Sooner State Shootout – Michael’s MVPs

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Sooner State Shootout is in the books and it was a fantastic weekend of football in Broken Arrow! 65 teams from 8 different states came and <strong><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2023/02/sooner-state-shootout-recap/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">four would walk away with championships in their respective divisions</a></strong>. In this post, I'm crowning my picks for MVP in the 18U, 15U and 14U divisions. We will have coverage of the 12U division later on in the week. But I did not see that division nearly as much as some of the older groups. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>18U Division MVP</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='597530' first='Conner' last='Thompson'] - 2024 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back - Jenks</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Few prospects in Oklahoma are having a better two month stretch then Jenks standout [player_tooltip player_id='597530' first='Conner' last='Thompson'] to kick off 2023. First off, Thompson was the MVP pick for the wide receiver position at our camp last month. Then he's had a good start to the 7v7 season and that was enhanced this weekend when he helped lead Sooner 7 to the 18U division championship and Sooner 7's third championship of the day. Thompson made countless plays on the defensive side of the ball throughout the weekend. It seemed like every time we checked out Thompson's Sooner 7 squad, he was making plays. In the championship game, he caught a big touchdown. He also had an interception in the end zone that ended a game earlier in the tournament. Thompson is a 2024 prospect on the rise in a big way and we can't wait to see him later on this spring and summer as he prepares for a big senior season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>15U Division MVP</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Chuck Smith - 2026 Quarterback - Highland Park</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The True Buzz 15U team has been dominant over the last two months and they came north to Oklahoma and continued that dominance. This is a team that hasn't lost yet this offseason and they captured the 15U division championship behind a strong defense and stellar play from their freshman quarterback Chuck Smith. The Highland Park product was outstanding every time I got a chance to watch them in person. It's not surprising to see that they were one of the highest scoring teams in the tournament, regardless of division. Smith threw one of the prettiest balls of all the quarterbacks in attendance. He put the ball where his wide receivers could get it and nowhere else. Accuracy was high for Smith throughout the weekend and the ball jumps out of his hands. We're looking forward to seeing more of Smith in the future. Whether that's this spring or down the road. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>14U Division MVP </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='478124' first='Semaj' last='Stanford'] - 2027 Athlete - Jenks</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We already have a shortlist of 2027 prospects on our radar as they finish up their eighth grade years and get ready for high school in the fall. A new name for that list is Jenks 2027 athlete [player_tooltip player_id='478124' first='Semaj' last='Stanford']. He's the second Jenks product on this breakdown, showing just how big of a football factory Jenks still is. The future two-way player for the Trojans helped lead Sooner 7 to the 14U championship. He really stood out on the defensive side of the ball. Stanford also happens to be the younger brother of Houston signee [player_tooltip player_id='157457' first='Jalyn' last='Stanford'], who just wrapped up a very successful high school career at running back and safety. Over the weekend, Semaj was really impressive with his ability to get physical. We can't help but wonder what Stanford is going to look like when he throws on the pads and is able to hit someone. Stanford already looks the part and could find his way on the field at Jenks early on in his high school career. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We want to thank every coach, player and parent who made the Sooner State Shootout a special event over the weekend. The Prep Redzone 7v7 Series is off to a great start and this is just the beginning!&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://events.prepredzone.com/info?website_id=4&event_id=702" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">We'll see you next month in Nashville in March</a></strong>!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Keep it locked in to Prep Redzone and Prep Redzone Next throughout the week for a ton of coverage on all of the players that shined bright over the weekend in Broken Arrow!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->