Academy Elite 7v7: Five northeast Louisiana sleepers to watch

Seven-on-seven season is starting to heat up like the weather outside, and several teams around Louisiana’s rapidly expanded field are starting to hit the stride of their respective schedules. Prep Redzone Louisiana reached out to coaches and managers around the state for a few of their top players to watch in the first month or so of action. Here are a handful of under-the-radar prospects from Academy Elite, an organization established out of Monroe in recent years to help provide more opportunities for student-athletes in the northeast region of state. <strong>Devin Armstard — 6-2, 170 — Ouachita Parish (2024)</strong> The wiry young defensive back played the back end of a senior-heavy secondary and stout defense overall during his Lions’ resurgent season this fall. Armstard covered a lot of ground with his long arms and stride and good recognition and break sideline to sideline on deep passes or coming downhill on throws underneath or in run support. The graduation of a big group of seniors leave him as one of the top returners in 2022. <strong>Demardrick Blunt — 6-1, 190 ATH — Carroll (2023)</strong> The versatile athlete lists a handful of positions, including quarterback, but appears at his most effective as a physical tight end or inside receiver with good size and a 4.68-second 40-yard dash and good high-point ability. And this 7-on-7 season provides some extended opportunities to continue developing as a pass-catcher or defensive back with the potential that the graduation of quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="136472" first="Zaylan" last="Ford"] could leave some uncertainty on roles this fall. <strong>Amareya Greeley — 5-9, 200 ATH — Carroll (2023)</strong> Greeley is another versatile athlete for the Bulldogs, whose thickly frame, strength and good balance made him a difficult ball-carrier to brings down as a running back, returner or slot receiver powering his way to more yards after his catches. But he also showed enough speed to break away for some longer gains and has been practically unguardable this spring, according to coaches. Greeley finished junior season with 1,188 yards and 16 touchdowns and 188 carries and 27 catches for 215 yards and four more scores. <strong>Juanterrius Martinez — 5-10, 165 ATH — Rayville (2024)</strong> Many of the group’s players come from Carroll, Ouachita and Wossman, but one of the players of note from outside of city limits hails east down Interstate 20 a parish over. Martinez earned District 2-2A second-team honors for his Hornets this fall on both sides of the ball as a receiver, cornerback and safety and put together some of his first highlights, including willing and physical tackling and a good break and play on passes his direction. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="285624" first="Carldell" last="Sirmons"] — 5-6, 160 ATH — Ouachita Parish (2024)</strong> The speedy sophomore earned all-district honors this fall in one of the state’s strongest Class 5A districts. He lists a 4.35-second 40-yard dash that was on display on long touchdown runs on which Sirmons looks like he was shot out of a cannon once he found his lane, but also his confidence, vision and ability to shed contact on runs between the tackles and the threat he poses as a receiver out of the backfield.