SIA: WK 9, St. Joseph's Prep @ Roman Catholic

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. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/10/IMG-6742-crop-3226x2118-1635389191.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-224288" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/10/IMG-6742-crop-3226x2118-1635389191-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> St. Joseph’s Prep [player_tooltip player_id="98507" first="Omillio" last="Agard"] | 5’11, 170 | DB | 2024 Keenan Nelson Jr. | 5’11, 190 | DB | 2022 Kahseim Phillips | 5’9, 185 | RB | 2024 [player_tooltip player_id="140863" first="Blaine" last="Bunch"] | 5’9, 175 | RB | 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="156320" first="Antonio" last="Chadha"] | 5’9, 175 | K | 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="156323" first="Rocco" last="Nicholl"] | 6’4, 220 | ATH | 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="27736" first="Josiah" last="Trotter"] | 6’2, 220 | LB | 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="160287" first="James" last="Heard Jr"]. | 6’2, 225 | EDGE | 2023 Richard James | 6’1, 260 | DT | 2024 [player_tooltip player_id="164520" first="Samaj" last="Jones"] | 6’1, 210 | QB | 2024 Mike DiTrolio | 6’0, 170 | WR/ATH | 2023 Brad Harris Jr. | 6’4, 270 | OL | 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="156276" first="Alec" last="Treadway"] | 6’3, 265 | OL | 2022 Was an absolute pleasure to watch this powerhouse go to work last Friday night against a super-talented Roman Catholic program. The theme of this piece will be highlighting the sheer amount of talent on both of these squads. St. Joseph’s Prep is littered with prospects who can play at the next level, that’s covering classes 2022 through 2024. The Hawks flexed their muscles at every phase of the game and were often too much in the trenches for Roman to handle. All the talent in the world won’t matter if you can’t put up a fight upfront. Senior offensive linemen Brad Harris and [player_tooltip player_id="156276" first="Alec" last="Treadway"] were stellar in pass-protection and run-blocking all night. The performance put on by the pair of tackles is a prime example of what to expect when matching up with this offense. Both prospects are well-seasoned and consistent in all aspects. Consistent footwork, consistent hand and hat placement when engaging, consistent punch. Gameplanning and play-calling can be that much easier for the coaching staff when you have two stud linemen to rely on week in and week out. [player_tooltip player_id="164520" first="Samaj" last="Jones"] was another drawing card for me as if I actually needed one. I was impressed by Jones’ all-around game but was more impressed by how he conducted himself in the huddle and pre-snap, as well as his overall decision-making. It’s a tough task for a sophomore to command a huddle as an underclassman, said task becomes less difficult when you have the leadership abilities of this kid. There are some questions to be answered about Jones’ ceiling as a passer but he was clean, accurate, and decisive all night. He made a couple of big-time throws one being on the move and one while taking a big hit in the pocket. He was deadly accurate when attacking the short-intermediate areas of the field. His feel for passing lanes/windows is elite. He put more zip on the ball than I expected as well. [player_tooltip player_id="164520" first="Samaj" last="Jones"] is a legitimate threat to run with the ball if a play isn’t to be made in the air. He’s special on designed QB runs as well. Jones connected with Mike DiTrolio on four separate occasions, racking up 69 yards through the air. The combination of Jones, [player_tooltip player_id="140863" first="Blaine" last="Bunch"], and Kahseim Phillips is what did Roman Catholic in. Bunch and Phillips had the luxury of open holes thanks to phenomenal run-blocking by the guys upfront. The trio ran for almost 250+ on a talented defense. Putting up with this rushing attack is going to have coaches tossing and turning. Phillips punched the ball in on two different runs. He looked fresh and showed off some serious acceleration after reaching the second level. On defense, SJP looked stout at every position group. [player_tooltip player_id="27736" first="Josiah" last="Trotter"] was active in any run inside the tackle-box. [player_tooltip player_id="156323" first="Rocco" last="Nicholl"] and [player_tooltip player_id="146677" first="James" last="Heard"] were a constant force around the edge, making opposing QB Jon Ingram’s night a tough one. I am intrigued by Nicholl’s game, as I had him as an underrated safety prospect before the fall season began. I see how his athletic game can translate into becoming a successful EDGE rusher/OLB. Richard James is continuing to make plays when given snaps. I would love to see production increase. I was pleased with the SJP secondary. Keenan Nelson Jr. and [player_tooltip player_id="98507" first="Omillio" last="Agard"] have to be one of, if not THE, best high school corner tandems in the country. There isn’t an offense in the state that would deter these two prospects’ confidence. Keenan Nelson is refined in so many ways. He looks ready for college ball, hell he looked ready for college ball last year. [player_tooltip player_id="98507" first="Omillio" last="Agard"] has made his case to be ranked the number one player in his class, he just might get it. Agard shows elite feet in coverage, elite athleticism to match. His leverage utilization was that of a seniors. He is adept at using his hands through coverage to stay in phase. He and [player_tooltip player_id="141010" first="Tyseer" last="Denmark"] battled through reps on numerous occasions. Was a joy to watch. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-224292 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/10/IMG-6754-crop-3226x2118-1635389366-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Shout out to [player_tooltip player_id="156320" first="Antonio" last="Chadha"] as well. A special kicker who I believe didn’t miss a kick on the night. He continues to climb Special Teams rankings across the country. Roman Catholic [player_tooltip player_id="142809" first="Jonathan" last="Ingram"] | 6’0, 175 | QB | 2024 [player_tooltip player_id="145447" first="Jordan" last="Montgomery"] | 6’3, 225 | DL/LB | 2023 Mao Howell | 5’5, 150 | RB | 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="164157" first="Trey" last="Woodley"] | 5’11, 165 | WR/ATH | 2024 [player_tooltip player_id="141010" first="Tyseer" last="Denmark"] | 5’11, 180 | WR/DB | 2024 Ronnell Davis | 6’2, 170 | DB/ATH | 2024 [player_tooltip player_id="66053" first="Jameial" last="Lyons"] | 6’5, 245 | ATH | 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="98503" first="Kareem" last="Lewis"] | 6’1, 200 | DB | 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="164528" first="David" last="Macon"] | 5’10, 160 | DB | 2024 [player_tooltip player_id="160524" first="Brandon" last="Mack"] | 5’9 | RB/LB | 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="140966" first="Jamir" last="Robertson"] | 5’10, 165 | ATH | 2023 Jason Patterson | 6’4, 228 | ATH/LB | 2023 Mekhi Smallwood | 5’11, 175 | DB | 2022 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-224290 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/10/IMG-6777-crop-3226x2118-1635389307-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> The score tells of a brutal loss, but there is plenty of good to take away from this game from a scouting perspective. I don’t think I came away more impressed by any player on the field more than I came away impressed with [player_tooltip player_id="142809" first="Jonathan" last="Ingram"]’s play. Due large in part to the fact that almost nothing came easy for the kid. There were rhythm/timing throws that Ingram connected on. There were throws on the run, throws while being pressured. The pressure was consistent all night, there were times I had wished Ingram had kept his eyes downfield instead of tucking and running but that’s harder said than done. He’s young and has room to develop if given the reps. It was far from a perfect performance, nonetheless, I loved the effort shown on the night. Mao Howell, [player_tooltip player_id="164157" first="Trey" last="Woodley"], and [player_tooltip player_id="141010" first="Tyseer" last="Denmark"] all gave maximum effort in trying to move the ball on this star-studded defense. They all made plays on the night to help the cause. Woodley connected with his QB on a broken play for a long touchdown. Woodley’s effort didn’t go unnoticed. Neither did [player_tooltip player_id="141010" first="Tyseer" last="Denmark"], who is every bit as talented as any prospect on SJP. The Hawks game-planned well to keep Denmark from producing at an elite level. When your QB is under as much duress as Ingram was, and with Nelson and Agard matching up with you, you’re in for an uphill battle. I know he’s up for that challenge week in and week out. Shout out to [player_tooltip player_id="140966" first="Jamir" last="Robertson"] as well, who took a run 99-yards back to the crib last in this one. Was against the SJP second-team but was still a pretty run. It was a rough go for the Cahillites defense all night. The Hawks are a well-oiled machine especially when they are opening gaps the way they were for their stud backs. It’s going to be hard to shine when losing in the trenches the way they did. Still, there wasn’t any quit in these kids that I could see. Although many of the plays these kids made didn’t surmount to stops, it’s still worthy of bringing up. [player_tooltip player_id="145447" first="Jordan" last="Montgomery"] was instinctual and fluid at this linebacker spot. He read multiple SJP sets and was in the hole before the ball carrier could exploit. Jason Patterson and [player_tooltip player_id="66053" first="Jameial" last="Lyons"] did what they could when [player_tooltip player_id="164520" first="Samaj" last="Jones"] would keep, stopping multiple runs from becoming huge gains. [player_tooltip player_id="160524" first="Brandon" last="Mack"] made some stops as well. I am fond of so many kids in this secondary, not too much damage was done by SJP through the air. The secondary has their nights cut out for them as they had to be involved in run-support play-in and play-out. [player_tooltip player_id="164528" first="David" last="Macon"], [player_tooltip player_id="156279" first="Mehki" last="Smallwood"], Ronnell Davis, and [player_tooltip player_id="98503" first="Kareem" last="Lewis"] all did their part in trying to hold this offense. I love the game Smallwood put on display. Often the single-high safety, Smallwood made six or seven tackles, 4 of which could have been touchdowns if not for his read-and-react ability from his safety spot. This kid didn’t hesitate, when he saw the hole open up, he met the ball carrier with the same intensity of a linebacker. He could have taken better angles on some plays, that’s a nitpick, as every player could have been better on the night.