OBSERVATIONS FROM Central Florida 7v7 Invitation
Apopka, FL – Before we start, the teams which competed today are all star 7 on 7 teams with players from various high schools across the state. Limited practice time and just a handful of games under their belt. At this point, no team is a well oiled machine and still trying to improve.
Kids dropped passes, threw interceptions, ran the wrong routes, blew coverages, got lazy and everything else one would expect in this type of environment. However, those same kids showed flashes of excellence, lots of skill and a ton of talent.
I can’t name every kid on the team and i’m sure I will forget to name some one, but I will highlight some players who really “got off” and grabbed attention.
Deiondre Porter,Jefferson QB – Threw the ball very well overall. Showed touch and arm strength. Was not afraid the make the big play. Very good ball placement for the most part. Showed leadership!
Deon Cain, Tampa Bay Tech WR/QB – Played WR all day and looked very comfortable. Very good body control. Caught the ball well in traffic and turned short plays into big plays.
Deon Thompson, Tampa Bay Tech RB – Could have made a case for team MVP. Not all his plays were flashy. Not all his plays were big. But he made plays over and over again and led by example because he was so consistent. Instead of the check down player, he became the first and second option for the QB.
Nate Craig, Pasco WR – We know him as “Nitro” Nate, he was explosive! Best receiver I observed at the tourney. Made everything look so easy. Started to expect him to come down with every jump ball no matter how good the coverage was. He was just that good. Went about his business like a school custodian; Didn’t ask for any attention. Swept, mopped and cleaned up the competition and went home.
Ray-Ray McCloud, Sickles ATH – Ray is just so smooth with everything he does, you tend to forget he is on the field. He got beat once or twice while on defense and he dropped one or two balls while on offense. But he locked up a number of receivers and stripped a handful of balls and shook a good numbers of defenders after the catch. Does so much!
Derrick Ingram, Jefferson WR – Made plays. Took a second for him to get going. But once he did, he made plays. Had an interception in the final game that really sparked the flame and got the juices going vs one of the Miami teams.
Willie Conley, Tampa Catholic WR – Asking yourself, “Who?” He did a lot of the dirty work. Caught a number of extra points and short first downs. Showed a lot of emotion and is very competitive.
Chavez Pownell, Jefferson CB – Lock D.O.W.N…nuff said!