OC Elite Shines at TurfWars

Michael Huntley March 17, 2022 @ 07:26 AM

Multiple top tier 7on7 tournaments took place last weekend in Southern California. The Pylon Tournament occurred in LA and TurfWars occurred in Orange County at Saddleback College. OC Elite is one of the top 7on7 teams in the region, based out of Rancho Santa Margarita. I saw them in action in January and they were the top team at TurfWars last weekend. Here are some players that shined according to multiple reports. [player_tooltip player_id="270899" first="Donovan" last="Comestro"], Santa Margarita Comestro nearly made the OC Register’s All-County team last season and he has had a very strong offseason. He was outstanding at the event I saw him attend in January and he shined once again last weekend. He has the versatility to play anywhere in the secondary but I think he works best as a corner on the short side of the field due to his physicality. In man press coverage, no receiver is going to cross his face and get inside and he has the speed to keep up with them on deep routes. https://twitter.com/dcomestro/status/1478592746390626309?s=20&t=BWWast6Z4lLGVQDG9dLSOA Mikey D’amato, Mission Viejo D’amato was the best defensive player on Tesoro last season and has since transferred to Mission Viejo. He looks 15 pounds heavier than when I saw him in the fall and the coaching staff at Mission Viejo is excited about him. A Diablos coach told me that he will likely be the team’s nickel corner, a package they use more than most teams. Jake Higgins was the team’s nickel corner last season and was All-County. He has a nose for the ball and impressed at the Under Armour Next All-America Camp the weekend before. [player_tooltip player_id="168733" first="Brad" last="Gerken"], San Clemente Gerken was the best player in the secondary for a very good San Clemente defense last season. He covers large chunks of the field in zone coverage and that’s his biggest asset in the 7on7 game. His game is built for pads because he flies up from the safety spot and stops the run. The coaches at OC Elite are high on him and he is a high-character guy that you can tell his teammates enjoy playing with. https://twitter.com/GerkenBrad/status/1484780995760906242?s=20&t=BWWast6Z4lLGVQDG9dLSOA <a class="pn-player-link" href="https://prepredzone.com/player/joseph-drew-faulkner-v/">Joseph (Drew) Faulkner,</a> Western I’ve been high on Faulkner since his sophomore season at Western and compared him to Caine Savage, a previous Western star who is now a starter at Utah. Faulkner is an outstanding cover corner who has proven he can play with the best players in Southern California. His footwork is fantastic and he transitions from his backpedal very well. He is getting bigger and is a physical player who excels in man coverage. https://twitter.com/V1Drew/status/1504175021110964226?s=20&t=BWWast6Z4lLGVQDG9dLSOA [player_tooltip player_id="25428" first="Jaxon" last="Potter"], Santa Margarita Potter is a quarterback who I did not see throw for OC Elite in January, but was one of the quarterbacks last weekend. He is every bit of 6-foot-5 and he was arguably the most improved quarterback I saw in the fall. The game seemed to slow down for him after transferring to Santa Margarita from JSerra. He has a nice and high release point but can make tough throws from multiple arm angles. Sometimes he eyes down his receivers but according to coaches I have talked to, he has been improving in that regard. Some of the receivers were Santa Margarita guys who he has excellent timing with. https://twitter.com/jaxon2potter/status/1503592712552927233?s=20&t=CwDMSudAFE_ykUm9dWHDjw [player_tooltip player_id="190355" first="Niko" last="Lopez"], Santa Margarita Lopez is 6-foot-4 and has the build of a tight end but typically plays split out wide. His route running is impressive and he isn’t afraid to go over the middle. He uses his size to shield defenders from the ball and has a large catch radius. Portland State offered him a couple of weeks ago along with Potter. Lopez should be one of the top receivers in the Trinity League next season and has Power 5 potential.