Twitter Mania: Week 2 Offensive Standouts

IHSA Football finished Week 2 of the season and there were many impressive performances. To cover as many of your performances we posted a tweet on Twitter asking you to drop your highlight tape showcasing your performance from your Week 2 games. Without further ado, here are Twitter Mania’s Week 2 Offensive Standouts from across the state. <hr /> Hudson Sherwood Deerfield 22’ K/P <a href="https://twitter.com/Huddy1020">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11535816/6133b700967792079873bc86">Film</a> 6/6 PAT, 3 touchbacks, 40 yd field goal Mr. Sherwood does a good job of following through with his kick as one continuous movement and doing so quickly instead of having any hitches. That’s important because he got multiple PATs off right before the defender got there in an attempt to block the extra point. We get a glimpse into his leg strength as he’s able to nail a 40-yard field goal and had multiple touchbacks during kickoffs. [player_tooltip player_id="132515" first="Jovan" last="Butts"] 5’9 160 Morton West 22’ QB <a href="https://twitter.com/qb_butts">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11097680/6132f9eb4dec8408d0926ef2">Film</a> Mr. Butts is a smaller quarterback but don’t let that be the reason you shy away from him as he’s a talented young man. He has the arm strength to make the throw outside the numbers to the far side of the field and can make level 2 throws putting the ball between the linebackers and the safeties for a completion downfield. This young man also runs a 4.5 40 yard dash which comes to light when he scrambles with the ball. Jon Buckley 6’0 190 Carmel Catholic 22’ WR <a href="https://twitter.com/jonbuckley416">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11155671/61340ad4a6764108c8d41c0b">Film</a> 7 receptions for 184 yards (3 TDs) Mr. Buckley runs a nasty double move where he makes the defender bite inside as if he’s running a slant then cuts upfield gaining a step on the defender resulting in a touchdown on the play. He gets in and out of his cuts quickly which breaks the defender off at the top of his route creating separation on the play for easy completions. This young man is also a deep threat that goes up for the 50/50 balls and comes down with the contested catch by high pointing the ball. Aidan Perez 5’8 150 Von Steuben 22’ RB <a href="https://twitter.com/aidanperez__">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11346014/61350cacf5699d08c4641736">Film</a> 85 rushing yards, 74 receiving yards, 3 total TDs, 8 tackles, 3 TFL Mr. Perez is an N/S runner that bursts through the line of scrimmage. Once he turns the corner he blows by the 2nd level of defenders resulting in a touchdown. He also lines up in the slot where he gets upfield quickly after securing the catch further showcasing his impact on the offensive side of the ball. [player_tooltip player_id="150255" first="Kaymen" last="Coleman"] 6’1 159 Von Steuben 22’ WR <a href="https://twitter.com/KaymenColeman">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11492427/6133fd779a9145092c492537">Film</a> 3 receptions for 53 yards (1 TD), 11 tackles, 2 TFL Mr. Coleman is quick off the line of scrimmage and goes up for the 50/50 balls by high pointing the ball to come down with the contested catch. When he runs receiver screens, he gets upfield quickly once he secures the catch and reads his blocks downfield. This young man is also able to find the soft spot in the defense by slowplaying his route which gives his quarterback an outlet to find in the passing attack. [player_tooltip player_id="155051" first="Peyton" last="Armstrong"] 5’11 185 Tuscola 22’ QB <a href="https://twitter.com/peytonozzy">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11213036/6133f1c0d468881280fa1d0d">Film</a> 3 TDs Once Mr. Armstrong gets the ball on quarterback runs he bursts through the line of scrimmage blowing by the 2nd level of defenders with his quick acceleration. The way he runs with the ball is that of a natural running back where he weaves in and out of defenders as well as keeping the ball "high and tight". When he throws the ball he’s able to flip his hips producing torque on the ball when he’s throwing on the run to get the ball into the receiver’s basket for the completion downfield. Vinny Lannantone Joliet Catholic Academy 22’ RB <a href="https://twitter.com/VinnyIannanton2">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11676844/61350a194debb3041cf6532e">Film</a> Mr. Lannantone has another good showing in Week 2 further showcasing his downhill running. Once the ball is in his hands he bursts through the line of scrimmage where he isn’t afraid to lower his shoulder to play through contact. As he does so, he keeps his feet driving playing through the whistle and has a low center of gravity allowing him to bounce off of hits gaining extra yards on the play. [player_tooltip player_id="139323" first="Kal" last="Harris"] 6’0 180 York 22’ WR <a href="https://twitter.com/KalKHarris1">Twitter</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KalHarris3/status/1434574170080391170?s=20">Film</a> Mr. Harris runs a bubble screen play where he secures the catch, as he does some he gets upfield quickly accelerating between the two blocks that he has from his fellow receivers. As this happens, he’s able to turn the corner blowing by the 2nd level of defenders resulting in a touchdown. This is the only clip that he has, moving forward keep a lookout on how he produces and what highlights he captures to get a better insight into his full range of skills. [player_tooltip player_id="120070" first="Corey" last="Phillips"] 5’8 165 Kaneland 22’ RB <a href="https://twitter.com/Coreyphillips35">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11092669/6133004590f0a708a4614a46">Film</a> 14 carries for 66 yards, 4 receptions for 33 yards, 2 kick returns for 63 yards, 1 TD Mr. Phillips builds off of his Week 1 performance showcasing his impact in both offensive attacks. Once the ball is in his hands he attacks the running lane, if the initial running lane gets clogged up he bounces the play to the outside where he can turn the corner. As he does this, you see his quick acceleration which he uses to blow by the 2nd level of defenders. This young man can also catch out of the backfield on screen plays where he gets upfield quickly once he secures the catch. When he’s split out in the slot he’s able to find the soft spot in the defense giving his quarterback an outlet in the quick passing attack. [player_tooltip player_id="122403" first="Cade" last="Stevens"] 6’1 190 Streator 22’ ATH <a href="https://twitter.com/Cstevens1334">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11350002/61339a816890310988990305">Film</a> 100 receiving yards (2 TDs), 88-yard kick return TD Mr. Stevens’ first play on his highlight film is his 88-yard kick return touchdown which showcases his playmaking abilities. Once he secures the ball he gets upfield quickly following his blocks as he goes up the right sideline. As this happens, there are multiple defenders that have a chance to bring him downs but Mr. Stevens keeps his feet driving breaking the arm tackles. He then plants his foot into the ground to change direction taking the open cutback lane where he changes gears quickly getting into open-space and ultimately the endzone. On offense, once he secures the catch by looking the ball in he gets upfield quickly and fights for every yard. Elliot Cassem 6’1 210 Reed Custer 22’ RB <a href="https://twitter.com/elliot_cassem">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11479062/6132f11bbed7310840af4512">Film</a> 269 rushing yards, 86 yard kick return TD, 3 TDs Mr. Cassem is a sight to see. He’s able to run between the guards showcasing his downhill running where he bursts through the line of scrimmage and fights for extra yards by keeping his feet driving. This young man is also able to run outside the tackles where he uses his quick acceleration to turn the corner, once he does this he’s off to the races blowing by the 2nd level of defenders. That was seen during his 86 yard kick return TD as he followed his blocks turning the corner weaving in and out of defenders as he sprints into the endzone. [player_tooltip player_id="136085" first="Karson" last="Cotton"] 6’4 170 Joliet West 22’ WR <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11240425/6133d879345312085c732761">Film</a> Mr. Cotton is quick off the line of scrimmage which he uses to get a step on the defensive back. After he does so, he breaks the defender off at the top of the route and goes up for the 50/50 ball where he high points the ball coming down with the contested catch. This young man secures the bubble screen and gets upfield quickly blowing by the 2nd level of defenders as seen towards the middle of his film. Mason Pawelko 6’3 190 Geneva 22’ ATH <a href="https://twitter.com/MasonPawelko">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11862623/6133176a6e81d9072ca908df">Film</a> 1 INT, 50 reception yards, 5 tackles, 1 passing TD Mr. Pawelko lines up in the slot, once he secures the catch he gets upfield by changing his gears quickly showcasing his 4.55 40 yard dash. As he does so he blows by the 2nd level of defenders breaking arm tackles by keeping his feet driving. He also ran the "Philly Special" where he threw a touchdown pass to his Quarterback showcasing his versatility further as he’s also one heck of a defensive player as well. [player_tooltip player_id="65709" first="Chris" last="Perez"] 6’2 205 DePaul College Prep 22’ QB <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisPerez_07">Twitter</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisPerez_07/status/1434552290560679939?s=20">Film</a> 9/11 for 217 yards (6 TDs), only played 1st half Mr. Perez had an impressive performance throwing 6 TDs while only playing in the first half of the game. He kickstarts his film with a level 3 throw on a deep shot where he puts the ball into the receiver’s basket resulting in a touchdown. When he’s in the pocket he sets his feet and has a fluid release getting the ball into the receiver’s basket. There’s a play in his highlight that stood out where pressure is coming at him while he’s in the pocket and he uses a spin move to evade the defender before pulling the ball down to scramble for a gain on the play. When you think of this young man his passing skillset is what comes to mind first, don’t forget that he can scramble as well and isn’t afraid to lower his shoulder while doing so. [player_tooltip player_id="158043" first="Kelly" last="Watson"] 6’0 180 York 23’ RB <a href="https://twitter.com/Kellywatson_1">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12827672/613364fd0c5de30d242a45d1">Film</a> 18 carries for 107 yards (3 TDs) Once Mr. Watson sees the cutback lane he plants his foot into the ground, changes direction, and accelerates to full speed. He bursts through the line of scrimmage when he runs outside the tackles giving him an edge to turn the corner. If he’s able to do so, he’s off to the races as he makes the first defender miss by utilizing his jump cuts to gain extra yards on the play. This young man also has the ability to bounce plays to the outside if his running lane gets closed by the opposing defense further highlighting his speed and quick acceleration to turn the corner. [player_tooltip player_id="158006" first="Vinny" last="Rugai"] 6’0 195 St Ignatius 23’ RB <a href="https://twitter.com/RugaiVinny">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12914917/61335f789a9145092c483fad">Film</a> 22 carries for 166 yards (3 TDs), only played 1st half Mr. Rugai was a man on a mission in his Week 2 performance. Once the ball was in his hands we saw the type of downhill runner that he is. He bursts through the line of scrimmage following his blocks and keeps his feet diving fighting for extra yards. This young man plays through contact and has the ability to break arm tackles. On one play later in his highlight, he broke off a big run after breaking an arm tackle and utilizes his vision to see the cutback lane resulting in him diving for the endzone as he was being tackled. [player_tooltip player_id="158037" first="John" last="Brown"] 5’10 160 Mount Carmel 23’ WR <a href="https://twitter.com/Johnbrown3__">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13688903/613390c49a9145092c489415">Film</a> Mr. Brown is able to get a free inside releases which he capitalizes on with a touchdown at the beginning of his highlight tape. What stood out the most was his run blocking ability at the wideout position. He’s able to close ground quickly between himself and the defender before squaring up to get hands-on quickly to get the block accomplished. This was key later in his highlight film where right as he does so it gave his teammate a cutback lane to gain a few extra yards as he ran right off of Mr. Brown’s block. [player_tooltip player_id="197934" first="Nikolas" last="Belski"] 6’2 250 LaSalle Peru 23’ OL <a href="https://twitter.com/nikbelski">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13241538/61338c5ad468881280f9d122">Film</a> Mr. Belski picks up where he left off in Week 1 showcasing his aggressive and attacking playstyle on the offensive line. I’m becoming a big fan of this young man. He kickstarts his highlight with him pulling where he makes not one but two key blocks for his running back to get a big gain on the play. Those blocks included him throwing the defender to the ground. The rest of his highlights showcase him keeping his feet driving, playing through the whistle, and washing the defensive lineman down. If he’s able to keep this consistency the rest of the season his stock is going to rise tremendously. [player_tooltip player_id="189244" first="Jake" last="Metze"] 5’9 165 Johnsburg 23’ ATH <a href="https://twitter.com/Jake_Metze13">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11232926/61339e4619a50d0acc1c39ad">Film</a> 13 receptions for 109 yards, 6 rushes for 116 yards (1 TD) Mr. Metza had himself a game in Week 2 with the stats above. When he lines up in the backfield he takes the handoff and bursts through the line of scrimmage changing gears quickly. Once he turns the corner it’s very difficult to catch him with his 4.5 40 speed as he blows by the 2nd level of defenders. He also lines up in the slot where he’s quick off the line of scrimmage and once he secures the catch he gets upfield quickly showcasing his quick acceleration further. This young man is also able to make contested catches with the defender all over him seen later in his highlight tape and keeps his feet driving as the defender tries to bring him down. Mike Barretto 6’2 260 Taft 23’ OL <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeBarretto76">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12872349/613398be6890310988990078">Film</a> Mr. Barretto does a good job of staying square keeping a solid base as he’s run blocking and keeping his feet driving to push the defender back. This young man plays through the whistle and on one occasion ends up driving the defender back 10 yards before pancaking him at the end of the play. [player_tooltip player_id="181798" first="Nate" last="Branch"] 6’2 210 Palatine 23’ TE <a href="https://twitter.com/NateBranch810">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13374723/6134ef27a022f80a68202549">Film</a> Mr. Branch had a good showing of his blocking abilities in Week 2, both at the line of scrimmage and downfield in open space. When he lines up in the slot he gets to the defender quickly finding work downfield and playing through the whistle. When he lines up on the line he fires off the ball getting hands-on quickly and keeps his feet driving creating a running lane for his teammate. He also showcased his hands towards the end of the film when he ran a 10 yard out route coming down with the completion right along the far sideline. [player_tooltip player_id="132936" first="Blayne" last="Sisson"] 6’3 175 Mount Carmel 24’ ATH <a href="https://twitter.com/BlayneSisson">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/15122563/6133cc1019a50d0acc1c5c5c">Film</a> 166 rushing yards (2 TDs), 99 receiving yards (2 TDs) Mr. Sisson converted from wideout to quarterback in Week 2 showcasing his versatility. With his new role at quarterback, he runs the read-option and once he keeps the ball he bursts through the line of scrimmage blowing by the 2nd level of defenders showcasing his quick acceleration. There’s a play in there showcasing his passing ability where he makes a level 3 throw into the receiver’s basket resulting in a touchdown. [player_tooltip player_id="136750" first="Brett" last="Larson"] 6’3 245 Kaneland 24’ OL <a href="https://twitter.com/BrettL65">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/14659985/61339534a6764108c8d3d17e">Film</a> Mr. Larson ended up having more pass pro than run blocking in this week’s highlight film. That being said, it gives us a deeper dive into his skillset in that area. Once the ball is snapped he’s able to get hands-on quickly and staying square forcing the outside rush keeping the pocket clean in his film. As he does so, he stays in front of the defender and at times pushed the defensive lineman back by keeping his feet driving. There is also a play where he works up to the 2nd level of defenders while run blocking and keeps his feet driving through the whistle. [player_tooltip player_id="158489" first="Cam" last="Williams"] 6’2 180 Glenbard South 24’ WR <a href="https://twitter.com/cam_will30">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/7992188/6132f8a542070010a4d95091">Film</a> Mr. Williams is quick off the line of scrimmage which he uses to gain a step on the defender on the deep shot downfield. He goes up for the 50/50 ball and comes down with it by high pointing the ball. This young man also blocks downfield for his teammates, so much so that he drove the defender back 10 yards into the endzone giving his teammate an easy running lane to take right off of his block resulting in a touchdown. <hr /> We’re going to continue this trend of going to Twitter to highlight as many of you young men as possible each week to help you, the student-athlete, get your name out there further. Be sure to follow @jamaskane regarding news & information for Illinois High School Football, @PrepRedzoneIL, and @PrepRedzone.