Top Performers: Louisiana Bootleggers national team showcase

Louisiana’s rapidly expanding 7-on-7 landscape wasted little time launching into its 2021 routine following the COVID-delayed high school season’s Dec. 30 conclusion. The state’s premier program, the Bootleggers, worked with area teams around the state to host tryouts throughout January capped by a final showcase event Jan. 16 at Traction Sports Performance in Baton Rouge before finalizing their roster. Half a dozen of the top performers included: <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v3CVQgaXMV0" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <strong>Wallace Foster IV — 5-11, 160 DB — Warren Easton</strong> The young cornerback, a 2024 prospect, was younger than some of the athletes who showed up for 15U tryouts, but once again — as always — showed levels of athleticism and confidence that placed him among the top performers competing against players two years his senior. Foster's energy, physicality and feisty attitude are already proving intimidating for receivers. And as he continues to develop physically and technically — where he's now working with Ryan Clark and Derek Stingley Sr. — he could prove to be among Louisiana's top recruits. <strong>Landon Ibieta — 6-0, 184 WR — Mandeville</strong> At an event with several notable four- or even five-star prospects on hand, no one had a better day than the Skippers' pass-catcher. Ibieta made plays all over the field — cutting his way free on short and intermediate routes, beating defenders over the top for long touchdowns and making a few catches in tighter coverage as well. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">2022 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mandeville?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mandeville</a> WR Landon Ibieta (<a href="https://twitter.com/IbietaLandon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IbietaLandon</a>) had a *heckuva* showing at today’s <a href="https://twitter.com/LABootleggers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LABootleggers</a> showcase. <a href="https://t.co/4u1fU5lgg0">https://t.co/4u1fU5lgg0</a> <a href="https://t.co/THFR8V8xjS">pic.twitter.com/THFR8V8xjS</a></p> — Jerit Roser (@JeritRoser) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeritRoser/status/1350555641627238400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <strong>Aeneaus LeMay — 5-10, 175 ATH — West Feliciana</strong> "Neno" looked the part of an explosive athlete with track speed from the moment he arrived and, as competition began, lived up to that eye test from start to finish of the event. LeMay was open most of the afternoon thanks to his speed and quickness and proved typically sure-handed. Along with Ibieta, he looks to be poised for a productive, breakout spring. <strong>Ronald Lewis II — 6-1, 170 DB — Warren Easton</strong> Foster's defensive backfield mate with the Eagles was another of the top performers, showing his back-end ball-hawking that helped him tie for a Louisiana-leading eight interceptions this fall, as well as his ability to cover some of the state's top receivers in man. Virginia and Tulane became two of the first colleges to extend scholarship offers to the 2022 prospect the dame week, and other notable programs are quickly following suit. <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fh-nVj2nQ-A" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <strong>Landry Lyddy — 6-0, 190 QB — Calvary Baptist</strong> The returning quarterback was among the talks of the afternoon for the many talented wide receivers on hand, who left impressed with his arm throwing pass-catchers open all over the field. Lyddy capped his junior season, his first as Calvary Baptist's varsity starter, with a record-setting 464-yard state championship game, but enters the spring with a chip on his shoulder and a feisty competitive attitude still looking to torch defenses in a different system on a national level and open more college eyes. <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bnyJC6sGjGw" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <strong>Khamauri Rogers — 6-0, 160 DB — Holmes County (Mississippi)</strong> Likely the only out-of-state participant at the event, the one-time LSU commitment couldn't be ignored after a largely lockdown afternoon against top receivers. Rogers has gotten a little bigger and a little stronger to go with the athleticism, speed, technique and ball skills that caught the Tigers' and other major colleges' attention early. A diving interception on the sideline was among the highlights of the day. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Khamauri Rogers (<a href="https://twitter.com/Khamauri1k?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Khamauri1k</a>).</p> The 2022 cornerback was among the stars <a href="https://twitter.com/LABootleggers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LABootleggers</a> coach Ryan Clark (<a href="https://twitter.com/Realrclark25?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Realrclark25</a>) pushed all morning to always step up and seek competition. One of his highlight moments from the day here with a diving interception: <a href="https://t.co/8J2FzV7DXM">https://t.co/8J2FzV7DXM</a> <a href="https://t.co/AdOReGa7M3">pic.twitter.com/AdOReGa7M3</a> — Jerit Roser (@JeritRoser) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeritRoser/status/1350554360049184770?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>