Scout In Attendance: Wk 5, MLK @ Northeast
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This is the first of a new series at Prep Redzone Pennsylvania where I will break down a game each week that I personally attend. Now with football back amidst little to no COVID restrictions, it’s time to get my boots on the ground and see prospects live in action.
As opposed to traditional game reporting, I will break down this star-studded game by each side of the ball, highlighting prospects who produced or excelled in their roles.
This team is littered with talent on both sides of the ball. [player_tooltip player_id="140836" first="Isaiah" last="Rogers"] is the highest-ranking senior on the team, with [player_tooltip player_id="142779" first="Shyne" last="Roberts"] being the highest-ranking player regardless of class. The passing game found it difficult to get itself off the ground this game, as MLK’s offensive line couldn’t provide freshman quarterback Lamont Brown ample time to throw. Brown received the snap and received pressure along with it. Growing pains for the freshman that I hope to see much more of in the future. Rogers was limited on offense, he didn’t let that stop him from being productive as a defensive back. He was stout in outside contain and was giving maximum effort in run support from start to finish. I can tell he wanted it.
I love what [player_tooltip player_id="142779" first="Shyne" last="Roberts"] was providing on the field. He was a flash and was consistently in the backfield bringing down ball carriers for TFL’s. He’s yet another stud MLK player I will be seeing again in the future. I’m a big fan of [player_tooltip player_id="140838" first="Zaide" last="Williams"]’ and [player_tooltip player_id="140837" first="Tyron" last="Bryan"]’s games. I wanted to see more out of these two but when you’re losing in the trenches on both sides of the football, producing is going to be tough. [player_tooltip player_id="140837" first="Tyron" last="Bryan"] has shot up our boards since the spring, he did have a touchdown scored on him despite solid coverage all night. That’s not what I want to see change, that’s going to happen. I want to see the kid forget about it and not let that mishap define his game because his ceiling is high as a prospect.
A new name out of MLK for me is Semaj Buxton. A senior athlete who was all over the field for King. Reps at OLB, reps at DB. Where I like him the most is in space at wideout, same side as [player_tooltip player_id="140836" first="Isaiah" last="Rogers"]. These two on the same side of the field is something defenses will have to account for no matter how much King may be struggling.
Northeast
Sabor Stevens | 5’11 | QB | 2023 Zymill Lee | 6’3, 215 | WR | 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="140926" first="Terail" last="Greene"] | 5’11, 185 | RB | 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="140868" first="Jordin" last="Jones"] | 5’9, 185 | RB/ATH | 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="69461" first="Geo" last="Fabian"] | 6’1, 162 | DB | 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="66046" first="Kion" last="Wright"] | 6’3, 230 | DL | 2023 Kyle Bob | WR/DB | 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="186612" first="Tasir" last="Davis"] | 6’1, 290 | OL | 2023 Tajmir Beckham | 5’10, 288 | OL | 2022 This was a dominant showing for Northeast as the score was 26-0 before I had to leave the field. I expected MLK to put up a better fight, but Northeast is just too stout in the trenches for either side of the MLK to gain any traction. We all know about [player_tooltip player_id="27559" first="Ken" last="Talley"] and [player_tooltip player_id="66046" first="Kion" last="Wright"]’s abilities as edge/linebacking defenders. Anytime you have these two across from you, expect them to be in your backfield more often than not. Wright seemingly didn’t break a sweat. Neither did [player_tooltip player_id="69461" first="Geo" last="Fabian"], one of the best defensive backs in all of PA, securing a diving interception which he seems to do often nowadays. [player_tooltip player_id="140868" first="Jordin" last="Jones"] has been an awesome addition to the 2021 Vikings. He’s a perfect fit with [player_tooltip player_id="140926" first="Terail" last="Greene"]’s running style. I wanted this piece to be less about the well-known NE stars and primarily focus on new names I uncovered at the game. I don’t normally head to Northeast games to see QB’s or an elite passing game, the performance put on by Sabor Stevens wasn’t elite, but it was more than noteworthy. Much like I noted about Upper Dublin’s [player_tooltip player_id="140946" first="Colin" last="O’Sullivan"], at this level, I want to see quarterbacks take control of their offense and command huddles. I want to see decisiveness in his throws and confidence pre/post-snap. All the stars in the world can be disregarded if you cannot take command of the offense. This and more was seen out of Sabor Stevens. He was quick and accurate when hitting swings/screens behind the line of scrimmage. Connecting on hitches and curls in front of him showed he had vision through the offensive line. There were outside timing routes I saw him complete. There were a few questionable decisions when going deep as I’m not certain the arm is there for the long ball. Nonetheless, the kid was a smooth operator. The junior quarterback was connecting with another new name on my radar. Zymill Lee is a massive wideout deployed on the outside for Northeast. Lee’s measurables speak for themselves. His build immediately caught my eye, if it didn’t, a superb jump-ball catch in the endzone did. The kid showed he has high-pointing ability. Love to see more targets head this kid’s way. About them trenches, how about the performance put on by the self-proclaimed best center in Philly, [player_tooltip player_id="186612" first="Tasir" last="Davis"]. He looked the part too. This kid was mauling really talented MLK defenders. Every time I spotted him on the field, he was on top of an MLK defender. Awesome push behind great lower-body strength. Love his ability to move his feet and hands together to limit any tendencies to reach for blocks. If he gets his hands on you, the rest of his 290-pound frame is coming with them. Shout out to Tajmir Beckham along the offensive line as well, an undersized senior who was productive as well.Martin Luther King
[player_tooltip player_id="142779" first="Shyne" last="Roberts"] | 6’1, 200 | DL/LB | 2024 [player_tooltip player_id="140836" first="Isaiah" last="Rogers"] | 5’11 | WR/DB | 2022 Lamont Brown | 6’0 | QB | 2025 [player_tooltip player_id="140838" first="Zaide" last="Williams"] | 5’11, 200 | LB | 2022 Semaj Buxton | 5’11, 175 | WR/LB/DB | 2022 Dontae Green | 6’4, 235 | DL/TE | 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="140837" first="Tyron" last="Bryan"] | 5’10, 170 | DB | 2022
This team is littered with talent on both sides of the ball. [player_tooltip player_id="140836" first="Isaiah" last="Rogers"] is the highest-ranking senior on the team, with [player_tooltip player_id="142779" first="Shyne" last="Roberts"] being the highest-ranking player regardless of class. The passing game found it difficult to get itself off the ground this game, as MLK’s offensive line couldn’t provide freshman quarterback Lamont Brown ample time to throw. Brown received the snap and received pressure along with it. Growing pains for the freshman that I hope to see much more of in the future. Rogers was limited on offense, he didn’t let that stop him from being productive as a defensive back. He was stout in outside contain and was giving maximum effort in run support from start to finish. I can tell he wanted it.
I love what [player_tooltip player_id="142779" first="Shyne" last="Roberts"] was providing on the field. He was a flash and was consistently in the backfield bringing down ball carriers for TFL’s. He’s yet another stud MLK player I will be seeing again in the future. I’m a big fan of [player_tooltip player_id="140838" first="Zaide" last="Williams"]’ and [player_tooltip player_id="140837" first="Tyron" last="Bryan"]’s games. I wanted to see more out of these two but when you’re losing in the trenches on both sides of the football, producing is going to be tough. [player_tooltip player_id="140837" first="Tyron" last="Bryan"] has shot up our boards since the spring, he did have a touchdown scored on him despite solid coverage all night. That’s not what I want to see change, that’s going to happen. I want to see the kid forget about it and not let that mishap define his game because his ceiling is high as a prospect.
A new name out of MLK for me is Semaj Buxton. A senior athlete who was all over the field for King. Reps at OLB, reps at DB. Where I like him the most is in space at wideout, same side as [player_tooltip player_id="140836" first="Isaiah" last="Rogers"]. These two on the same side of the field is something defenses will have to account for no matter how much King may be struggling.
