Tigers Looking to Maul the Vikings
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North Allegheny comes into this week’s matchup a perfect 4-0. The Vikings are a modest 2-2 after losing to Ohio power St.Edwards & then the defending state champs Mt Lebanon. PCC has two quality wins as well against Abraham Lincoln…
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Continue ReadingNorth Allegheny comes into this week’s matchup a perfect 4-0. The Vikings are a modest 2-2 after losing to Ohio power St.Edwards & then the defending state champs Mt Lebanon. PCC has two quality wins as well against Abraham Lincoln (Philadelphia) & a 3-1 Bethal Park. NAHS has been lighting up the scoreboard scoring 42, 35, 29 & 53 points in route to their undefeated record. I believe this game will be decided in the trenches with two evenly matched squads. The Vikings & the Tigers have a bunch of future collegiate guys suiting up today. Check out some of the guys below to keep your eyes peeled for.
Speca is a legit blue-chip recruit that has over 20 FBS offers. He checks all the LB boxes, he’s physical, instinctual, violent & relentless. Anthony has a great pad level which allows him to move laterally quickly. His strength and explosion is evident on several hits in run pursuit on film. The junior LB has been battling injury, but he will most certainly be ready for the undefeated North Allegheny squad.
Daron Smith
Daron Smith
Smith carries his size well & has a good motor pursuing the ball. He needs to work on having a lower pad level & not stoping his feet on contact sometimes. Daron’s is a decent athlete with the strength that allows him to hold his ground in run defense. He redirects well down the line going after the ball when it’s run away from him. Smith doesn’t have any offers but he’s currently being recruited by couple of D2 schools.
Payton is a pocket QB, but he is also mobile enough to be dangerous on rollouts. Wehner is good at play action & executing RPOs. He has reasonable arm strength & throws timing routes with good anticipation. The 2024 prospect completed multiple passes in small windows displaying accuracy. From the pocket he’s capable of completing passes on all three levels consistently. His deep balls could use more zip sometimes, but the ball placement is normally good. Payton has been receiving some FBS interest recently.
Gonzalez is another big time FBS recruit that the Vikings have been blessed with. He has elite measurables as far as height, weight, & speed go at 6’3 225 lbs. The FBS product has above average agility & body control in general. Gonzalez’s size is especially dangerous due to his catch radius & strong hands. Peter is capable of being a dangerous outside WR on the FBS level. Like Speca, Gonzalez has battled injuries but looked very sharp overall vs Mt.Lebanon. Peter’s speed & agility looked better than ever after returning from Offseason ACL surgery.
Highlights
Presently the Jr OL has D2 offers from Notre Dame College, Wheeling, Clarion, & Gannon. Andrew is lean at 6’5 250 but is an above average athlete at the tackle position. His strength isn’t at its’ peak yet due to his body still growing into his OT frame. Fontana is able to reach the second level defenders to get a block & is also a good downblocker. Drew’s athletic ability allows him to front the defender in pass protection until the whistle. Andrew will be a top contributor on the next level once he reaches his potential prototypical size.
Ty is yet another division one athlete on Pittsburgh Central Catholic’s roster. Yuhas fires low & hard out of his stance on contact. The Jr DE is able to blitz from a 2 point or 3 point stance & redirects well in pursuit. Ty’s motor is good, & he is active in the run game. Yuhas is a thumper & displays explosion & athleticism on tackles. He is capable of playing the interior & exterior DL positions. He needs to continue to improve using his hands but has good hand violence shedding blockers. At the moment Yuhas has fielded one FBS offer from Kent State.
Vernon has an official offer from Akron, but he’s been receiving interest from multiple FBS institutions. Settles is a good route runner that gets in and out of breaks with efficiency. Settle’s ball skills on both sides of the ball are above average. He has the type of speed to stretch defenses at wideout & has big playmaking ability. On defense, he has good hips & breaks on the football well. His 6’1 frame is also good for contesting 50/50 balls with big WRs. Vernon is one Wehner’s top targets & PCC will need his contributions to knock off North Allegheny.
Sullivan currently has one offer from Kent State, but I’m willing to bet that number rises soon. The D1 prospect has prototypical size & strength at the OLB position for the FBS level. He is a great athlete that is also an explosive hitter. Cole is strong enough to manhandle blocking WRs or athletic enough to beat them with speed. His zone drops are above average & he triggers fast coming up to tackle. The 2024 OLB is a sure open field tackler & is very instinctual. He has a great motor and often pursues plays sideline to sideline. Sullivan will be very valuable on special teams on the next level as well.
Xxavier has football NFL bloodlines with his older brother Safety Rodney Thomas playing for the Indianapolis Colts. Thomas is a willing tackler that pedals low & plays with a low pad level. X is in control of his movements & doesn’t step outside of his frame breaking on the ball. Thomas transitions well out of his pedal to running with the WR. Xxavier is a strong competitor in man situations. He has a lot of game experience at the position for only being a sophomore which is definitely a plus.
Farrell has D2 offers right now from West Liberty & Gannon. He moves very well laterally & plays with physicality. Jackson downblocks & pass sets well, but he needs to keep adding bulk to anchor better defensing bull rushes from DL. He plays with great effort that produces pancakes from his relentlessness. Farrell’s athletic ability is especially visible zone blocking & latching onto LBs on the second level.
David Fleming
David Fleming
David is coach’s son & displays a high football IQ. He reads plays quickly & runs the alley well from the FS position. Fleming plays bigger than his size & isn’t afraid of contact. The Jr DB has good footwork & plays centerfield decently on the backend. I want to watch David more in passing situations to see his ball skills better.
Bradley Gompers
Bradley Gompers
Bradley plays basketball which helps in the mobility department with his 6’5 frame. The big body sophomore has been clocked a sub 4.5 and has pretty good body control running routes. He has strong hands and good ball skills. Gompers had a pick 6 against Bethal Park where he showed good play recognition & anticipation. His versatility will be a continual problem for smaller DBs in the WPIAL.
Maceo Marshall
Maceo Marshall
Marshall has a tremendous motor & doesn’t give up on plays. He possesses good strength on lockouts and bull rushes. Maceo looks explosive off the ball, firing out with good speed. He has to work on not wrong arming OL on run plays. He redirects very well down the line chasing ball carriers. Marshall is strong enough & athletic enough to shed blockers quickly in pursuit. Maceo’s attributes could be very valuable on the next level in pass rushing situations & special teams.
Gabe Primose
Gabe Primose
Gabe moves very well at the Center position. He’s consistently a good pass protector & run blocker. He has good pad level, explosive & displays mobility in his lateral movements. Promose’s strength is sufficient now, but it will be on another level with the aid of a college weight program. The whole PCC OLine are nasty & go until the whistle sounds.
Amari is injured for this week’s game but is still the Vikings leading rusher. Shields has good body control & is able to burst through holes running between the tackles. He is a patient strong runner that is capable of accelerating past the defenders. Amari displays good short area quickness and explosion locating running lanes. Shields will definitely be a D1 prospect by the time he concludes his high school career.
Cameron leads the trenches for the Tigers & is a big reason for the undefeated record. Currently the big league DL has 2 FBS offers from UMASS & Kent State. Chmura is good using his hands in general but especially shedding blockers getting to the ball. He has a great get off that allows them to play in the backfield consistently. Cam wreaks havoc in the interior line rushing the QB. Cameron’s strength locking out OL allows him to be dominant in the run game. Chmura is relentless & his motor doesn’t stop when the play is away from him.
Highlights
Campbell has sound DB footwork & plays with a low pad level. The senior DB is very competitive in off man & zone coverages. He has good ball skills & is a scrappy reliable open field tackler. Melzer has good off technique but I didn’t see him pressed in man situations at all. The Sr prospect has adequate speed & transitions well staying over top of the WR.
Highlights
The North Allegheny RB/LB has NFL ties with his father Tyson having played DL in the NFL. Tyree plays rough & violent on defense. Ty’s athletic ability is evident when he is moving laterally pursuing ball carriers. Alualu blitzes with reckless abandonment often times hurrying the QB. His strength is displayed when he violently separates RBs from the ball during collisions. Ty’s a playmaker that causes turnovers & wreaks havoc when he’s open field tackling. Alualu has been receiving a lot of FBS interest as of late.
Daud already has one FBS offer from Kent State at the moment. AD moves very well for a man of his size in run & pass schemes. The 2023 OL is physical & drives defenders out of the box. He has a great pass set with a strong violent punch. Often times he pancakes DL on downblocks & also when he’s driving defenders back in the box. Abdallah has good hand placement latching onto defenders & finishing blocks to the turf. Daud vs Pittsburgh Central Catholic’s DL will be a great matchup to watch.
Logan Kushner
Logan Kushner
He’s a very mobile quarterback that’s able to throw on the run. His athletic ability allows him to buy time scrambling when pressured. Logan has a pretty strong arm & knows when to put touch or zip on throws. Kushner spreads the ball around well & doesn’t lock on his targets. Logan is most dangerous on play action boots & improvising. Kushner is on a couple of FCS school’s radar but none have pulled the trigger yet.
Andrew Gavlik
Andrew Gavlik
Andrew has pretty good speed & quickness with the ball in hand. The senior prospect is a patient runner that sets his blocks up then accelerates. His scrappiness is visible during pass protection & interior rushing plays. He had a long TD run this season where he displayed good agility & speed. Drew doesn’t have any offers yet, but he is being recruited by D2 schools.
Khiryn Boyd
Khiryn Boyd
Boyd is a D1 prospect with dynamic speed & playmaking ability. KB has burst along with the capability to accelerate in & out of breaks. He has great lateral quickness with good hands. On defense he has makeup speed along with great ball skills. He plays with a lot intensity & confidence that enables him to affect the game on either side of the ball. Khiryn has been receiving a lot of D1 consideration on the recruiting front.
Daniel Sellers
Daniel Sellers
Daniel is big mobile target on offense but I like him at the DE position. He looks explosive coming off the ball & uses his hands well rushing the QB. He has good speed & agility that’s very effective run blocking at TE. On defense, he has a good motor and redirects down the line fluidly. His size is an advantage for getting into throwing lanes & batting passes down. Collegiately he will be capable of contributing on every special team.
Nate is a pretty good athlete that moves well laterally. He’s very instinctual in run pursuit & has a nose for the ball. Nate has the speed, motor and mobility to play sideline to sideline. One of Spak’s best attributes is his blitzing ability. The senior OLB has been receiving some FCS love but no offers as of yet.
Rourke Kennedy
Rourke Kennedy
Kennedy Is a top-notch wide receiver and punter that has offers to FCS Bucknell & D2 Walsh. As a punter he has been clocked at 5.06 seconds of hangtime. He has good speed & size being clocked at a 4.52 & measuring in at 6’3. Whether D1 programs actively or passively search for a kickers they all need a good one. Rourke consistently causes touchbacks from his kickoffs. The ability to have a 5 second punt will allow any D1 program time to run down & cover the kick. RK is a good athlete that is capable of running by DBs & catching jump balls on their head as a WR as well.