Gridiron Football Monthly Magazine Oct 2022

Staff Andy Bryson CEO Marcus Randall COO/ Talent Scout Jason Saucier Photographer Kristen Bryson Editor Jace LeJeune LSU Beat/ HS Writer Amber Jemison Director of Marketing

Interns Lucas Berger William Lamphier Will Harper Tyler Barros

Bowl Game Board

Eric Holden

James Shiver

Tyler Lewis

Justin Charles

CJ Madien

Fred Washington

Terrance Blankenship

James Taylor

PJ Sprunk

Gary Cowart

-John Wooden

Follow Us On:

“Success is never final, failure is never fatal, and it’s courage that counts.”

“Never cease trying to be the best you can be.”

“The best competition I have is against myself, to become better.”

“Be more concerned with your charac ter than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”

Spotlight: Seymour High School (TX)

School Spotlight: St. Thomas More School (CT)

Spotlight: Avon High School (OH

School Sotlight: Chardon High School (OH)

School Spotlight: Olney High (TX)

School Spotlight: La Salle (RI)

School Spotlight: Lehi High (Utah)

School Spotlight: Our Lady of Good Counsel (MD)

School Spotlight: King’s Fork High (Va)

School Spotlight: Woodlawn High (LA)

School Spotlight: Archbishop Spalding High (MD)

School Spotlight: Martinsburg High (WV)

School Spotlight: Ponderosa (CO)

Kameron Triplett- LA

Christian Zamor-MD

Aidan Lauer- CO

Murphy Clement- WV

Moussa Kane- NJ

Anthony Little- MD

Kam Shallis- WV

Logan Blake- NJ

Ezra Bagent- WV

Max Moss- MD

Cameron Butler- VA

Antione Gray- VA

Ronald Rhodes- VA

Zion Tracy- NY

Siale Esera- UT

Jack Endean- AZ

Juan Minaya- NJ

Alex Henry- OH

Justin Denson Jr-RI

Heath Fetchik- OH

Donato Stepney- PA

Duce Robinson- AZ

Cooper Felger- OH

Dillon Gresham- CA

Bryan Wilson- CA

Lincoln Kienholz-SD

Micah Balzarini- NJ

Emmett Mosley- CA

Frankie Weave- MD

Sam DeTillio- OH

Jacob Zamot- NJ

Nick Oliveira- NJ

Porter Malkiel- OR

Drew Lindsay- OH

School Spotlight: Seymour High School (TX)

HughFarmer would amass a 55-38 record, 3 district ti tles, and 7 straight playoff appearances in his 8 years spent with the 2A Seymour Panthers. On his way to town, he brought with him Dan Loyd as his defensive coordinator. Loyd played a large role in helping achieve the success of the program and was given the keys to the team to begin this season after Farmer left to coach elsewhere. All at once, a dream 14 years in the making came true for Loyd. He was the new head coach for the Seymour Panthers.

Coach Loyd, known for his exuberant personality and unfaltering drive, took over the role of head coach after a 7-5 season. A season in which the Panthers finished 2nd in the district but was unable to grab a playoff win. With a multitude of talent on this season’s roster, the expectations could not be higher for this first-time head coach. It’s not like Loyd came into a program in shambles. After all, the Panthers had been in the playoffs the past 4 years. A change in head coach can sometimes mean a change in the culture of the program. Here is what Loyd had to say about the high expectations for this season.

“This year is about maximizing the amazing talent we currently have as well as changing the culture around here to having a com mitment in the weightroom when it comes to getting bigger, faster, stronger. We are also trying to build on the future and build a solid foundation for the future. What better time to set the foundation of the future then to maximize the current talent you have now.” Dan Loyd, Head Coach

The talent that Loyd speaks of could not be any more accurate. Ju nior quarterback Keegan Gilbreath and junior wide receiver David Charo formed an elite duo last season. Gilbreath was second in 2A in passing yards (2964), while Charo led 2A in receiving yards (1456). This shows the threat these two can pose through the air.

You can’t stick to defending the pass against the Panthers, however. Gilbreath can also beat you in the run game. The shifty quarterback was the teams leading rusher, gaining 1069 rushing yards along with 13 TDs. Much of the offense flows through the 1-2 punch of Gilbreath and Charo. In order to compete with the tough schedule coming this season, the Panthers will need to incorporate the other players returning this season. With 10 men returning on each side of the ball, you will see an experience group on the field in Sey mour this year. Loyd had high praises for his returning starters this offseason, telling me.

“Having 10 starters returning on both sides of the ball is pretty awesome and exciting. Those returning starters have been working their tails off in the off season as well as the beginning of this year. They have stepped up bigtime as far as being leaders and taking the reins of this team. I am very proud of them, and they are doing an excellent job.” Dan Loyd, Head Coach

With the tenacity and energy from their new head coach, the Seymour Panthers look to capitalize on the experience and talent coming back this year. As with all Texas high schools, the team is focused on making a deep playoff push, and this just might be the group to do it.

Here are a few other names who are poised for a breakout season: Tyler Allbritton, Tabor Wyatt, Isaac Wilden, and Brayden Loyd

Continue reading this story on our website by click ing anywhere on this page.

St.

Thomas More School is a college preparatory boarding school in Oakdale, Connecticut. Oakdale is a small town in Connecticut, about a 30 minute drive from the capital, Hartford. The St. Thomas More Chancellors are led by head coach Ernest Anderson. Coach Anderson actually attended St. Thomas More as a post-graduate in 2004. He went on to play at Nichols college in Dudley, Massachusetts. After graduating from Nichols, coach Anderson began his coaching career at Hamden Hall. At the time, coach Anderson was working for Ron Carbone, a legendary high school football coach in the state of Connecticut. Following his time at Hamden Hall, coach Anderson would coach at a few high schools around the Connecticut area before ending up back at his alma mater. After working as the team’s defensive coordinator for some time, last spring coach Anderson became the head coach at St. Thomas More. Last week, I had the pleasure of speaking with coach Anderson as we talked about his team and the remainder of their season.

One of the first questions I asked coach Anderson was, what he’s excited about with this new group of young talent. He answered, “I’m always excited about how our book is going to be told. We’re different than other high schools. When you go to high school, you kind of grew up with the kids and played against that competition your whole life. At St. Thomas More and other college preparatory boarding schools it’s different. Everybody was recruited here, ev erybody was the guy at their old school. So, the challenge for us is to make this a talented team, and not a talented group of individ uals”.

With being a college preparatory boarding school, many players are post-graduate seniors trying to get a scholarship or better offers. So, I asked the coach about the recruitment process and if there are any words or messages he tells the team to establish better rela

tionships and help build trust with one another. Coach Anderson replied with, “I think if you asked all of our guys, the biggest thing we preach is selflessness, hard work, and caring for each other. We recruit certain types of kids. High academic, selfless kid, like I said who knows their why. If you talk to my guys, they’ll always know their why. It’s very important that they know why they’re here, who they’re here for and we focus on that throughout the year, so they never lose focus. When we come for camp, that’s the first thing that we write. We write a list of our why’s and tape it to our door. So that everyday we leave our dorm room, we’ll understand why we are here and why we are doing what we’re doing.

School Spotlight: Avon High School

By: William Lamphier

Avon

High School – located in Avon, Ohio – plays in di vision two and is ranked the #21 football team in Ohio (according to MaxPreps). The Eagles are home to some great talents, including current assistant wide recievers coach for the New England Patriots Ross Douglas and current Ohio University kicker Nathanial Vakos, who missed his first PAT at tempt in highschool and never missed again, going on to make 260 straight. That feat is a state and national record. This week, I had the honor of talking with Avon Eagle’s head football coach Mike Elder, and got to ask him how he got to be interested in becoming a coach, to what needs to happen to win the state championship for the first time, to overcoming the challenges the team is facing.

Coach Elder first started as a Head Coach with Indian Valley in 2000, followed by Ravenna Southeast in 2001, and then Perry (Lake County) from 2002 to 2006 before becoming Avon’s head coach. But how did he become interested in the first place? After going to the University of Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio as a Business major, he recognized that he wanted to coach in his senior year. “Football had such an impact on my life through high school. Be cause of football, I went on to college. I was the first person in my family to graduate from college. I had coaches in high school who had great confidence in me when I didn’t really have it. They be lieved in me…. Football provided me with the self-confidence and the motivation to go onto college and graduate. I had some space left [in my senior year] in my last semester schedule, and I took an education class. It was an observation class, where I could get into classrooms and watched. It was at that time where I knew I wanted to teach and coach. So, I turned down some jobs in business and went back to get my teaching degree [from Cleveland State Univer sity]. As I was pursuing it, I was teaching and coaching at Alliance High School, right where Mount Union is. I think my experience with [the Mount Union football staff] is really what put me over the edge. It got me the bug, and I wanted to figure out how to make coaching part of my life.”

Chardon

High School – located in Chardon, Ohio – plays in division three and is ranked the #23 football team in Ohio (according to MaxPreps). The Hilltoppers owned an impressive winning streak from 2020 to 2022 of 31 games, including two back-to-back state titles. The streak ended this season in week four. This week, I had the honor of talking with Chardon’s head coach Mitch Hewitt, and got to ask him how he started, how he came to Chardon, and how his powerhouse of a team is doing.

Growing up, coaches were the mentors of his life. “It was one of those deals that when I looked around, when I looked at the peo ple that impacted my life… they were predominantly coaches. I didn’t have the greatest upbringing, the greatest homelife. My coaches were stable forces in my life.” It seems that because of them, Hewitt is the successful coach that he is today.

Because of his coaches being mentors, Hewitt has seen a lot of coaching. And not just coaching, but great coaching from men like Urban Meyer in college. “I’ve seen great coaching. I’ve seen marginal coaching, I’ve seen awful coaching, but I’ve seen a lot of really good coaches. I’ve taken the best of all I’ve seen from all of those people and blend it in.”

With every team, there are values that need to be highlight ed, addressed, or put into the players. With high schools, there is always an emphasis on putting values into the players to help them with their careers. Chardon is no different. “Accountability, trust, hard work, never-quit mentality… These are all things that are necessary. Not just for successful football, but for life. I think we’re experiencing a society that sometimes does the opposite [of those values], where they are entitled and don’t work very hard for things. I think the beauty of football is that there are no short cuts. If you don’t adhere to all those standards, you’re not going to reach your goals.”

In addition to values, team-building is as important as ever. “We have a long extensive offseason. We have these activities that I think bring and bond people together. We run this local ski hill into a seven-mile canoe race, we do [a] Navy SEAL beach run ev ery year, we have weekly gatherings in coaches houses… We’ll do coaches skits, we’ll do a team camp, and the seniors are over at my house every Thursday night during the season. A lot of little things. I think it’s important that players see you outside of a whistle and a field, that they see you in your home element with your wife and your kids and your dogs… to see a different side of you, which I think is important in relationship development.”

As stated before, the Hilltoppers had an impressive win streak of 31 come to an end in week four of this season. Despite that, Coach Hewitt does not seem to be too worried about his team this year. “We’re in a good position, as far as state playoffs go. But we’re young up front, on the offensive side of the ball. When you win back-toback state titles, that’s usually a byproduct of some really talented senior classes. We graduated 35 seniors off of those senior classes. This year we have twelve seniors, and seven of them [are starters]. So we’re young, and our kids are learning on the fly. When you win back-to-back state titles, [less teams] want to play you. So we’ve played a really tough schedule to this point, and we have got to get better if we want to win another one.”

When talking about leaders, Coach Hewitt has some experience learning and looking for key traits in his guys. “It’s what you do in the dark that comes out of the light. It’s doing the right things when no one is watching incessantly. So that’s easier said than done when you’re in high school athletes, but that’s ultimately what we are try ing to promote. One individual can sink a ship, and everyone’s got to pull their own weight, pull in the right direction, do the right thing when nobody’s watching, and ultimately have a team-first mindset. It’s easier to be selfish in this day and age.”

If

you asked any person around the small town of Olney, Texas how their football team was a few years ago, there would be no positive things that come out of their mouths. You may get some words like “winless”, “awful”, and “laughable”. Now, however, the complete culture of the program is changing, and it all starts with their head coach returning to smash-mouth, old-school football.

Coach Jody Guy of the Olney Cubs is entering his fifth season and has completely turned this program around. From 2008 to 2019, the Cubs combined for just 13 wins. Thanks to a combination of coaching and experience from older players, Olney has thrown this track record out of the window. They have now made back-to-back playoff appearances and won their first playoff game since 2000 last season. This former free win for opponents has now transformed into legitimate playoff contenders in a record turnaround.

With 10 players coming back on each side of the ball, this year should be no different for the Cubs. Olney looks to be poised to make a powerful push in a division that is highlighted by state fa vorites such as #3 ranked Hawley and #4 ranked Cisco. A combina tion of their depth at the running back position and their flex bone, run-heavy offense is a major reason that this team is on the rise. Coach Guy commented on the experience of his team, as well as their district opponents, saying, “By having the number of returners coming back, it makes for a smooth transition to summer and then to fall camp. These kids have the mindset that anything is possible. We are mostly juniors and seniors with only one sophomore on the varsity team. This makes our time very mature and able to handle different situations. We have two top 5 teams and another that is a perennial playoff team. Getting prepared to play this competition is going to be vital. If we are fortunate to make the playoffs, our district should prepare us for the playoff run that we want to make.”

Jody Guy, HC

This depth and explosiveness have the Olney Cubs poised to make their deep push in a stacked district. The immaculate turnaround performed in Olney has many residents looking upon the team in a new light, but this season will be a proving time for the Cubs. Coach Guy had high praise for a multitude of his players coming into the year.

“A.B. Marquez is a Senior that had a season-ending injury early last season. He is back and playing with a vengeance. He plays linebacker and is the heart of our defense. Gatlin Guy is our QB and has been a varsity starter since his freshman year. Other kids like Peyton Valdez (OL) and Jovani Rockmore (RB) dedicated themselves this summer and were there every day. That time has paid off for those kids. They are physically bigger and stronger.” Jody Guy, HC

By: Will Harper

By: Tyler Barros

La

Salle Academy is a Catholic college preparatory high school located in Providence, Rhode Island. On the cor ners of Smith street and Academy avenue in downtown Providence, sits the historic La Salle Academy building. La Salle is a division I (D-1) football program. In the Rhode Island In terscholastic League (RIIL), D-1 is the highest division across four divisions. he La Salle Academy Rams are led by coach Geoffrey Marcone, who has been at the helm of the Rams football program since 2004. Last season, coach Marcone led the Rams to a 7-4 sea son, going 6-0 in their division games. The Rams fell short in the state championship game losing to their rivals, Bishop Hendricken 49-40. While they lost a couple senior players to graduation, the Rams are looking to bounce back strong after winning their season opener against Curtis high school in Staten Island, New York. In this week’s school spotlight, I had the great opportunity to speak with my former high school football coach as we got the chance to catch up, talk about the team and their remaining schedule after a 1-0 start to the season.

One of the first things I asked coach Marcone was, what is he most excited about with this team, he replied that, “I’ve been telling these guys all year that they’re a special group. There’s a lot of speed, we are very fast and there’s a lot of athletic ability. We’re not as big as some teams but we are really fast and athletic. I think for us, we’re excited about seeing what our guys can do and they are playing together, which is really important. I’m just excited to see them go out there and play the way they’re capable of playing. I think if they do that they’re putting themselves, this team, and this program in a great position to do some really great things.

The Rams have a tough opponent this weekend, as they are going up against a good Catholic Memorial team out of West Roxbury, Massachusetts. I asked coach Marcone how feels about the game

this weekend and the opportunity to play against some out-of -state competition, he answered, “Look what we have been telling them is, anything in life, you just want an opportunity. You want an opportunity to compete against the best people to see where your at. Right now, they are ranked number one in Massachusetts. (ac cording to Maxpreps) That’s a great opportunity for us. We’re from Rhode Island, we’re a smaller state, a smaller school. We got an op portunity to go out there and play these guys at a high level because they are going to play at a high level, and we’ll see what we’re really made of. Last year, we played them in a really tight game for 3-3 ½ quarters and they started to pull away at the end. But we hung in there with them and we had some guys out in that game. We’re just excited for an opportunity to compete against a really good football program and see where we are at. It also gets us ready for our in-state games.

Further into the conversation, I asked coach about their out-ofstate opponents and how much these games help when it comes to in-state play? Coach Marcone stated, “ Yeah, about 10-15 years ago we started playing teams out of state. It started with Bishop Fee han, Bridgewater-Rayham and we found out right away that these games really get us ready for our in-state games. Then, we start ed going to New York and playing teams like King Philip, which is another really strong team out of Massachusetts. We’re finding that these teams are really getting us ready for our in-state season because there are some good teams in Rhode Island. If you’re not ready to play, you can get shocked and beat by some of these teams. We just want to be ready. We want to be battle-tested and these games get us battle-tested”.

Lehi High (Utah)

Last Friday night the Lehi Pioneers trailed Utah 6A perenni al powerhouse, Corner Canyon, 24-0 with only 8 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. They were able to climb back and win the game 25-24. With that win, the Pioneers advance to 5-0 on the season and look to be dangerous contenders as backto-back State Champions.

Last season Lehi High School football was able to capture a 35-6 win in their final game of the season to bring back their 4th State Championship in program history. Head coach Ed Larson is re sponsible for 2 of those championships in his 8-year tenure at Lehi, winning his first back in 2017. This season Coach Larson and his staff became the winningest staff in Lehi Football history. When I ask him what he thinks makes a good leader he told me “A good leader exemplifies a mindset that thrives on challenges. The leader loves what he is doing. He has grit and perseverance to go through good and bad times. His example is not brought into question.” He also talked about continuing to adapt and grow to become the best coach he can “I am always learning and reading from the best minds I can find. I am as much a work in progress as my team is. I am far more calm today than I was earlier in my career.”

Last season the Pioneers only lost three games, including Davis High School, 2020 5A State Runner-up Timpview, and 6A pow erhouse Corner Canyon. Already this season they have gotten re venge against Davis 48-0 in their first game and defeated Corner Canyon last Friday in dramatic fashion. They will get their final op portunity to right a loss from their Championship season in Week 9 at home against Timpview. They have not only maintained their success from last season but they have improved and adapted to

By: Lucas Berger

a new season. “We are always looking for ways to practice more effectively. We have made some changes in how we practice this season that has helped us get a better look.”

The offense is led by quarterback and returning Utah 5A Offensive MVP, Jackson Brousseau. Brousseau has thrown for 1250 yards and 17 touchdowns in their first 5 games. He is relieved by a very strong 1-2 punch at running back with speed back Carson Gonzalez and a tough inside runner Kolose Latu. Latu has scored a team-lead ing 7 touchdowns including 5 on the ground and 2 through the air. Gonzalez has added to that total with 5 touchdowns all on the ground. The receiving core is led by Kolton Tanner at X and Jace John at Z. Those 2 have combined for 34 catches, 494 yards, and 7 touchdowns. The offensive line will also return 4 starters from their championship team in Austin Boyd OG, Danny Hoyal C, Ben Jeppesen OG, and Jensen Sommerville OT.

The Pioneers have only allowed 31 points throughout their first 5 games, including the 24 points against Corner Canyon. The de fensive line for Lehi Highschool will return 5A Utah Player of the Year, Isaac Terrell, who will have additional help this season from Defensive End Camden Williamson and Defensive Tackles Alema Tamala and Nathan Bulpitt. This defensive line will be backed by two very strong outside linebackers in Blake Jenkins and Hema Ka toa, that linebacker group will be anchored in the middle by senior Chanse Miller. The secondary is led by Kadiyon Sweatland, who al ready has 3 interceptions on the season, the defensive backfield will also feature 3 outstanding players in Nate Anderegg, Hank Griffin, and Kenneth Latu.

School Spotlight: Our Lady of Good Counsel (MD)

Our Lady of Good Counsel High School is located in Ol ney, Maryland. About an hour drive away from the na tion’s capital, Washington D.C. Our Lady’s football team is a part of the Washington Catholic Capital Conference. This conference may be one of the hardest conferences among all high school football divisions across the country. With only five teams in the entire conference, three of them, along with the Our Lady Falcons, are ranked in the top 50 high school football teams in the nation. As of right now, Our Lady is ranked 47th in the na tion. (According to Maxpreps) The Falcons are led by head coach, Andy Stefanelli, who took over the reins as head coach in 2017. Coach Stefanelli had some big shoes to fill in when he became head coach as their former coach, Bob Milloy stepped away from the game. Coach Milloy is Maryland’s all-time winningest high school football coach.

Coach Stefanelli is an alumni of Our Lady and spent about 8 years as the school’s freshman football coach before moving up to var sity. Last week, I had the great opportunity to speak with Coach Stefanelli about his team and their season

One of the first things I asked coach was, if there was any message that was praised during the offseason and summer workouts. He responded “We really put a big emphasis on leadership because we felt last year he had a few senior leaders, but not much out of the younger group. Since those seniors graduated and moved on, we don’t really have much of a senior class this year. So it was really going to be the matter of which of these current juniors are go ing to step up and take on a leadership role. We did a leadership class for them, preached to them about leadership, different kinds of leadership and also what they needed to and how important it was. So that was really the message to the team. For us to get there, they were going to have to take ownership of this team and make it theirs”.

When coach Stefanelli was talking about his team being so young, it sparked me with the question of what do you enjoy most about coaching? Coach Stefanelli answered, “It’s about seeing the players

By: Tyler Barros

on the team grow up, mature, and develop a passion for the game. Also to get them to understand the benefits that football can pro vide for them. Not just in scholarships and things like that, but in the real value of teamwork and working hard. To see where they come in and they don’t see that, they’re just playing football be cause it’s fun. As they move along through the process, it’s certainly when they come back after going to college. They come back, thank you and they really get it and understand what you were saying. That is definitely gratifying, some of the comments and stuff we’ll get from former players. Thanking us as a staff and what we did for them. For me, it’s really about the players and that bond you create with them. You know some of that comes with struggles, and sometimes you have to be hard on them. They might not always appreciate it or like it at the time, but over time I think they see it”.

I also talked to coach Stefanelli about his team’s recent trip to Ba ton Rouge where they faced off with Catholic. We talked a little bit about their trip but also talked about traveling around the nation to play in games. Coach Stefanelli responded that, “We’ve gone down to Georgia to play, played in Florida, went to California, and it’s just a different level. It is really the speed of the game. In our league, the metro area DC, it’s one of the top leagues in the country. That is usually the difference when you travel, especially when you go down south and you see the speed. For us, we see still see that kind of speed here, but when we go down there, it’s still a challenge. Those teams they play you around and, we tell our kids football down there is different. Football is a way of life. It’s a big deal, so when you go down there and play those teams and win some games, it’s cool but it’s great for our kids. Like ok, yeah you’re going up against SEC guys now and they’re going to SEC schools so it’s different, but we look at it like a challenge and the kids love the challenge”.

With 19 players with division I offers, this young team is filled with incredible talent and high athletic ability. Here are some of the players that we discuss on the Our Lady of Good Counsel football team.

King’s Fork High (Va)

By: William Lamphier

King’s

Fork High School – located in Suffolk, Virginia and built in 2004 – plays at the 4A level and is ranked the #14 team in the state (according to MaxPreps). The Bulldogs are home to current Baltimore Ravens starting safety Chuck Clark. This week, I had the great ability to talk with King’s Fork head coach Anthony Joffrion to talk about the team. I asked him how he got interested in being a coach, to how the team looks after starting 2-0, and who some of his top players are.

To start off, I had asked coached Joffrion how he got to the position he is in today. “I played football at Troy University, and towards the end of my career, I just… wanted to continue [being around] it. I ended up not getting a college GA job, so I ended up becoming a teacher, fresh out of college, at King’s Fork High School. I kind of just fell in love with it from there.”

As always with youth sports, the best coaching philosophy (in my opinion) is putting the players first. Joffrion’s philosophy is no different. “I really [put an emphasis] on that. Always put the kids first, and try to build a relationship with the kids. From there, that’s when you can really coach them and give them tough love. [It real ly is about] building a relationship with the players, their parents, the community, and just making it an overall great experience for the kids.”

Something everybody needs to learn is how to overcome adversity. The younger you are when you learn it, the better. Coach Joffrion makes sure that his players know how to do so. “Football is a great example of life. You go through different things throughout foot ball, whether it’s practice or in the game when things go wrong. I think the more successful football programs have got to be able to overcome adversity, because something is going to go wrong in the game, and I think it correlates directly into life. In life, thing’s are

not always going to go your way. You may not get promoted, you may not even get that job. How are you going to respond?”

Team-building is always important to any team, to make sure you function as a unit. Coach Joffrion knows this well. “Every Monday before practice, we have open forums where we talk about different things. If you’re going through something, most likely someone on the team is going or has gone through it as well. We have scenar ios where we have players talk about what they deal with in life, whether it’s losing a grandparent or losing a parent. We have a lot of players who go through similar things, so we just try to address it as a team and have an open forum. I was kind of surprised at how many kids are going through the same thing, especially with the pandemic where it changed a lot in people’s lives.”

This season, the Bulldogs are 2-0 to start the season, and Coach Joffrion likes where his team is at. “Last season, we won the first regional championship in school history and got to the state semi. We ended up losing in the last couple of seconds of the game. So this year, we have been preaching to finish. This is my third season [as head coach], and I think we’re finally starting to reap the bene fits of all the tough coaching and trying to build the culture. Now, it’s just coaching, and we don’t have to focus on discipline as much as in the past. But we’re doing really good this season. We haven’t been scored on yet and beat a pretty good team last week, so we just have to keep working towards our goal of getting to (and winning) the state championship on December 10th… we just got to take it one week at a time and focus on going 1-0 each week.”

By: Will Harper

Tucked

off in the woods between I-10 and I-12, sits a foot ball field at Woodlawn High School that holds a rich his tory of success within its white lines. A consistent playoff contender from the 1980s to the early 2000s, the Wood lawn Panthers had seemed to have regressed significantly over the last decade, at least up until recently. Since 2010, the Panthers have had 4 different head coaches, only 4 winning seasons, and their most recent playoff victory was a story told like a folk tale from 2010. This all changed, however, at the start of the 2019 season.

After a disappointing 2-9 record and finishing 5th in the district in 2018, Woodlawn went on the hunt for a new head coach.

Luckily for the Panthers, they wouldn’t have to look far. Former LSU standout and former Woodlawn coaching assistant Marcus Randall stepped in to fill the position and begin the change of cul ture that would eventually lead Woodlawn into the title contender it is today. Everyone knows that Rome was not built in a day, and no one could expect Randall to come in year one, take a team that finished 2-9, and turn them into contenders in one season. When I spoke with Coach Randall, one of the first things I asked about what his first year. I wanted to know what his mindset was, and how he approached building a team how he wanted it to be.

“It’s not like there was not already a foundation. It was there, but we moved up from 4A to 5A my first year. We had to change and grow up to play in this 5A district we are in. We had to build on depth. We didn’t need guys playing both ways. We needed to be fresh out there.” Head Coach, Marcus Randall

Coach Randall has done a great job of building his roster up for that depth he desired. When he first began coaching at Woodlawn, there were about 60 players total. Now, he has boosted that number closer to 110 players.

Fast forward to the 2022 season, and the Woodlawn Panthers have turned this program into a perennial contender in a district with even higher hopes this season. Even with a slow start to the sea son, hopes around the team are high. Explosive players like Rickie Collins and Tramon Douglas II are just as likely to make an ex plosive play as Jordan Matthews and Mark Fielder are to have a momentum-shifting defensive highlight. Rickie Collins and Jordan Matthews were freshman when Marcus Randall started coaching for the Panthers, so I asked what that conversation was like with them as underclassmen, and if he realized he had two of the most dynamic playmakers in the country on his hands.

“I mostly knew what they were made of and the potential they had. They both come from athletic families, and both have the best work ethic you can ask for in two leaders.”

Head Coach, Marcus Randall

With the leadership of the returning upperclassmen, and the younger athletes stepping up, this Woodlawn Panthers team is looking to strike while the iron is hot. They are shaping up to be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.

With a schedule that features five teams in the top 25 in the state, and two teams in the top 100 in the nation, the Panthers will need to play at their highest level.

School Spotlight: Woodlawn High (LA)

By: Tyler Barros

Archbishop

Spalding High School is located in Severn, Maryland, about a 30 minute drive from both Baltimore and Annapolis. Archbishop is a private and catholic coed high school. Spalding football is a part of the MIAA A division, which is the top private school conference for football in Maryland. As of right now, Archbishop is ranked 6th for the top football teams in the state of Maryland (according to Maxpreps). Led by coach Kyle Schmitt, Schmitt took over as head coach in 2013. Coach Schmitt is a former Maryland Terrapins football play er from the years 2001-2004. After that, he became a graduate as sistant for the Terps and worked with coach James Franklin, who was the offensive coordinator at the time. He then moved on to become head coach for Atholton high school in Columbia, Mary land for about four years and ending up at Archbishop Spalding. This week, I had the great opportunity to speak with coach Schmitt about his team and their season.

When I asked coach Schmitt what’s he most excited about with this year’s team, he told me, “It is a young team, which is really excit ing to coach. We’re playing with a lot of sophomores and freshmen in the starting lineup with some really talented kids. Last year, we went 10-0 in the regular season and 16 of those seniors went on to play college football. So, it almost feels like were starting anew a little bit, but as of right now we are 1-1”.

Further into our conversation I asked coach if there was any mes sage or any words of motivation that he has been preaching to his team this past offseason and summer. “I talk alot about gratitude and being grateful for our opportunity, being grateful for our school, our administration, and just being grateful for every prac tice. I think that leads to kids being less shellfish, it leads to kids being more committed to their teammates, more committed to the program, and more committed to mastering their craft. There hasn’t been a really big message, I think these young guys get la beled with being entitled so quickly and so quick to judge them be cause of social media. I’ve really tried to stress to this group about gratitude and I think they responded”.

Coach Schmitt also stated that, “We built this program on being really tough, outworking people, and out executing people. We are big on body language and just our approach in each meeting and each practice. We want to be different from other people. I think some of that can help separate us from our opponents, is just how we do things on a day-to-day basis. All these trends begin with cool warm-up dances and flashy uniforms. We kinda stressed to our guys a little bit about tradition and let’s be different from every body else. Let’s separate ourselves in that way and then, obviously separate ourselves in how we play the game. Those are two things I would stress and that were messages over the offseason”.

While there are many talented guys on this new and young Arch bishop Spalding team, here are some of the players that we dis cussed during the interview.

Martinsburg High (WV)

By: William Lamphier

Martinsburg

High School – located in Martinsburg, West Virginia – plays at the highest level in the state at AAA and is ranked the #1 team in the division (according to MaxPreps). The Bulldogs are home to some players who have gone to play in the NFL, including wide reciever Juwan Green and cornerback Fulton Walker, who was the first player to return a kickoff for a touchdown in the superbowl. This week, I had the pleasure to talk with Martinsburg head coach Britt Sherman to talk about the team. I asked him how he got inter ested in being a coach, to how the team looks after starting 2-0, to who some of his top players are.

Coach Sherman told me what I thought was a unique journey of becoming Martinsburg’s head coach. “Well, I was actually a premed major, and when my advisor looked at my transcript from college, all the choice classes were coaching education classes. So she sat me down and asked me what route I want to go… So I was interested in [coaching] before I knew I was interested in it, and my former head coach asked me to come on and also start teaching, because there was a big shortage in Berkeley County (where I had graduated from and where Martinsburg is), where a lot of teachers were leaving. So I was able to start as a teacher and coach around 2004.”

“[This job is] all about the kids. It’s not something you do for ego or glory [or money]. It’s something you do to help kids. More than anything, our youth today needs to be involved in something big ger than themselves, to understand how to work on the team. That’s my major [coaching philosophy] – to help these kids become the best human they can be. Additionally, I would say [the most im portant value to instill] would be the golden rule, do to others as they would do to you, and to be a great teammate.”

Team-building is as important as ever in today’s game. With that, I asked how Coach Sherman tries to build that for his team. “We do a lot of different things [to create team-building], but I think the

best things that we do is we have team dinner together on Thurs day nights, the day before the game. We do character development right before that team dinner, and we talk about something differ ent each week. This past week was the cancer awareness game, so we talked about cancer and how it’s affected all of our lives.”

As much as team-building is important to a team, it is just as im portant to develop leaders and how to spot them in a team. Coach Sherman said, “Being a great student as well as a great athlete” is what he looks for in team leadership. “We have a lot of guys right now that are doing that. Additionally, we also do some community service – we’ve done rescue missions, serving food, stuff like that. So when I ask who wants to go this month, guys that are willing to do that and do selfless acts of service are things that I look for in leaders.”

The team might be 2-0 to start the season, but that doesn’t mean there is no problems Coach Sherman has to work through. “We lost the Gatorade Player of the Year last year in our starting wide reciever, lost another All-State player at tight end, and lost our three interior lineman on offense. We lost some key pieces, but brought back a good core of guys that are extremely talented. Playing the first two games, we’ve played well. Last week, we broke a school record of yards in a game [with 696 total yards]. So we’re extreme ly talented, but also made some mental mistakes that we need to clean up because we have an extremely hard schedule coming up.”

“We need to work more on discipline. We fumbled the football, gave away a touchdown, blew coverage to give away a touchdown last week. Just those self-discipline type things, and some pen alties… bone-headed penalties and stuff like that we really have to clean up. The first thing to do [to overcome this problem] is to make practice harder, make practices more like games. Then go over certain situations; if you don’t coach it, you can’t assume they’re gonna be able to do it. So we defintiely have to start coach ing more of their situations.”

Ponderosa (CO)

By: Lucas Berger

Ponderosa

football is currently ranked #2 in Colorado class 4A football with a 2-0 record. The Mustangs have looked sharp in their first 2 games and have won those 2 games by a combined 83-33. After big road wins against Erie and Chaparral, the Mustangs will look to face Golden High School this Friday at home for the first time this season. The Mustang’s new offense will look for new guys to fill roles including a new quar terback, however, it also appears to be a very fast squad. While the defense will look to build off the leadership from their senior line backers.

One challenge this Mustangs team faced this offseason was trying to fill a lot of roles with new guys. They have been playing behind a new quarterback in Zach Stryker and also had new guys step up on the offensive line. When I asked coach Jaron Cohen how he planned on overcoming this he said “Just coaching them up and preparing them the best we can.” He also sounded very excited about some aspects of his 2022 Mustangs team. He emphasized that they had tremendous speed and that they were a group that they were “A group that truly enjoys playing with and for each other.” He also emphasized the speed that he had on his team all around.

This year’s leaders and captains of the Ponderosa football team are all 4 seniors Zach Stryker QB, Cape Olson MLB, Ethan Rodriguez LB/RB, and Jack Taylor OL/DL. Not only did coach mention these 4 as the strongest leaders on the team but he also told me that they were voted into the position they are in now by their peers. Mean ing that they are respected and trusted to lead the team by their teammates. Having strong captains is a very important aspect of all team sports and that is something that the Mustangs can certainly use to their advantage.

Some names he mentioned to keep an eye on during the games included wide receivers Max Mervin, Lyam Edwards, and Carson

Keach. The wideouts were one position group that particularly stood out when talking to coach Cohen. When speaking about the talent of this group Coach even went as far as to say “ Our WR group is as talented as I have ever coached in over 20 years.” The group has so far been headlined by sophomore Max Mervin who is a 6’1, 175-pound sophomore wide receiver. He has only played in 1 game this season and had 4 receptions for 81 yards and 2 touch downs. The group will also feature other young guys such as soph omore Ryker Thompson, that have to step up after the graduation of leading receiver Alex Tongren.

He also gave credit to the guys in the trenches on the offensive and defensive lines stating that “Jack Taylor, Andrew Saldana, Kaden Wren, Dylan Neal, and Ryan Thompson have all been a huge rea son for our early success.” These positions are guys that don’t get enough credit for how much they contribute to the success of a football team and oftentimes get overlooked because they are do ing the dirty work while skill positions get all the love. It is always good to hear a coach give the guys in the trenches the respect and credit that they deserve.

Cape Olson is one of the leaders of the team and especially on the defensive side of the ball. Throughout the first 2 games of his senior season, he has averaged 11.0 tackles per game including 13 solo tackles, and has also gotten the ball carrier behind the line of scrim mage 7 times (Tackle for Loss). He is a 6’0 210 pound linebacker that is extremely strong and also very smart. The offense will be run through senior and first-year starter at quarterback, Zach Stryker. In his first 2 games of the season, he has thrown 19 completions for 232 yards and 5 touchdowns, while also only throwing 1 inter ception. In his first 2 starts the senior captain has led his offense to score 83 points and is only going to gain more experience and exposure as the season progresses.

DiamonD in The Rough

Kameron

Triplett Is Invited To The 2022 Gridiron Football All-American Bowl Game

With

the announcement of the 2022 Gridiron Foot ball All-American Game being held in Orange Beach, Alabama, the Gridiron Football staff is now doing what they love doing the most, which is in vite some of the best players in Louisiana and in the country to the All-American Bowl Game.

Today, Jace LeJeune stopped by Central High School to invite the Wildcats’ two-way star wide receiver/defensive back Kameron Triplett to the Gridiron Football All-American Bowl Game a day after his birthday. For Triplett, it was the perfect birthday present.

“It’s big because I didn’t think that I would ever be able to get this far in order to be invited to an All-American game by Gridiron and to see that my cousin was in it, this was something that I always wanted to do. To be able to accomplish that goal and to achieve something that he achieved, that is a blessing. It’s a shocker to me because I get to be able to go to Orange Beach, Alabama and play.”

Kameron Triplett after realizing that he would be invited to play in the Gridiron Football All-American Bowl Game

By: Jace LeJeune

Christian

Zamor is a class of 2024 ATH. He is 6’1 and weighs about 195 lbs. Christian plays wide receiver on offense, but his primary position is on defense. Christian plays safety and rotates to cornerback for nickel pack ages. Due to a hip injury before his freshman year and with the Covid-19 pandemic shutting down pretty much everything, Chris tian has not yet played a game at the high school level. After watch ing Christian’s preseason highlights, it’s clear that he plays with a lot of energy. He’s physical, aggressive, and is not afraid to tackle and stop the run. Even with the cards that Christian has been dealt, he worked himself into getting an offer from Boston College. Chris tian also has 4.68 gpa and his max bench right now is 255 lbs. He is currently committed to Boston College.

By: Tyler Barros

aidan

Aidan

Lauer is a 6’2” 175-Pound Wide Reciever in the class of 2023. Playing for Littleton High School in Lit tleton Colorado, the Lions are 2-0 on the season with Wins over Sierra and Arvada. In his first 2 games of the season, Lauer averaged 5.5 catches and 149.5 yards, and he also scored 2 touchdowns. He is a deep threat receiver with excellent speed and great ball-tracking ability on deep passes.

By: Lucas Berger

is a class of 2024 quarterback out of Martinsburg High in Martinsburg, West Virginia.

at 5’10” and weighing 175 pounds with a 3.9 GPA, the junior benches a 260 and squats a 350. Clement is known on his team as the dual-threat kind of guy, with the ability to take the ball out of the backfield through his own hand or through his feet. Earlier this week, I had the great ability to speak

By: William Lamphier

moussa kane

Moussa

Kane is a class of 2023 defensive back from Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey. He is 6’2 and weighs around 180 pounds. Originally from Harlen, New York, Kane has only been playing the game of football since the 8th grade. While he does line up at both safety and corner occasionally, Moussa is also exceptional on of fense. His long body and arms makes him very difficult to defend. He has the ability to jump with anyone and make a big play at any given moment. With his 40 inch vertical and 10’9 broad jump just goes to show how long and athletic he is. After watching Moussa’s film and having a conversation with him, I realized his football IQ is incredible. He makes smart and safe plays while on the defen sive side of the ball. Currently he is committed to the University of Duke Blue Devils

By: Tyler Barros

Anthony

Little is a class of 2023 defensive end from Rock Creek Christian Academy in Upper Marlboro, Mary land. He is 6’4 and weighs about 240 pounds. Anthony has the unique combination of both power and speed that is hard to find in edge rushers. He has the ability to beat line men using his strength and drive them yards behind the line of scrimmage. Little also has some incredible speed on the field. He has a powerful quick first step and has the ability to squeeze down the line to and stop the play before it can even happen. As of right now, Anthony’s max squat is 515 lbs. After watching the film on him, I immediately saw the power/speed combination he plays with. Currently he is committed to the University of Georgia Tech.

By: Tyler Barros

Kam shallis

Kam

Shallis is a class of 2023 inside linebacker out of Mar tinsburg High in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Standing at 5’11” and weighing 205 pounds with a 4.62 GPA, the ju nior benches a 295, squats a 415, and runs a 4.78 40. Shal lis has been described as the quarterback of the team’s defense, due to his leadership and stellar play. Earlier this week, I had the chance to speak with Shallis.

By: William Lamphier

Logan

Blake is a class of 2023 tight end out of the Hun School in Princeton, New Jersey. At 6’7 and around 215 lbs, Logan is an incredible athlete with great versatility. He graduated from Delaware Valley high school in French town, New Jersey last spring, but he is currently doing a post grad year at the Hun School. Logan also has 3.4 gpa and 1120 on his SAT. In his senior year at Delaware Valley, Logan ended up with 54 receptions, 731 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns.

By: Tyler Barros

ezra bagent

Ezra

Bagent is a class of 2023 quarterback out of Martins burg High in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Standing at 6’0” and weighing 180 pounds with a 3.7 GPA, the senior benches a 260 and squats a 350. Ezra Bagent – the younger brother of Shepherd University star QB Tyson Bagent – is the kind of guy you want to build your offense around, with the ability to put the ball where it matters – on the field, and off. Earlier this week, I was given the opportunity to speak with Bagent.

By: William Lamphier

Max

Moss is a class of 2023 wide receiver out of Arch bishop Spalding High School in Severn, Maryland. Standing at 6’1 and weighing about 180 lbs, Max is a deep threat receiver who is not afraid to go up and make a big play in the air when needed. He has soft hands and great route running ability. Right now, his max bench is 285, max squat is 585, max power clean 275, and his vertical is 36.1”. Max’s cumula tive GPA is a 3.2, but he ended last year with 3.6. On the season so far, Max currently has 16 receptions, over 400 receiving yards and four touchdowns in three games played.

By: Tyler Barros

Cameron

Cameron

Butler is a class of 2023 QB out of King’s Fork High School in Suffolk, Virginia. Standing at 6’0” and weighing 175 pounds with a 2.8 GPA, the senior runs a 4.53 40 and a 4.2 shuttle. Being the starting quarterback for his entire high school career, Butler is the leader of the team and excels at it. Earlier this week, I had the great opportunity to speak with Butler.

By: William Lamphier

Antione

Gray is a class of 2023 safety out of King’s Fork High School in Suffolk, Virginia. Standing at 5’10” and weighing 180 pounds with a 3.2 GPA, the senior has a 4.7 40-yard dash time to go along with a 250 bench and a 450 squat. Gray strives to be the hard-hitting safety of the team, with a tackle similar to that of a hammer striking a nail. Earlier this week, I had the fortunate opportunity to speak with Gray.

By: William Lamphier

Ronald rhodes

Ronald

Rhodes is a class of 2023 defensive lineman out of King’s Fork High School in Suffolk, Virginia. Standing at 6’2” and weighing 220 pounds with a 2.8 GPA, the senior benches a 250 and squats a 500. Rhodes is a force to be reckoned with on the defensive line for the Bulldogs. Earlier this week, I had the chance to speak with Rhodes.

By: William Lamphier

Zion

Tracy is a class of 2023 ATH out of St. Thomas More School in Oakdale, Connecticut. He is 6’1 and weighs around 180 lbs. Zion recently graduated from Long Is land Lutheran High School, but he is now doing a prep year at St. Thomas. Zion plays wide receiver on offense, but is pri marily getting recruited for his defensive ability at the cornerback position. After watching the film and highlights of Zion, there’s no doubt about his athletic ability. At receiver, he has great hands and great route running ability. His athleticism allows him to go up and make a big play in the air whenever necessary. On the defensive side of the ball, he’s very technical. Zion has a high football IQ, he reads coverages well and is not afraid to run downhill and make a tackle. He has a 3.3 GPA, his broad jump is 10”6 and he recorded a 40 inch vert. Zion recently just made his commitment decision to Penn State University.

By: Tyler Barros

Gridiron

Siale Esera

Saile

Esera is a 4 star Defensive End/ Linebacker out of Timpview High School in Provo, Utah. He is the #4 overall prospect out of Utah in the class of 2023 according to 247 sports composite. The 6”3’ 250-Pound prospect chose BYU over schools like Colorado, California-Berkley, and Arizona.

By: Lucas Berger

Jack Endean is a 3 star offensive tackle out of Tanque Verde High School in Tucson, Arizona. According to 247 Sports, he is the #17 prospect in Arizona and the #94 tackle in the country from the class of 2023. He stands at 6”6’ 280-Pounds and is currently com mitted to Oklahoma State.

He has a lot of drive and holds his blocks extremely well and is will ing and able to follow his blocks all the way down the field until the echo of the whistle. His hip placement and footwork in pass-block ing sets are beyond his years and all of his techniques are very fluid throughout the entirety of his game. Despite his mechanics and IQ being very high the brightest aspect of Endeans game is his mental drive and willingness to compete play in and play out.

By: Lucas Berger

Juan Minaya

Juan

Minaya is a class of 2024 offensive tackle. He is 6’6 and weighs in at about 325 lbs. Juan played for Belleville High School in New Jersey, but he recently transferred to Paramus Catholic High School in Paramus, New Jersey. Juan is a phys ical lineman with great run blocking ability. His athleticism allows him to move up into the secondary and make a block downfield. After watching some of his highlights, I was very impressed by his talent and ability while he recently started playing football at the age of 14. He has great footwork, technical with his hands, and uses his strength well to move guys around in the trenches. As of right now, Juan’s max squat is at 500 and max bench in 325. He currently has a 3.0 GPA.

By: Tyler Barros

Alex

Henry is a class of 2023 quarterback out of Chardon High School in Chardon, Ohio. Standing at 6’2” and weighing 195 pounds with a 3.5 GPA, the senior has a 4.65 40-time, can squat 365 pounds, and can bench a 215 pounds. Henry has been described as a true leader for the team, who leads by example the most. Earlier this week, I had the great opportunity to speak with Henry.

By: William Lamphier

Justin

By: Tyler Barros

Denson Jr. is a class of 2023 ATH out of La Salle Academy in Providence, Rhode Island. He is 6’2 and weighs about 185 pounds. Justin plays wide receiver on offense, but he is getting primari ly recruited for his talents in the secondary. Last season, Justin played both safety/corner but, this season he’s mainly playing corner. To go along with his big 6’2 frame and 6’5 wingspan, Justin also has elite speed and athleticism. On the offense side of the ball, Justin is a physical receiver with great jumping ability. He has the ability to climb the ladder and make a big play on the ball when need be. His patience to never give up on a route and finding the open space is something that I saw repeatedly throughout watching his highlights. On the de fensive side, Justin’s physicality is what jumped off the screen for me. With his long arms, Justin is able to press his receiver at the line and not allow them an inch of space. Justin also has a great sense for finding the ball. His disciplined techniques allow him to turn his head quickly, find the ball, and be able to make a play on it. Justin is not afraid to use his physicality to make a tackle, especially in the open field. Justin’s GPA is currently at 3.2.

HeathFetchik is a class of 2023 linebacker out of Char don High School in Chardon, Ohio. Standing at 6’1” and weighing 204 pounds with a 3.8 GPA, the senior benches 250 and squats 435 pounds. Fetchik has been described as one who looks towards the past for a better hit he can deliver. Earlier this week, I had the pleasant chance to speak with Fetchik.

By: William Lamphier

Donato

Donato

By: Tyler Barros

Stepney is a class of 2023 ATH out of Scranton High School in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He is 5’11 and weighs around 180 pounds. Donato plays wide receiv er on offense, but is getting primarily recruited for his defensive ability in the secondary. On defense, Donato plays cor nerback. He is athletic, aggressive, physical, and has a high football IQ. Donato does a great job of reading coverages and the quarter back’s eyes while staying with his receiver. Physically, Donato is not afraid to run downhill and make a tackle, especially in the open field. While watching his film, I noticed he has great techniques and is a fundamentally sound football player. On the offensive side of the ball, Donato is a very athletic receiver with soft hands and great route running ability. He has tremendous footwork skills, excellent speed, and uses his speed to stretch the field. As of right now, his max squat is 335, max bench is 225, and max deadlift is 385. He currently has a 3.7 GPA.

Gridiron Top 300

Duce

Robinson is the #1 recruit from the State of Arizona in the class of 2023. He is also the #1 Tight End in the Country according to both Top247 and 247 Sports Com posite. On the 247 composite, he is a 0.9875 composite which makes him the first 5-star Tight End in the country since 2020, with Arik Gilbert and Micheal Mayer, who are projected to be the first 2 tight ends selected in this year’s NFL draft. Duce outranks recruits from previous years such as Brock Bower, Brevin Jordan, and Jake Johnson. The coveted tight end is being recruited by schools such as USC, Alabama, Georgia, and Texas; among others.

By: Lucas Berger

cooper

Cooper

Felger is a class of 2023 defensive lineman out of Chardon High School in Chardon, Ohio. Standing at 6’1” and weighing 245 pounds with a 3.8 GPA, the senior can bench 350 pounds and squat 485 pounds. Feldger has been described as a dominant force on the defensive line. Earli er this week, I had the pleasant ability to speak with Felger.

By: William Lamphier

Dillon

Gresham is a 4 star Wide Receiver from San Ja cinto (CA). According to 247 Sports Composites 2023 class rankings, he is the #24 recruit from California in the class of 2024 and the #45 overall receiver in the country.

Gresham stands at 6”1’ 165-Pounds and is an extremely fast and elusive prospect that can turn on the burners on deep balls or force defenders to miss tackles in the open field. His speed and ball-tracking skills make him a very viable option on the deep ball. You can also dump the ball to him in screens or check downs and let him go to work creating his own space and making defenders miss.

By: Lucas Berger

bryan

Bryan

Wilson is a well-rounded dual-threat quarterback out of Ayala High School in Chino Hills, Califonia. He is a 3 star and the 33rd ranked recruit from the state of Califonia in the class of 2024, according to 247 Sports Composite. He has played in 4 games so far in his junior season and has thrown for 47 completions, 905 yards, and 8 touchdowns. He added another 46-yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground. The 6”0’ 205-Pound QB is currently uncommitted but holds offers from Florida State and Texas A&M.

He plays extremely composed when in the pocket and can sense pressure while still making reads on receivers downfield. He goes through his pocket progressions extremely well for a junior in high school, which allows the Ayala high school offense to operate very smoothly, and in turn, they consistently put up points.

By: Lucas Berger

Lincoln

Kienholz is a 3 star Quarterback and the top-ranked recruit from the State of South Dakota in the class of 2023. He committed to continue his academic and football careers at the University of Washington. The 6”3’ 185-Pound Qauterback chose to play there over schools such as Wisconsin and North Dakota State. He also plays bas ketball and baseball at T.F. Riggs High School (SD).

So far this season he has gone 5-0 in his first 5 games throwing for 91 com pletions,1589-Yards, and 23-Touchdowns. He also ran for 462-Yards and 4 more touchdowns on 47 carries, averaging almost 10 yards a run!

By: Lucas Berger

Micah

Micah

Balzarini is a class of 2024 quarterback out of Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey. Micah is originally from Puyallup, Washington but he recent ly transferred to Blair in the spring. He is 6’3 and weighs about 195 pounds. Micah has all the tools to be a great quarterback at the next level. He has a strong arm, incredible ac curacy, excellent footwork in the pocket, great leadership, and a high football IQ. While watching his highlights, the first thing that jumped out to me was his ability to throw on the run. Not only is he accurate when firing a pass to his receiver in the boundaries, but he has the ability to showcase his arm talent while rolling out of the pocket. Also, Micah does a great job of staying in the pocket and finding his receivers downfield. He’s not afraid to wait until the last second to make his throw and take a hit for his team to gain a few extra yards. As of right now, Micah’s current GPA is a 3.85.

By: Tyler Barros

Gridiron

Margarita

to

from

By: Lucas Berger

Frankie

Frankie

Weaver is a class of 2024 quarterback out of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Olney, Maryland. He is 6’4.5” and weighs around 190 pounds. Frankie has a strong can non for an arm. He has the ability to fire the ball into tight windows before defenders can even react. He also has incredible accuracy and a great touch on the deep ball. He senses pressure well in the pocket and does a great job of extending the play and reading the defense’s coverage while finding his receivers down field. While watching his highlights, the one thing I noticed is his throw on the run accuracy. Frankie’s pocket awareness allows him to escape pressure, read the field, and make incredible throws down field with amazing accuracy. According to MaxPreps, through four games Frankie has 43 completions out 69 attempts, 625 yards, and 7 touchdowns. He currently has 3.88 GPA and is an Academic All-American.

By: Tyler Barros

Sam

DeTillio is a class of 2023 quarterback out of Avon High School in Avon, Ohio. Standing at 5’11” and weighing 185 pounds with a 4.3 GPA, the senior has a 4.8 40-yard dash time, can bench 255 pounds, and can squat 375 pounds. DeTillio has been described as one of the best QB’s around, and as smart as can be at the position too. Earlier this week, I had the absolute pleasure of speaking with DeTillio.

By: William Lamphier

Jacob Zamot

Jacob

Zamot is a class of 2024 quarterback from Millville High School in New Jersey. He is a 6’1 and weighs around 190 pounds. Jacob is a dual threat quarterback with great speed and incred ible pocket awareness. While watching his highlights, I noticed Jacob does a good job at staying composed in the pocket and not letting the defensive pressure get to him. He has the ability to extend plays and uses his athleticism to gain yards with his legs. Jacob is a physical ball carrier, who is not afraid to put his head down and gain a few more yards for his team. He also does well at getting out of the pocket, keeping his eyes downfield and reading coverages to find his receivers. Jacob has a strong arm with a great touch on the deep ball. Through four games this season, Jacob has 910 passing yards with 8 touchdown passes. Jacob currently has a 4.0 GPA.

By: Tyler Barros

Nick

Oliveira is a class of 2023 offensive tackle from Clear view High School in Mullica Hill, New Jersey. He is a 6’5 aggressive and physical lineman with tremendous run blocking ability. Weighing in at about 285 pounds, Nick is an athletic lineman who uses his athleticism to move up into the secondary and make blocks downfield. While watching his highlights, I noticed his aggression is on display every time he steps on the field. He plays hard and does not stop blocking his defender till the whistle blows. Nick’s pass protection was also impressive. He does a great job of not allowing his defender to get inside of him or contain the out side. With his physicality and athleticism, I’m surprised he’s only been playing football since his freshman year of high school. Currently Nick has a max 315lbs bench, 400lbs squat, 600lbs deadlift and 280lbs clean.

by: Tyler Barros

Porter

Malkiel is a 2024 Attackman from Jesuit High School in Portland, Oregon.

In his sophomore season, he led his team in points (96) and assists (36). He was named US lacrosse All-American, 1st team All-State, and won team offensive MVP for the Oregon State Champions, Jesuit High School. In last spring’s National Lacrosse Federation rankings he was ranked #41 in the class of 2024 and was also named MVP of the Maverik Showtime All-Star Game last summer. Malkiel is committed to continuing his lacrosse and aca demic career at Princeton University.

Porter is a shifty X-attackman and uses his size and physicality ex tremely well to create distance from defenders. He has a great sense of how the defenders are playing him and exploits the weaknesses to create high percentage shots or find passing lanes.

By: Lucas Berger

Porter

of 2024 Lacrosse

High Portland,

Drew

Lindsay is a class of 2023 wide reciever and corner back out of Avon High School in Avon, Ohio. Stand ing at 5’8” and weighing 160 pounds with a 4.6 GPA, the senior has a 4.54 40-yard dash time, can bench 255 pounds, and can squat 315. Lindsay has been described as not only talented, but posesses a much-needed energy and desire to con stantly get better. Earlier this week, I had the delightful freedom to speak with Lindsay.

By: William Lamphier