Upstate NY Watch List: High School Football
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A lot of players below that have made a statement this past season with their play and that are looking to carry it over into this upcoming season. These high school players should not only be on the watch lists…
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Continue ReadingA lot of players below that have made a statement this past season with their play and that are looking to carry it over into this upcoming season. These high school players should not only be on the watch lists for colleges to come and see, but for you to travel out to see as well. .
Landon Scott
Landon Scott
Landon Scott is an upcoming junior QB at Brockport High School that had a very impressive season this past year. In this past season Scott passed for 1,641 yards and had 16 passing TD’s. Additionally, Scott was awarded as Rochester’s First News player of the week in a 43–42 win vs. Spencerport High School. Landon does stand in at 6’1” and weighs 215-pounds, but it is his dual-threat ability that will keep defensive players up the night before a game worrying about how they are going to stop Scott on the football field.
The pure arm talent on Scott is off the charts. Landon has a big arm to push the football deep down the field with touch and power. I was impressed greatly by Landon’s ability to make throws to his receivers off-balance, off-schedule, and even with defenders draped all over him. The ability to turn a negative play into a positive one would scream off of Scott’s tape. Being able to scan and go through all his progressions was a huge plus for Landon as well. Many times, Landon was able to get defensive backs to bite on a quick pump fake, and then hit his attended man down the field.
When a play would break down, Scott was even able to run over defenders with his natural size. Certainly, Landon is not a QB that is going to shy away from contact. At times, Landon was even playing at the LB spot for the defense making clean tackles behind the LOS. For the upcoming season, Scott wants to win a sectional playoff game, lead his team to a winning record, and make first team AGR. There is no doubt in my mind, that if Landon continues to improve, and produce even more big-time plays that were similar to his Hudl tape, then he will be able to accomplish those goals.
Twitter: @LandonScott_9
Instagram: @landonscott.9
Hudl Profile: https://www.hudl.com/profile/15781327/Landon-Scott
Eric Neal
Eric Neal
Eric Neal is a WR/DB for Churchville-Chili that is a very hardworking young man that has big dreams that he wants to accomplish. One of those dreams is to play collegiate football post-graduation. At the next level; of not only football but education, Neal wants to major in Sports Entertainment and minor in Exercise Science. Over the past nine years, Eric has been training with former Syracuse and Buffalo Bills WR Maurice Jackson and also in the last 2 years training under the tutelage of Coach Dick Paul who took home silver in the 88′ Olympic Trials in powerlifting!
Speaking of the WR position, Neal is a fiery player that plays a lot bigger than his height of 5’11”. The ability to play on the outside or in the slot posed no issue to Eric whatsoever. Neal was very effective at making diving catches deep down the field and ran very impressive corner routes. Even in the run game, Neal was productive with his blocking to create any opportunity or space for the ball carrier. Overall, Eric’s balance all-around is what really stood out in his play at the WR position.
Neal spoke about how whatever he can do to help his team win a Sectional Championship, he wants to do it. Eric ended his final statement to me with that he is diligently working hard in the gym and in the classroom trying to achieve his aspirations in life. Neal certainly is not going to let anything, or anyone, get in his way of accomplishing his dreams.
Twitter: @jr1_neal
Hudl Profile: http://www.hudl.com/v/2JvSJN
This is a lengthy and twitchy RB/LB that has so much explosion it will really have your eyebrows raised. Last season he had 9 rushing TD’s, over 800 rushing yards, a team-high 73 tackles, 6 sacks, and made All-County for the second year in a row. Ricardo Lagares is a scholar-athlete that will be graduating in 2024 from Churchville-Chili High School. Some of Ricardo’s proudest accomplishments are being inducted into the National Honors Society, the National Foreign Language Honors Society, the World Language Honors Society, and currently has a 3.9 GPA.
Turning to football, this is a pure RB that can stop, accelerate, and has that breakaway speed to stick past the best of them. Lagares has the talent to bounce any run to the outside C and D gaps to pick up huge gains for his team. Defenders simply did not want to hit Lagares when he was coming with full speed downhill. I was very impressed with Ricardo’s ability to weave through traffic with his impressive ball carrier vision. Being so elusive at the POA was a deciding factor in so many of his big-time runs.
The pure aggressiveness really came out for Lagares at the LB position. So many times, the ability to come straight downhill and smash the ball carrier into the turf was shown. The relentless motor to attack and to be around the football was present. Ricardo knows how to get low and secure ball carriers up. Lagares has set goals for the upcoming season such as scoring 15 rushing touchdowns, having a 1,500 rushing yard season, having 80 solo tackles, making All-County First-Team, and to win Section V player of the year.
Twitter: @rlagaresjr
Instagram: @rlagaresjr
Hudl Profile:
Highlights
Joseph Ferretti
Joseph Ferretti
A huge leader at the QB position that is very coachable here with Joseph Ferretti. This coming season, Ferretti will be a junior QB at Webster-Thomas High School. Ferretti made it clear that he is looking to take the next step this upcoming football season. In the classroom, Ferretti is on the honor roll and is always looking to improve in every aspect of his life.
It was impressive to see the strong pose that Ferretti has in the pocket and the willingness to push the football deep down the field to give his receivers a chance to make a play. Joseph does a really nice job at getting the ball out of his hands quickly as well. Many times, Ferretti would take the snap and would get his receiver the ball right away to make a play. Being able to squeeze a throw into a tight window was evident for this lefty. Joseph was able to hit a lot of in-breaking routes with precise accuracy often and for huge gains. What I liked the most is Ferretti is not going to try to do too much where it could cause a turnover on a play. Taking what the defense gives him is smart play that was shown here throughout Ferretti’s tape.
A statement that Joseph made that impressed me tremendously was that when he does make a mistake on the football field, he is very coachable to correct that mistake to not do it again. That is a statement that you want to hear. A player that wants to be coached and is willing to work to make his team better in the long run.
Twitter: @FerrettiJoey
Instagram: @joeyferretti12
Hudl Profile: https://www.hudl.com/profile/16799636/Joey-Ferretti
Marquan Grimes
Marquan Grimes
A very tough football player here that comes to play the game of football for passion and the love of the game. Marquan Grimes is a high work ethic player for Edison Tech High School that plays multiple positions including WR, CB, and even QB. In addition to the game of football, Grimes also plays basketball, tennis, and runs indoor & outdoor track. Making AGR, All-State, and earning a scholarship to play college football are all goals that Grimes is aiming to accomplish.
The majority of Marquan’s snaps came at the slot WR position where he was able to use his pure athleticism and grit to his advantage. Being able to beat defenders in open space with his quickness and fast change of direction foot speed was a huge part of his game. This is a WR that shined manly in short yardage situations. Sticking his foot into the ground and accelerating quickly into open space was a large part of Marquan’s game. Grimes will give 100% full effort no matter what and will always finish a play on any given down.
Not many WRs are able to block effectively in space to open up running lanes for the ball carriers but Grimes can. Time after time, Marquan was sticking his nose right into a defenders’ chest to create a block. The willingness to win and put the team first is shown throughout this young man’s game and will be moving forward down the line.
Twitter: @MarquanGrimes4
Instagram: @certified.quan4
Hudl Profile: https://www.hudl.com/profile/18413441/Marquan-Grimes
Chase Shepanski Chase Shepanski 5’11” | 150 lbs | QB Churchville-Chili | 2024 State NY is the leader and starting QB for Churchville-Chili High School. This upcoming senior is ready to lead and give it his all for one more season. Chase talked about how he wants to win as many football games as possible for his outstanding coaches and teammates in his final year.
Counting sectionals, Chase and his fellow teammates posted a record of 4-6 in this past season. Additionally, Shepanski tailed for 1,214 all-purpose yards and had 11 total touchdowns. Being able to hit WRs deep down the field posed no issue to Shepanski. This is a QB that is not afraid to take a shot whatsoever. Chase was tremendously effective at running the read option, because of the quickness and burst he has. When Chase kept the ball, he was able to pick up positive yardage at a high rate. When on the move, Chase has the athleticism to make accurate throws on the run, and even completed some impressive jump throws near the sideline. This is a playmaker at the helm for Churchville Chili.
Many of Shepanski’s throws displayed a lot of touch making it very easy for his receivers to secure the football close to their bodies. Chase can work the pocket greatly and was even able to display his ability to step up to deliver a powerful throw to his targets in a tight window. For the upcoming season, Shepanski’s goals are to be a positive leader, be a team captain, make All-County at the QB position, to have a winning record, and to make a sectional title run.
Twitter: @ShepanskiChase
Instagram: @chase_shepanski
Hudl Profile: https://www.hudl.com/profile/3640815/Chase-Shepanski
A powerful and surprisingly shifty offensive linemen here for his size of 6’4” and weighing in at 255-pounds. The quick feet that Zachary Gagner Zachary Gagner 6’4″ | 265 lbs | OL Greece Olympia/Odyssey | 2024 State NY plays with allows him to excel at blocking speed rushers for Greece Olympia High School. The majority of the snaps for Zachary came at the LT spot for Greece Olympia. Gagner was able to release his aggressiveness on opposing defenders across from him when coming straight off the LOS. Plenty of times, Gagner was also able to hold up against powerful bull rushes that were thrown at him from the inside of the offensive line. Using his hands in the proper angle and leverage point granted Zachary success when down blocking the opposing defender out of the way in the run game.
In addition to the game of football, Gagner plays basketball during the winter and baseball during the spring. In this past season, Zachary was nominated as a team captain for the football team, and he was selected as a NY Section V all-star in the past two years.
When this upcoming school year arrives, Gagner will be a senior hoping to accomplish some long last goals that impact the Greece Olympia football team once he graduates. Gagner spoke to me about how it means a lot to him by getting the chance to lead the football program into the right direction with his pure leadership skills and being able to mentor the younger players to set up a successful future. A great football player and human here with Zachary Gagner Zachary Gagner 6’4″ | 265 lbs | OL Greece Olympia/Odyssey | 2024 State NY out of Greece Olympia.
Twitter: @zack_gagner
Instagram: Zack._.g56
Hudl Profile: https://www.hudl.com/profile/16995557/Zack-Gagner