Northern California Sophomore Phenoms

Photo: Jamel Rosales Instagram

Paul Gregorian March 24, 2022 @ 10:35 AM

Below is Part I of this II part series in which we will dive into some big impact Sophomores from this past Fall and who are poised to have monster Junior seasons for their respective teams. <hr />   WR [player_tooltip player_id="273677" first="Logan" last="Saldate"], Palma HS Saldate has had himself a very nice off-season and Fall campaign and is hands down one of the best overall players in the Central Coast Section and a very well put together kid. Operating mostly from the slot, he can play all over the field and is explosive after the catch and very effective in the screen game while showing a nice initial burst and the ability to make people miss in tight windows. In traffic, he has good tracking abilities and strong hands while able to make tough catches from various different body angles and plays a lot bigger than he is. Saldate is one of the top receivers Norcal has to offer and should start to draw college interest as he moves through his Junior season.   WR/KR [player_tooltip player_id="273656" first="Brayden" last="Chavez"], Vanden HS Chavez is a burner in all three phases of the game and has elite return ability and open field speed to stretch the field. A true vertical threat, he can catch in traffic and snatch the ball out of the air while displaying good tracking abilities and range, especially near the end zone. One of the fastest and most explosive players in Northern California, he is poised to have another huge season for Vanden who should have another strong year coming off a state championship season.   DL/OL Emon Dost, Castro Valley HS Dost is still growing into his body but has some good potential at the next level due to his natural size and length. Still needing to put on more weight, he is pretty strong at the POA and plays with heavy hands and some violence in the run game. Able to collapse the pocket quickly and be stout against the run while using his power and length to rush the passer, he should be another emerging Castro Valley player as we get into the Fall.   DL [player_tooltip player_id="273593" first="Javonnie" last="Haymon"], Edison-Stockton HS Haymon is a very active and violent defensive lineman who is one of the top returners at the position across the entire region, regardless of class. Explosive off the ball with some nice twitch for his size, he flashes hands early and creates immediate knock back in the run game while shedding blockers without giving up ground. Playing with heavy hands and solid pad level through out his run progression, his ability to close on quarterbacks quickly and high motor make him one of the most talented 2024 defensive lineman across Northern California.