Preseason Preview: Rockwood Summit

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Summit Falcons won 10 games last season and return the majority of their players from that team. They look ready to make a possible run at a state championship in 2023. Here is a look at their top players to watch for. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The quarterback spot is set with senior returnee <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='126261' first='Grant' last='Gibson']</strong> (6'3" 210), who has played varsity ball the previous three year and done a terrific job. Gibson completed 59.7% of his passes while throwing for 2,200 yards and 33 touchdowns against only 5 picks as a junior. Grant does a great job running the offense, reading opposing defenses and hitting the open man with his strong, accurate throws. He's getting some college attention which only should increase with another strong season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fellow senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='126255' first='Elijah' last='Stevens']</strong> ( 5'11" 190) is another veteran who has played varsity since he was a freshman. Stevens has good speed and can run for power, which helped him run for over 1,100 yards and 16 touchdowns. The athletic back can also catch the ball well, and added about 315 yards and 8 touchdowns receiving, Junior back <strong>Tyrique Williams</strong> ( ) also returns after rushing for almost 400 yards and 4 touchdowns backing up Stevens. He's a very capable back in his own right. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A couple of seniors are back to lead the receiving corps in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='126254' first='Sam' last='Vu']</strong> (5'8" 175 ) and <strong>Tyler Metz</strong> (5'10" 160 ). Vu is lighting quick and has great hands. He caught 28 receptions for 429 yards and 6 touchdowns, while Metz had 500 yards on 36 catches for 4 touchdowns. Junior<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1124904' first='Kamron' last='Fowler'] </strong>(5'10" 180) is a playmaker who is expected to turns heads this year, who did most of his damage on the ground with 325 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2022. He's explosive, dangerous in space and someone who looks to be targeted a lot at receiver this year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Junior TE <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='341093' first='Chase' last='Martin'] </strong>(6'2" 215) returns and is a good blocker and talented receiving option. He had 9 catches for 129 yards and 4 touchdowns. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The offensive line returns three starters, led by massive senior OT<strong> Justin Cornett</strong> (6'5" 300) and fellow senior <strong>Topher Hemphill</strong> (5'11" 220 ), along with junior <strong>Omar Hussein </strong>(6'2" 220 ). Cornett is athletic and has good feet, and is equally good with his run blocking and pass pro. Sophomore<strong> Alex Liggett </strong>(6'1" 235) will be a newcomer to the OL.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Summit's defense will be one of the best in the St. Louis area if not state. It returns a strong defensive front led by senior DEs <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='130643' first='Dominic' last='Bentrup']</strong> (6'1" 215 ) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='126262' first='Sam' last='Sutter']</strong> (6'2" 220), who are both college prospects. Bentrup, who has played varsity since his freshman year, had 96 tackles, 16 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries, with Sutter contributing 41 tackles and 4 sacks last year. Senior DL <strong>Jason Kirk</strong> also returns after recording 89 tackles and 5 sacks. Sophomore DT <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='849715' first='Antoine' last='Johnson']</strong> ( 6'1" 245) played some as a freshman last year and had 11 tackles, and is expected to contribute more this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Senior LB <strong>Coen Haynes</strong> (5'11" 210) is one of the top defensive players in the area not a lot of people talk about. He had 69 tackles and 2 sacks as a junior, but has really dedicated himself physically and skill wise to get even better and should have a big year. Fellow senior <strong>Jamieson Winfrey</strong> has transferred in from Fox, where he recorded 95 tackles last year, and had started on varsity the previous three years. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the secondary, junior CB <strong>Abdu Haji </strong>(5'10" 160) is back after recording 34 tackles and a pick in 2022. Fellow junior <strong>Kaloep Young </strong>(5'8" 155) had 14 tackles and 2 picks and should start at the the corner spot. <strong>Tyrique Williams</strong> will play one of the safety positions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->