Elite Speed Captures Route 66 Classic 18U Title

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong><em><strong><em><strong>Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</strong></em></strong></em></strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was the first ever Route 66 Classic as the Prep Redzone 7v7 Circuit made their first ever stop in the state of Missouri this weekend. We had teams from all over the region competing for two days under the sun and Elite Speed out of Missouri defended home turf in the 18U championship. They knocked off fellow Missouri program Southwest 7 in the final minute in a very entertaining championship game. Below, we take a look at four of their standouts that were making plays at a consistent and high level when we watched them on Saturday and Sunday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1404803' first='Devyon' last='Hill-Lomax'] - 2026 Wide Receiver</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We didn't have too many 2026 prospects playing in this weekend but Elite Speed had a few and the most noticeable one was Missouri signee [player_tooltip player_id='1404803' first='Devyon' last='Hill-Lomax'] at the wide receiver position. Lomax walks on the field and before the game even begins, he's going to turn some heads. That's exactly what he did on Saturday during pool play and then games started, and the playmaker came out. Lomax was a match-up nightmare in the red zone and there were several instances where the play call was very simple. Throw the ball up and let the big man climb the ladder and get it. There's a reason why he's considered one of the top wide receiver prospects in Missouri's 2026 class. He backed up all the hype with spectacular playmaking ability on the field. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1690206' first='Elijah' last='Collins'] - 2027 Wide Receiver</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Elite Speed was trailing in the final two minutes of the championship game to Southwest 7. They methodically drove down the field and it was 2027 wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1690206' first='Elijah' last='Collins'] that got loose near the goal line and made what would end up being the game-winning touchdown reception. Collins was your prototypical slot receiver that's shifty in a major way. He absolutely eats at these 7v7 tournaments because of his quick feet, sudden change of direction and his ability to make guys miss in the open field. Collins is also a 2027 wide receiver prospect that our PRZ-Illiniois writers like moving forward. He's a guy that our writers first started noticing last summer. He definitely impressed us this weekend and the clutch gene down the stretch was certainly there. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1344621' first='James' last='Johnson'] - 2027 Athlete</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2027 athlete [player_tooltip player_id='1344621' first='James' last='Johnson'] came into the weekend as one of the top two-way athletes in the 2027 class to watch. He lived up to the hype, making plays on both sides of the ball. Looking at some of our PRZ-Illinois coverage, our guys there are very high on his potential moving forward, specifically on the defensive side of the ball. When we talked with the coach for Elite Speed heading into the tournament, Johnson was one of the first guys he mentioned to keep an eye on. And clearly, he was right and this team was full of playmakers. For Johnson, this is going to be a very busy but fun offseason. He's cemented himself as a next level prospect. The only question between now and signing day is where he will end up at the next level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='849686' first='Kayden' last='Wood'] - 2026 Quarterback</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Our final Elite Speed standout is the signal caller that had this offense humming on Sunday. 2026 quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='849686' first='Kayden' last='Wood'] joined Lomax as a 2026 prospect looking to get in some extra work this weekend. And the overall knowledge and experience was definitely on full display. In our opinion, Wood was one of the better quarterbacks in the 18U division this weekend. When we were watching him in person, a few things stood out to us. First off, the ball jumps out of his hand. His arm strength is really impressive as he was pushing the ball all over the field and it was flying on a rope. The experience came into play where he never got rattled. Even down in the final minutes, he methodically moved them down the field and tossed the game-winning touchdown with ease. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->