Ottawa Hills Team 7v7 Tournament: Standout Performers

Team activities are beginning to ramp up as the summer inches closer to an end. I made it to the historic Houseman Field located in Grand Rapids, Michigan to watch Ottawa Hills, Godwin Heights, Kalamazoo Central and Holland battle it out in a 4 way 7v7 tournament. There were many highly competitive battles with some outstanding individual performances. Below are a few I'd love to highlight!   Be sure to follow me on Twitter for access to all of my coverage on the Michigan High School football scene!   Essa Kellah, @ CoachKNoDuke    After this event, I've given Ian the nickname "Mr. Pbu" as he had his hands all over the ball the entire day. Whether it was squeezing a receiver to the sideline or breaking up crucial passes on 4th down, Burton was a total disruption to the opposing offenses. Ian does a wonderful job staying patient and in phase with pass catchers until it's time to make a play on the ball. From there he shows his advanced ball skills playing through the receivers hands. He is putting together a really good summer!     This 2028 prospect had a busy day making plays at a very high volume. There were a number of drives where Finn caught multiple passes in a row, showing his reliability and consistency. Finn has a strong build weighing in at around 175 pounds, his strength along with his technique allow him to easily fight off defenders mid route while getting to his spots. He has soft but strong hands he showcased whenever he and a defender went for what we would consider a 50/50 ball, that he won more times than not. Galloway does not shy away from getting to the middle of the field where he had a lot of success on the day. He put up many TDs, one off of a slant where he played through a PI to finish the play.     The do it all receiver threat had himself another day, this time not just offensively. Defensively, Walker started off the day with a diving interception during the first 7v7 matchup. From there he could not be stopped, scoring long and short TDs on back-to-back possessions in almost every game. He put immense pressure on the secondaries all afternoon as he was able to continuously beat man and zone coverages. Isziah showcased his full skillset, from his route running to his elite catching ability. Walker was and will continue to be a matchup nightmare when you consider his high motor, smooth technique and next level wide receiver skills.     McCoy looked really sharp all afternoon for his KZoo Central squad. He was responsible for big plays all over the field. Braylen has a really good receiver build especially for his age, measuring in at 5'11 175 pounds. He was able to use his size as an advantage to fight off and box out defenders at the point of attack. From there, he hauled in many passes displaying late and soft hands. Defensively, he was causing chaos in the secondary as well as around the line of scrimmage. Coming away with valuable PBU's in the back of the endzone and driving on the ball for PBU's in the flats. Braylen is definitely a young college prospect with much value!     Graysen was on absolute GO MODE from the moment he stepped onto the field. There wasn't a single defender or coverage that could do anything with this diaper dandy. He was able to do damage wherever he lined up offensively, whether it was on the right or left, at slot receiver or outside. Graysen is not exactly a physical specimen, but his heart and physicality were on display all day as he powered through different defenders to come down with multiple contested catches. He was a TD machine, as I lost count the amount of times he got into the endzone untouched. Peacock-Stepheny is a prospect I think will blow up this next season.     Butler is a young pup who continues to show steady progress in skill and technique. Jamal showed good patience in the pocket while going through his reads. His balls were on time to his receivers, which shows improved camaraderie and connection. He had success getting the ball where it needed to be against the zone coverages that he saw. With his build at his age, coaches will be sure to take note of his growing potential     Aaron had a very hot and busy afternoon from making plays on both sides of the ball. He is a good poster boy for an athlete in terms of recruiting. I say that because he displays pretty good technique at the receiver and cornerback positions. On offense, he did not shy away from attacking the middle of the field where he had some good catches and runs, one of them being a really impressive, contested catch that he had to fight for. On the other side of the ball, I saw his mechanics on full display. Cutting off receivers space and squeezing them to the sidelines. Riding the hip pocket of pass catchers downfield. McHeard came away with an important PBU in the back of the endzone that was nearly an interception.    Stay tuned for additional coverage of standout performances from the 4 way 7v7 tournament at Houseman Field!

Team activities are beginning to ramp up as the summer inches closer to an end. I made it to the historic Houseman Field located in Grand Rapids, Michigan to watch Ottawa Hills, Godwin Heights, Kalamazoo Central and Holland battle it out in a 4 way 7v7 tournament. There were many highly competitive battles with some outstanding individual performances. Below are a few I'd love to highlight!