How did Top-Ranked Prospects Perform? Post-York Rose Bowl, Part 2

<p class="text-gray-700">Huge upside thanks to a more physically gifted build than I had imagined. Ranked the number one wideout among Pennsylvania sophomores, [player_tooltip player_id='447350' first='Carter' last='Bonner'] looked the part. Tasked with beating the likes of [player_tooltip player_id='386309' first='Lex' last='Cyrus'] and Zi'Khere Leaks along the boundary, the former Shady Side Academy standout consistently won at the LOS. Bonner's release and upfield acceleration often led to reps where he was streaking past CBs wanting to pass him off to safety help. Safeties often couldn't get to him in time, Bonner scored in this exact situation. Bonner put himself in good favor on more than one occasion too, one score could have easily been two or three on the day. You can't always count on underclassmen to pull through against great competition, Bonner did just that. This live performance will stick with me for the time being, it's unlikely I'll be seeing more Penn Hills games in the near future. The highest-ranking prospect on the field stepped up and delivered.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/PRZPAvic/status/1827438887007854897 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='447350' first='Carter' last='Bonner']'s presence brought forth flare, his big-play potential had the place buzzing. Yet I'd argue [player_tooltip player_id='305089' first='Naytel' last='Mitchell'] was the crutch Penn Hills could and did lean on. The leader of both huddles, a two-way performance worth tipping your hat to. Reps at back, reps at safety/LB, Naytel looked like the seasoned vet the rest of the group could rely on. A vocalist on defense, unafraid to point out what he's seeing on both sides of the field. A good build that helps sustain the workload he carries after pounding the rock, said build has to hold up in run support too. If you're going to beat Penn Hills this Fall, you're going to have to go through Mitchell. The score below shows off his balance and toughness between the tackles. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/PRZPAvic/status/1827443976179478616 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">Slow start for the second-ranked two-way player. One hell of a second half through. South Carolina commit [player_tooltip player_id='386309' first='Lex' last='Cyrus'] proved you have to keep him bottled up for a full 48 minutes. You can try your best to throttle his game-breaking abilities for a quarter or two, but if you fall asleep, he'll strike and change the game in an instant. This automatic spark is likely what South Carolina is interested in, I'm sure they are creating a plan to make said sparks fewer far between each other. Right before halftime, in what would turn out to be a back-and-forth football game, Cyrus would house a punt return to break the spirit of Penn Hills. Cyrus struggled from a pass-catching standpoint, yet the good ones find a way to impact the football game positively regardless of struggles, Cyrus did just that. Some great plays at corner, Cyrus would eventually flash his offensive prowess later in this one too. Susquehanna Township should feel great about this victory, it came with its best prospect not playing up to par. Standards are high for Cyrus if a performance like this isn't considered up to par. Happy that I got to see him in pads before his career is over.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/EdOBrienCFB/status/1827836271286477158 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">No one on Susquehanna Township's offense impressed me more than [player_tooltip player_id='402448' first='Jarrett' last='Kern']. The level of difficulty of each pass reeled in by Kern was high. Kern caught a clutch 4th-down pass after getting blown up by a defender, sure and strong hands displayed. Kern separated on fade route and was able to contort his body to adjust to the ball thrown, proving he can catch the football when things aren't pretty. Numerous catches near the sideline, Kern made the most out of any ball thrown his way. I wouldn't fault Kern for coming away with zero catches in this football game, that's how difficult each catch was, yet he came away with multiple, eclipsing the 100-yard mark coupled with a score. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/dan_sostek/status/1827438230893162986 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='154352' first='Stone' last='Saunders'] was [player_tooltip player_id='154352' first='Stone' last='Saunders'] against Mount Saint Joseph. Saunders reminded many media members like myself that we shouldn't take his talents for granted. We've spoken so highly of Stone throughout the years, deservedly so, that at this point in his career, evaluators in my position tend to reach for things that haven't been said yet. This leads to undeserved holes being poked in his game, it has led to many "yeah but"s inside of recruiting circles. We should take a step back and laud Saunders a bit further, especially after the performance put forth this past Saturday evening. This is pretty much a new cast of wideouts at Saunders disposal and yet the kid hardly missed a beat. This is the same Saunders we've grown accustomed to throughout the years, this without the likes of Rico Scott and Tyshawn Russell. Saunders could pout at every wrong route run, he could pout at every forgotten assignment, he didn't. The senior quarterback led this offense to a victory, much like he has since his freshman year at McDevitt. Let's applaud the consistency and the work ethic it takes to play at this level for four years. One of the best to do it repping Pennsylvania. Saunders ripped perfect posts to Dominic Diaz, Stone flexing his effortless touch down the field. Saunders made carving up this defense look easy, his performance would have you thinking MSJ wasn't prepared, you can bet that wasn't the case. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">The top-ranked 2026 linebacker in Pennsylvania put forth quite the performance at back. I've gone on record before stating how tough it is to distinguish what position Barnes projects to at the next level, Barnes provides special reps at both backer and back. We saw this play out against MSJ. Great play at backer while simultaneously splitting reps with Nazir Jones. It just so happens that Barnes put one hell of a highlight on tape after catching a screen pass. Barnes would barrel through a DB on his way to a 50+ yard score, wowing media in attendance. Reps like this that showcase Barnes' ability with the ball in his hands throws a wrench in my evaluation. Coaches at his future collegiate home will have the fun problem of deciding where he best fits. For now, guys like me will enjoy watching elite-level play on both sides of the ball.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/PRZPAvic/status/1827473943890161967 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">I spent a good amount of time gassing up Dominic Diaz to anyone who would listen to me before the game. Parents, coaches, media, and anyone next to me was going to hear praise out of me concerning Diaz-Ellis. Thankfully, the senior wideout had me looking good among my peers. I won't dive into what DDE brings to the table, I've been doing that for over a year now on PRZ. It's great to see hard work bear fruit this quickly. [player_tooltip player_id='154352' first='Stone' last='Saunders'] has a plethora of young talent to throw the rock to. Names like [player_tooltip player_id='521111' first='Jontai' last='Quick'], Howard Holton, [player_tooltip player_id='402457' first='Maurice' last='Barnes'] and [player_tooltip player_id='402461' first='Nazir' last='Jones-Davis'] can catch the rock too. Throw in [player_tooltip player_id='1259447' first='Gage' last='Ruth'] too, all of these options, and yet Dominic Diaz has worked enough to lead this group as the Crusader's main target. This revealed itself this past Saturday night. I'm unsure how comfortable Stone is with Diaz, if he wasn't comfortable before this game it's likely he is now. Diaz would torch MSJ defenders on two occasions, both leading to touchdowns. Quite the debut.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/PRZPAvic/status/1827489150586552721 </div></figure>