Week 10 Eye Catchers: Parkway at Evangel

In front of a packed house at Rodney Duron Stadium, Evangel Christian Academy (8-2, 8-0) was able to fend off the previously undefeated Parkway Panthers (9-1, 7-1), 55-27. Evangel clinched the outright District 1-5A championship and gained valuable playoff power points before the LHSAA brackets are released. This showdown featured a long list of athletes that will play at the next level. Here are a few that caught my eye:      "Pop" is a must-see talent for anyone who is a fan of high school football. His understanding of pass coverages and where the windows are on every play is really impressive, and his ability to hit every throw makes him truly elite. Houston rarely takes a sack due to his elusiveness in the pocket and makes defenses have to account for him in the run game.     Antonio is one of the most underrated prospects in the state. The uncommitted senior made big-time plays from both the safety and wide receiver positions. He brings a level of physicality on defense that is impressive for a deep safety, delivering violent hits at every opportunity. On offense, Gladney commands attention with his big-play ability and his versatility to line up at multiple positions.     Demarkus is another underrated senior that will have a lot of attention late in this recruiting cycle. He is physically and mentally tough for the wide receiver position; he never quits on his routes and understands his role on every play. He really stood out in this matchup with his quickness and balance, breaking multiple tackles and blowing by defenders.     Gary has a great frame that colleges seek in an outside receiver. Burney displayed outstanding acceleration off the line and capitalized on his height to high-point the ball over defenders. With the strong junior campaign he has put together, keep an eye on the Panther receiver to make a rise this offseason.     Nick has seen the payoff from a successful offseason development, which has made him a real problem for opposing offenses. Lopez caused issues all night, using his speed off the line to gash through the offense and cause havoc in the backfield, including a huge 4th down sack that proved to be the turning point in this matchup.     Mark is fun to watch on defense. He knows how to read tendencies and uses leverage on receivers to his advantage to put himself in a position to force turnovers. Copenhaver is also a standout in the return game, which adds to his resume.     Jackson is an immediate "eye catcher" as soon as he steps out for the coin toss. The 6'6" mountain sticks out on an otherwise undersized line but is crucial to the Eagles' success. Speer has the strength and power to move defenders in the run game but is light-footed enough to protect the blind side in the pass game.     Parkway has a stable of young backs and Braxxton really stood out in this matchup, rushing for over 100 yards against the district's top defense. The sophomore tailback showed patience in letting plays develop and had a powerful burst through the hole. Braxxton will be a running back to keep an eye on as he continues to develop.

In front of a packed house at Rodney Duron Stadium, Evangel Christian Academy (8-2, 8-0) was able to fend off the previously undefeated Parkway Panthers (9-1, 7-1), 55-27. Evangel clinched the outright District 1-5A championship and gained valuable playoff power points before the LHSAA brackets are released. This showdown featured a long list of athletes that will play at the next level. Here are a few that caught my eye: