Notes on 5 LA Bootleggers standouts from Battle 7v7 nationals
In this article:
The Louisiana Bootleggers were the state’s lone representative this weekend in an exclusive 10-team field at the Battle 7v7 national championships in San Antonio. They ran out of time near the goal line on a quarterfinal comeback push Sunday against…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe Louisiana Bootleggers were the state’s lone representative this weekend in an exclusive 10-team field at the Battle 7v7 national championships in San Antonio.
They ran out of time near the goal line on a quarterfinal comeback push Sunday against a Defcon Texas team they’d already beaten twice Saturday. But the group saw big performances and big plays from up and down the roster.
In addition to some of the familiar or higher-profile leaders throughout the spring (such as Tre Fuller Tre Fuller 6'2" | 180 lbs | DB Captain Shreve | 2025 State LA , Jabari Mack Jabari Mack 6'0" | 185 lbs | WR Destrehan | 2026 State LA and Abram Wardell Abram Wardell 6'0" | 190 lbs | QB Calvary Baptist | 2025 State LA ), here are notes on five Louisiana standouts who hadn’t previously garnered as much coverage and had particularly strong showings on the weekend.
Also of note, 2026 Hattiesburg (Miss.) athlete/receiver Tristen “T.K.” Keys played with the group for the first time and was impressive as a tall, athletic pass-catcher with a sky-high ceiling.
Jeremie Elzy Jeremie Elzy 5'10" | 160 lbs | DB Covington | 2025 State LA — 5-10, 160 DB — Covington (2025)
The Lions’ standout is a solid, smart defensive back who has played consistently in position all spring and maximizes his athletic ability with a great overall feel for the game and anticipation. On one highlight Saturday, he ran with his receiver across the end zone toward the back-left pylon, but noticed another coming free behind him in time to break off nearly intercept the pass to help spearhead a goal-line stand. The play epitomized his play throughout the weekend and throughout the past few months.
Carmaro Mayo Carmaro Mayo 5'10" | 160 lbs | DB Parkway | 2025 State LA — 5-10, 160 DB — Parkway (2025)
Another cornerback who made multiple big goal-line pass breakups to help highlight his weekend and the defensive showing overall. The Louisiana Tech commit, who manned the left corner throughout the tournament, has a good wing span at his size and plays physically and tenaciously to blanket opposing receivers, keep them off balanced, make good late plays on the ball and continue to battle to even jar loose apparent receptions at the last-second.
Nate Sheppard Nate Sheppard 5'11" | 185 lbs | RB Mandeville | 2025 State LA — 5-11, 185 RB/ATH — Mandeville (2025)
With Louisiana’s remarkable depth of running back prospects, this weekend marked the Mandeville star’s first tournament of this spring with the Bootleggers’ national team — an opportunity he took to once again display his well-rounded and still seemingly under-appreciated game. Sheppard played as a wide receiver, lined up all over the formation and showcased his route-running and ball skills to every level of the field. For his dominant performance at running back, his impressive versatility as a pass-catcher or safety helps keep all the more college doors potentially open for Sheppard.
Jhase Thomas Jhase Thomas 6'2" | 170 lbs | ATH Destrehan | 2025 State LA — 6-2, 170 ATH — Destrehan (2025)
Another versatile athlete, Thomas has shown his ability this spring to play wide receiver, cornerback and — in particular this weekend — safety where a high-leaping interception deep downfield on the Bootleggers’ first defensive series helped highlight a strong performance overall. The son of former Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints cornerback Fred Thomas is a tall, long athlete with an impressive combination of track speed, a springy vertical and great ball skills.
Jakias Villanueva Jakias Villanueva 5'6" | 140 lbs | WR St. James | 2026 State LA — 5-6, 140 RB/WR/ATH — St. James (2026)
The Bootleggers utilized a dynamic duo of smaller, but quick running backs from the River Parishes in rising Riverside Academy senior Dedric Lastie Dedric Lastie 5'4" | 140 lbs | RB Riverside Academy | 2025 LA and the Wildcats’ rising junior Villanueva. Both were consistently effective throughout the weekend, with Villanueva’s performance including a pair of impressive leaping highlights: a catch deep down the sideline Saturday on which he remained focused and in control to corral a deflected pass on a second effort as he fell backward toward the turf, and a goal-line touchdown on tight-window catch through contact.