WEEK : Willard vs Ozark “Notables”

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last Friday night the Willard Tigers hosted the Ozark Tigers for a week 2 showdown. Ozark ended up victorious with a 48-12 victory, but it left me thoroughly impressed with the amount of athleticism on the football field. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These five young men left a impression on me and stood out among the rest. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":2387675,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"James Slaughter ","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'9u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"220","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2408","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Willard High School ","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aa4073cd905f"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Willard couldn't pull out the win but Slaughter was a bright spot last week. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>James Slaughter had a pretty good outing last weekend touting the rock for the Tigers. Slaughter's bread and butter is getting his shoulders square to the offensive line and getting downhill. Once he gets a full head of steam he's a pretty difficult guy to get to the ground with his low center of gravity. There were several long runs Slaughter ripped off last weekend that was brought back because of holding calls (that was totally away from the ball carrier). So his stats are a little misleading. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Going into week 3 the Tigers have Glendale next on the schedule Slaughter looks to continue his good running streak.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src=u0022https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/18455175/6a9d516c891fd032fe94865fu0022 width=u0022640u0022 height=u0022360u0022 frameborder=u00220u0022 allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aa4073cd90a0"} /--> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":2387678,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Braxton Bell ","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2028","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'10u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"210","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2408","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Ozark High School ","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aa4073cd90ed"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Braxton Bell put on a show on the ground in Willard, MO.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bell might have had his best game I have seen from him last weekend. Bell pulled out his full bag of tricks, he beat the defense with his speed, power and instincts. At times they had no answers for bell and he completely did whatever he wanted. What really impressed me the most from his game is his overall ball carrier vision, he knew exactly where he wanted to go with the football. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The season is just getting on the way but I feel like Bell will have a a fantastic Junior season for the Ozark Tigers. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2245407"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":2387685,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aa4073cd911f"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Big fan of [player_tooltip player_id='2245407' first='Jett' last='Easley'], keeps impressing me every time I watch him play. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I know Easley from him being of the best Receivers in Southwest Missouri, and that still stands. This year I saw him in a more versatile way opposed to the last couple years. Ozark deployed him a lot in the backfield against the Willard Tigers and he was a shot in the arm for the Ozark offense, Easley is super shifty and can hurt you in between the tackles, he was a very tough runner last weekend. He also turned right around and played a lockdown game at corner. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Easley deserves more love among colleges, he holds one offer from SBU but I think more is to come. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src=u0022https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/17041063/692ccdef804979f842c2de21u0022 width=u0022640u0022 height=u0022360u0022 frameborder=u00220u0022 allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aa4073cd9131"} /--> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1679092"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":2387686,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aa4073cd9166"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Brice was a nightmare out on the edge last weekend. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brice is a super athletic edge for the Ozark Tigers. Standing at 6'4 almost 200 pounds, he's a lean long limbed rusher that has the ability to get so much separation with his long arms it makes it extremely difficult for offensive lineman to get their hands engaged with him. Not only can he rush the passer among the best in the area, but he is a natural athlete out in space in defending the pass.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's only week 2 and Brice is already establishing himself around the Southwest Missouri region. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src=u0022https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/16632077/69174fd3930670c0e478d532u0022 width=u0022640u0022 height=u0022360u0022 frameborder=u00220u0022 allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aa4073cd917b"} /--> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1660950"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":2387694,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aa4073cd91ae"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Howard is only a Sophomore and has carved out a starting corner spot for the Ozark Tigers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Howard was relatively quiet last weekend, and if you play the corner position and you go unnoticed it's usually a good thing. Howard wasn't tested much out on the perimeter and it was mostly because he was stuck like glue on the Willard wideouts. For being such a young athlete Howard plays a highly sophisticated brand of football, he's very technical and plays with zero wasted movements.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Howard is off to a hot start, and I don't see him cooling down any time soon. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->