Small school returning players to watch – Class AA Part 3

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>My final Class AA returning studs story of the off-season features mainly guys who play all over the field. While that is not new when your school doesn’t have 500 kids or more per class, these athletes stand out.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="204837" first="Hunter" last="DeLoach"] <strong>DL Norwood Young America 6’3" 220</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DeLoach already has the body of an athletic defensive lineman. He has great speed and agility for an athlete who appears to be as solidly built as the Raiders’ soon-to-be senior. He has developed rip and spin moves to get to the passer and get off blocks in the running game. The footwork that aids his pass rush moves, combined with his straight-line speed and hustle, allows him to get involved in plays run to the other side of the field.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="154572" first="Anthony" last="Sykora"] <strong>ATH West Central Area 5’10" 180</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As a running back, Sykora is not afraid of contact and likes to deliver the hit instead of taking one. He can do all the things coaches would want a running back to do. He is a good runner but can also catch the ball out of the backfield, pick up pass rushers in pass protection and even throw the deep ball on halfback option plays. Sykora lines up all over the field – in the traditional running back spot, as a wing, and out wide as a receiver. He is by no means a scat back, but he has excellent balance and runs like a much smaller back in broken field situations. As a linebacker, he has good instincts. When he decides to attack, he closes quickly, drives his shoulder into the ball carrier, and - most importantly - wraps up.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="295816" first="Jackson" last="Thompson"] <strong>ATH Moose Lake-Willow River 5’8" 175</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thompson is one of the most complete football players you will see. As an offensive player, though mainly a running back, he will line up wide and as a wing. He is not overly fast but has the speed to outrun guys to the corner. He is not a scat back but can put his foot in the ground and make defenders look bad in the open field. He is not an overpowering runner, but good luck trying to arm tackle him. He is a physical blocker and would likely be a much better-than-average receiver if that was his primary position. With his athletic ability, it was no surprise to see his skills translated easily to the defensive side of the ball. Thompson pursues well and plays great in space.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="295815" first="Gaabi" last="Boucha"] <strong>ATH Warroad 6’3" 215</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Boucha is a long-striding, I formation running back with the speed to get to the corner and the power break tackles. Because of his somewhat upright running style, it doesn’t look like he would be breaking a lot of tackles, but he lowers his pad level at the point of contact and has excellent balance at the point of contact. He is a threat in the passing game coming out of the backfield, highlighting his hands and his ability to translate his long-striding style into a quick cutting – and hurdling - open-field runner. As a linebacker, he is best when he reads the play quickly and can come downhill.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_62d784fa137dd","name":"acf/evaluation-block","align":"","mode":"preview"} /-->