Francis Howell vs. Francis Howell North Top Performers

This past Friday, I attended a matchup between Francis Howell and Francis Howell North. Howell took an early lead and never looked back, coasting to a dominant 48-0 win. While there were several talented players who showcased their abilities, here are the players from Friday's game who stood out to me above the rest.    [player_tooltip player_id='369029' first='Jaylen' last='Ballard'] was the best player on the field in this game. He showed very impressive vision, showing the ability to find the open running lane then hit it with a sense of urgency. Once he gets into the open field, he showed the elusiveness and contact balance to break tackles with ease along with the speed to run away from the defense. Ballard finished Friday's win with eight carries for 84 yards and two touchdowns. Jaylen currently holds offers from McKendree, Morningside, Benedictine, and Lincoln, and I expect more to come his way this season.     [player_tooltip player_id='1187174' first='Derek' last='Chupp'] jumped onto my radar with a strong performance in Friday's win. Chupp completed 7/10 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown. He showed a strong arm which he used to lead his receivers down the field in the deep passing game. Derek also showed the ability to escape pressure while keeping his eyes down the field to make throws on the run. Chupp doesn't currently hold any offers but he should be a player to keep a close eye on over the next two seasons.     Reid Remington is a player who stood out to me on both sides of the ball in this game. On offense, Reid lined up in the slot at receiver where he was able to use his speed to create separation from opposing defensive backs. Remington led the team in receiving with two catches for 77 yards. On defense, he lined up at corner where he showed the ability to read route combinations then break on the ball with perfect timing to make a play. Remington should be a player to pay close attention to as he continues to develop over the next couple seasons.     Josh Brown asserted his dominance on the defensive line in Friday's win. He lined up at defensive end where he was very difficult to block as a pass rusher using his strength to fight through blocks with ease and speed to blow by opposing offensive tackles with ease on his way to the quarterback. Brown finished the game with one sack and multiple quarterback pressures, and also deflected a pass. Josh also recorded two tackles in Friday's game. Brown should definitely be a player for college coaches to follow over the next four years.     [player_tooltip player_id='1667970' first='Brock' last='Nichols'] was another Francis Howell defensive prospect who stood out on Friday. He lined up as a stand-up defensive end/outside linebacker where he was disruptive against the run. Nichols showed the ability to explode out of his stance and use his speed to get to the ball carrier before the opposing offensive linemen had a chance to block him. He proved to be a reliable tackler once he got to the ball carrier, finishing the game with a team-high five tackles. Brock also showed the ability to rush the passer, finishing the game with multiple quarterback pressures. Nichols doesn't currently hold any offers but he has received some college interest and will be a player to continue to watch over the next two seasons.     My final top performer from Francis Howell from Friday's game is [player_tooltip player_id='1908861' first='Fred' last='Boyd'] III. Boyd was impressive out of the backfield in the win, running the ball six times for 65 yards and two touchdowns. Fred is a strong runner, showing the ability to lower his shoulder while maintaining his balance to break tackles with ease. He also showed the burst of speed to run away from the defense on long runs. Boyd doesn't currently hold any offers but he deserves some attention from college coaches as he has the talent to play somewhere at the next level.     Despite his team's tough loss, Jaiden Vallhar caught my attention on Friday. He stood out at the true leader of their defense at linebacker. Vallhar did a great job of reading the play quickly against the run then using his speed to get to the ball carrier in a hurry to make the tackle. He also played a role on offense as a running back, showing the ability to run the ball downhill and break tackles while also showing the ability to make catches out of the backfield. Jaiden should be a player to keep a close eye on the rest of his senior year.     To wrap up my top performers from Friday's game, I have AJ Stephens. Stephens was one of the bright spots in the Howell North offense out of the backfield. He is a hard runner, showing the ability to keep his legs churning through contact while maintaining his balance to pick up extra yards. Stephens also showed the ability to use his speed to pick up big gains once he hit the open field. AJ should be a player to keep an eye on over the next couple years.

This past Friday, I attended a matchup between Francis Howell and Francis Howell North. Howell took an early lead and never looked back, coasting to a dominant 48-0 win. While there were several talented players who showcased their abilities, here are the players from Friday's game who stood out to me above the rest.