GC7 18U Spotlight

<!-- 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>The 4th annual PRZ Sooner State Shootout took place in Broken Arrow this weekend and we had over 100 teams from this region competing on Saturday and Sunday. In the 18U division, GC7 came over from northwest Arkansas and performed very well. In fact, the whole program had a solid weekend. In this breakdown, we're putting the spotlight on four players in particular from the 18U team that stood out to us in one way or another. We'll have more highlights of these players and more up on our&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@PrepRedzoneOklahoma/videos">YouTube Channel</a></strong>&nbsp;later in the week!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1544734' first='Aiden' last='McCarthy'] - 2027 Wide Receiver</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Looking back at our notes from this weekend, the first thing we wrote down when it came to 2027 wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1544734' first='Aiden' last='McCarthy'] was "FAST" and that speed was on display all weekend. McCarthy ran good routes and had good hands. It looked easy for him to create separation with how shifty and quick he is in and out of his breaks. He also knew how to freestyle a bit in the best possible way. He had a knack for getting open. And when you combine all of those things with his speed, you have a player that was making consistent plays from start to finish this weekend. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1636487' first='Boone' last='Bennoch'] - 2028 Wide Receiver</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>GC7 was full of 2027 prospects this weekend but 2028 wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1636487' first='Boone' last='Bennoch'] was one of the few sophomores and he shined bright, specifically on Saturday. Bennoch immediately got our attention with his size and overall range when running routes. The catch radius was off the charts with his height and wingspan. He quickly turned into a match-up nightmare for cornerback after cornerback. He showcased great hand-eye-coordination to go along with tracking the ball in the air. He checked a lot of boxes this weekend and is a '28 name to know moving forward. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2122065' first='Cooper' last='Croft'] - 2027 Defensive Back</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Anytime we have a 7v7 tournament, the offense is always at the advantage and the majority of the standouts are on offense. If you stand out on defense, you've earned it. 2027 defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='2122065' first='Cooper' last='Croft'] certainly earned it with his play on Saturday in particular. Croft was a really good fundamental defensive back who got in and out of his brakes with quickness and suddenness. We really liked the way he played the position and he was one of the better defensive backs that we watched this weekend. And like we said, it's incredibly hard to stand out consistently on defense in 7v7. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1171700' first='Dawson' last='Keaton'] - 2026 Wide Receiver</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We had a handful of 2026 prospects that came out and did their thing this weekend in Broken Arrow. 2026 wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1171700' first='Dawson' last='Keaton'] was one of them and he was very similar to the other playmakers for GC7 this weekend. He knows how to find the soft spots in a defense and sit down in them. With that route running, he was consistently getting open. There were multiple times when the combination of his route running and on-field IQ put him in a position catch multiple touchdowns. He had a really strong day on Saturday in particular during pool play. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->