Eastview Lightning Prospect Analysis: Part Two

After finishing my first part of coverage of the Eastview Lightning, I realized that there were still several prospects that had a solid amount of film and could also make an impact at the varsity level next season. Without any further posturing, here are seven more Eastview athletes to pay attention to next fall!    A junior defensive athlete with an incredible amount of tape from his last season, McKinely brings a surprising amount of physicality to the Lightning's secondary. He bails to his drops a little quickly, but boy, can he close in on a receiver. He lights them up as soon as they catch the rock, often forcing an incompletion. McKinley is a terror in the screen game as well. He'll either blow them up at the point of attack or stop them quickly. If he packs on some muscle in the weight room, he could be a force at OLB. Otherwise, I'll be curious to see how he fits into the Lightning's defense as a hyper-physical option next season.     The returning starting varsity right tackle from last season, Petter is a three-sport athlete (Football/Wrestling/Track) who has gone unfortunately under the radar. He is ferocious in the run game, particularly when down-blocking. Petter will come down hard and crush a defensive tackle, completely erasing him from the field of play. He's quick off the LOS and can pick up a lot of steam quickly. His pass-pro technique could use a bit of work, but he can hand-fight like a son of a gun and has shown the ability to stifle a bull rush. Petter needs more attention ahead of what could be a very productive senior year.     Another returning varsity starter on the offensive line, this time the left tackle, Bergland, possesses an extremely promising frame and has received some recruiting attention from Jamestown and St. Thomas! He, too, is a menace when down-blocking and gets great depth on his pass-sets. He forces defensive ends to bend around a long edge, a task they can rarely accomplish. Although he plays a bit forward at times, Bergland can completely kick a defensive lineman out of the field of play. I think Bergland has a tremendous amount of upside as a prospect, and I'd love to see him make a few appearances on the camp circuit this spring.     A physically imposing returning varsity rotator, Myers recorded seven total tackles last season, which he looks to greatly improve on during his senior year. Myers is a patient MLB who is quick for his size. His tape as a linebacker is primarily centered around his ability to stop the run. What really stood out to me, however, was his tape at my favorite position, fullback. This dude is fearsome when he's barreling toward defenders, and he's extremely physical when colliding with them. Myers does a great job of picking up defenders in open space. If I were a MIAC or WIAC school in need of someone to light up defenders, I would be hitting Myers up.     If you asked me to find a sophomore who I think could light up the gridiron and the stat sheet in 2025, I would say Lennox is on the shortlist of names. A DE who may make the switch to OLB or an edge rusher, Lennox's 2024 tape reveals an athletic do-it-all DE who could make a splash at the varsity level. He's shown the ability to work through multiple blockers on a play and gives tenacious pursuit after ball carriers time and time again. Run or pass, Lennox manages to disrupt the play, and I think his ceiling as an athlete is incredibly high. I'm pumped to see what he can do during his junior year.     A two-sport (Football/Lacrosse) sophomore corner, Paulick often showcases impressive speed and recovery ability in his tape. He's still a raw prospect who likely needs another year of development before he makes his varsity debut, but it's clear that there's potential for success. Paulick adjusts well to the ball in the air and fights hard through blockers to make tackles on ball carriers. If he spends time in the lab and continues to improve, he could be a solid varsity starter in the near future.     A sophomore two-sport athlete (Football/Basketball) who saw JV time as their ball carrier, Kennedy is a back who fights hard for every yard that he picks up. Kennedy does some of his best work between the tackles, where he can make quick cuts in tight spaces for chunk plays. You can see him hit another gear of speed once he crosses the line of scrimmage, and it's not uncommon for Kennedy to break a tackle by running through a defender. I'll be interested to see if he can find his way into the varsity rotation of ball carriers during his junior year.

After finishing my first part of coverage of the Eastview Lightning, I realized that there were still several prospects that had a solid amount of film and could also make an impact at the varsity level next season. Without any further posturing, here are seven more Eastview athletes to pay attention to next fall!