Garden State Gridiron Game Report: NJ Rated vs. West NY Elite

Despite my strong distain for 7on7, its impact on the sport of football, the culture it is cultivating, and all that surrounds or comes with it, I covered my first 7on7 this weekend on Saturday, April 18, 2026. Prep Redzone produced the Garden State Gridiron tournament, a two-day championship event, hosted at Elizabeth Public School's William's Field and the city's downtown Todd Bowles Stadium. Day 1 of this event was a 10-hour nonstop, gauntlet of a marathon, with games every half-hour, on the half-hour. Nearly 35 U18 teams from as far as Western New York, Maryland, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Long Island, as well as local teams alike, fiercely competed against everyone - their competition, the referees, event staff, coaches, spectators, security, and even internally amongst themselves - as nobody was safe.   With a lunch break, I did my best to cover each U18 team that was participating. With as much action as there was, I have decided to release my observations as game performance reports. Unfortunately, not all rosters were made available -neither by teams' managers nor Prep Redzone. As such, I have tried to report with as much fidelity as possible.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">New Jersey Rated</h2>   Local quarterback, in jersey #2, [player_tooltip player_id='934015' first='Arique' last='Fleming'] looked in mid-season form off the bat. Fleming knows exactly where he wants to go with the ball. As such, from the snap of the ball he is looking off coverages only to go back to who exactly he had in mind to target all along. Moreover, on this windy say it seemed as though Fleming's throws pierced the wind and was unaffected by the elements. That gifted arm's velocity, however, is adjusted when needed. Fleming did a good job of protecting the ball from danger, particularly across the middle, as he appeared deliberate and intentional with where he was throwing the ball.   Mikey McQueen, who wore jersey #8, had solid ball skills. McQueen adjusted to a bad ball and converted for the reception.   [player_tooltip player_id='1401011' first='Aaron' last='Crooms'] was hard to miss. In jersey #4 we watched him jump extremely well, tipping and contesting balls that the ordinary athlete typically would. not be able to.   Jerey #0 belonged to Terrance Barnes. Barnes, who was a bit smaller in stature, was awfully quick. As such, he was often deployed in routes such as slants and Texas routes. The way Barnes used his hands also made him an outstanding option as a pass catcher. Size not withstanding, Barnes was later sent on a deep post route. He showed that he's got ups, as he skied over everyone to come down with that one.   I did not get a name or jersey number on this team's other quarterback, but he was very good at delivering the ball to routes that were crossing in front of him. His placement on such passes was elite, which led to his receivers being able to create with tons of open field in front of them.   Jersey # "?" was not listed on the roster. He beat his man from his release at the line. As such, the defender had to hold and grab from the pack, drawing a pass interference call. Strong enough to overcome this, the prospect extended his arms and competed to try to catch the ball - which is what likely drew the call.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">West New York Elite</h2>   In jersey #0, [player_tooltip player_id='2200622' first='Javier' last='Ortiz']'s ability to catch depended on the situation. At moments he used his hands, but there were other situations that he preferred to use his body. I later on remarked how I thought Ortiz was a tough prospect. Despite being held at the line, Ortiz continued to push upfield, eventually breaking free of the hold, in order to make a forward-diving catch somewhere between the hashes.   [player_tooltip player_id='2175686' first='Luke' last='LaMonte'], who wore jersey #2, ought to concentrate on the task at hand. There was one reception that he was fortunate enough to make. I describe it as such because LaMonte did not look the ball into his hands, juggled it for a second, and nearly dropped it all before securing it for a catch.   In jersey #5 Daymario Young showed that he presses and presses on. Young was great pressing to the outside - both offensively and defensively. On the latter side of the ball, he minimized and eliminated space for receivers to work; whereas on the former he looked to rely on his speed to gain the boundary and turn up for a big gainer.   Jersey #4 was not listed on the roster. This prospect catches with his body when running over the middle. When he is not doing that, it appears that he tries to alligator clamp at the ball if it is in any direction where he must extend.   The quarterback for the team, who I did not get neither a name nor jersey number for, seemed to love passes over the middle of the field. I did note that he once went to the perimeter or outside vertically. I also noticed that if things were not immediately open, he did a nice job of extending the play and buying time as he moved around and rolled out.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Garden State Gridiron U18 Coverage</h2>   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/04/garden-state-gridiron-u18-teams-that-were-the-most">Garden State Gridiron: U18 Teams That Were The Most...</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/04/garden-state-gridiron-game-report-nj-dream-chasers-vs-ny-hustle">Garden State Gridiron Game Report: NJ Dream Chasers vs. NY Hustle</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/04/garden-state-gridiron-game-report-new-york-hustle-vs-hype-fam">Garden State Gridiron Game Report: New York Hustle vs. Hype Fam</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/04/garden-state-gridiron-game-report-hail-mary-vs-black-ops">Garden State Gridiron Game Report: Hail Mary vs. Black Ops</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/04/garden-state-gridiron-report-ny-hustle-v-rock-hoppers-hustle">Garden State Gridiron Report: NY Hustle v. Rock Hoppers (Hustle)</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/04/garden-state-gridiron-game-report-new-jersey-rated-v-black-ops">Garden State Gridiron Game Report: New Jersey Rated v. Black Ops</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/04/garden-state-gridiron-game-report-litm-superstars-v-black-ops">Garden State Gridiron Game Report: LITM Superstars v. Black Ops</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/04/garden-state-gridiron-game-report-32-sports-vs-nj-rated-red/%E2%86%97">Garden State Gridiron Game Report: 32 Sports vs. NJ Rated (Red)</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/04/garden-state-gridiron-game-report-litm-blue-vs-nj-rated-red">Garden State Gridiron Game Report: LITM (Blue) vs. NJ Rated (Red)</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/04/garden-state-gridiron-game-report-asg-metro-vs-team-mars">Garden State Gridiron Game Report: ASG Metro vs. Team Mars</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/04/garden-state-gridiron-game-report-asg-metro-v-diamond-athletics">Garden State Gridiron Game Report: ASG Metro v. Diamond Athletics</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/04/garden-state-gridiron-game-report-camboyz-vs-next-level-air">Garden State Gridiron Game Report: Camboyz vs. Next Level Air</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/04/garden-state-gridiron-game-report-camboyz-vs-4th-quarter-elite">Garden State Gridiron Game Report: Camboyz vs. 4th Quarter Elite</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/04/garden-state-gridiron-game-report-ghosts-vs-boardwalk-beasts">Garden State Gridiron Game Report: Ghosts vs. Boardwalk Beasts</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/05/garden-state-gridiron-game-report-camboyz-vs-kingdom-way">Garden State Gridiron Game Report: Camboyz vs. Kingdom Way</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/05/garden-state-gridiron-game-nxt-era-panthers-v-boardwalk-beasts">Garden State Gridiron Game: Nxt Era Panthers v. Boardwalk Beasts</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/05/garden-state-gridiron-game-report-nxt-era-panthers-v-ghosts">Garden State Gridiron Game Report: Nxt Era Panthers v. Ghosts</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/05/garden-state-gridiron-report-train-to-go-vs-next-level-greats">Garden State Gridiron Game Report: Train to Go vs. Next Level Greats</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/05/garden-state-gridiron-game-report-punishers-v-next-level-greats">Garden State Gridiron Game Report: Punishers vs. Next Level Greats</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/05/garden-state-gridiron-game-report-ct-pride-vs-next-level-greats">Garden State Gridiron Game Report: CT Pride vs. Next Level Greats</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/05/garden-state-gridiron-game-report-punishers-vs-new-jersey-rated">Garden State Gridiron Game Report: Punishers vs. New Jersey Rated</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/05/garden-state-gridiron-game-report-next-level-greats-vs-nj-rated">Garden State Gridiron Game Report: Next Level Greats vs. NJ Rated</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/05/1garden-state-gridiron-game-report-ny-hustle-vs-wwis-wolfpack">Garden State Gridiron Game Report: NY Hustle vs. WWIS Wolfpack</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/05/garden-state-gridiron-game-report-prototype-elite-vs-air-norris">Garden State Gridiron Game Report: Prototype Elite vs. Next Level Air Norris</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/05/garden-state-gridiron-game-report-syracuse-elite-vs-32-sports">Garden State Gridiron Game Report: Syracuse Elite vs. 32 Sports</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/05/garden-state-gridiron-game-report-rock-hoppers-vs-dream-chasers">Garden State Gridiron Game Report: Rock Hoppers vs. Dream Chasers</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/05/garden-state-gridiron-game-report-ghosts-vs-punishers">Garden State Gridiron Game Report: Ghosts vs. Punishers</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/05/garden-state-gridiron-game-report-nj-rated-vs-west-ny-elite">Garden State Gridiron Game Report: NJ Rated vs. West NY Elite</a>

Despite my strong distain for 7on7, its impact on the sport of football, the culture it is cultivating, and all that surrounds or comes with it, I covered my first 7on7 this weekend on Saturday, April 18, 2026. Prep Redzone produced the Garden State Gridiron tournament, a two-day championship event, hosted at Elizabeth Public School's William's Field and the city's downtown Todd Bowles Stadium. Day 1 of this event was a 10-hour nonstop, gauntlet of a marathon, with games every half-hour, on the half-hour. Nearly 35 U18 teams from as far as Western New York, Maryland, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Long Island, as well as local teams alike, fiercely competed against everyone - their competition, the referees, event staff, coaches, spectators, security, and even internally amongst themselves - as nobody was safe.