South County Classic: Top Performers

<p>The summer passing league circuit wrapped up Saturday in the South County Classic at Mission Viejo High and several of the top programs in the Southern Section were in attendance.</p>   <p>Sierra Canyon beat Santa Margarita in the championship game and Mission Viejo won the linemen competition. </p>   <p>Here are some top performers from the event:</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>SIERRA CANYON</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Baker had the game-winning interception in the championship game against Santa Margarita and was flying around the field all day. He's a big safety who covers a ton of the field and can move into the box against certain personnel packages when the pads come on. Baker recently flipped from Cal to UCLA and was dominant on Saturday. </p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/ocvarsityguy/status/2078616105112019286?s=20 </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Saturday was my first time seeing Hernandez and he impressed me with a strong showing. Hernandez spread the ball around well and was making every throw he was asked to make. He has a slower delivery but he gets the ball in the right spot and had good touch on the deeper throws. Hernandez was recently a MVP at the UCLA camp.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/latsondheimer/status/2078684869442580734?s=20 </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Webb really impressed me with his deep threat ability and he's has some wiggle after the catch. He has some length and can win 50/50 balls and it's easy to see why Ole Miss pulled the trigger with an offer.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/kingwebb2028/status/2036883349034160335?s=20 </div></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>SANTA MARGARITA</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">I thought Smith looked better on Saturday than he did at the Battle at the Beach tournament the week prior. He drops to his spot in the pocket quickly, has a quick and smooth release and showed plus accuracy. Smith puts the ball where only his receiver has a chance to catch it and gets the ball out on time. </p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/MattSmithqb/status/2079021044917211296?s=20 </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Callis was excellent at the Battle at the Beach and was even better on Saturday. He has excellent hands and body control for an incoming freshman and made some big catches in big moments. Callis made some excellent touchdown catches against Centennial and Corona del Mar, including a game-sealing 2-point conversion attempt against CdM. Callis will be a major contributor as a freshman for the Eagles and it's easy to see why colleges have shown early interest. </p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/backnbeezy/status/2055457189339484520?s=20 </div></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>MISSION VIEJO</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Mission Viejo was relying on a lot of young receivers with their tight ends battling injuries, but Junker stepped up as the real No. 1 receiving threat that he is. He's explosive off the ball and can flat out run by some very good defensive backs. Junker can catch anything remotely near him and is physical enough at the point of attack to win 50/50 balls. </p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/jackjunker10/status/2055110969022611509?s=20 </div></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>TUSTIN</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Koo has been the breakout star off the offseason and he wrapped that offseason with another stellar performance on Saturday at his former school. He treats every play like it's a clutch play in the Super Bowl and no ball is uncatchable when Koo is the intended receiver. Koo is a master at creating separation at the top of the route and should be a touchdown machine for Tustin this season. </p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Haydenkoo0/status/2079647838934548520?s=20 </div></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>CAPO VALLEY</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Spencer was spreading the ball around well again on Saturday and hitting his receivers in stride. He gets the ball out on time and goes through his progressions quickly. Spencer has developed well as an off-platform thrower and his athleticism will be a huge asset for Capo this season when it moves up to a much more challenging league.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/capofootball/status/2078881811200102495?s=20 </div></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>CREAN LUTHERAN</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Johnson was one of the more physically impressive receivers at the event and was a tough cover for most the defensive backs. He has added some muscle since I saw him in the fall and can use that strength to win 50/50 balls. Johnson can make plays after the catch and runs very well.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/TyJohnson_2027/status/2079693049849086445?s=20 </div></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>CORONA DEL MAR</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Haley is another big receiver who has put on a ton of muscle since I saw him in the fall and is a physical mismatch for a lot of corners. He was winning 50/50 balls against corners committed to high-level colleges and blended in with the best receivers at the event. Haley has excellent body control and very good hands. He will be racking up Power 4 offers by the end of the year.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/jj_haley1/status/2078629173112000588?s=20 </div></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Sunset_Rewind/status/2078526180295377325?s=20 </div></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>MATER DEI</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Mater Dei's secondary may be the strength of the team and Danns had the strongest performance in the games I saw Mater Dei play. He times his pass break ups very well and was in the hip pocket of receivers throughout the day. Danns has good recovery length and quick feet. </p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Isaiah_Danns21/status/2078630721955168258?s=20 </div></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>CENTENNIAL</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Hale was a top performer at the Battle at the Beach the week prior and had another excellent day on Saturday. He is a big play machine and can catch anything remotely close to him. Hale can run any route he is asked to and create separation with his speed or his route running. </p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/adamgorney/status/2079317191535841717?s=20 </div></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>MISSION HILLS</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Inferrera has put on some muscle since coming off his injury and was throwing some of the best balls at the event. He had great touch on the deep throws and was making the right reads consistently. Inferrera was getting the ball out on time and can throw receivers open. </p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/FurianInferrera/status/2075348646716199261?s=20 </div></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>LAGUNA BEACH</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Hurst spread the ball around well and was layering the field well. He had good ball placement outside the numbers and can fit the ball into tighter windows with his improved arm strength. His timing was good with every receiver and he goes through his progressions well.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Jackhurst_12/status/2076349178096111831?s=20 </div></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>ROOSEVELT</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Shaw is every bit of 6-foot-6 and was causing matchup problems all day for defenses. He is a long strider with nice speed and doesn't just rely on his height to win matchups. Eastern Washington just offered him and I expect more to follow suit.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Jairismshaw/status/2076179949409710405?s=20 </div></figure>

The summer passing league circuit wrapped up Saturday in the South County Classic at Mission Viejo High and several of the top programs in the Southern Section were in attendance.