18U Gamechangers At Great Plains Gauntlet

<!-- 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 Prep Redzone 7v7 Circuit made a stop in Nebraska this weekend for the second annual Great Plains Gauntlet. We had teams all over the region (and Canada!) competing in La Vista, Nebraska and the competition was outstanding from start to finish. In this breakdown, we're taking at the 18U division and some of the best playmakers that we watched this weekend. We saw quite a few players making standout plays but these five really caught our attention in one way or another. Keep it locked in to Prep Redzone for more content to come out from this tourney!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Billy Gerry - 2028 Wide Receiver - Nebraska Select (Iowa)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nebraska Select made a run in the 18U bracket on Sunday, knocking off some teams in some very exciting games. 2028 wide receiver Billy Gerry was a big reason why they were able to get big win after big win. The tall wide receiver was an absolute problem for defenders all day on Sunday. We didn't get to see Nebraska Select as much on Saturday but we watched them plenty on Sunday and each game, Gerry made some big catches. There was no doubt after watching games Saturday and Sunday that Gerry was one of the top wide receivers and overall playmakers in the 18U division. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Joaquin Valdez - 2027 Wide Receiver - Grind 701 (North Dakota)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We really liked Joaquin Valdez and his game on Saturday afternoon. While watching him and Grind 701 go to work in pool play, Valdez is an athlete that immediately stood out to us. First of all, he gets open and it doesn't take him long to get in and out of his breaks and create space for himself to make the catch. But even when he's covered up, the leaping ability puts him in a position to go up and get a jump ball over defensive backs that might have the size advantage. Valdez was a breakout athlete for us to watch and he's a name worth remembering moving forward. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jaxon Lewis - 2028 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back - Grind 701 (North Dakota)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2028 standout Jaxon Lewis was one of our first 18U top performers on Saturday after watching him go to work early in pool play. Honestly, Lewis is another example of a prospect that looked equally as impactful and dominant on either side of the ball. Lewis was also an unquestioned vocal leader for this team. Following their last game on Saturday, he was talking to his squad with confidence and intensity. As a player, Lewis did a little bit of everything on both sides of the ball. We liked how slippery he was after the catch but he also made some big plays on defense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Treshawn Finley - 2028 Wide Receiver - TBird Elite (Nebraska)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2028 wide receiver Treshawn Finley from Nebraska's T-Bird Elite showed up and showed out throughout the afternoon on Saturday. Finley was one of our final 18U standouts during pool play on Saturday and the thing that stood out about his game was how effortless it looked. He's one of those athletes that just glides and is incredibly smooth with his route running and then running after the catch. He was very impressive to watch and he was also incredibly productive. He's another name to keep an eye on moving into the spring and summer months. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Xavien Lopez-Long - 2028 Wide Receiver - Paramount Elite (Nebraska)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is the second straight weekend where we're writing about 2028 wide receiver Xavien Lopez-Long as one of the top players in the 18U division. Last weekend, he was playing with Warren Academy down in our Missouri tournament. This weekend, he suited up with Paramount Elite and once again, he was absolutely dominant. Over the last two weeks, we've lost track on how many times Lopez-Long simply ran by a defensive back and scored on a 40-yard touchdown to start a drive. He was one of the top wide receivers in the tournament at simply getting open, time after time. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->