Mount St. Mary Is Building Something

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Get 25% Off Your Subscription By Entering Knight25 In The Coupon Code Area. Enjoy!</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Prep Redzone Oklahoma team camp tour continued on Friday with a stop at Mount St. Mary. The Rockets are going into year two under head coach J.D. Runnels and they have something special going in south Oklahoma City. The Rockets hosted a team camp featuring Christian Heritage, Douglass and Heritage Hall. In this breakdown, we're putting the spotlight on Mount St. Mary but we'll also have a look at Heritage Hall later. Keep it locked in to Prep Redzone Oklahoma for more team camp coverage!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1680641' first='Chris' last='Gardin'] - 2027 Running Back/Linebacker</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2027 running back [player_tooltip player_id='1680641' first='Chris' last='Gardin'] might have impressed us more than any other player in attendance on Friday. Gardin got banged up later in the camp but prior to that, he was having an outstanding day. First off, Gardin has the size to lower the shoulder and run over just about every defender on the field but he doesn't rely on just that. He was one of the more patient running backs we've seen recently and methodically followed his blocks. It almost looked like he was moving in slow motion but "slow" isn't the right word, because there was nothing slow about his game for the defenders trying to tackle him. Gardin also lined up on defense and was able to cause problems for opposing offenses. We came away very impressed with his overall game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1680643' first='Jake' last='Allison'] - 2027 Linebacker</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2027 linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1680643' first='Jake' last='Allison'] was one of the first MSM standouts that stood out to us from a physical standpoint. First off, Allison is hard to miss and he simply looks like that prototypical linebacker that can come downhill and pop somebody. Allison is also one of those players that will be able to impact the game on both sides of the ball. Now, after watching the Rockets for about two hours, it's hard to not be impressed with the front seven on the defensive side of the ball and that might be the strongest part of this team. Allison is a key part of that front seven. The upside is high and he performed incredibly well on Friday. He'll be a name to keep tabs on this summer and fall. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1680645' first='Malachi' last='Hardiman'] - 2027 Offensive/Defensive Lineman</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Similar to Allison, it was going to be hard to miss 2027 lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1680645' first='Malachi' last='Hardiman'] on either side of the line of scrimmage. When we first saw Hardiman in person, our first thought based on his size was offensive line. And don't get us wrong, he performed very well on that side of the line of scrimmage. But then we got a chance to watch Hardiman on defense and he was simply dominant. Hardiman is the type of lineman that will require opponents to send multiple guys at him to keep him contained, freeing up other defenders to make plays. And another telling part of his dominance was when he wasn't on the field. The defense looked different and he's definitely a key part of what they can do on that side of the ball. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1035105' first='Roman' last='Manella'] - 2027 Quarterback</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And finally, 2027 quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1035105' first='Roman' last='Manella'] was a name that we already knew about prior to the team camp. Manella started for Midwest City last season and would put some strong film out there during his sophomore season. And if Friday was any indicator, Manella has transitioned seamlessly to the Mount and should be ready to go this fall. The best part of Manella's game on Friday was his ability to throw on the run. There was one play in particular where Manella was rolling out to his right and fired a laser towards the sideline and put it in a position where only his receiver could get it or it would sail out of bounds. It was completed. Manella really impressed us with his ability to think on his feet and keep a play alive.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->