Community Film Room: Part IV

The film continues to roll in as we move along in the month of March. We’ve already highlighted 15 talented prospects in this series, and we have another good bunch coming your way in this fourth edition. Here’s a look at three under the radar prospects from the<i> Eastern Kansas League</i>, and two small-town players poised to standout during the ’22 season. <b>Royce Perkins</b> – St. Thomas Aquinas, 6’1”, 155, QB, <i>Class of ’25</i> While Perkins is a prospect that will have to wait his turn, he’s still a signal caller to keep an eye on as he develops over these next few years. The young man has already shown a glimpse of his potential at a couple 7-on-7 competitions this year. Although it’s not a live game, he does display characteristics that will translate to 11-on-11 action. For starters, this clip shows him working through his progression and not forcing anything into coverage. Perkins also maintains active feet, and he delivers an accurate ball. The ’22 season is going to be an opportunity for him to learn and sharpen his mechanics, which will only help him compete for the starting job in 2023. https://twitter.com/royceperkins13/status/1506822902083108865?s=21 <b>Arasto Sadeghi</b> – Bishop Miege, 5’9”, 180, DL, <i>Class of ’24</i> Sadeghi is listed as a defensive lineman for now, but he has the capability of being a versatile defender for the Stags. For being undersized in the trenches in one of the toughest leagues in Kansas, Sadeghi held his own and made an impact at defensive tackle. One thing is certain about Sadeghi; he is a gritty player. He didn’t back down from anyone during his sophmore campaign. Giving up size can be a challenge, but Sadeghi did a good job of playing to his strengths. He was able to beat the opposition off the line because of his quickness, and he was able to stand his ground by maintaining his low pad level. Sadeghi also showed that he could line up as a 5-Tech and that he could run stunts as well. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/14749236/619ad42b5ef7660b980cbba2" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <b>Brent Gillis</b> – Blue Valley SW, 6’0”, 270, OL, <i>Class of ’24</i> Gillis will be the third prospect from the <i>EKL</i> featured in this piece. This junior to be played well during the ’21 campaign, as the first-year starter manned the middle of the offensive line for the Timberwolves. He displayed positive qualities that he can build on heading into this season. Gillis showed he has the athleticism to be used on pulling plays, and that he can handle one-on-one matchups. Another impressive aspect of his game is his first initial step. Gillis isn’t the most explosive lineman, but he does a great job of moving his feet to cut off a defender. Expect for him to have an All-League caliber season this year. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/14725560/61835175bd6a6f04c085b532" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <b>Zion Woodin</b> – Ottawa, 6’0”, 210, RB, <i>Class of ’23</i> Next up is a running back that hasn’t gotten the recognition he truly deserves. Woodin was the go-to guy for the Cyclones this past year, and was arguably their best offensive player. Despite their struggles as a team, Woodin managed to take home <i>2nd Team All-Frontier League</i> honors. He’s a power back that can move the chains and run through defenders in the process. Woodin excels at reading his blocks and has the patience to let his linemen get out in front of him. He’s also a threat out of the backfield in the passing game. Woodin should have a heavy workload in store for him during the ’22 campaign. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/13352767/6142389842102d0aac7ff851" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <b>Cole Rickard</b> – El Dorado, 6’1”, 190, LB, <i>Class of ’24</i> Rounding off this fourth <i>Community Film Room</i> is a defensive prospect out of El Dorado that could see his role expand as a junior. Rickard heads into the ’22 season coming off an <i>All-League Honorable Mention</i> year as a sophmore. He posted some respectable numbers, as he’d rack up 43 total tackles on the year with four sacks and one pass breakup. Rickard is an athletic outside backer that does a good job of setting the edge and can quickly diagnose plays. He covers ground in a hurry in pass coverage and he is also a solid open field tackler. Rickard will be a defender the Wildcats rely on this year, which could lead to another All-League selection for the young man. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/14474073/61802216041e480cacf4bb66" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>