Canon-McMillan 2023 Season Preview
In this article:
Canon Mac returns a host of lettermen with toughness and game experience. Coach Evans will try to avenge a close 7-0 first-round playoff exit by North Allegheny in 2022 in the season opener on September 1, 2023, against the Tigers.…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingCanon Mac returns a host of lettermen with toughness and game experience. Coach Evans will try to avenge a close 7-0 first-round playoff exit by North Allegheny in 2022 in the season opener on September 1, 2023, against the Tigers. Canon Mac’s signature wins last season were against Upper St. Clair, Peters Township, and conference rival Seneca Valley. In order to make the postseason again, Canon McMillian will have to rely heavily on QB1 Mike Evans Mike Evans 6'1" | 210 lbs | QB Canon-McMillan | 2024 State PA . Senior leadership from veterans such as Kaeden Singleton Kaeden Singleton 6'2" | 225 lbs | DL Canon-McMillan | 2024 State PA , Geno Calgaro Geno Calgaro 5'10" | 210 lbs | LB Canon-McMillan | 2024 State PA , Liam Reamer, Zyan Howard Zyan Howard 5'10" | 165 lbs | DB Canon-McMillan | 2024 State PA , Mason Williams Mason Williams 6'2" | 270 lbs | OL Canon-McMillan | 2024 State PA , Bradyn Matto Bradyn Matto 6'3" | 175 lbs | ATH Canon-McMillan | 2024 State PA , Isaiah Hicks, Zach Welsh, and Tyler Armstead Tyler Armstead 6'2" | 160 lbs | DB Canon McMillan | 2024 State PA will be key. Matt McMahon Matt McMahon 6'2" | 270 lbs | OL Canon McMillan | 2025 State PA is a two time all conference underclassmen that will also be a big contributor in ‘23.
Singleton was a highly sought-after recruit prior to his commitment. The DE/TE/H-back fielded multiple D1 offers from programs such as Bowling Green, Montana State, Maine, Mercer, Lehigh, and Bucknell, to name a few. Singleton is a fluid athlete with a big motor on the field. He is an effective pass rusher who plays with physicality. On offense, he runs good routes and boasts soft catching hands. His size, speed, and strength help him when he’s blocking as a TE/H-back. In the end, Kaeden made his commitment to the D1 Delaware Blue Hens. Singleton has all the attributes needed to be a weapon on both sides of the ball this season.
Evans has been a consistent producer at Canon Mac. The senior QB has already rewritten the record books and brought stability to the Canon Mac air attack. The lefty QB1 has a quick release and a sharp football mind. He’s athletic but mostly scrambles to buy more time to throw. He possesses good anticipation and placement on his passes on all three levels. His strong arm and poise in the pocket equip him to be a high-volume passer. He has a bunch of weapons that he excels at getting the ball to swiftly. He’s good throwing off play action and keeping his eyes downfield when scanning. Canon Mac will go as far as Mikey leads them this season.
Calgaro’s a disruptive player on the gridiron. He plays with textbook effort, mixed with a low pad level. He showcases strength and fluidity, defeating blockers in run pursuit. He’s a sideline-to-sideline player who also excels in one-on-one tackling situations. He runs a 4.6-second forty-yard dash, and his wrestling success would indicate character and toughness. He’s a two-time all-conference player who’s been producing for Canon Mac. Calgaro recently received his first D1 offer from Saint Francis in the NEC. The ’24 LB also has a scholarship offer from Division II Clarion.
Highlights
McMahon is a tough scholarship O-Line prospect. Like a lot of Canon Mac, Matt has game experience as a two-time all-conference player. He has the size, at 6’2, 260 lbs, to be a scholarship center right now, and he’s only a junior. He’s quick in short spaces and plays with a low pad level. He excels at reach, down, and combo blocking. His strength and agility aid him well in pass protection on the inside. He’s physical and experienced enough to play OG too. He plays with intensity and regularly finishes DL to the turf. On defense, he plays with a good motor on the D-Line. He displays hand violence and physicality when engaging and disengaging O-linemen. He’s pretty mobile overall for a player of his size.
Tyler is another prospect with good size for the CB position at 6’2, 160 lbs. Right away, it’s evident that Tyler is capable of playing special teams from watching his clips as a gunner on punt and as the hold-up corner on punt return. His sharp football IQ allows him to trigger fast to the flat on screen and flat throws. Armstead pedals and transitions well in coverage and has the size to contest passes for bigger wideouts. Tyler has looked solid in prospect camps over the summer and has been timed at a 4.68-second 40-yard dash.
Isaiah Hicks
Isaiah Hicks
Isaiah has the size and speed it takes to play on the next level. He looks sharp off the line of scrimmage at WR. He flashes ball skills playing on his PA Elite 7-on-7 team. Coach Evans is loaded with athleticism, and Isaiah’s 6’1, 190 lbs frame and 4.4-4.5 speed are examples. I’m especially excited to see how Hicks’ connection will be with his storied QB1.
Matto is a big deep threat with speed. He has good size, quickness, and body control for the WR position at 6’3, 180 lbs. Bradyn is physical with good ball skills and uses his 6’3 frame well on 50-50 jump balls. He will be a secret red zone weapon collegiately. He enjoys competing for receptions in any one-on-one scenario. He does a good job of using his body frame to shield DBs away from the pass and gets north and south quickly. Bradyn has an offer from PSAC program Clarion presently. He’s a transfer from the state of Florida that a lot of college programs don’t know about yet. I believe if he continues to showcase his abilities, he will have more football offers on the FCS/D2 levels.
Mason is another scholarship O-line prospect playing for head coach Mike Evans Mike Evans 6’1″ | 210 lbs | QB Canon-McMillan | 2024 State PA . Much like the rest of Canon Mac’s linemen, Williams does a little bit of everything well. He’s a physical reach blocker and sealer. He displays agility, plus a low pad level when he pulls. He plays with a nasty demeanor and has an adequate punch. He’s athletic enough to fulfill blocking assignments on the second level. He has good OG footwork in pass protection. Mason has three offers from Lock Haven, Wheeling, and Clarion, but FCS programs are also intrigued.
He’s competitive in press or off-man coverage. He displays good footwork and tempo in his backpedal. He’s a natural, instinctive DB who has a quick break on the ball. He’s a physical tackler who is violent and versatile enough to play safety. He excels at disengaging and coming up to help in run support. Howard’s game experience and volume contesting passes in the City league aid him at cornerback presently. Zyan is currently unoffered and was featured in Vic Castillo Vic Castillo RB PA ‘s piece “1st-Team All-Sleeper Pennsylvania Selections, 2024 Defense”, and I agree with Vic.
Zach Welsh
Zach Welsh
Welsh is another big transfer that Canon Mac is glad to have. He is a reliable runner inside or outside of the tackles, tough, and displays quickness with vision when he has the ball. His speed and cutting ability make him capable of breaking a long TD. He has game experience and will mesh well with Canon Mac’s stout offensive line. Zach is a good receiver out of the backfield, and his 5’9, 185 lbs compact frame makes him a tough ball carrier to tackle. It will be intriguing to see how Canon Mac adds Welsh’s services to the fold.