Program Profile: Myers Park Mustangs

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coming off of a Conference Championship winning season, Myers Park looks like a strong contender to win the SoMeck Conference once again. Head Coach Chris James will have some key returning players in big spots and will look to reload in some other spots as he is the reigning Coach of the Year in the SoMeck Conference. Let's take a look at some key players for the 2024 Myers Park Mustangs football team. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At quarterback, [player_tooltip player_id='190657' first='Jared' last='Lockhart'] has joined the Mustangs after a couple of strong years at Porter Ridge, and projects to be the starter this upcoming season. Lockhart is a talented player standing at 6'4 and 185 pounds and would be classified as a dual-threat player for sure. Lockhart has offers from Marshall, North Carolina A&amp;T, Akron, Boston College, Connecticut, Syracuse, James Madison, North Carolina Central, and Bryant. Lockhart has a strong arm and can make some real plays running the football - watching him play gives you glimpses of Cam Newton in all honesty, so that will be a fun dynamic to see play out this season in the Mustangs offense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At running back for the Mustangs, two players stand out as possible options to carry the load. [player_tooltip player_id='1229662' first='RJ' last='Alexander'] is a 5'8 175-pound returning All-Conference player who had over 1,000 all-purpose yards last season. RJ has some excellent speed in the open field and good vision carrying the football in general. There is also Josh Falzarano, a Class of 2026 prospect who is a certified speedster on the track lanes and at 5'7 and 165 pounds, can complement RJ well in the backfield. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Mustangs receiving core will be strong, led by national recruit [player_tooltip player_id='832280' first='Brody' last='Keefe']. The Class of 2026 prospect has offers from a ton of schools, some of the biggest include Michigan, Penn State, Florida State, Tennessee, and Ohio State. The 6'3 190-pound prospect excels in every area you can consider - excellent speed, strong hands, meticulous route running, and a great vertical to high-point the football in one-on-one situations. Along with Brody, expect Mauriangelo Skanes and [player_tooltip player_id='1671887' first='Chaz' last='Portis'] to be threats in the Mustangs' vertical attack. Skanes is another track star who can provide the Mustangs some quick strike ability on offense, but can also be a threat in the kick return game. Skanes can also help out at defensive back as well. Portis is one of the sons of former NFL running back Clinton Portis and at 5'10 and 160 pounds, has already made a name for himself. Chaz has already received offers from Howard and Jacksonville State University. Chaz was also named an All-Region player last season and shows some excellent agility post-catch with the football in his hands. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Mustangs also have a good-sized threat at the Tight End position in Landon Moss. The 6'3 and 210-pound target should provide a nice safety blanket over the middle for Lockhart and the Mustangs throughout this season. Moss shows some good vertical speed and soft hands on his highlight package. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Expect the Mustangs' offensive line to be led by two players in [player_tooltip player_id='1671988' first='Penn' last='Craver'] and Cooper Helman. Craver is a 6'3 245-pound Class of 2026 prospect who boasts a 4.3 GPA, so don't expect a lot of missed blocking assignments from this young man. Cooper is a 6'0 245-pound Class of 2026 prospect who projects to be a strong piece of the Mustangs' interior offensive line. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Mustangs defensive line begins and ends with a highly touted prospect in [player_tooltip player_id='1002307' first='Rodney' last='Dunham'] who we have featured a few times ourselves throughout the offseason. At 6'5 and 230 pounds, Rodney is a two-sport star as he is also a standout pitcher in baseball for the Mustangs baseball team. Rodney of course is also highly recruited with offers from big schools such as LSU, Auburn, Tennessee, Michigan, and Florida State. Rodney has an excellent burst at the snap of the football and uses his frame and long arms well to keep an offensive lineman's hands off of him, shed blocks, and get to the quarterback repeatedly. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At linebacker, the Mustangs will have a couple of players they expect to get the job done in [player_tooltip player_id='595743' first='Will' last='Wagner'] and Logan Burke. Wagner has been active on the summer camp circuit at several area colleges, and with his size at 6'1 and 195 pounds, is a candidate to be a leading tackler for the Mustangs. Burke performed well during some offseason camps and as a Class of 2025 prospect at 5'11 and 187 pounds, will be called on to be a leader for this defense. Burke has shown some very good athleticism and speed overall during this offseason. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the secondary, the Mustangs have some players that have to be accounted for at all times. [player_tooltip player_id='1262334' first='Josh' last='Hines'] is a Class of 2026 prospect standing at 6'1 and 195 pounds who can help set a physical tone for the Mustangs' defense. Hines plays some safety and cornerback for the Mustangs, and I'm impressed with his ball skills and discipline in coverage overall. Hines has offers from East Carolina, Miami of Ohio, and West Virginia currently. To go along with him, there are two talented corners as well in Camdin Portis and [player_tooltip player_id='1128511' first='Elijah' last='Barber']. Portis is also the son of former NFL running back Clinton Portis and has become a highly recruited prospect himself. Camdin has offers from schools including Michigan, Ohio State, Tennessee, Auburn, and North Carolina among many others. The 6'0 and 170-pound prospect excels in man coverage and shows excellent overall speed on his highlight film with great technique. Barber is a talented player that I have seen several times in person and advocated for as a college-level prospect. Colleges are starting to listen as Barber has received offers from Catawba and Lenoir-Rhyne, and he should receive more interest as we get closer to the season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In summary, the Mustangs won the So Meck Conference last season and will be big favorites to do so once again this upcoming season. With a lot of top-level talent, the Mustangs should be recognized as one of the top teams in the Charlotte area and should make some noise in the playoffs this upcoming season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->