Southgate Anderson vs. Trenton Offensive Notes

Yesterday, the high school football season kicked off with Southgate Anderson facing off against Trenton at the Xenith Kickoff Classic. Nobody could have asked for a better first game, as Anderson won on a near last-second touchdown. Throughout the game, I watched several players very closely, as I tried to find diamonds in the rough. Today, I'll be sharing my thoughts on six standout offensive players from both teams.    Man... Jackson outperformed all prior expectations.   Before the game, I had really only watched Jackson behind a computer screen. On tape, I thought he looked like an average quarterback who probably wasn't anything more than an NAIA prospect. While I still see a few glaring issues that Jackson needs to clean up, I also see a ton of extremely positive traits that are difficult to show on any highlight tape.   The most eye-opening trait I saw in Jackson was his leadership. Now, he doesn't seem like the biggest "hoo-rah" guy who excites his team and is a big talker, but he seems to lead by example. For instance, there were several moments throughout the game where either he or one of his teammates made a critical mistake. There were missed blocks, drops, bad throws, and everything in between. I didn't see Jackson flitch one bit- I saw Jackson move on to the very next play. On top of that, it seemed like the whole Southgate community knew who Jackson was, and there were a handful of youth football players who seem to really look up to Jackson. He's the face of this football team, and I respect the way he carried himself throughout the game.   As for his actual play, Jackson was decently efficient. His stat sheet may say the opposite (6/17, 3TDS). Though I'd guess that his receivers had about to 5 drops, one catch was (wrongfully) called out of bounds, and he slightly missed on a few passes. With a marginally better performance from all parties, that 6/17 is more like 13/17. That said, I like how tough Jackson is in the pocket. On top of that, he has solid pocket presence and was able to reset himself in the pocket in order to avoid pressure. I will say, Jackson has an accuracy problem. The deeper the pass, the less accurate he is, and when there's pressure, his accuracy suffers quite a bit more. Even on some short-intermediate throws, the accuracy just isn't where it needs to be. Most commonly, that's an issue that comes with inconsistent mechanics. Whatever his issue may be, it is something that he'll have to work on at the next level.   All in all, Jackson has earned himself a rankings boost. Still, I view him as a very high-upside MIAA (D3) prospect.     The first half was the [player_tooltip player_id='1467685' first='Ashton' last='Rooney'] show. On Tenton's second offensive play, Rooney had an explosive 42-yard touchdown carry. By the end of the game, Ashton totaled 233 yards.   Ashton is a unique style of running back. He's a bit taller and leaner than most backs, standing at 6'1" and 175lbs. Although he's taller, he's still able to cut and navigate through space like a solid 5'9" back. Especially early in the game, I was impressed with Ashton's ability to run through arm tackles and make a defender miss in the open field. That said, Ashton should work on his explosivity. He is tall and lean, so that does have an impact on how quickly he accelerates. His top speed also doesn't look excellent, but it's by no means bad. There's no doubt that Ashton is an incredible high school football player for Trenton, but in order to succeed at RB at the next level, he'll need to bulk up and hit the weight room!     Drew may be considered a "role player" for this Trenton offense, but he's an extremely important role player at that. Playing fullback, Drew had a handful of hard-nosed carries. Whenever he got the ball, he was usually good for 3-5 yards, which you'll take while running an option offense. In addition, Drew's blocking showed up on several occasions. There were times when Drew didn't engage perfectly with his defender, but on a few occasions, Drew HIT his defender and drove him back several yards. Great stuff from Drew!     Weston immediately stood out to me. Being 6'5" 265, he's an impossible player to miss and obviously someone with great upside. I'll be honest- I didn't love a lot of Weston's play. He was stiff, had poor footwork, and did not asset himself too much. That being said, he was still an absolute brick wall and an immovable object. Against any decent power rusher, Weston should be able to hold his own. Plus, with a bit of coaching, Weston could easily become a college prospect. Heck, he could even get an NAIA offer just based on his size.     Throughout the first quarter, Blaize wasn't even remotely on my radar. I watched Blaize execute a really nice block. Then another one. Then another. And another. Before long, I had an eye on Blaize on nearly every offensive snap. I was waiting for him to slip up, but he didn't. Now, Blaize doesn't have the size to be considered much of a college prospect. Which is a shame, because he was easily my #1 offensive lineman from this game.   All game, Blaize got off the ball quickly, had a powerful first step, and did his best to finish every block. Blaize is a good old-fashioned lineman who will continue to serve as a great lineman for Trenton. Hats off to Blaize!     Thomas had himself a great day on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Thomas was far and away WR1 for Anderson. While others struggled to make difficult catches, Thomas consistently earned separation and made explosive plays. I honestly didn't focus on Thomas's speed or route-running too much, but I'd imagine he's solid in both categories.   He seems like a well-rounded receiver who should have a huge year. His 3* TDs plus 1 interception already make for a phenomenal start to the season!

Yesterday, the high school football season kicked off with Southgate Anderson facing off against Trenton at the Xenith Kickoff Classic. Nobody could have asked for a better first game, as Anderson won on a near last-second touchdown. Throughout the game, I watched several players very closely, as I tried to find diamonds in the rough. Today, I'll be sharing my thoughts on six standout offensive players from both teams.