beat in WesCo's South Division.

"He does a real nice job of mentoring the young kids," said Kamiak coach Dan Mack. "It's not uncommon for our younger kids to come up to him and ask about running a certain route or how he got open on a play. As good as he is, the work he does with his teammates might be just as important."

Hall, 17, tries to downplay his role outside of catching passes.

"We all need a little technique work from time to time and those guys help me out too," said the 6-foot-1, 195-pound Hall. "We're just learning from each other and bouncing idea's off each other.

"We want a state championship. We have the talent to do it, but we've got to tap into it. This is just another way to do that."

It shows in practice as the two head to one end zone, Hall running precision fade routes and slants, with Phillips hitting him in stride each time.

"We throw whenever we can," said Phillips, who takes over the starting role from Mark Iddins. "Having him out there puts me at ease. I know that I've got a guy who I can throw to who will catch anything. He gives everyone on the team direction, including me."

Hall's full name, Rebel James Hall, was given to him by his mother, Lori, a James Dean fan.

"If you're going to be a star, you've got to have a great name," she explained.

And a star he has become. As a junior, Hall was named to the Class 4A all-state team by The Associated Press. Despite being, as he puts it, "not that fast," Hall's size, route running and soft hands have made him a recruiting target of Washington, Washington State, Oregon State, California and Montana.

Right now, however, Hall is focused on finding a way to help his team win.

"I'm just worried about winning games," said Hall. "Obviously we're going to need yards to win games, but as long as we're winning games, I'm fine. If that means me catching lots of balls, great. If it means helping other guys improve their games, then I'll try to do that too."

John Boyle: 206-464-2364 or jboyle@seattletimes.com