SIA: Post-Season, Oxford @ Academy Park
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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…
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Continue ReadingThis 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.
Oxford
Dustin Long | 6’0, 160 | QB | 2023
Luke Piskun | 5’9, 167 | LB | 2023
Dillon Williams | 6’1, 245 | OL/DL | 2023
This was an all-around tough day for Oxford. They gave it their all and seeing the effort displayed despite the school was good to watch. Yes, Oxford ended up on the wrong end of the score but I could tell the team was well-coached on the effort and mental side of the game. The Oxford program was relatively new to me, so I came into the game blind and not expecting much. I did like what I saw from these three prospects, especially #1 Dustin Long. He’s got a slender build but one that allows him to move swiftly in the open field. Oxford was lackluster in the passing game, so I will discuss Long strictly from an athlete’s perspective. The junior flashed awesome open-field creativity. He showed a ton of displacement on his cuts, as well as a lot of heart and toughness to continue giving maximum effort despite a ton of brutal hits he was taking. He wasn’t always lined up behind center, it says something that the coaching staff at Oxford trusts the junior to align at wideout and in the backfield. He is the best athlete on the field for Oxford. Good change of direction ability, good acceleration after reaching the second level. Wonder how the kid would test at a camp. A deeper dive is needed to land him on our rankings, but the kid definitely deserves a look.
Luke Piskun was making some plays on defense. Yes, Academy Park did whatever they wanted on the day, but Piskun came up and delivered some big blows on inside-zone runs. Love how he reads gap openings inside. He’s well seasoned as a junior.
Dillon Williams is another new name along the trenches for Oxford. Again another junior, one that I believe has a real chance at landing a spot on our updated junior rankings. I love this kid at defensive tackle. He’s average-below average size-wise when projecting to the offensive line, but has ideal size and great penetration ability at defensive tackle. I saw this kid push some talented AP lineman deep into their own backfield. He recorded numerous QB pressures and provided awesome drive on each rep. He can move for his size! I am really intrigued by this kid and hope to see more. I think he has a chance to be featured on the site more often.
Academy Park
Ibrahim Sanogo Ibrahim Sanogo 6'2" | 210 lbs | ATH Academy Park | 2022 State PA | 6’2, 210 | LB/DE/ATH | 2022
Eric Willis Eric Willis 5'9" | 150 lbs | DB Academy Park | 2022 State PA | 5’9, 165 | WR/DB | 2022
Anis Hunter | 6’0, 155 | DB | 2023
Damir Sammons | 6’3, 190 | DE | 2022
Kahlil Greenwood | 5’9, 150 | WR | 2022
Terrence Oliver | 5’8, 160 | RB | 2023
I finally got to see Academy Park live after covering them since the Spring League earlier this year. Those kids didn’t disappoint. Dominant performance put on by the Knights on both sides of the football led to a cruising victory for the 6-seed team. AP has all the talent to win the district and shoot for a state title.
Want to start off with Ibrahim Sanogo Ibrahim Sanogo 6'2" | 210 lbs | ATH Academy Park | 2022 State PA , a prospect I have been fond of for some time now. His best trait is his position and alignment versatility, providing Academy Park with reps at LB, EDGE, RB, and some strong safety. Along all of those positions, he can play weak side and strong. The skillset he provides is incredibly beneficial to AP. His value cannot be replaced. Sanogo was active in communication and vocal both pre/post- snap. Speaks volumes of his football regimen and leadership capabilities. He carries a filled-out build that allows him to absorb initial blocks with ease. His quick-twitch and block-shed ability force potential blockers to stay on their feet. Sanogo can beat you with quickness and power. Love how he keeps opponents guessing. Sanogo didn’t tote the rock too much in this game outside of a couple red zone carries, one of which went for a score. He still put on a show at DE/LB. Instinctual. Balanced and poised. I would love to have this kid on my football program. Recruitment needs to heat up.
Eric Willis Eric Willis 5'9" | 150 lbs | DB Academy Park | 2022 State PA was the best player on the field today, even though some of his teammates gave him a run for his money. Willis had an early interception that he took back for a touchdown. This play was called back due to a penalty. Didn’t bother him because he knew he’d be back and he was. Later in the game, the Oxford passing attack continued to throw to his side, ultimately resulting in another interception for Willis. This pick-six wasn’t called back. Willis could have called it a day and still be player of the game. He decided to add two more touchdowns on the day to cement his impressive performance. He was playing at a different gear, a speed Oxford couldn’t handle. He’s got an immaculate, effortless stride that stays consistent. He and Sanogo are the staples of the program.
Anis Hunter is another name that I keep up on. The junior landed the biggest hit of the game that woke up the crowd. I love Hunter’s game as a whole. It’s a real problem when he, Willis, and Sanogo are all in the secondary at the same time. If you get to the second level, you’re going to feel one of these three, and Anis may be the hardest hitter of them all. He’s a well-seasoned defensive back.
The rest are new names to the site. Two seniors, Kahlil Greenwood and Damir Sammons both played huge parts in securing this victory. Damir Sammons boasts an awesome frame, one that he carries well as he moves along the defensive line with a ton of agility. He displays an athletic, speed game that compliments Sanogo well. Sammons had his fair share of TFL’s and run-stuff in the trenches. Active, he plays with a lot of energy and isn’t afraid to light you up and tell you about it. Love his attitude. Team Captain as well. Kahlil Greenwood is yet another athlete AP can deploy from pretty much anywhere. He is capable of taking handoffs outside the tackles on sweeps and getting easy first downs. He’s slight in his build, acceleration and track speed are his game. He excels in these areas.
Another new name is Terrence Oliver, a junior whose chances of landing a spot on our rankings are pretty high. I had heard his name be brought up in Del-Val circles for a couple of months now and got a chance to see his game speed in person. The junior took over running back duties as the game began to get out of hand and completely broke this game open. He displays great vision and all the ability in the world to exploit defender leverage downfield. He can read and react to holes well, he has the homerun speed to take second-level runs to the house and the lateral agility to bounce runs outside. I’m not sure what the rep count is or how AP decides to delegate their carries, but I’m pretty sure they have 5-6 capable running backs at their disposal.