Baltimore’s Opening Weekend: Top Performers

In the ending days of February, Baltimore County announced they would be indefinitely postponing all fall high school sporting events, impacting the mostly statewide kickoff expected in the first week of March. This postponement did not last too long as county schools were allowed to compete over this past weekend. With great play all over Maryland this weekend, I will be focusing on some of the top performers from the Baltimore area. Let’s get into some of these performances! Jailen Knight, QB - Perry Hall 2022 I have had the opportunity to cover Jailen before and this kid is a talent that cannot go unnoticed. Standing at 6’1 185, Knight is a dual threat who can change the course of a game in the blink of an eye. This previously mentioned game changer would not be necessary in his season opening performance against the Catonsville defense, as Knight led his squad to a 39-0 victory. After having his season cut short last year, Jailen came out and played some of his best ball, picking up touchdowns both through the air and on the ground. Knight showed off his already polished mechanics when he threw a 45 yard touchdown strike while standing strong in the pocket, taking the lid off the entire defense. This season should be another statement from Knight, a call to action for recruiters all over. Curtis Eley, ATH - Howard 2021 Playing out of Howard High School in Glen Burnie, Curtis Eley is 6’1 180 playing multiple positions including defensive back, running back, and wide receiver. Eley has been making a name for himself over the past few seasons. Curtis as of recently has been labeled the human highlight reel by some for his big play ability. This same big play ability was put on display this weekend in Howard’s shutout victory against Reservoir. In a low scoring affair, Eley made his presence known throughout the contest. Two of his biggest plays totaled in over 50 yards respectively, one being a handoff up the middle that Eley managed to bounce outside for a 50+ yard run putting his unit in striking distance. The other big play you’re thinking about would be Eley’s show of crazy athleticism as he outran the Reservoir secondary on a seam for a 68 yard touchdown reception. Eley himself has his eyes set on gaining recognition, something inevitable if he continues to perform at these levels. [player_tooltip player_id="90600" first="Zavion" last="Woodard"], RB - New Town 2021 Zavion is another player I have talked about before, a sleeper if I have ever seen one. Woodard checking in at 5’8 200 is a unit at the running back position to say the least. Woodard opened the season against a Pikesville defense that simply could not find an answer for anything New Town threw at them as they would lose 42-0. Woodard as always managed to leave his stamp on his game with his style of play. Zavion’s frame allows him certain skills that some may not be capable of and he put them on display this past Saturday. With multiple runs totaling over 20 yards, Woodard used his bruising and physical play to his advantage as he bulldozed through the Pikesville defense on a few separate occasions, helping him record a couple of trips to the end zone himself. Woodard has a few games left in his high school career to cement himself as one of the best to carry the ball for his school, be on the lookout for some great performances. Tahseen Howard, DB - Milford Mill 2022 Tahseen standing at 6’ 190 is not a one trick pony, that’s for sure after seeing him in action Saturday. Playing in a program usually stacked with talent at Milford Mill, Howard found his opportunities to stand out this past weekend and did not waste a single one. Playing against a county rival in Woodlawn, Howard definitely left a mark on the psyche of his opponents defense. Howard shows a very strong understanding of the game in his ability to read what the offense is showing him and having the proper coaching and development to react as needed in the specific moment. Tahseen came down with two separate interceptions over the course of the contest, one being a very acrobatic jump ball downfield in traffic and the other being an overthrown deep ball Howard would go on to hawk down from overtop an opposing receiver. It did not stop there for Howard’s stellar performance, he also completed a pass for a touchdown in the victory over Woodlawn. Surprising? Don’t be, Howard spent his time on JV as a quarterback who most could not figure out in short. With another season left after the current one, expect to see Tahseen in a more important role when it comes to leading the huddle offensively. [player_tooltip player_id="90418" first="TJ" last="Moore"], T - Perry Hall 2021 I did not expect to be writing about a tackle going into this past week of competition, but this can not go unnoticed. [player_tooltip player_id="90418" first="TJ" last="Moore"] is someone we should keep a closer eye on for the remainder of the season. TJ is listed at a towering 6’9 and weighs around 220 pounds, some weight to be put on maybe but his height alone is an eye grabber when coupled with some actual talent for the game, all things Moore has going for him. Starting in Perry Hall’s offense TJ has been tasked with protecting his fellow teammate Jailen Knight who was referenced earlier in this article. TJ on Saturday took that objective a step further with his performance. Not allowing a sack is always something to be proud of, TJ did that and then some with his blocking in the run game. While leading the way on a few key runs, Moore was able to record a handful of dominating pancake blocks against Catonsville’s front seven. Moore presents himself as a prospect with a lot of upside and few weaknesses when it comes to protecting his skill players.