River Rouge Scouting Report (Kickoff Classic)

<p>This past weekend's kickoff classic held a few of the best games of recent memory. The matchup between River Rouge and Belleville in particular was the most electric game of the entire 6-game slate. This game came down to the literal final 10 seconds, and although Rouge fell just short, there were several major standouts. This article will outline six players that stood out to me! </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">WR | Daniel Rucker | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/18366300/Daniel-Rucker-III/about">Hudl</a></h2>   <p>The biggest surprise of the night was Daniel Rucker. Although he may not have had the flashy homerun plays as others did, Daniel was the sure-fire #2 weapon all night, and he was probably the most targeted receiver all night. Rucker is a rock-solid receiver with great hands, a good catch radius, and was running good routes all night. On any route in the route tree, Daniel displayed good release with quick feet and did a great job at winning separation. He had a few clutch plays down the stretch and was truly a major part of the Rouge offense. His skillset played like a great D2 wide receiver!</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">WR | [player_tooltip player_id='190093' first='Nick' last='Marsh'] | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/14272518/Nicholas-Marsh/about">Hudl</a></h2>   <p>Belleville did their best to cover up [player_tooltip player_id='190093' first='Nick' last='Marsh'] for the duration of this game, but you can't really slow down the top receiver in the state. Of course, he had some standout catches and routes, but his biggest highlights came way of special teams and in the wildcat. Late in the game, Marsh returned a kickoff 95 yards to the house, showcasing elite speed. He also played a huge role down the stretch as Rouge opted for some wildcat plays with Marsh as the ball carrier. Marsh's final stat line was as follows; <br>4 catches for 48 yds, 7 rushes for 60 yds, 1 fake punt (29 yards), and 3 total TDs. Michigan State fans rejoice; [player_tooltip player_id='190093' first='Nick' last='Marsh'] is going to be one heck of a college receiver! </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">DB | [player_tooltip player_id='1298664' first='Jaheem' last='Richmond'] | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/18099404/Jaheem-Richmond/about">Hudl</a></h2>   <p>The Rouge defensive backfield was in for a great challenge facing off against the #1 QB in the country. For the most part, I thought everyone on the Rouge defense had a chance to shine. The one DB who stood out for me was [player_tooltip player_id='1298664' first='Jaheem' last='Richmond']. While others were hot and cold, Jaheem was very consistent. Whether guarding the slot, outside, or as a safety, Jaheem stuck onto his man, limited mistakes, and did not panic when beat. There was one play in particular at safety where he robbed a touchdown with a great pass breakup. I remember a few penalties from some Rouge DBs, but I don't recall Jaheem being flagged. A super solid performance. Keep this up, and colleges will take notice!</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">DT | [player_tooltip player_id='247640' first='Jordin' last='Farrow'] | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/15832015/Jordin-Farrow/about">Hudl</a></h2>   <p>Farrow was a game-changer on the defensive line. Against an incredibly good O-Line, Farrow still found ways to consistently make plays. There are many plays I have of him on film where he successfully sheds his block, but more times than not the ball got out within a second or two. Jordin had a huge sack near the end of the game, and that's really the play that solidified him as a standout.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">LB | Ronald Thomas | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/17677104/Ronald-Thomas/about">Hudl</a></h2>   <p>Rushing a lot from the EDGE, Ronald was insanely effective with his speed. He was much quicker than any Belleville lineman and consistently won blocks to get to the QB. An early sack by Ronald put him on my radar, and throughout the game, he had a few more QB pressures and hits. At the high school level, Ronald can make a true name for himself as a speedy edge rusher. At his typical Mike LB spot, things were a lot more inconsistent. Even though he didn't stand out as a Mike, his edge play is good enough to keep on some college radars. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">QB | [player_tooltip player_id='247649' first='McKale' last='McDowell'] | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/14512805/McKale-McDowell/about">Hudl</a></h2>   <p>McKale was QB1 for Rouge, and I thought he performed great when he was out there. Most of his throws were quick and on point, with a signature quick release and good zip on the ball. His pocket presence is also great, as McKale stayed in the pocket and threw when he could, and, for the most part, only scrambled when he had to. When he did run outside of the pocket, his eyes remained downfield, and he threw some accurate balls on the run. McKale did have some inaccurate throws and an interception, but his potential remains sky-high. I liked his performance this game and look forward to seeing what he'll do for the rest of the season!</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">QB | William Hobbs | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/19638135/William-Hobbs-Jr/about">Hudl</a></h2>   <p>Hobbs came in later in the 3rd quarter, and he ran the offense with great efficiency. Once he came in, the offense ran a good array of screens, sweeps, and other runs. He had a few throws to get himself going, and there came a moment where he was forced to throw the ball downfield. Late in the 4th quarter, the Sophomore QB led the offense to a 98-yard game-tying drive in the final minutes. This included a huge 4th-down conversion and many other great throws leading them to the endzone. We'll see how much time Hobbs gets at QB moving forward, but from the time he had last weekend, he has sky-high potential! </p>

This past weekend's kickoff classic held a few of the best games of recent memory. The matchup between River Rouge and Belleville in particular was the most electric game of the entire 6-game slate. This game came down to the literal final 10 seconds, and although Rouge fell just short, there were several major standouts. This article will outline six players that stood out to me!