Offensive Standouts From Capital City Showdown

With the calendar turning to March last week, 7-On-7 season is now officially in full swing. The first weekend of March brought us out to Hummer Sports Park in Topeka for the Capital City Showdown. Prospects across Kansas put their skills to the test against neighboring opponents from Missouri and Nebraska. It's safe to say there was no shortage of talent at this competition. Highlight worthy plays were made throughout the day, and quite a few prospects put together impressive individual performances. Here's a look at 11 prospects that turned heads in their respective age divisions.    <h2>Quarterbacks:</h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='145515' first='Hudson' last='Ferralez'] – Hesston, 6'1”, 195, Class of '24   [player_tooltip player_id='145515' first='Hudson' last='Ferralez'] not only showcased his talented arm over the weekend, but he also displayed great leadership. Ferralez was a key leader for a Kansas Colts team competing in their first ever 7-On-7 event. The All-State quarterback was as good as advertised, as he continued to show why he's one of the top quarterbacks in our Class of '24 rankings.   [player_tooltip player_id='585904' first='Jaylen' last='Mason'] – Maize, 6'1”, 175, Class of ‘26   One of the best performances of the day came from rising quarterback, [player_tooltip player_id='585904' first='Jaylen' last='Mason']. He played up in age with Wichita Wheat's 18U team, and was arguably their best player. Mason even has the MVP trophy to prove it. His accuracy and decision making helped Wichita Wheat's 18U team take home the championship. Maize fans should be very excited about this young man.   [player_tooltip player_id='611096' first='Aiden' last='Scott'] – Shawnee Heights, 6'3”, 170, Class of '26   The Capital City Showdown was yet another solid performance for [player_tooltip player_id='611096' first='Aiden' last='Scott'] in this early 7-On-7 season. His ball placement on a few of his throws throughout the day were textbook. Scott showed full trust in his receivers and delivered some nice throws over the top of the defense. He was without a doubt one of Kansas Elite's top 15U players.    [player_tooltip player_id='401680' first='Eli' last='Ribaudo'] – Maize, 6'2”, 170, Class of '26   Maize High School is making a strong case to be considered the top quarterback factory in the state. Folks are becoming more familiar with [player_tooltip player_id='585904' first='Jaylen' last='Mason'] and [player_tooltip player_id='354613' first='Drew' last='Kemp']. But, [player_tooltip player_id='401680' first='Eli' last='Ribaudo'] is another prospect folks will want to know. Ribaudo split time under center for Wichita Wheat's 15U team, and he looked very poised. The freshman displayed clean mechanics and excelled at reading opposing defenses.   [player_tooltip player_id='585906' first='Iverson' last='Scott'] – Wichita East, 6'2”, 185, Class of '26    The other half of Wichita Wheat's 15U quarterback group was the No. 5 prospect in our Class of '26 rankings. There were a number of talented quarterbacks in attendance at this competition, and [player_tooltip player_id='585906' first='Iverson' last='Scott'] was undoubtedly one of the best young arms. Two things folks will notice when watching Scott play is his confidence, and his arm strength. He's a player that doesn't get rattled much, and can deliver beautiful balls deep down the field.    <a href="https://twitter.com/holdenapplebee?s=21&t=sGuXARfiU73A1hdQ4qGDNQ">[player_tooltip player_id='934072' first='Holden' last='Applebee']</a> – STFFA/Mill Valley, 5'10”, 140, Class of '27   Prep Redzone typically waits to feature upcoming freshman before the start of the season, but <a href="https://twitter.com/holdenapplebee?s=21&t=sGuXARfiU73A1hdQ4qGDNQ">[player_tooltip player_id='934072' first='Holden' last='Applebee']</a> was too good to go without mentioning. The future Mill Valley Jaguar helped lead STFFA's 14U team to a 4-1 record and the 14U championship. In terms of accuracy and the ability to go through his reads, Applebee did not look like the average 8th grader. He'll be a prospect to watch on the Jags' freshman squad this fall.    <h2>Receivers:</h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='145600' first='La'Terrius' last='Robinson Jr.'] – Wichita East, 5'10”, 150, Class of '24   Wichita Wheat's 18U team was headlined by wideouts such as [player_tooltip player_id='87658' first='Justin' last='Stephens'], [player_tooltip player_id='544697' first='Marcus' last='White'], and [player_tooltip player_id='334731' first='Donald' last='Collier']. However, La'Terrius “LT” Robinson Jr. saw quite a bit of work out of the slot during the tournament. LT consistently got separation from defenders, and used his speed to turn shallow passes into big gains. The speedy slot receiver is primed to have a big year for Wichita East.    [player_tooltip player_id='1181057' first='Tavian' last='Gilliam'] – Buhler, 6'5”, 175, Class of '24   [player_tooltip player_id='1181057' first='Tavian' last='Gilliam'] entered Sunday's competition as a prospect flying under the radar, but left the tournament with our attention. Gilliam's 6-foot-5 frame made him a go-to target in the redzone for Wichita Wheat's 18U team. Defenders knew a jump ball was coming their way, but Gilliam's wide catch radius made it easy to haul in passes over the opposition.   [player_tooltip player_id='282256' first='Landen' last='Gatto'] – Maize South, 6'4”, 190, Class of '25   The 6th ranked wideout from our Class of '25 rankings had himself a nice day competing with Wichita Wheat's 15U squad. Much like [player_tooltip player_id='1181057' first='Tavian' last='Gilliam'], [player_tooltip player_id='282256' first='Landen' last='Gatto']'s height was also heavily utilized in the redzone. Gatto displayed great body control and focus on a few plays, as he hauled in some difficult catches in the back corner of the end zone while being draped by defenders.   <a href="https://twitter.com/tyrenparker7?s=21&t=sGuXARfiU73A1hdQ4qGDNQ">[player_tooltip player_id='780113' first='Tyren' last='Parker']</a> – Shawnee Heights, 6'2”, 170, Class of '26   This tournament featured several rising prospects from the 15U division, and one that folks need to remember going forward is <a href="https://twitter.com/tyrenparker7?s=21&t=sGuXARfiU73A1hdQ4qGDNQ">[player_tooltip player_id='780113' first='Tyren' last='Parker']</a> of Shawnee Heights. Parker was the top vertical threat for Kansas Elite's 15U team, as he burned opposing secondaries for huge gains. He and [player_tooltip player_id='611096' first='Aiden' last='Scott'] could be a dangerous quarterback-receiver duo down the road.    <a href="https://twitter.com/kellan_roth?s=21&t=sGuXARfiU73A1hdQ4qGDNQ">[player_tooltip player_id='780117' first='Kellan' last='Roth']</a> – Washburn Rural, 6'1”, 160 Class of '26   Parker wasn't the only young wideout from Kansas Elite that impressed. <a href="https://twitter.com/kellan_roth?s=21&t=sGuXARfiU73A1hdQ4qGDNQ">[player_tooltip player_id='780117' first='Kellan' last='Roth']</a> of Washburn Rural proved to be another reliable target for [player_tooltip player_id='611096' first='Aiden' last='Scott'] during the tournament. Roth made one of the more impressive catches from the 15U bracket on Sunday. The freshman secured a high pass in the back of the end zone after adjusting his body to the ball; all while managing to stay in bounds. This is only one catch, but it still shows the skill set Roth already possesses.

With the calendar turning to March last week, 7-On-7 season is now officially in full swing. The first weekend of March brought us out to Hummer Sports Park in Topeka for the Capital City Showdown. Prospects across Kansas put their skills to the test against neighboring opponents from Missouri and Nebraska. It's safe to say there was no shortage of talent at this competition. Highlight worthy plays were made throughout the day, and quite a few prospects put together impressive individual performances. Here's a look at 11 prospects that turned heads in their respective age divisions.