Last but not Least: The BCC’s Final Scouting Report
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If you have been following our series scouting the Big Central Conference’s returning talent across each of its twelve divisions, you ought to be as convinced as me that top-to-bottom, left-to-right, and cross-cross, this conference is absolutely crawling with talent.…
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Continue ReadingIf you have been following our series scouting the Big Central Conference’s returning talent across each of its twelve divisions, you ought to be as convinced as me that top-to-bottom, left-to-right, and cross-cross, this conference is absolutely crawling with talent.
From rising juniors to rising sophomores, it did not matter. Group IV to Group I schools, it did not matter. Middlesex, Union, or Somerset counties, it did not matter. The BCC is a monster-sized conference with monster-sized depth across each team’s roster.
Today we will write our final offseason report on the Conference. It covers the Big Central Conference’s Patriot Silver division.
Cody Cardillo
Cody Cardillo
Having a bulldog-type linebacker is the backbone of a tough, run-stopping defense. Further, how could a team nicknamed the Bulldogs not have one? In this case the Metuchen Bulldogs back their bark with the bite of the 6 foot, 210lb linebacker and fullback Cody Cardillo. For the season, Cardillo made 77 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 FF, and 2 FR. He also plays basketball during the winter.
Cardillo does a nice job shooting the window from his mike backer position. Would he even be a bulldog if he was not a form, hit-wrap-drive type of tacker? Cardillo checks that box. When playing the run, it appears that he reads his keys quickly and effectively. As a throwback kind-of-FB, I suggest you protect your chest when Cardillo is coming at you as a lead blocker because is coming to take your soul. He steamrolls defenders because he keeps his feet moving through contact. Two things that I think would be big boosts to his tape are to include clips of him in pass coverage and him being physical with offensive linemen.
With Cardillo and teammate Evan Toth Evan Toth 5’8″ | 175 lbs | ATH Metuchen | 2025 NJ having similar styles of play as LBs and complementing each other in the offensive backfield, these two are redefining what it means to have “Bulldog” mentality
Al-Jamar Davis
Al-Jamar Davis
Evidently, the Hillside Comets subscribe to the ideology that “iron sharpens iron.” With two stud DBs, Marcus White Marcus White 6’0″ | 190 lbs | ATH Hillside | 2024 State NJ and McNaully Erminal, patrolling the secondary, day-in-and-day-out they are pushed to get better by 6’3″ 180lb teammate WR Al-Jamar Davis. In return, Davis returns the favor, pushing them to raise their game too. In 2022 Davis was credited with slashing 31/445/4; however, after watching his film I suspect he blew these numbers out of the water.
Davis is a bonafide red zone target. He has three unique attributes that make him such a threat. First, he measures 6’3″ and has a height advantage; second, he does a great job high pointing the ball, catching it at its apex; and third, he makes sure to catch the ball with his hands. He is a home run hitter too. Like clockwork, Davis gets behind defenders for wide-open, big gainers. With the ball in his hands he takes long strides, trying to gain as much ground on each step as possible. Similarly, Davis will fight, claw, scrap, and battle for every YAC he can muster. I am left to only imagine how much more productive Davis can be should he expand his route tree some. Moreover, I think colleges would drool over his highlight tape if he added clips of him run blocking.
Size, speed, and production are what Davis brings to the table. This combination makes him a sure-bet college prospect. He is a recruit that we would be stupid not to follow in the fall of 2023.
Timothy Porter
Timothy Porter
When you watch film, sometimes there are certain athletes who just pop off the screen compared to their competition. This is what the Abraham Clark Rams have in edge rusher Timothy Porter. At 6 feet tall and 215lbs, Porter has a combination of speed, hustle, and power that few in the conference have. Additionally, Porter played as a stand up DE and took reps at mike backer too. Unfortunately I could not find stats for Porter, however he more than passes the film test.
The first thing that stood out to me was that Porter seemed to be playing at a different speed than everyone else on the field. From his get off, to his power, to his hustle, to his pursuit – nobody appeared more active than him. He is physical off the snap, giving offensive linemen a shock back. From there he either knifes through and pursues, squeezing down the LOS tightly or recognizes pressure and fights back against it. Porter has outstanding angles of pursuit and a nifty arm-over move to shed blocks. For a more consistent pass rush, Porter would benefit from getting his hips around the edge, thus minimizing his surface area, and swiping the lineman’s hands down.
Porter is a gifted athlete who can make every single tackle on defense if he really wanted to. Motors and ability like this are hard to come by, but will likely land him some scholarship money in the fall of 2024.
Matt Barlow
Matt Barlow
There is a lot demanded from TEs in an offense. They are expected to block like a lineman, protecting the edge, catch like a wideout, and have the vision of a tailback. It takes a special type of athlete to play the position. That is exactly what New Providence has in their 5’10”, 180lb TE and LB Matt Barlow. Also a lacrosse player, he was credited with 3 catches for 69 yards and 46 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 2 FF last season.
In a limited number of available clips we can see that Barlow does an adequate job of blocking bigger-bodied defenders. He also is smart enough to not fight with defenders – meaning if they want to run themselves out of the play, he allows them to. In pass coverage he takes appropriate drop-depth to make a play on the ball. It would be to his benefit to sure up his pass coverage leverage, using his body positioning to force receivers to the boundary or to his help.
Barlow is a nice piece to have for Pioneers. He can do a lot of things nicely and be big asset to either side of the ball and all three phases of the game.
Christopher Sullivan
Christopher Sullivan
Arthur L. Johnson’s offensive line was stabilized last season by their RT. Coming in at 6’1″, 225lbs was track & field star Christopher Sullivan.
Sullivan, like many others from Arthur L. Johnson, earned various post season honors after his 2022 campaign. Unfortunately, we can only add him as a player to watch out for in 2023 since there is no film or statistics available for him at this moment.