2A-4’s Best; and a Hidden Gem?

Although 2A Region 4 is not the easiest conference to spot talent in. There are a few players that stand out. At this level of competition, a lot of the time, you’ll see the most athletic players being put in at quarterback. It simply gives them the best chance to win. That is the case for a couple of these guys. Those particular players will be evaluated based off overall athleticism and football skillsets outside of arm talent. But don’t let that fool you, There is one particular QB that has it all. Lets get started. <strong>QB</strong> #1 [player_tooltip player_id="131137" first="William" last="Litton"]- Senior 6’2 196 lbs., Quitman High School Litton is 2A’s best kept secret. A secret no more. William racked up 2,391 yards and 21 TD’s through the air last year in basically 10 games. He also amassed over 1,200 yards on the ground, while adding 22 rushing TD’s. He averaged over 200 passing yards and over 100 rushing yards per game. He is the best quarterback in the conference and could easily be the best in 2A. He can certainly throw with some of best in the state, as he has a hell of an arm. On several of occasions, He’s effortlessly thrown the ball 50+ yards right into the bread basket of the receiver. His Head Coach, DJ Marrs, recently stated that the two sport athlete’s fastball has touched 90mph while throwing off the mound. DJ also thinks, if he would have been involved in some upper echelon camps, colleges would have loved his speed/size combo. He runs close to a 4.8 speed. Litton shows good footwork in the pocket and delivers the ball with zip. He keeps his eyes down the field while scrambling and can throw accurately on the run. As a runner, he doesn’t necessarily run past people, but he is great at finding the open lanes and using blocks to his advantage. At the 2A level, he’s not easy to bring down, and he impresses with his ability to juke and jive through defenders. There will need to be a big adjustment to the speed of the game at the next level. He also tallied 164 tackles as a linebacker and 27 tackles for loss. He is completely immersed in the game and is a true baller. He knows where to be, when to be there and how to get there. He has already received an offer from Lyon College, but by the end of the year, I believe he will have many more. <strong>QB/RB </strong>#25 Noah Johnson- Senior 5’11 175lbs., Mountainburg High School Mountainburg uses a lot of motion and uses a read option offense manned by Noah Johnson. He made the transition from RB/WR to QB last year and learned the playbook quickly. He displays good athleticism and shows different dynamics of running the ball. He can avoid defenders with a multitude of moves, he can spin, juke, stiff arm and truck defenders at this level and has a good burst of speed. He impresses with his patience and his downhill cuts. He fights for extra yardage and could surprise with his work ethic at the next level. <strong>WR </strong>#6 Trevor Locke- Junior 5’8 160lbs., Quitman High School Trevor will, undoubtedly, be [player_tooltip player_id="131137" first="William" last="Litton"]’s favorite target and leading receiver this year. He may not be very big, but the kid has one of the best stutter steps I’ve seen, especially at this level. He runs crisp routes and is super impressive as a slot receiver. He will need to put muscle mass if he has college ball on his mind. It helps that he has Litton throwing to him, but Litton will tell you that it helps having Locke catching for him, as he doesn’t drop anything. His coach says he can catch a BB in a hurricane. He excels at finding the soft spot in zone coverage and gets north and south, with quickness, once he secures the catch. He had a great season as a sophomore and could really light up the stat sheet this year. Watch out for the Quitman duo of Litton and Locke. <strong>QB</strong> #7 Keithlin Brown- Senior 5’10 170lbs., Bigelow High School Keithlin is better known for his basketball skills, but that just shows how athletic he is. His lateral quickness can leave people without shoes. The southpaw’s arm talent is very inconsistent but he can throw on the run. He grades much better as a runner, as he has good speed, sub 4.7. He lead Bigelow to their first conference title since 2012 and their most wins since 2008. Brown can reverse the field in a hurry and can beat the rest of the team to the sideline. He uses his quickness and mobility to extend plays. At this level, Keithlin is almost impossible to stop if you give him space. &nbsp;