Millennium @ Horizon: Offensive Standouts

The biggest question this season around Arizona is "is Horizon or Millennium for real?", and the answer is yes to both. Both Horizon and Millennium are absolutely loaded with underrated prospects, and a few of which possess a division 1 skillset from what I saw on Friday night. On a tight 43-36 Horizon win, there were tons of prospects who stood out. Take a look at some of the top offensive players of the game: &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="210196" first="Skyler" last="Partridge"], <em>QB, Horizon ’22</em> Partridge had a huge 5 TD night (3 passing and 2 rushing), and led a comeback drive to punch it in himself to secure the W over Millennium. He made numerous good throws on the night, and did a great job throwing on the move and hitting those intermediate crossing routes. He got the ball out quick when he needed to on hitches, but did his best work on the ground. He did a great job extending plays when needed, and made solid reads on read option schemes and shows an excellent burst when he cuts upfield. Good top end speed to finish long runs as he flashed on his 74 yard TD. &nbsp; <img class="size-medium wp-image-211674 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/10/IMG_6548-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> [player_tooltip player_id="161950" first="Blake" last="Sparks"], <em>QB, Millennium ’22</em> Sparks really impressed me on Friday night with his build (6’2" 215lbs), poise, arm talent, and toughness. He stands tall in the pocket with poise and the demeanor to drive the ball downfield. He delivers with a fluid release and showed the ability to hit all 3 levels of throws with timing, velocity, and placement. He showed the ability to make decisive reads and drive the ball through tight windows. He does an excellent job breaking out of sacks, evading pressure to extend plays and either finding receivers downfield or picking up yards on his feet, where he turns into a physical ball carrier. Very impressed with Sparks as he possesses a natural arm talent and looked like a sure FCS level talent on Friday night. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="169412" first="Zues" last="Pinder"], <em>RB, Millennium ’24</em> Pinder is a straight up beast with the ball in his hands and established himself as a very dangerous ball carrier on Friday night. He hits the hole with a purpose and possesses excellent vision and physicality to lower his shoulder and run through contact. On top of his physicality, he also showed good flexibility and COD to swiftly cut or maneuver around opponents to make them miss. Broke some ankles on numerous runs Friday night in which he took a handful of carries for big plays, and also showed the ability to run clean routes and catch the ball out of the backfield. He finished with 142 yards and 3 TD’s on the night, and is a definite 2024 RB to get on your radar. &nbsp; <strong>Wesley Lambert,</strong> <em>RB, Horizon ’23 </em> The little brother of former Horizon WR [player_tooltip player_id="42714" first="Avery" last="Lambert"] didn’t disappoint on Friday night. He flashes a nice initial burst when he sees an opening and possesses excellent balance to frequently break initial contact or stay up and keep the legs moving forward. Good low pad level through the hole and can also flash quickness and bounce runs outside if needed. He’s physical at the POC and is looking like a promising young RB. &nbsp; <img class="size-medium wp-image-211675 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/10/IMG_6547-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> <strong>Cole Linyard</strong>, <em>ATH, Horizon ’23</em> Linyard had a significant impact on both offense and special teams. He is a clean route runner from wherever he lines up and possesses soft, athletic hands to haul in anything thrown his way. Good short area quickness and twitch which contributes to his route running. He holds a good football IQ as he does a good job identifying the soft spots in coverages and knows when to expect the ball. He led Horizon is receptions and also had a TD grab on Friday night and continues to impress. &nbsp; <em><span style="font-size: 14pt;">*Other notable names that stood out</span></em> [player_tooltip player_id="42926" first="Matthew" last="Klopfenstein"], <em>TE, Horizon ’22</em> <strong>Josiah Lathon</strong>, <em>WR, Millennium ’22</em> <strong>Chase Jung</strong>, <em>WR, Horizon ’22</em> [player_tooltip player_id="162082" first="Ethan" last="Tinsley"], <em>ATH, Horizon ’22</em>