Standouts from Cradock Middle School Game - Hampton Roads, VA

There were many standouts in the Craddock Middle vs Azalea Gardens Middle school game last Wednesday. Craddock won a tight contest and had an emotional victory. It's a big win, as they progress into the teeth of their Norfolk/Portsmouth schedule. Lot of talented playmakers to choose from, but below I picked a few based on their instincts, athleticism, and projected upside. I can't wait to track these kids in high school.    Darnez was the first player who caught my eye Wednesday. He has nice length and frame for a middle school player. He definitely needs the weight room (as most middle school kids do), but you can't teach FOOTBALL PLAYER. Darnez flies around and never gives up on the play. He tackles in the backfield, and runs sideline to sideline. He does a good job of getting separation and setting the edge. The rockets rarely broke contain on his side. He has a nice combination of discipline and aggression at the position. He is never out of control, but always pursuing. I like his length, aggression, and athletic ability on defense. His fundamentals need to improve, but he can turn into a college prospect by Junior season.     Jayden was a key factor in Cradock's win. He rarely came off the field playing both OG and DT. As a defensive tackle, he is relentless. He is strong, breaks up double teams, and has linebacker pursuit skills. His presence on the interior line is irreplaceable. He made clutch tackles/sacks on the Rockets final drive to help seal the victory. An unsung hero, who does the dirty work to do win games. On the evening, he had multiple QB hurries and a fumble recovery. Will be a good two way HS player. Solid build, good wingspan. If he grows, even higher upside.     Stacey plays both linebacker and running back for the Admirals. Loved how violent and physical he was on defense. He made multiple clutch TFL's in the closing moments of the game. His tackles are loud and heard throughout the stadium. He has great closing speed and plays much bigger than his listed size. He also made clutch runs grinding time off the clock. Kid is an absolute gamer who you want on your roster. Plays like a heat seeking missile. Makes game changing plays. Could see him moved to secondary in high school, as he runs well and is good open field tackler.    /    Dominique is a fantastic athlete with impressive size. Has length and versatility. He mad a number of critical tackles Wednesday. He plays edge, but could easily get moved back to will backer or safety in high school. He is solidly built and moves around very well. He also plays QB for the team. He shows good mobility, doesn't panic, and keeps his head down field. He threw a deep TD pass accurately on a fly route. His pass hit the players right in the numbers, on the game's only TD pass, in the 3rd quarter. Will look forward to tracking him in high school. I can see him as a D1 offer talent on defensive side of the ball

There were many standouts in the Craddock Middle vs Azalea Gardens Middle school game last Wednesday. Craddock won a tight contest and had an emotional victory. It's a big win, as they progress into the teeth of their Norfolk/Portsmouth schedule. Lot of talented playmakers to choose from, but below I picked a few based on their instincts, athleticism, and projected upside. I can't wait to track these kids in high school.