New Year's Even 7v7 Open Run: Underclassmen Standouts

There was no where else PrepRedzoneMN would rather be on New Year's Eve than watching some football. More specifically, watching some MN preps play football, and with the conclusion of the 2025 high school football season in Minnesota, this means my options were limited. Luckily, we were fortunate enough to be blessed with some 7v7 action, as Blaine-based Next Level Athletes was putting on a 7v7 open run at the renowned National Sports Center that included the Next Level Athletes' 7v7 squad, as well as MN Go Get It, MN Elite, and Showtime - who just sent a 15U squad - four of the premier 7v7 squads in the state. Despite the cold waiting and ready to bring in the new year outside of the dome, the energy, excitement, and playmaking ability the four sides brought had the turfed indoor arena warm with vigor, and PRZMN left feeling stoked about the new year, the offseason, Minnesota's growing 7v7 scene, and some new names we discovered at the event. Check out the sophomore, freshmen, and even 8th grade standout and honorable mention performers from the action below!   <a href="https://youtu.be/J_0UzGBtPb8?si=qFbUXJQpVu0JKEYL">Video of the Event</a>   --   New Year's Eve 7v7 Overall MVP: [player_tooltip player_id='1075477' first='Edwin' last='Ekah'] (Centennial) FS/WR. Next Level Athletes. 2028.   Top Performers    Next Level Athletes. FS/WR.   The Top Underclassmen Performer from the NYE 7v7 Open Run, Centennial and Next Level Athletes 2028er also earns our selection for MVP of the entire event, regardless of grad class, age, or position. Ekah, the starting RB for Centennial's 9-2 2025 squad and campaign, is a brick of a sophomore with a ton of versatility and varsity experience for an underclassman, and he more than proved himself against unpadded 7v7 competition at the National Sports Center. The middle became a 100% No Fly Zone when Ekah was lined up as NLA's free safety, where his excellent instincts, ball skills, closing speed, range, and physicality were on full display. Playing up against 18U competition, Ekah was maybe the most physical 7v7 defensive back in a while, and no, I don't mean cheap, unnecessary hits or collision, I mean, when the ball got put on a wide receiver, Ekah was so strong, physical, and technically-sound that he was jarring the ball loose rep after rep after rep against helpless WRs. I think I counted 7-8 PBUs from the games I watched alone, as well as a TD and INT from the first game that I missed while parking, he was making some especially beautiful breaks on the rock from his FS spot and MOF defender. Ekah was coming out of nowhere and closing on the rock like he was shot out of a cannon, and these PBUs came on a variety of different routes, from deep posts, to fades, to digs, and even a couple of slants. Ekah was everywhere and all over the field, personally halting 5-6 drives himself from momentum-killing PBUs and picks. Line this kid up anywhere and he's going to make plays. Get on the hype train now!     (MN Go Get It/Minnetonka) WR.   Fresh off an honorable mention performance at his first-ever PRZMN Stock Up Showcase, 2030 (!) standout WR [player_tooltip player_id='2072014' first='Tyson' last='Charles'] once again proved that he isn't your typical eighth grader. Solid size for his age and for the WR position, Charles has a impressive route running skillset and a nuanced understanding of the position for his age, most notably his quickness in and out of his breaks and overall twitch at the top of the route. Charles was able to create separation against any and every 15U defensive back he lined up across and against at the National Sports Center. Not only was he a good route runner, Charles had some of the softest hands in attendance, popped off some beautiful vertical wins, and manufactured a couple catches that earned audible "ohhhs" and "ahhs" from the crowd in attendance. You'll be hearing more about Charles these next four years, folks! Get used to it now.     MN Elite   Tons to like in the young Tartan product's game, skillset, and competitive makeup. To begin with, Bettis has a great frame (6'1, 150ish) for the position and his age, and I was delighted to see his competitiveness live and in person. Next, the Tartan product earned his fair share of varsity snaps and catches with the Titans in 2025 as a freshman. Bettis was a great trash-talker. Subtle, intense, but not derogatory, and he was always in an opponent's ear in order to try and impact their game or focus. It worked a lot of the time too, as Bettis was easily and visibly getting in his opponent's heads throughout the multiple games we got to watch. Bettis' length was an asset on both sides of the ball, and he proved himself to be effective and consistent in 50/50 ball and contested catch situations. With impressive high-point ability and bounce, Bettis also showed off deep speed and quickness, and was an explosive wideout on offense and a sticky, disruptive defender as a DB. I see a lot of good football left in his future.     MN Go Get It   Flat-out tremendous performance from 2030 [player_tooltip player_id='1646030' first='Asher' last='Thomas'] on New Years Eve in Blaine. The future Lakeville North Panther exploded onto PRZMN's radar thanks to his performance with MN Go Get It against 15U competition to finish off his 2025, catching anything and everything that was thrown his way at the National Sports Center. Thomas was popping off highlight-reel catch after highlight-reel catch when he was lining up at WR, showing off a frankly unbelievable knack for contested catches and 50/50 ball situations. Great bounce, times his jumps out well, sticky hands, strong through contact, and to sweeten the pot, had the speed to win vertically from his wideout position. Many mouths were left agape at one, or more, of the Lakeville product's catches on NYE.     MN Elite   A rangy and productive presence from the back-end of the MN Elite defense, the game seemed to be moving slow for Weatherspoon, a young 2028er playing full-time against 18U competition as a safety. Long, wiry, and aggressive between the whistles, Weatherspoon always seemed to be around the football and was closing with lightning-quick anticipation and pace all around the field. With no area of the turf off limits to Weatherspoon's range, the young safety was breaking up and intercepting passes with frightening ease for his age, picking off two passes in the final game I saw to really put an exclamation mark on his individual efforts on the evening. Smart football player, had an outgoing, fun demeanor with his teammates but was focused and competitive between the whistles, and owns a great frame for adding weight at the safety position. Pumped we got a look at the high-ranking 2028er early this offseason.     Showtime   Yes, your recent PRZMN Stock Up Showcase Defensive Line Top Performer was also a top performer at the NYE 7v7 Open Run in Blaine. Running against the MN Go Get It 18U squad, Givance was a playmaker, contested catch machine, and dynamic weapon who made a gigantic impact on the game while doubling as the largest player on the field from either side. Good route runner with good COD skills, Givance was strong at the catch point and a beast as a pass-catcher around MOF, hook/curl, or flats, where he could track and play the pigskin through tight coverage and reel in the rock through contact at the catch point. Additionally, a rep from Givance on defense really stood out. In 1v1 coverage a quicker SB breaking out to the flats in the opponent's quick game, Givance tracked the player's hip, dropped his hips and broke down beautifully for his size, then shuffled laterally to cut off and stay in front of the slot receiver's attempted juke, closing and squeezing space and closing on the ball carrier in space perfectly and frankly, awe-inspiring for a DL I just saw kill it against massive OTs at the LOS a couple weeks ago at the Stock Up Showcase. Also picked off a pass to end the game in the endzone a few minutes later. What a talent Hopkins has on their hands!    Honorable Mentions    MN Elite   It was tough sledding for most QBs at the NYE 7v7 Open Run at the National Sports Center in Blaine. However, my favorite QB of the night was Irondale High School and MN Elite sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1074478' first='Wehso' last='Cooper']. A familiar name to PRZMN, Cooper continues to improve and develop exposure point to exposure point, and his mechanics and arm strength really is coming along going into the all-important junior year. Cooper, with his compact, tight, and consistent release, reads the field and gets rid of the ball quickly, and the rock really zips out of his hand and gets to the catch point with some velocity. There were a lot of traits going for him, namely the timing, tight spiral, and rifle of an arm attached to his right shoulder, but the accuracy was the big + on NYE. Cooper was pinpoint accurate, especially in the MOF, as he could thread the needle and really put the ball on a rope and into tight coverage windows. The sophomore also showed off his ball placement on back-shoulder tosses and fade balls to sweeten the pot, and I thought he did a good job of moving the MN Elite offense when given the opportunity. Good showing for Cooper early into the offseason.     MN Go Get It   Fresh off a strong sophomore campaign with the 6A Panthers, sophomore MN Go Get It 18U and 15U standout [player_tooltip player_id='1634068' first='Zion' last='Davis'] had another strong in-person exposure point with PRZMN at the NSC 7v7 Open Run on NYE. One of the better route runners in attendance, Davis owns a build that can hang and find success through contact against upperclassmen defenders at the catch point, and he did a good job of creating separation at various points throughout a route. Versatile and dynamic on both sides of the ball as well.     MN Elite   Rocking bright orange gloves and a tuft of bouncing blond curls, Anderson flashed with some big-time athletic catches, showing off the bounce and body control to high-point the ball in traffic and through contested coverage from defensive backs, and his sticky hands were a consistent and clutch presence for MN Elite throughout the multiple games of competition. Good 2028 wideout to know from the 6A ranks.     MN Go Get It   Running exclusively with MN Go Get It's 15U squad, Kpou was was an eye catcher on both sides of the ball throughout the night of NYE competition. Kpou flashed some juice after the catch and route running ability, and he was strong through contact, twitchy at the top of the route, and coachable and inquisitive as a prospect trying to improve and sharpen his game. Good name to add to the 2029 Big Board.     A recent PRZMN Stock Up Showcase Top Performer amongst a LOADED WR group that congregated in Brooklyn Park, Blaine sophomore Jadyn Poe was one of the more explosive wideouts in attendance. Punching above his weight in both the size and age department, Poe had a couple deep TD catches, easily taking the top off the defense and getting himself particularly wide open. He also had the play of the evening - although it was called off due to him being called out of bounds, allegedly - where Poe snagged the ball out of the air with legitimately three defensive backs draped all over hum in what looked like a drop in a pint-sized bucket of TD potential. Good to see him build on another strong exposure point from the PRZMN Stock Up Showcase. Should be a good offseason for the young route runner.     Always nice to get an early glimpse and attempted grasp on the rising QB classes in Minnesota, and 2030 Shane Hall caught our attention at the National Sports Center in Blaine. A saw the young signal-caller flash some great potential, as he was stretching the field - especially amongst his age group - and doing a good job of leading his WRs open and giving them a chance to make a play on the ball. Hall showed a good arm and accuracy in his budding and still-developing frame. Huge feet on the kid too. Good job, young buck!     A 2029 name well-known and familiar to PRZMN, Andover's long, wiry, and versatile freshman had a good showing at the NYE 7v7 Open Run, although I unfortunately can't remember what 7v7 squad he was running with. This dude has definitely grown since the last time I've seen him, and he especially long arms that he put to good use both reeling in and breaking up the football as a WR and DB. Hammon got better as the games went on, and I really started to notice and appreciate his closing speed, physicality, and general playmaking ability around the football as the night wore on. With impressive body control and ball skills, Hammon was a mismatch in the air, and he was sticky in coverage and did a great job of getting out of his breaks and closing on the football with pace. Hammon earned a game-ending/winning redzone PBU in the final game I saw of him that night. Love his two-way versatility and youth as well.     MN Go Get It   Burnsville is sadly in a slump, but there is still a boatload of names and talent coming out of the Blaze right now that are more than worthy of D1-D3 recruiting attention. A potential big-time DB out of the Blaze's sophomore class had a strong in Blaine while running with MN Go Get It. Long, physical, and lightning-quick out of his breaks, 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='1344998' first='Adrian' last='Wenzel'] may have also been the biggest & best trash talker at the NSC. Getting in the head of WRs is one thing, but Wenzel could more than back it up, and he seemed to get better the more trash he talked and the more competitive the situation got, something I love to see from young CBs. The thriving in competition part specifically I mean. Wenzel could read and react with noticeable twich, and he was nasty at the catch point, earning a game-ending & winning PBU to end the last 7v7 contest I saw from the young cornerback. Really fun watch on NYE for PRZMN.     Showtime   A rising star in the 2028 class who is due for a massive rankings bump coming update time this month, Monticello's Johnny Moore was a fantastic presence and performer when PRZMN saw Monti beat the Elk River Elks near the tail-end of the 2025 regular season in Minnesota, sticking RBs from his safety spot and popping off one of the biggest momentum-building plays of the night as a kick returner. With a frame already-built for college action and measuring in at around 6', 200 lbs., Moore looked like a man amongst boys playing with Showtime's 15U squad, a gigantic presence as a WR and SAF who was getting in the head's of opponents from the sheer size alone. He was scoring TDs and picking off passes with ease throughout the night of action, showing his varsity experience all over the field against 15U competition. No doubt name-to-know in the 2028 Minnesota class.     Suddenly, out of nowhere, a smaller Showtime 7v7 two-way prospect rocking a softshell 7v7 helmet came alive for back-to-back-to-back electric plays that sparked the National Sports Center alive with energy as young 2030 Maverick Liffrig begin to dominate in multiple phases of competition. Liffrig started by popping off a big chunk gain after the catch to highlight some burst and elusiveness, and things got better, as he added a diving TD fully-extended later in the drive that really got the crowd on its feet. Liffrig showed off nimble feet in his releases and consistently stacked CBs once he created some separation, especially in the redzone and when he was sniffing around a touchdown. To end things, Liffrig had a fantastic rep from his CB spot, going up and taking his shot at a 50/50 ball against a taller WR. The wideout caught the football, but as he was coming down with it, Liffrig stuck to his guns, staying right in position and punching/ripping up and through the WR's hands at the catch point to knock the ball loose at the very last second, much to the dismay of his opponents and to the delight of his Showtime coaches and peers. Sounds like he's been training with Showtime for a while now too. Good name to add to the 2030 class and its database.     MN Elite   Representing Park of Cottage Grove well, Abla caught our attention near the tail end of the NYE 7v7 Open Run thanks to a couple highlight-reel-worthy TD receptions that showed off some excellent ball skills, vertical bounce, and contested catch ability. Abla showed the deep speed to easily burn man coverage as well as Cover 2 defenses, which he showed against Showtime's 15U squad later in the evening. Glad we got eyes on early this offseason.    --

There was no where else PrepRedzoneMN would rather be on New Year's Eve than watching some football. More specifically, watching some MN preps play football, and with the conclusion of the 2025 high school football season in Minnesota, this means my options were limited. Luckily, we were fortunate enough to be blessed with some 7v7 action, as Blaine-based Next Level Athletes was putting on a 7v7 open run at the renowned National Sports Center that included the Next Level Athletes' 7v7 squad, as well as MN Go Get It, MN Elite, and Showtime - who just sent a 15U squad - four of the premier 7v7 squads in the state. Despite the cold waiting and ready to bring in the new year outside of the dome, the energy, excitement, and playmaking ability the four sides brought had the turfed indoor arena warm with vigor, and PRZMN left feeling stoked about the new year, the offseason, Minnesota's growing 7v7 scene, and some new names we discovered at the event. Check out the sophomore, freshmen, and even 8th grade standout and honorable mention performers from the action below!