Cardinal Ritter vs SLUH Top Performers
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This past Friday, I had the opportunity to watch two talented teams in the St. Louis area. I decided to go to Cardinal Ritter College Prep for their Senior Night match up against Saint Louis University High School. The game…
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Continue ReadingThis past Friday, I had the opportunity to watch two talented teams in the St. Louis area. I decided to go to Cardinal Ritter College Prep for their Senior Night match up against Saint Louis University High School. The game was back and forth for a few drives then Cardinal Ritter took over and never looked back on their way to a 44-0 victory. While there were several players that impressed, these are the ones that stood out the most.
Friday night was a big one for Marvin Burks Jr Marvin Burks Jr 6’2″ | 190 lbs | DB Cardinal Ritter | 2023 State MO . Before the game began, he announced his college commitment to Ole Miss. Once the game started, he showed why he has been a highly recruited prospect. While he will likely play defense at the next level, Burks did most of his damage on offense at running back. He showed great vision and burst through the running lane once it opened. Once he hit the open field, he showed the speed to run away from the defense, elusiveness to make defenders miss, and strength to run through potential tacklers. He continued to show potential on defense with the ability to be used all over the secondary and good route recognition skills. I expect Burks to turn into a very good player for Ole Miss once he gets there.
Highlights
Another electric senior on the Cardinal Ritter offense on Friday was wide receiver Fredrick Moore Fredrick Moore 6’1″ | 180 lbs | WR Cardinal Ritter | 2023 State MO . He showed tremendous speed which helped him run by defenders in the deep passing game and run away from the defense after the catch. Moore was very dangerous with the ball in his hands after the catch as he showed the ability to make defenders miss in the open field. He also lined up at corner on defense, showing great man coverage skills with the ability to mirror the opposing receivers. Moore also showed tremendous value on special teams, scoring on a very impressive punt return. Fredrick is committed to Michigan and I expect him to develop into a key player for them.
Highlights
Lawrence McConnell Jr.
Lawrence McConnell Jr.
On the defensive side of the ball, senior defensive back Lawrence McConnell Jr stood out to me for Cardinal Ritter. McConnell showed the ability to make plays both against the run and the pass. Against the pass, McConnell showed great awareness and the ability to cover ground quickly when the ball is in the air. He showed tremendous ball skills, coming away with an interception on Friday. McConnell also showed the ability to read the play and come downhill to provide support against the run. He did a great job of running his feet through contact and securing tackles in the open field. McConnell doesn’t currently hold any offers but college coaches should take a look at him as he has the talent to play somewhere at the next level.
Lester McKinley Jr.
Lester McKinley Jr.
Another senior on the defensive side of the ball that made a big impact for Cardinal Ritter on Friday was Lester McKinley Jr. McKinley has played in mostly an off-ball linebacker spot but saw most of his reps off the edge as a defensive end on Friday. He thrived in this role as he played with a high motor and showed the ability to fight through blocks on his way to the ball carrier. McKinley was a force against the run, finding the ball in a hurry and running his feet through contact to secure the tackle once he got there. Lester is another player without offers that should be on college radars as he also has the talent to play at the next level.
Joseph Reed
Joseph Reed
Joining Mckinley at the other defensive end was junior Joseph Reed. Reed did a tremendous job off the edge as a pass rusher on Friday. He used his quick first step and speed to run right by the opposing offensive tackle and get to the quarterback. Reed also showed the ability to fight through blocks off the edge. Against the run, he showed the ability to read the play and get to the ball quickly. Once he got to the ball carrier, he did a great job of securing the tackle in the open field. Reed doesn’t currently hold any offers but should be a player to watch going into his final season as he has the talent to play at the next level.
Ryan Wingo Ryan Wingo 6’2″ | 200 lbs | WR St. Louis University High | 2024 State MO was clearly the best player for SLUH on Friday. On offense, he lines up on the outside at receiver and has the speed to pose as a deep threat. He was also used on screen passes and as a ball carrier on jet sweeps. Once he had the ball in his hands, he showed the speed and elusiveness to pick up positive yards and also showed the strength to break tackles. On defense, Wingo lined up on the outside at corner and showed the ability to mirror the opposing receiver in man coverage. He also showed that he is a reliable tackler in the open field. Wingo also served as the team’s punter, having a few impressive deep punts on Friday. Ryan currently has a long list of Power 5 offers and I expect that list to continue to grow as he is truly a high-caliber talent that can make an impact on either side of the ball.
Highlights
Matt Barnes
Matt Barnes
While their offensive line struggled at times, I felt that senior Matt Barnes continued to have a strong performance for SLUH. Barnes is a big, physical left tackle that showed great pass protection skills. He showed solid footwork with the ability to mirror opposing pass rushers. Barnes also showed the strength to hold his ground and not allow penetration into the pocket and did a nice job of protecting his inside gap. In the run game, Barnes did a great job of getting to the second level and picking up blocks in open space. Matt doesn’t currently hold any official offers but he should be on college radars as he has the skill set to be a solid offensive lineman at the college level.
On the defensive side of the ball for SLUH, junior defensive back Jacobi Oliphant Jacobi Oliphant 6’4″ | 180 lbs | DB St. Louis University | 2024 State MO stood out to me. Oliphant has played some corner but lined up at safety for the most part on Friday and was very impressive in pass coverage. He showed the ability to pick up receivers out of the slot and run with them in man coverage, staying in their hip pocket as he mirrored their routes. Jacobi also showed great route recognition skills and was able to read the quarterback and flow to where the play was going. He was also able to use his speed to cover ground quickly on the back end to put himself in position to make plays on the ball. Jacobi currently holds offers from Connecticut, Boston College, and Alabama A&M, and I expect that list to grow as he is a true Division I talent.
Highlights
On the defensive front for SLUH, junior defensive lineman Archie Carruthers Archie Carruthers 6’3″ | 255 lbs | DL SLUH | 2024 State MO stood out to me the most. Carruthers was very disruptive as a pass rusher from the defensive tackle spot. He was able to use an explosive first step and strength to fight his way through blocks to get to the quarterback. Once he got to the quarterback, he did a great job of running his feet through contact to secure the sack. Against the run, he did a great job of reading the play and using his high motor to get to the ball to make tackles in the open field. Archie is also a very talented rugby player so it remains to be seen which sport he will try to play at the next level but he definitely has the talent to play football at the next level if he decides to pursue that route.