Returning Contributors: The Union City Soaring Eagles Skills

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Back in August I was fortunate enough to have a preseason conversation with Head Coach Wilbur Valdez. One of the questions I asked him was, essentially, "how do you get over the hump and win this whole thing?" He laughed, smiled, and said he always gets that question. He proceeded to tell me that what I was asking about was, in fact, the most difficult thing to accomplish in our sport - a very fair point.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From his lips to God's ears. Union City finally got over that proverbial hump in 2023 and won their first sectional title. A superlative long overdue for a program that is basically a fixture in the North, Group V playoffs, the newly minted Sectional Champions Soaring Eagles then went on to play arch rival - and eventual North, Group V champion - Passaic County Tech a week later</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As their t-shirts proclaim: Standard Raised. Who will the Soaring Eagles look to raise that standard even higher in 2024? Here are a few prospects Union City may look to. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Returning Contributors Series</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Be sure to catch up on my entire returning contributors series by clicking through on the link to the articles below.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/02/returning-contributors-the-bayonne-fighting-bees-skill-players/">Bayonne Fighting Bees' Skills</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/02/returning-contributors-bridgewater-raritan-panthers-skills/">Bridgewater-Raritan Panthers' Skills</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/02/returning-contributors-the-clifton-mustangs-skill-positions/">Clifton Mustangs' Skills</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/02/returning-contributors-the-elizabeth-minutemen-big-men/">Elizabeth Minutemen Line</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/02/returning-contributors-the-hackensack-comets-skill-positions/">Hackensack Comets' Skills</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/02/returning-contributors-the-linden-tigers-skill-positions/">Linden Tigers' Skills</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/02/returning-contributors-the-montclair-mounties-skill-positions/">Montclair Mounties' Skills</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/02/returning-contributors-morristown-colonials-big-men/">Morristown Colonials' Line</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/02/returning-contributors-the-passaic-county-tech-bulldogs-skills/">Passaic County Tech Bulldogs' Skills</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/02/returning-contributors-the-phillipsburg-stateliners-skills/">Phillipsburg Stateliners' Skills</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/02/returning-contributors-st-joseph-metuchen-falcons-skills/">St. Joseph (Metuchen) Falcons' Line</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/02/returning-contributors-st-thomas-aquinas-trojan-skills-line/">St. Thomas Aquinas Trojans' Skills &amp; Line</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/02/returning-contributors-the-union-farmers-linemen/">Union Farmers' Line</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/02/returning-contributors-watchung-hills-warriors-linemen/">Watchung Hills Warriors' Line</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/02/returning-contributors-the-westfield-blue-devils-linemen/">Westfield Blue Devils' Line</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/02/returning-contributors-the-west-orange-mountaineers-skills/">West Orange Mountaineers' Skills</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["341839"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Union City's leading rusher and big play threat on offense is back for his senior season. [player_tooltip player_id='341839' first='Mark' last='Boyd'] rushed 145 ties last year for 1098 yards and 13 touchdowns; he also added 5/57 through the air and score on a kickoff return. Foremost, arm tackles will not bring Boyd down. He is too strong an athlete to be taken down by grabbing, you must lay your shoulder into him. There are a few aspects to Boyd's speed that need attention called do it. First, on much of Boyd's highlights his linemen open gaping holes for him to run through, allowing him to showcase his top-end speed. Second, Body shows the ability to achieve top speed in about 3 steps after he either decelerates in the hole to make an over-pursing defender miss or shows his patience for the correct hole to open up. Speaking of which, discipline is a part of his game as well, as Boyd runs his track religiously and does not deviate from it. Lastly, as quickly as he is able to achieve top speed Boyd seems to be able to find yet u003cemu003eanother u003c/emu003espeed in the open field. On each clip when he was on kickoff, nobody on Union City beats him downfield as he is often the first hot man to the ball. As fast as he is, athleticism is and toughness are a part of his game too. Boyd makes very subtle, smooth cuts to change direction in the latter levels of the defense, while also utilizing the stiff arm, stutter step, and speed manipulation in the open field to gain a few extra yards. His toughness shows on film shows as he is not only a willing down blocker when on the wing, but also serving as a lead, iso blocker for his teammates. As explosive as he is and how he is the beneficiary of holes that part like the Red Sea, his film left me longing to see clips of him creating for his own and running  between the tackles.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65de2bc2f3e50"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"https://share.qwikcut.com/655bff03e79096effc797957/Mark%20Boyd%20Full%20Season","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65de2bc2f3f07"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["829413"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='829413' first='Kareem' last='Hector'] could make a highlight tape solely on his ability to crack block - yes, he is that good at it. Remarkably, he someone gets opportunity after opportunity to do so even though film is well circulated. Coach Valdez could probably submit Hector's crack block tape to Glazier to serve as clinic film. Beyond this, Hector also brings a lot to the table for the Soaring Eagles. In limited clips of him as a targeted receiver, he is a solid route runner who moves ever-so-subtly to create extra space at the break of his route. Defensively is a u003cemu003ereally u003c/emu003egood tackler - especially for a boundary corner - who also high points the ball. Deceptively physical and highly instinctual, he jams receivers who stop in front of him on plays away or scramble drills. When playing the run Hector does a great job of coming up to play the run, defeating the block of a wide receiver, replacing that player's heels, and re-establishing his force player leverage. A special teams contributor, likely due to his hustle, we see Hector actually record what looks to be a u003cemu003esafety u003c/emu003eon a kickoff against Bayonne. One thing Hector can work on are his reaction time and breaking when the ball is out. He was credited with 17 tackles (7 solos), 1 forced fumble, and 1 interception on the season, while being credited with 2 catches for 38 yards as a receiver.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65de2bc2f3f7e"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"https://share.qwikcut.com/655fe134164b1e3cb6a93cc4/Junior%20year%20film","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65de2bc2f3f9f"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1022237"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"One of two linebackers who are set to return for Union City is [player_tooltip player_id='1022237' first='Ja'zaire' last='Aurelus']. Aurelus made 55 tackles (22 solos) with 1 interception and 77 rushing yards with 1 touchdown on 4 carries. For whatever reason Aurelus' highlights have a number of plays ran away from him. This allows us to see that he takes great pursuit angles and gets to the spot quickly to ensure that he is a part of the action. When asked to come off the edge Aurelus can be twitchy at times. Both at the line and at linebacker depth he shows discipline in not over pursing plays, gaining too much backfield depth, nor falling for play fakes. When asked to play in space we see that Aurelus does a great job of playing his run fits when out of the box and evading offensive linemen on screen passes. On kickoff I suspect Aurelus' role might be to be a bowling ball, as he runs full speed and looks to take out as many blockers as possible beyond the first level. I personally want to see Aurelus play more down hill. He is at his best when he is attacking. Should he see keys more clearly and play down hill defenses will have a hard time moving the ball on Union City.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65de2bc2f3ffa"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"https://share.qwikcut.com/6520412f4df607dfbdabab27/JaZaire%20Aurelus%20full%20season","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65de2bc2f4016"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1031715"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Lining up next to Aurelus at the mike backer is [player_tooltip player_id='1031715' first='Jeremiah' last='Hayes']. Last season Hayes was credited with 53 tackles (27 solo) 6 tackles for loss and 1 interception. His only carry of the season went 14 yards for a score. Hayes plays a bit further back than I am accustom to with his heels at about 6 yards; however, he is committed to taking his read step and fills B gap to B gap with a full head of steam. When stepping toward the line of scrimmage and showing a stunt, Hayes is able to quickly disengage linemen and shed blocks in route to disrupting the backfield. One thing that stood out to me was how he takes on blocker with full force and is clearly unafraid of contact. Generally speaking Hayes reads his keys well and is never complete out of position. Hayes also tackles extremely low and does so consistently. One thing missing in Hayes' film that left me wondering is how he holds up in space for extended periods of time. This is something I am curious and would want to see a bit more of.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65de2bc2f406a"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"https://share.qwikcut.com/6569f8744511121a4a6ee1bb/Jeremiah%20Hayes","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65de2bc2f4083"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1194507"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"As the team's fourth-leading rusher last year with 131 carries and 2 scores on 24 carries, I anticipate Jasiah Espinal to get the first opportunity to replace 1488 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 250 carries that are set to graduate in May. Espinal was typically asked to tote the rock through the C gaps when given the ball and profiles as a more straight-ahead runner who has good balance as a ball carrier. He is also a solid down blocker when lined up on the wing, unafraid to stick it to the ribs of down linemen. At the second level of a defense Espinal has the ability to totally win and beat up on his matchup in the process when asked to block and as a kick out man. What allows Espinal to be such a big force in the run blocking game are his pad level and base; additionally, although tough to tell it appears that he steps with the correct foot. In a huge void to fill in terms of production out of the backfield, Espinal would benefit from a tremendous agility, mobility, and conditioning program in the offseason. Doing so will improve his ability to change directions, explode, and ultimately lead to bigger plays.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65de2bc2f40d8"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"https://share.qwikcut.com/6535b6683af1103054926791/Jasiah%20Espinal","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65de2bc2f40f0"} /-->