Under the Hood: East Central Cardinals and Memorial Chargers
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As we are a few days away from spring ball, it is that time to start an “Under the Hood” session with Tulsa Public Schools football teams. These next few weeks, we will highlight Tulsa Public Schools football teams as they are gearing up for spring ball around the corner. We will take an in-depth look at Booker T. Washington, Central, East Central, Edison, Hale, Memorial, McLain, and Rogers. I have spoken with each head coach about a few players that we will highlight for each team and name who to keep an eye out for.
The next “Under the Hood” feature we are going to talk about is the East Central Cardinals and the Memorial Chargers. First, we will talk about the East Central Cardinals who are led by Kevin Gordon. Coach Gordon is excited for this group of kids that he has coming back. They are led by 3 seniors but have a talented group of sophomores and juniors that will help contribute this season. The Cardinals will be attending Rejoice Christian for team camp this year that will run from May 31st to June 1st in Owasso off highway 169. The Cardinals have 7 offensive and defensive starters coming back this upcoming season. To open the season, the Cardinals will face Checotah followed by Nathan Hale. The spotlight will be on all 3 seniors this year; Josh Bell, Samuel Pleasant, and Micah Thompson.
Next up will be the Memorial Chargers out of Tulsa. The Chargers are led by head football coach Brian Worrell. Coach Worrell is looking forward to seeing his new co-offensive coordinators install their new system with their players. Ultimately, he is excited to be back on the field with all his players and coaches again. The Chargers will host a camp this year at their place with a date and time to be determined. Coming back for the Chargers this upcoming season they will return 7 starters on both sides of the ball. We will take a look at Johnie Caldwell, Reynaldo Gaona, and Riley Rogers for the Chargers team.
Josh Bell – OL / DL – East Central
Bell is a strong kid that has put up numbers in the weight room this off-season. He squatted over 500 plus pounds, benched 315 pounds, and ran a 5.01 forty-yard run. He plays on the offensive/defensive line, standing 6’0″ and weighing 255 pounds, Bell can move. Coach Gordon stated, “Josh is strong as an ox and is a hard worker. If it’s in the weight room, on the field, or in the classroom Bell competes at everything he does. In watching his film, Bell has great footwork for a big man and pulls well. He plays with a solid base and has a good first step. He gets out to the edge quickly and is a good pulling guard. He does start both ways for the Cardinals and helps anchor the guys upfront. On the defensive line, he is quick at getting off the ball and disrupting other offensive linemen on their side of the ball.
Samuel Pleasant – RB / SS – East Central
I noticed Pleasant at strong safety and playing aggressively on defense off the bat. Pleasant stands at 5’10″ and weighs 175 pounds. He will come up and put his shoulder through you while running his feet on the tackle. Pleasant shows good footwork with his change of direction. Playing strong safety, Pleasant will come downhill in a hurry and makes plays out in open space time after time. He shows that he can man up and cover downfield consistently and make plays. When he plays running back, he shows good balance and vision. He does run downhill and can cut back quickly across the grain. Pleasant loves contact and doesn’t shy away from it on both sides. He plays physical and that’s what Coach Gordon likes about him.
Micah Thompson – WR / CB – East Central
Coach Gordon spoke very highly of Thompson. Thompson has good hips and can lock down opposing wide receivers. He can play man coverage or zone and shows a good backpedal with a quick movement of his hips to change direction. He looks to be a good overall athlete that does play both ways for the Cardinals as wide receiver/cornerback. He has a long wingspan for being 5’11″ to go along with being able to jump and run. He will high point the football and brings the ball back into his body quickly. Coach Gordon loved his athleticism so much that he added a package for him at quarterback. He can do a lot of things with the ball in his hands either running wildcat or being able to throw from it. He does need to add more weight and get into the weight room to add to his frame. Thompson will be on our radar to keep up with for the 2022 season.
Johnie Caldwell – RB / DB / Specialist – Memorial Chargers
Coach Worrell is high on Caldwell as he stated, “Johnie is a phenomenal athlete who has exceptional speed, good vision, and a great attitude.” In looking at his film, all it takes is for him to see a small crease or one step to be off to the races. Caldwell is also a kick returner which allows him to get the ball in his hands in other facets of the game. He can take one to the house any time the ball is kicked to him. On the defensive side, he does well breaking up passes or cuts under the receiver for an interception. Caldwell has good footwork to go along with his backpedal. Coach Worrell even went on to say, “Caldwell is a perfect example of a student-athlete.” Caldwell competes as a top 100m sprinter in 5A for the Chargers.
Reynaldo Gaona – OL / DL – Memorial Chargers
Standing at 5’9″ and 230 pounds, Gaona may not be the biggest but Coach Worrell states, ” Gaona is pound for pound, the strongest player on the team and is a beast in the weight room.” Gaona is quick off the ball and gives other linemen fits with his quickness off the ball. He usually gets double-teamed with his quickness and demands that from other offensive linemen. Ganoa spends a lot of time in the opposing team’s backfield as he anticipates the snap and has a good get-off. Coach Worrell is expecting him to be a leader on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. He will be the one to help anchor both sides of the ball as he brings the most experience as a 3-way starter.
Riley Rogers – WR / FS – Memorial Chargers
Another speedster for the Chargers is Riley Rogers. Rogers will be a senior and is one of the fastest prospects on the team. Rogers flashes good hands and route-running capabilities. He comes out of his breaks lowering his hips which helps him run clean crisp routes. With his speed, he can be a home run threat when he touches the ball. On the defensive side of the ball, he looks to be a natural at free safety. He does a good job of being able to track the football from one side of the field to the other. Rogers does a good job of breaking up passes or changing direction by sinking his hips. The other thing that I noticed about him was his run fits. He is not shy of contact and will get downhill to fit his gaps in a hurry. When he’s not competing on the football field you can find him on the diamond pitching or hitting for the Chargers baseball team.