Tampa, FL – University of South Florida hosted their annual Sling and Shoot 7 on 7 tournament this weekend. The event has been split up into two sessions, this being #2, while the first session was in June. This weekend 52 teams participated, many from the Bay Area and plenty from all around the state. Because of the number of teams involved, two locations on the South Florida campus were used. Today, I spent the entire day at one location trying to see as many Bay Area teams and players as possible. I want to take different approach on the following observations and mention some kids who don’t and probably won’t get a lot of ink on a regular basis this, coming season, but had an outstanding day. There will be some exceptions.

Andy Embody, Carrollwood Day, WR/CB
…was on it today. Embody made some big time catches which lead to big time plays. I was able to catch 2 and 1/2 CDS games today and watched Embody dismantle some secondaries reeling in ball after ball, showing some athleticism and becoming the “third down” guy. Each time CDS needed a play, Embody was usually the 1st option.

Javonte Sneed, Armwood, WR
…could arguably be the best receiver in the Armwood stable of horses. That could be a bold statement, but I was impressed with how this young man ran routes, displayed speed and caught the ball. I watched him today on several occasions, snagged the ball out the air, using nothing but soft hands. He exposed a number of defensive backs. Both running past them and putting a move on them.

Aaron Paulsen, Jesuit, WR
…really caught my eye. When I watch Jesuit, I tend to watch Tommy Eveld to see if he is going to have another good showing. Then I try to pay heavy attention to Travis Johnson to see how he adjusts to press man coverage or double coverage from the secondary. But today, Aaron Paulsen was the man. He caught everything that came his way. Note, he is 5-9 at the tallest, but he played big! Paulsen was tough to stop as a slot receiver, made big time catches over the middle and adjusted to difficult balls thrown by the quarterback.

Deuce Gruden, Carrollwood Day, QB
…threw the ball well today. Outside of some untimely interceptions versus Jefferson, Gruden carved up some defenses. He showed touch and placement today. Made the easy throws, nailed the tough throws and did not force too many balls.

Deandre Porter, Jefferson, QB
…had an awesome day. I am almost certain the Dragons did not lose a game with Porter behind center. The number of gamers the Dragons have on the perimeter can make it easier on a young kid to succeed. The most evident observation on Porter is that it seemed like he had a big boost of confidence from playing well today. He threw the ball with certainty and purpose.

Others who had a good day:
Darryl Richardson, Armwood, QB – Much improved, showed a variety of skill today.
Robert Davis, CDS, ATH – Showed he is as skilled as his peers at larger schools.
Chase Litton, Wharton, QB – Started slowly, finished fast.
Wesley Bullock, Plant, RB – One of the shiftiest players at Sling and Shoot.
Geronimo Allison, Spoto, WR – Made some huge catches.
Adrian Jenkins, Jefferson, WR – Just goes about his business. Silent Killer.
Jawann Coffee, Jefferson, WR – Did some good things today.
Artavious Scott, East Lake, WR – Unstoppable!
Gray Crow, Countryside, QB – Showed a lot of “snap” to his passes.