Strongside KC 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, Strongside KC came down to Oklahoma 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 <strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@PrepRedzoneOklahoma/videos">YouTube Channel</a></strong> later in the week!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2139132' first='Dezmen' last='Warner'] - 2027 Defensive Back</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2027 defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='2139132' first='Dezmen' last='Warner'] was one of the first 18U players that stood out to us this weekend. He immediately got our attention with his physical frame in the secondary. He's strong to go along with his long frame and he's a player that we can't wait to see with the pads on. Because even in a 7v7 setting, Warner played the game with a physicality. We can only imagine what he'll look like with the pads on. He continued to have that strong physical presence throughout the rest of pool play on Saturday. It's hard to stand out on defense in 7v7 but Warner did just that. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1557290' first='Gavin' last='Heller'] - 2028 Wide Receiver</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1557290' first='Gavin' last='Heller'] has a high ceiling moving forward in our opinion. Between his long frame, playing on the outside and the way he used his size time after time, we really liked Heller's game this weekend. The thing that impressed us the most was how he utilized his size to his advantage. He would use his body to shield against defenders in the open field. Because of that, he found the end zone multiple times and helped put points on the board. But he was much more than just a red zone threat. He consistently came up with big catches to keep the chains moving. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1632877' first='Kendyn' last='Charbonneau'] - 2027 Defensive Back</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2027 standout [player_tooltip player_id='1632877' first='Kendyn' last='Charbonneau'] played on both sides of the ball this weekend but there's no doubt that he shined brightest (while we were watching at least) on the defensive side of the ball. Charboneau came up with at least two interceptions while we were watching and he did such a great job in coverage throughout pool play on Saturday. While we were watching, he never got beat deep. He always kept everything in front of him and he would do a good job of rallying to the flats when necessary. It was one of the stronger defensive performances from the weekend. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Micah Hubbard - 2027 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Junior Micah Hubbard got on our radar with his pure speed. He was one of the faster players that we watched on Saturday morning. When he was lined up at wide receiver, he used that speed and overall quickness to get off the line in a hurry. He rarely got jammed on the line. After that, he showcased good route running throughout pool play. He also turned around and played really well on defense. He looked like an absolute ball hawk and definitely had a magnet for the football with several pass breakups. Overall, he had good technique on both sides of the ball. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->