Mid-Season Primer: PAISAA, The Kiski School Cougars

The Kiski School   Ranking and profiles will be updated at a later date**********************   Quarterback Situation    6'1, 200 pounds. From what I can gather, Cedric Ragland is a reclassified 2024 who formerly played ball at Timberline HS. Timberline HS is in Lacey, Washington, a ways away from the Kiski School. According to his previous Hudl, Ragland has dabbled with basketball, he also has team history with him registered at the Heir Academy in Puyallup, Washington.   I came into the live evaluation not knowing much out of Kiski Prep football outside of the many in-state reclassifiers. Cedric Ragland, the man behind center, was one of the prospects I was unfamiliar with. I purposefully didn't dig into him, so that I can watch him perform without prior biases. Kiski struggled early on, I had thought my trip out to see the program would go to waste. Thanks to Ragland's efforts, Kiski was able to keep the Penn Charter game close.   LIVE* Cedric Ragland would scamper for two rushing touchdowns. In both instances Ragland would make multiple Quakers miss, either out-running or breaking through weak arm tackles. Ragland proves to be a serious mobile threat, a must to contain him in the pocket. Ragland would return a kick 50+ yards too, not often you see your quarterback back returning kicks, Ragland is that type of athlete behind center. Carries a bulky, sturdy build, yet proves he can out-run the average defender. Ragland would force Penn Charter to respect his arm, completing 3-4 big throws downfield. Great all-around effort put forth by the young man.   Taking a look at Ragland's QC, I came away surprised to learn that he's equally impressive a wideout, backer, and safety prospect. I'm not in the loop in terms of why reps are shared the way they are, yet I feel comfortable stating that Ragland is a quality starter at multiple positions for Kiski Prep. Plug him in at safety, let him run routes, put him behind center, let him return kicks. Quite the find. I will mention, it's tough to project Ragland to DB because of his size, it's tough to project him to wideout at the collegiate level for the same reason. I'd say LB and TE, even RB, would be good projections if he chooses to pursue next-level ball.   <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/1839782147424424143 </div></figure>    Rushing Attack    Formerly out of Indiana Area. Ranked relatively well. Now lists at 6'2, 205 pounds. Boasts some fantastic combine numbers, those numbers (39" vert, 4.5 40-time) translate onto the turf.   Porter is coming off a monster game against the Potomac School. Two interceptions returned for scores in one game should be praised regardless of overall outcome. Tack on a 100-yard kickoff return for a score, as well as a carry that went for a 70+ yard touchdown. If you're interested in recruiting [player_tooltip player_id='1077287' first='Levi' last='Porter'], check the Potomac School tape to get a gist of the type of athlete you are dealing with. I have in-person experience that validates and confirms what was stated below. I had the chance to see [player_tooltip player_id='1077287' first='Levi' last='Porter'] work close to home, I came away impressed.   Against Penn Charter, Porter didn't go off for multiple scores, yet I could still see the athlete in him, the one that graded near the Division One threshold (203rd rank). Porter manned an inside backer spot, doing what he could to stop a Penn Charter run game that tore through Kiski Prep for the most part. Porter had a TFL if I do recall. Porter registered a ton of hustle plays too, effort is always put forth. Porter was witnessed aligning head-up in pretty much any gap between the tackles, even at the LOS at times. Kiski likes to get creative with his pre-snap alignments. Porter was held in check from a rushing attack perspective. Penn Charter got off their blocks and were able to clog running lanes left and right. Porter, however, was a late-tackle away from scoring at least three times via kick return. Penn Charter would likely receive an extensive talking to after their performance attempting to bottle up Porter on special teams.   Porter's rank/grade suggests he's an FCS-ceiling type of prospect. I like that projection for now, this without much of a look at what he's done so far for Kiski Prep. Porter is well on his way to keeping the previously given grade. Porter is a likely snag at the D2 level, yet his ceiling reaches interest from in-state FCS programs. Position versatility outside of LB/RB interested me as well. I don't think WR/S or even TE is out of the question depending on how his body continues to grow.    Wideouts to Know    3.3 GPA, likely related to Cedric Ragland. 6'1, 190 pounds. Can be tasked with aligning at outside corner in the traditional sense. Is an obvious weapon deployable at wideout. Ragland can also be utilized in the backfield if necessary. Ragland came down with an awesome sideline catch against Penn Charter. He also held his own in numerous match-ups downfield. I will say, Penn Charter did hurt the Kiski secondary on multiple occasions, yet I wouldn't attribute any or all of the bad to [player_tooltip player_id='1539036' first='Ahmad' last='Ragland'], per se.   Work at wideout is secondary to his work at corner. Comfortable playing at the LOS. A bit thicker than your average corner, yet Ragland is that much more annoying and physical with his limbs. Phenomenal feel for tracking the football while it's in the air, has a good number of interceptions under his belt because of how calm he is at the hip while a ball is in the air. Has some emphatic tackles on tape. If you're going to be a true corner at this size, you need to be a force off the edge in terms of run support, Ragland is a capable tackler who can set the defense on fire in terms of energy. This proves true when Kiski decides to send Ragland off the edge in CB Blitz packages.   The story remains the same with these Kiski Prep prospects. A ton of versatility to be had. Ahamd, much like Levi and Cedric, can affect the football games in a positive manner in more ways than one. Excited to get him ranked on our site.     [player_tooltip player_id='1539039' first='Hunter' last='Richardson'] caught my attention in pre-game warm-ups. Richardson stuck out like a sore thumb. 6'4, 230 pounds, a lean 230 pounds I might add. Has doubled as a TE/EDGE prospect for Kiski Prep.   Raw as a pass-rusher, more of a big body that can disrupt at the LOS. Can play with his hand in the dirt but looks a bit more natural standing up. Had a TFL against Penn Charter. [player_tooltip player_id='1539039' first='Hunter' last='Richardson']'s prowess lies in the TE position. Can be split out or kept in-line. Can be a good leaker, can flash his hands and get behind the second-level. Can stay in tight and serve as an impact blocker, has a few pancakes registered on his mid-season tape.   A right-place right-time defender who is likely bigger than the opposing tackle/guard, an impact player on offense who can provide pass-catching and impact blocking. Richardson is an intriguing prospect to break down. There are obvious collegiate traits that are ready to be unlocked, so I could see D2s and FCS schools doing their homework on the kid. I'm sure there is a coach out there drooling over the chance to develop Richardson in-house. Will an FCS take the chance? Are his grades good enough? I hear that they are. Again, another name that is likely a lock to see D2 interest as a senior, yet I have a feeling his ceiling is a bit higher, even higher than his mid-season tape suggests.    Linemen to Know    Tough to give linemen a good live evaluation, especially from the sidelines. I did some digging on [player_tooltip player_id='1539043' first='Jan-Luca' last='Jenner'] post-game. 6'1-2, 280 pounds. Is apparently a Gridiron Import, an international prospect coming to the States as a post-grad. His first game at Kiski Prep served as his first game in the states. A German center prospect who has spent a considerable amount of time working on his craft. Enough time to earn collegiate looks.   Jenner has a two-minute highlight tape fully encompassing his six-week stretch at Kiski. Great first step out of his stance. Can have his eyes down yet know where his assignment is. Great locator, great down-blocker. If he can shoot his hands and get his backside in the A-gap, good luck winning the rest of the rep. Solid finisher too, has some violent ends to his blocks. I like Jenner earlier in reps, however. His initial hand placement, foot work, use of leverage, there's a lot to like here. Hips can get low, doesn't immediately stand out of his stance, pad level is solid. It's worth noting that Jenner is the ideal height/weight for the interior too. Would love to know if he has experience at guard.   For his recruiting sake, I hope he gets more and more tape on QC, adding to this tape each week. I'm sure some schools out here are weary of bringing in a young man out from out of the country IF he doesn't have substantial tape. This isn't the case with Jenner, as his QC provides good context on his 2024 season. Here's to continued progression.    The Front Seven    The main draw for those recruiting Kiski Prep. I will admit, Seeing Smith again in person was why I came out to the Penn Charter game in the first place. Was disappointed when I didn't see him on the field, however.   [player_tooltip player_id='284130' first='Mason' last='Smith'] was ranked as high as Top 80 among 2025s while at Lincoln HS. The former Top100 prospect and All-Public League pass-rusher has spent time at Middletown HS as well. On August 7th, just two weeks before the season kicked off for Kiski Prep, [player_tooltip player_id='284130' first='Mason' last='Smith'] announced his commitment to Holy Cross University. A huge land for the program, a legitimate game-wrecker capable of dismantling an offense if given the opportunity. Smith has official offers out of Maine, New Hampshire, Temple, and App State, with Smith ultimately choosing Holy Cross as his future home.   6'4, 235 pounds, sports a 3.8 GPA. Smith has registered over 8 sacks in 6 games at Kiski Prep. Tack on 35+ tackles and 7 TFLs. This, again, without him playing against Penn Charter. His presence would have changed the outcome of that football game. The mix of Richardson, Sinclair, and Smith has to be tough to block. I hope nothing but success for Smith moving forward, both at Kiski Prep as well as Holy Cross.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/__MasonSmith/status/1821353411096248685 </div></figure>     Formerly out of Franklin Regional, a name I'm familiar with. Now reclassified to the class of 2025 and at Kiski Prep. Sports an impressive 4.2 GPA. 6'1, 225 pounds. Is a multi-sport kid, sports a background in baseball.   [player_tooltip player_id='1553086' first='Owen' last='Sinclair'] had an unreal game at Penn Charter. I was happy to hear his name being called left and right. On a field with a ton of unfamiliar names, accents, and faces, [player_tooltip player_id='1553086' first='Owen' last='Sinclair'] was a welcomed blast from the past. Sinclair registered four TFLs and two sacks in the close lose against PC, yet it felt like the 4 TFLs could have easily been 8. Sinclair's read and react skills were on fire, every which way he went, as did the ball carrier, he was wreaking havoc against a PC OL unit that is loaded with potential. If there was ever a single-game stock riser who flat out proves my ranking wrong, it's [player_tooltip player_id='1553086' first='Owen' last='Sinclair'] after his performance against the Quakers.   I am pleased to check Sinclair's six-game tape on QC and learn that the performance against PC wasn't a fluke. A phenomenal crasher and pursuer of the football. Sinclair can stop sets in their tracks when aligned at OLB with his hand off the dirt. Sinclair can get slippery and skinny in the trenches with his hand in the dirt and register TFLs before ball carriers know what's going on. Going to plug his name a bit further. He's much better than his 2024 ranking suggests.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/owensinclair_57/status/1839430400021790735 </div></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='1156152' first='Adrian' last='Valdez'], formerly out of Fox Chapel, ranked relatively well prior to the season beginning, is the lightning in the Kiski Prep front seven. 5'10, 180 pounds. Ranked as a DB, has experience at back, yet looks to be flourishing as a backer beside Richardson, Sinclair, Porter, and Ragland. Three of the four mentioned here are all 210+ pounds, brutes who offer power at the cost of twitch and speed. This is where Valdez's skills come into play. A wrestler, a young man who has registered 50 total tackles on the year. Valdez's see-it hit-it mentality has him flying all over the field, he's the energy and juice needed in the trenches. He sports a back build with a backers mentality on defense.   Good lateral mover, can move hash to hash to gun down outside zone runs. Reacts to pulling guards well. Has no problem taking the brunt of the flow and forcing blocks head on, he's fast and twitchy but doesn't want to run away or around blockers. Can be split out to the slot to cover slot guys, he's was ranked at Fox Chapel for doing exactly that, as well as winning offensive MVP a year ago. There's more to be unlocked here.    Secondary    [player_tooltip player_id='1539047' first='Ramel' last='Jamison'] came down with a big interception against PC. Like I said above, I won't fault any particular player on the struggles Kiski Prep had containing [player_tooltip player_id='943633' first='Tom' last='McGlinchey']'s arm, so we will take Jamison's great rep for what it's worth.   5'9, 167 pounds. Can man the corner spot opposite [player_tooltip player_id='1539036' first='Ahmad' last='Ragland']. Fits the prototypical build at corner. Comfortable playing 6-7 yards off pre-snap. Well coached DB, looks to be at the right place often, looks to have his eyes at the right place. Doesn't open up his hips until last second. Stingy in terms of separation, this more because of an understanding of leverage, rather than overt athleticism. A ton of PBUs in his mid-season tape. One of the many prospects Kiski can hand the ball off too. Porter, Valdez, add Jamison to the stable if you want to change the pace of the game. Give him a few off-tackle runs, a few outside zone opportunities and he could provide the offense with a jolt.   Worth mentioning that Jamison is a Lacrosse participant too. Formerly out of The Frederick Douglas Academy in New York.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/jerwalk50/status/1840704657590456712 </div></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='1539049' first='Phoenix' last='Manzanero'] is a DB/WR prospect to keep tabs on if you recruit Kiski Prep Football. 6'2, 185 pounds. Serves as a box-roaming safety, as well as a big-window to target inside of 20 yards on offense.   Formerly out of Dusseldorf Panther in Germany, Manzanero serves as the second international prospect mentioned in this piece. Manzanero caught a pass from Ragland in the game against Penn Charter, he also contributed in run support from this DB spot.   Manzanero has two interceptions on his mid-season tape, proving the tough game against Penn Charter was an outlier. Manzanero has several quality reps on special teams too. If the senior does get collegiate attention, it'll likely come in the shape of interest at safety. Here's to hoping he continues to add to his solid mid-season tape with each passing week.   <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/1839772282622759363 </div></figure>

The Kiski School