Key Players from Archbishop Rummel’s Scrimmage

On Thursday night, the Rummel Raiders traveled to Teurlings Catholic’s stadium to scrimmage against the Carencro Golden Bears. Playing at a neutral site field, Rummel and Carencro had a competitive scrimmage that showed positive signs for both of their upcoming seasons. The Raiders have a lot to live up to coming off a 13-0 Division I State Championship the previous season. Rummel will have to replace plenty of starters this season, but Coach Monica has a team that believes they should be the favorite to repeat as state champs. Several players stood out against a competitive Carencro team in Thursday’s scrimmage. [player_tooltip player_id="63560" first="Logan" last="Diggs"] - 6’0", 190 RB (Senior) [player_tooltip player_id="63560" first="Logan" last="Diggs"] is probably the most noteworthy returning starter from last season. His versatile running game was a key to the Raiders’ offensive success last year. Having lost several weapons after last season, Rummel will count on Diggs to be even more involved in this year’s offense. Diggs proved he can be the do it all running back on Thursday. Diggs showed he can be effective coming out of the backfield and as a pass protector early in the scrimmage. He also had several punishing runs that showed he can lower his shoulder and deliver a blow as well. Later in the scrimmage, he showed off his speed with a 70 yard touchdown run on the first play of the series. I expect Diggs to give a strong case for the best running back in Louisiana this season. [player_tooltip player_id="63624" first="Kyle" last="Wickersham"] - 6’3", 220 QB (Senior) Another key returning starter from last season is quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="63624" first="Kyle" last="Wickersham"]. Wickersham helped lead the Raiders to an undefeated state championship last season, but he will be given the same task this year without many of his key weapons from the previous season. Wickersham’s experience and playmaking ability should definitely help the Raiders get back on track this year. Although the Raiders were reluctant to throw downfield most of the scrimmage, Wickersham showed his ability to evade pressure and make plays with his feet. The quarterback had a ten yard touchdown scramble during the scrimmage. He looked comfortable stepping up in the pocket and keeping his eyes downfield. I believe the key for Wickersham this season will be finding the confidence in one of his receivers who can make plays downfield when needed. Caboz Craig - 5’9", 225 DE (Senior) Caboz Craig does not have the typical height and weight of a standout defensive end, but that has not stopped him from making plays for the Raiders the past two seasons. Craig’s intensity on each play is unmatched. Whether lined up at nose tackle or end, he fires off with the same energy each play. Craig is great at getting a quick jump at the snap and stays low while driving his blockers upfield. Craig also has unusual speed for a d-lineman. He uses his speed to purse the football wherever the runner ends up. Craig is a high energy, vocal leader for the Raiders who will count on him leading the defense this season. Nick Perkins - 6’4", 300 OT (Senior) Nick Perkins is a big player on the left side of the Raiders’ offensive line. Perkins uses his size very well, especially in the run game. If he is able to get hands on a defender, you can expect that defender won’t be making the tackle. For his size, Perkins moves fairly well. During the scrimmage, he had several plays where he pulled around as a lead blocker and blocked well at the second level. Perkins did, however, struggle on a few snaps in pass protection. The athletic pass rushers of Carencro were able to get around him on a couple plays, forcing Wickersham to step up and maneuver the pocket. If he improves his pass blocking, I think Perkins can be a big time player this season. Tyrone Hayes - 6’2", 195 TE (Junior) Tyrone Hayes got some experience last year, but he will be asked to fill a bigger role for the Raiders this season. Hayes will be asked to be a much bigger part of the passing game this season, and the first few plays of the scrimmage showed it. Wickersham target Hayes with several throws early in the scrimmage. Hayes showed his reliant hands and his ability to get extra yards after the catch. After a couple of his receptions, he delivered punishing blows to the Carencro defenders. Hayes has natural receiver abilities, but will need to work on his blocking in order to keep defenses guessing when he is in the game. I am excited to see how Hayes develops over the next two seasons.