NationStates • View topic - NSCF 31 (2024)

High School Football Kicks Off, Read On For Team And Player Preview

Helllloooo my dear readers, what a joy it is to be writing to you once again! With NSCF 31 upon us, that means the Cardenao High School League is about to get underway and I have been waiting for that for quite some time……ever since the last season was brought to an unanticipated halt. Hopefully there will be no such surprises this year in a high school season that promises to be perhaps the best, most entertaining one so far. 16 teams battling it out to determine who’s the best in the country and what kids go on to play the game at the college level.

It’s Cardenaoan High School football baby, let’s get it going!

For the Brøgby Preparatory Academy, the Championship is the only goal in sight. Forever one of the best high school teams in the country, the Miners enter this season as the clear cut #1 team in Cardenao. That being said, it will somewhat be a rebuilding season for the team from Eastern Cardenao after 11 seniors graduated, leaving the team short of proven talent.

Going from Michael Monrovia (BSU bound) at quarterback to junior Jordan Coleman is a massive downgrade as the Miners try to replace one of the brightest dual-threat QB talents the country has ever seen. While undersized at 5’11, Jordan is a capable scrambler/rusher and has a good blend of throwing vision, power, and accuracy so it could certainly be worse. His favorite target will likely be 6’3 wideout Brady Thomas, the senior is without a doubt the best route runner in the league, and pairs that with soft hands and the speed to challenge the higher end of the speedy cornerback spectrum.

Looking beyond Brady, Brøgby has a pair of sharp junior receivers in D.J. Brown and Devin Kitchen. The two bring further height, being 6’2 and 6’3 respectively, but they bring totally different target profiles. D.J. is stronger, one of the most elusive receivers in high school ball, a great route runner with sharp hands to boot, albeit possessing good speed but nowhere elite or even stand out attributes in pace and acceleration. Dev’s Kitchen, as his teammates have nicknamed him, prides himself on always delivering on time thanks to his frankly ridiculous speed for his 6’3 frame. He’s fast as hell, he’s tall, he’s actually got good hands and knows how to protect the football…but. But he has zero shake and negative bake compared to his overall speed and he could be a better route runner, so it’ll be interesting to see how things go for Devin Kitcher and how he responds.

Alright we’ll get to the player everyone is curious to know more about, and that’s Ranorian sophom*ore running back Saul Thomas III. The son of RFL legend Saul Thomas Jr. has moved with his family to luxury in Cardenao, and the Brøgby Miners are perhaps the biggest winners with ST3 enrolling in their school. He’s strong, fast, and is a very agile runner who seems to slip or power his way out of many tackling situations, and we expect him to be the type of runner who’s always one decent block away from making a huge play. He will undoubtedly do a great job replacing Richardson U bound running back Malik Starcevich. Good news Brøgby fans, if you’re unsure about this unknown Ranorian being your RB1, your Miners always have senior speed back Gavin Hall to count on. Sure he’s 5’6 but with that comes elite speed, agility, elusiveness, and it’s surprisingly hard to pry the ball from his hands to boot. While he is a great option in Cardenaoan high school football, as a college football prospect you have to wonder how attractive he is as a prospect.

Some would argue the key to winning football is in the offensive line, others would argue the key to winning football is in the defensive line. Fortunately for the J.C. Evermore Academy Green Titans, both of their lines are top-four units and there’s plenty of quality through the rest of the team. Let’s deal with the bad news first JCE fans, your QB is trash. Senior Chris Shaw is definitely not that guy with a very low level of throw power, though he does compensate for that with a high degree of accuracy. Running backs? BAD! That might be a little harsh on RB1 junior David Brown, sure he’s not great right now but does have the physical talents and raw ability to potentially put together a good senior year. The drop off from his already low level is pretty alarming…the Green Titans are one David Brown injury away from starting a freshman at running back, not great.

Fortunately for JCE, they have one of the best wide receiver groups in the country, headlined by junior star Pokey Wilson. The 17 year old is tall, fast, and has real nice hands; what more do you want in your WR1? Then to have senior Trey Williams who is stupid tall at 6’7, which makes him an easy target but he does lack strength and high-level speed, as well as being a much more unrefined prospect from a route running and hands perspective. Senior tight end Brandon Jelks is a top-five player at his position and brings another receiving option to the team, but the 6’ 224lbs player excels at both pass and run blocking.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Green Titans have a top-5 D-line led by junior star Jerrid Réamann who is a freak at 6’8 and has the strength to back it, with his partner in crime being senior edge Kyle Turner, who’s perhaps the best pass rusher in the entire league. At 6’1, 238 with plenty of room to grow, the kid is also a high level run stopper. Should the opposition go to the air, J.C. Evermore has a top-5 cornerback room with senior George Melton being the first name on the field. He lacks a lot in height only measuring in at 5’9 but he has bags of pace and the stamina to last every snap without an issue.

Entering the year, the Green Titans will be expected to put together a good season. They have a solid, well balanced team, but ultimately their subpar QB play might institute a limit to how high they can fly.

Skyview Rangers fans, you are in for a rough one this year. Let’s start with the good news: Peppi Klerkx is the best quarterback in the country. At 6’2 198lbs, the senior has an absolute cannon for an arm though he lacks both accuracy and vision at this stage in his development, but he also brings a legit scrambling threat and he’s gonna need it this season because wow, the Rangers offense is terrible this year. Their running backs are just terrible, the committee of senior Darren Dobbs and junior Aaron Fisher might actually be the worst in the country, but at least the wide receiver senior Hodoi White is actually pretty good. 6’2, good hands, good route runner, and a real explosive athlete, he should be able to put up a big season being Peppi Klerkx’s WR1. WR2 is sophom*ore Jonathan Lee and he’s got a lot to get Rangers fans excited about with his build, speed, and surprisingly high level of run blocking gives him a unique dimension as a prospect. That’s really everything of note on the offensive side, the OL is weak, junior tight end James McClellan is bottom-three at the position, just not a lot to write about here aside from this definitely being the Peppi Klerkx show.

Things are a bit better on defense for Skyview with B.J. Mcnu*tt bringing the pain to the line. The junior edge brings a lot of strength and finesse to disrupt the pass game, look for him to be a sack machine over the next two seasons. Junior Jeremy Vail is the standout cornerback in an otherwise uninspiring CB room, but it’s the safety position where the Rangers backfield really excels, with Senior Scott Williams being a top-five player at the position and sophom*ore Larry Reese right behind him ready to take over. So that’s fun. Linebackers are terrible though, so there’s a lot riding on the backfield's ability to deny the pass option and trust B.J. Mcnu*tt will beat the line to disrupt the run. I’m sure it’ll be that easy!

The Glenelg Athletic Academy Dragons are competing in their first ever Cardenao High School league season and expectations are quite low for them. In terms of end of the season finish, the Dragons are expected to finish in 15th place out of 16 teams, so clearly expectations are not high at all. They might have a real star on their hands with sophom*ore quarterback Anthony Simon, the kid already has the size at 6’2 and has the potential to be an elite scramble QB, he’s got a big arm though but leaves a lot to be desired in the accuracy department and his vision just sucks, which you somewhat expect from such a young player. Probably will be good, could be really good, could also suck, who knows. Good news at running back for the Dragons, senior Wesley Mack is an absolute junkyard dog with a big beefy build, 6’2 218lbs and projects to get even bigger, this kid is legit. Height, power, plenty of speed, Mack is surprisingly elusive for being such a big lad and he’s proven to be both a capable receiver and pass blocker; be on the lookout for a big season from W Mack.

Looking at the pass options for the Dragons, dear god that wide receiver room is bad, in the running for the worst in all of high school football. At least there’s one player who’s kinda decent but would easily be the WR2 or even 3 at schools with more depth, and that’s senior Kaiden McQueeny. At 6’4 215lbs, he’s absolutely, ridiculously huge, he easily has one of the most college ready bodies in the league and that’s what makes his lack of overall skill that much more disappointing. He’s incredibly fast and explosive for someone his size, but he doesn’t have much shake ‘n bake to his game and his ball security can be questionable at times. The rest of the WR room is awful, I’m pretty sure they’re going to have a freshman starting in the form of 5’10 Ezra Owens, he’s quick and got decent hands but this is going to be a rough year between the lack of quality at receiver and Anthony Simon likely needed another year to grow into the quarterback position. Some good news though, tight end Artur Ryouichi is one of the best at his position with the 6’6 junior boasting a well rounded physical, receiving, and blocking profile with another year left to develop. Alright, let’s take a look at dat defense!

Starting things off, the Dragons defensive line is one of the worst in the league so that’s not exactly an ideal starting point for your strategy. They do have a freshman, Barnold Toma, that I think could be real nice by his upperclassmen years, but dang that unit is busted but at least the second level is pretty solid. Junior linebacker Maliek Davis is one of the best at his position in Cardenao, he’s fairly undersized at only 5’11 yet he makes up for that with good speed, decent run stopping, alright pass coverage but the standout feature? Tackling. This kid knows how to tackle no matter the situation, no matter the size of his target, he knows how to bring him down, so that’s an invaluable skill that he’s arguably already college ready at…I’d go so far as to call him the second best linebacker in all of high school football. If the opposition breaks through Maliek, they have a top-half cornerback unit to get through. Senior Justin Woods is an absolute beast, he’s fast as hell and knows how to shut down the passing game all by himself. Rumor has it LeBois Santura University is already going after him, so that’s how you know he’s got the quality. The rest of the room is pretty weak, two seniors who would be lucky to touch the college field but there is hope on the horizon in the shape of Arrington Young, the freshman prospect who’s already one of the fastest players in the league despite being, and this not a knock as he’s a raw freshman, not great at the more refined parts of the game. That’s alright though, get past the cornerbacks and you run into another top-half position group in the Dragon’s safety, senior Ron Harrell. What I love about Ron is that he doesn’t give a f*ck who he’s lining up against. It could be Andrew Legnfish, could be Joey Ma’afala or Damarcus Kroger, it doesn’t matter. They’re just the opponent, they are the enemy, no matter the name or the game, Ron Harrell is showing up to do his business and I love that.

Not likely to be a good team display for the Glenelg Dragons in their debut season in Cardenaoan high school football, but I would expect to see some solid years out of their big name prospects.

Congratulations Hatathia Pirates fans, after a poor season last year, your team is looking like one of the best out there this go at it. Junior QB Stan Aniol Dereschi is a top-3 quarterback AT WORST, the kid has a crazy accurate arm and some pretty good power, though he’s definitely still developing his field vision. Add in some decent speed and size at 6’2, plus some shiftiness as a runner and you have a real capable dual-threat QB and he’s got some solid weapons to take advantage of. While the wide receiver room……isn’t the best, there’s still plenty of talent there. Senior Anthony Black is going to be SAD’s primary target, the 6’5 pass catcher has plenty of height and a lot of speed to match it, pair that with his understanding of route running, you got a good player brewing right there. Beyond him, the Pirates have one of the best sophom*ore wide receivers out there in Will Vaughn, the kid is tall, fast, has great hands and decent route running, though he definitely still needs to work on his ball security. Stan Aniol Dereschi has another weapon in tight end Damarcus Koger, the 6’5 senior is one of the best at his position with his incredible strength translating well to the blocking game, but it’s his soft hands and ability to run routes like a receiver that make him such a valuable piece of this passing offense. Which is good because this team can not run the ball, junior Antoine McNeely being the starting running back says enough. Sure he’s quick as hell and knows how to slip a guy or two, but that a good player does not make! Fortunately for SAD, the Hatathia Pirates have a top-five offensive line unit headlined by juniors Tanner Davis and Michael Hill.

Unfortunately, their defensive line is pretty bad but 6’7 senior edge Terry Garcia is a very interesting prospect as he moves with the speed of someone half a foot shorter while bringing plenty of strength to the line. To their credit, the Pirates have easily the best linebacker in high school football, senior Pau van Goff-Icleson. At 6’2, he might not be the prototypical height but he absolutely has the build to become an even more muscle bound freak at the collegiate level, which he will surely compete at. He’s strong, has great tackling technique, and is equally adept at pass and rush coverage…what’s not to love?? Hatathia has a…decent cornerback room in the sense they’re a top half group probably, though the fact their best back is freshman Josh Smith makes me nervous. I understand he’s a good player, great even despite being 15 years old, he’s fast and a good pass coverage option, but relying on a freshman to shut down the opposition’s best receiver makes me nervous. The safety situation is better, marginally, for the Pirates, with senior Dondre Jordan perfectly capable of doing the job, though not at a spectacular level. Sophom*ore kicker Stephen Battle is alright, senior punter Joshua Woodside sucks so have fun with that.

Overall? Look, you got one of the best quarterbacks out there slinging the ball, you have plenty of solid receiving options and an offensive line that should buy your guy plenty of time to find his target. Sure the defense kinda sucks aside from Pau van Goff-Icleson at linebacker, but when you can cook like that on offense, does it really matter? Probably.

Aloha Mokuleia! Welcome to your first season in Cardenaoan high school football…I wish you well. This island team is a real physical bunch full of natural athletes; the Red Raiders are big, they’re tall, they’re fast, they have that natural inclination for the game of football and that’s why I think they’ll be a top half team in their debut season. Sophom*ore quarterback Akumo Manuwai…not the best starting QB but he’s pretty damn solid for a 16 year old and I would expect him to become good after adjusting to the level of skill. The 6’3 island boy is a jack of all trades as he’s got decent throwing vision, pretty good accuracy, good arm, he can run the ball, not at an elite level but he’s got enough shake n bake, he’s got some speed on him, the tools are all there for Akumo, he just has to hone them. He’s got some good receiving options; junior Joey Ma’afala is one of the best at the position as the 6’2 lad is possibly the fastest player in high school ball. Pair that with his decent route running and a special catching ability no matter the circ*mstance, and you have a receiver who could take it to the endzone on any given play. 6’6 senior Jairelle Kalani obviously brings plenty of height to the position, but he’s also a surprisingly capable technician in the way he runs his routes and the smooth feints he throws at his defender. Junior tight end Kainao Savaiinaea is one of the best at his position thanks to his 6’7 height/strength, blocking ability, and being a solid quick route option. Kainao leaves a lot to be desired as a higher level receiving tight end but the raw tools are all there. OL currently sucks but sophom*ore Robert Maliwahi, freshman Alo’o Mascherano, and sophom*ore Hezekian Amareno-Berger give some hope for the future.

Alright, let’s take a look at Mokuleia High School’s defensive unit. Let’s start with the good news here, they have one of the best defensive lines in the country thanks to junior Zaiden Montreclair being an absolute wrecking ball at 6’6 and the frame to eventually carry 300+ pounds, and 6’7 senior Dugan Timoteo brings height, strength, and skill at both pass rushing and run stopping. The Red Raiders will be relying on that powerful line to disrupt plays as the rest of the defensive unit…isn’t that good. They have some of the worst linebackers in the entire league, their safeties are a bottom five unit, and the cornerbacks? Not too bad to be honest, junior Aaron Masswana has a ton of potential with a 6’3 frame and incredible quickness making him a lockdown corner. Fellow junior Ho’loa’i Pane’e is super undersized at 5’6 and is hit or miss as a tackler, but he can jump damn high and is a surprisingly efficient coverage option. Finally on special teams, you got freshman starting at both kicker (Marao'olo Kamasaki) and punter (Zach Waaiko) so that’ll be a fun time.

All in all, it should be, if nothing else, an entertaining season for the Mokuleia High School Red Raiders. They have some real solid skill players, they have a great defensive line, but they just lack the consistency of quality throughout the entire team to put together a championship season. Still though, the way they play this season is the start of the legacy so best to play to win!

Alright Riverstone fans, let’s get into it! First off…damn it must suck knowing your high school is named the Otters. Damn it must also suck knowing there’s not a whole lot to look forward to in a season that has predictions projecting RIS as a less than mid-table side. Alright alright, not everything is doom and gloom, for the first time the Otters have a halfway decent QB! Junior quarterback Kanthony Marley stands tall in the pocket despite only being 5’11 and, sure he lacks a bit in power, throws a mighty accurate pass and he’s got the awareness and agility to deal with defensive pressure to scramble and make the play work. Considering the dearth of offensive talent for the Otters, Kanthony will be called upon quite a lot to run run run and keep the play alive. When passing the ball, his target will almost always be senior receiver Julius Whiteside. Coming in at 6’4 with elite athleticism, it’s easy to see why the kid wearing #1 is considered one of the most exciting prospects in high school football. He’s got great hands and pretty good route running too, what more do you need? After him, the Otters have 5’10 senior Marcus McClure; this kid can catch just about anything you throw at him, he easily has the best hands in the league and can run a route tree like the best of them but hoooolllyyyyyy f*ck is he slow as molasses. Not much more than that to write home about on the offensive side of the ball for Riverstone, let’s take a look at that defense!

The defensive line is shambolic, easily one of the worst in the league but it’s one full of talent for the future. Sophom*ore starters Cade Knust and L.J. Williams will be outclassed this season but look for them to become real studs by their senior season. The linebacker room is similarly tragic but the Otters might just have the best backfield in all of high school football and that starts with their duo of cornerback stars, junior Alexis Mac Siuhe and senior Jared Hawkins. Alexis is pure speed, he’s fast, he’s quick, he’s rapid, he’s pacey, he’s got wheels and there’s maybe one or two players in the game that can keep up with him. Jared Hawkins is quick enough but nowhere near his teammate, yet Jared overcomes this with a much more refined sense for actual pass coverage play. If the opposition manages to break through the cornerbacks, they have to deal with potentially the best safety in the league, senior Richard Bolduc. The 5’8 speedster is accomplished at both pass coverage and run stopping, displaying his solid tackling ability throughout. Condsidering the ariel supremacy of the Otters backfield and their weakness on the line, it stands to reason Riverstone will face a lot of running over the course of the season.

Buckle up ye Desperados, for it’s going to be a long, painful season as they have one player in the top-three of their position…their kicker. So yeah, it’s going to probably be a season to forget about, so let’s get it over with! I’ll start with the glaring weak spot, quarterback Ryan Carter. Heading into his final season, you just hoped for him to be a far more complete player than he is. Sure, he can throw a football accurately, but that’s about it; he doesn’t have a crazy strong arm or elite vision, he’s not great as a runner or scrambler, it’s just not going to be enough for the Desperados. Junior Brant Stephens is a decent running back with a fair bit of speed and shiftiness to him, but the real star of the offensive show is junior wide receiver Dakota Mitherali. One of the best receivers in his class, Mitherali is another tall, pass-catching prospect at 6’2, 203lbs he’s got silky smooth hands and can run any type of route you ask of him. He does lack a bit in the strength department but that isn’t really an issue at this level of play, just catch the ball and run mate. I just want to shout out the Alameda High School offensive line because wow, these boys are not great. They have a trio of seniors starting, Martin Taylor, Steven Thompson, and Jernard Bryant but none of them would even sniff the bench of most other schools, just tragic options here. To make matters worse, not a whole lot of future talent here for the Desperados, so recruiting for O-Line will be essential. Let’s talk about the defense now.

Senior Quincy Brown rescues what is an otherwise horrid defensive line, the 6’4 monster is incredibly agile and fast as hell thanks to only weighing in at 241 pounds. Quincy will definitely have to add weight at the next level but in high school football he is a powerful player who is equally adapt at pass rushing and run stopping. The rest of the defense is entirely mid, save for safety Desmond Roberston. The 6’ junior is a top-three player at his position thanks to incredible speed and stamina reserves that mean he can play every snap of every game and still be feeling fresh after. With the speed, long arms, and great vision, Desmond projects to be an elite pass coverage saftey at the next level.

That’s pretty much it for the Alameda Desperados, they do have one of the best kickers in the country in the shape of Walt Potter. The sophom*ore is already viewed as a top-five talent at the position thanks to his incredible kicking power for his age, though his kick accuracy has some catching up to do. So there you have it Desperado fans, a season so dire that I have to feature a kicker in your pre-season preview so……have fun with that.

Alright Wolfpack, y’all might have something going this year. Pretty much every position group aside from the offensive line are in the top half for their group, that’s a lot of talent to have across both sides of the ball. Junior quarterback Alex Hickman gets things started for Timberline, the 6’2 gun slinger can thread the needle with the best of them…so long as that needle isn’t far away, Hickman definitely needs to work on his downfield passing. Bursting out of the backfield is junior runningback Demitri LeCroix. The 5’11 junior is fast as hell and can shake and bake as good as any runningback I’ve seen the last two or three seasons, so that’s a great option for the Wolves to have. Speaking of having great options, Ryan Tully is another one of those. The junior receiver is still pretty rough around the edges but you can’t coach his 6’4 height and his natural catching ability, but you can definitely coach him to run better routes and he can absolutely do a better job of holding onto the football. The real crown jewel for the Wolfpack is likely sophom*ore wide receiver Rex Andrews, who will likely start the season as the team’s WR2 despite his youth. 6’2, great hands, great speed, mature route running, he could be the real deal.

Looking at the defensive side of the ball, there is one name that stands above all others: Elmo Cisarinho. The senior defensive linesmen is an absolute menace and will leave O-lines crying after the game. 6’3, 273 pounds of pure explosive strength and speed+agility that would make a receiver jealous. Elmo is an elite pass rusher and run stopper who could start for a college team and he wouldn’t be a step out of place. Linebacker Chaz Allen is a junior I will be excited to see more of him as he brings a very balanced profile to the position, but I am expecting big things from his teammate, cornerback Steven Sheehan. Yet another of this solid junior generation Timberline has, Steven Sheehan is a rocket-powered pass protector who uses his speed and crazy vertical to contest receivers much bigger than his 5’8 self.

So much quality, so much potential, so much youth, there’s a lot to be excited about if you’re a Timberline fan this season. Considering it’s Elmo Cisarinho’s last season, you’d think they’ll go all out to get the championship this season. Sure, their core of juniors will have another year of experience next season, but losing out on Elmo will be a massive difference maker.

Good morning Ficilian Point High School Seabird fans, I hope you’re excited for the season ahead because it will definitely be an entertaining one! Let’s get right into it. Good news Seabirds, you lot likely have the best wide receiver room in the country. Bad news Seabirds, you lot have a total bum throwing the ball to them. Okay okay okay, total bum is pretty rough on sophom*ore quarterback Elijah Bartholomew, but the fact of the matter is the kid isn’t good……yet, but he does seem to have good power and good enough accuracy, so maybe the receivers can make up for any poor throws. Speaking of the receivers, enter senior Andrew Legnfish, easily the consensus #1 wideout in the country. At 6’5 and 223 pounds, the kid is already ready for the pro league and he has the soft hands and elite route running to match it, I would expect Andrew to have a fantastic season. Lining up with him is fellow senior receiver Mitchel Russell, he’s another tall target standing at 6’3 but he lacks the speed and strength of Andrew, though he is another elite route runner. At any other school he’d be the #1 option but that’s the price you pay to share the room with Andrew Legnfish. If the passing game doesn’t pull through, the Seabirds are lucky to have one of the most promising underclassmen runningbacks to start for them. Kelton Huston is tall and powerful as he already stands at 6’ and he brings a lot of speed and elusiveness to the Ficilian Point run game. I would be very excited to see how this youngster develops into his junior and senior seasons, you guys got a good one here. Holding it all together is an offensive line that many would consider to be a top-three unit, headlined by Shane Alcorn. The junior linesman is absolutely massive at 6’7 and he brings the strength and raw power to match it as an elite run blocker. He does leave a fair bit to be desired as a pass protector though and fans will be desperate to see him make some progress there. The Seabirds really are an offense first team as the transition to the defensive side of the locker room is pretty brutal to put it mildly.

Ficilian Point has a poor defensive line, a cornerback room my nan could beat, and a saftey that will give up a lot of opportunities over the course of the season, the situation is not great here. The one, single glimmer of hope here is linebacker Jeff Banks. The 6’2 senior has been a dominant force in the backfield for two years now and is set to enter his final year continuing that trend. He’s solid at pass coverage, he can stop the run game, he can rush the quarterback, he’s quick, got good speed and long arms, and isn’t afraid to yell at his teammates to get them in better positioning; Jeff Banks is legit and having an elite linebacker should bring a tiny bit of comfort to Seabirds fans.

To sum it up, all Ficilian Point has to do is score more points than they concede!

Helloooooo Alexandria Eagles fans to another year of competition! Congratulations on your college basketball championship by the way, hopefully Alexandria University repeats next year! Meanwhile for the Alexandria High School football team, hopefully this upcoming season goes better than last year but uh……spoiler alert, it likely won’t. This isn’t going to be particularly pleasant so let’s just dive right into it! This offense is not great, this offense is not good, this offense is…tragic. Senior quarterback David Washington is pretty tragic as he lacks accuracy but he has a real cannon of an arm and he loves to send it so expect quite a few interceptions on deep balls. Fortunately you got a pretty promising freshman, 6’1 gunner Johnny Pistola looks set to take the reigns for the Eagles and possibly make them contenders. I do have to give praise to junior running back Ammon McCauley, who’s arguably the best player on the team. The 5’11 powerback is an explosive runner who has plenty of speed, power, and elusiveness to his running game, while having very secure hands so it’s unlikely he’ll be losing the ball; McCauley’s a top five running back and I’m stoked to see where he’s at in his senior year. By and large, the receiving room for the Eagles is pretty sh*te but they have the talent for tomorrow, namely in sophom*ore Christian Jeanpierre, who’s a physically dominant player who combines well with fellow wideout 5’9 freshman Matt Cassidy, who is a true technician at the position. Tight ends are awful, some of the worst in the league while the offensive line isn’t much better. Sophom*ore OL Jonas Craig might become a good player in two years thanks to his agility and skill as a run blocker but that’s about it really as far as offensive talent goes for Alexandria High School.

Unfortunately things aren’t going to get much better on the defense side of the ball for the Eagles. 6’6 junior lineman Braxton Weaver is solid enough and is a remarkably strong player who brings a good level of run stopping to Alexandria’s defense, and fellow junior Trent Tuggle is a solid complimentary piece who excels as a pass rusher. The linebackers might not be the best in the season but junior Bradley Furman brings a lot of potential to the position with his speed, 6’2 220lbs build, and his skill as a run stopper. The best room in Alexandria’s defense is certainly the cornerback room, they’re actually one of the best in the country, easily a top three unit thanks to a pair of jumping juniors. Alphonso Stengel is a solid lockdown option at corner, a real athlete at 5’11 190lbs who brings solid speed and elite pass coverage to the Eagles’ secondary. He’s got a solid partner in 5’8 Jordan Taylor, not only is the 17 year old quick and a great pass defender, but he’s got the endurance to do it every quarter of every game; JT already has elite stamina and that’s something that could give him the edge at the collegiate level when he needs to bring 110% in those final minutes of a game. It’s back to mediocrity after the cornerbacks, starting safety senior Hayden Woodson is probably the 3rd or 4th worst in the country but there is a sliver of hope for Alexandria’s special teams in the form of punter Bilal Ellis! The junior punter is easily the best in the nation with his ability to punt that sh*t long and punt that sh*t accurately. It’s definitely an awkward situation when your punter is arguably the most talented player on your team but to be fair, Bilal Ellis is a generational prospect at the position and the rest of the team is just a bit sh*te so that’s the situation! Have fun Alexandria Eagles fans!

Congratulations to the Treasure Valley of Eastern Cardenao for gaining admission to the league, commiserations to the Treasure Valley of Eastern Cardenao because you are about to be absolutely waxed. The team has a ton of heart, I love that, I love that they go into every game ready to show what they got, ready to do battle, ready to leave it all on the line. That sort of attitude counts for something. HOWEVER being good at football is also an important part of the equation and the Treasure Valley Triceratops just don’t have that…but here we go! Tri fans, you got a sophom*ore starting at quarterback and he just isn’t that good, Mike Saxton is probably the worst starting QB out there, sorry but it’s true! Yes, he has a bomb of an arm that is true, but all the other sort of finer points of QB play seem to allude him…plus he’s only 5’9! Sure he can grow but this is unlikely to be a high level prospect when all is said and done. Good news though, perhaps the only good news for TVT fans…y’all got a pretty good running back! Sure, P.J. Johnson is only a sophom*ore but he’s absolutely legit as a dual-threat RB; he’s quick and elusive as a ball carrier and he’s got alright catching hands and can run some basic receiving routes? Tap back in in a year or two because I think this kid might become one of the premier backs in high school football. Returning to the air game, the Triceratops are in a good yet pretty bad situation in the wide receiver room in the sense they have a great player in senior Ja’mar Houston, but the rest of the group is pretty sh*te though sophom*ore Tyrell McClellan has some potential. Looking at Ja’mar Houston, the 6’2 wideout might not be the biggest or fastest target but he can run routes with the best of them and can catch the ball in extremely contested situations, so that’s good because the rest of the wide receivers totally suck. Junior tight end Demetrice Blasingame is a solid player, he’s athletic, he’s a great pass and run blocker, sure he leaves a bit to be desired as a catching threat but the Triceratops need to keep their plays alive and a blocking tight end is a good way to do that.

Looking at the Treasure Valley defense…things aren’t super great. The defensive line is bottom half though junior Mario Canty is both a good player now with his strength and being equally capable of rushing the pass and stopping the run, and a player who I would expect to be one of the best at his position in his senior year. Rest of the line sucks though. Fortunately though, the Triceratops linebackers are perhaps even worse then the linesmen, with sophom*ore Marcus Schroeder likely to win the #1 spot over senior Bobby Love…so that’s how that’s going. Cornerbacks are bad, safeties are worse though perhaps freshman and likely starter Scott Cooperwood has the raw speed and coverage instincts to make you think he might be a real player in his junior or senior year, but that’s all copium for TVT fans.

Like I said, it’s gonna be a rough season for the Triceratops. No QB, marginal catching and rushing options, offense and defense lines are not great, defense overall is sh*te……not a winning combination and that’s why people got you pegged for being the worst team in the league.

Have a fun first season!

The Academia Cardonia Golden Knights will be looking to win the league on the back of a solid defensive unit and an offense that features some real difference makers. Sergi Tipton is a great quarterback to have, the senior is top-five at the position and boasts the best throwing vision of any QB in the league. The wide receiver room for the Golden Knights is…not great, but at least Sergi has a real all-around talent in Ricky Daniels, the senior has good hands, he runs good routes, he’s elusive, he secures the ball, he’s got a good physical frame and the endurance to do it every snap. The real star of the show is Andrew Kun Wa Lee, the senior running back is the best in the country. He runs with speed, he runs with power, he’s real slippery and rarely gives up the ball, so look for him to do a lot of work this season. That’s where the good news stops for the Academia Cardonia offense, the remainder of the show is horror, viewer be advised. Nothing like pairing the quarterback talent of Sergi Tipton with one of the worst wide receiver rooms in the country, that will surely go well! The situation at tight end is so bad that they’ve got a freshman starting this season, Jamie Davis from Utah has a lot of basic building blocks–decent height, speed, and strength, decent catching hands, decent run blocking, kinda good pass blocking, he’s got all the rough traits to potentially become a quality player.

The Golden Knights have a solid defensive unit starting with their top-three d-line unit. Junior Darryl Richardson is a 6’5 run stopping machine while senior Jude Way is a powerful dual rushing threat, capable of shutting down both run and pass plays. Junior linebacker Jeremy Ruff is one of the best at his position and one of the best overall defensive players, looking at the stats he’s both the best tackler and the best run stopper in the league, so this will hopefully be a season to remember from Ruff. One of the more interesting points for la Academia Cardonia is in their backfield, sure the overall quality is…dubious, but there’s a lot of young talent to be excited about there. To state the obvious point, y’all got a freshman starting at cornerback which is…interesting. I get it, 5’9, fast as absolute f*ck, but he’s still very raw in terms of actual coverage, actually understanding and diagnosing plays as they unfold. Continuing the youth revolution for the Golden Knights is 5’7 sophom*ore Chase Futrell, who brings plenty of speed to the position while also being a surprisingly intelligent pass coverage player who has solid tackling technique.

Success for Academia Cardonia relies on their defensive unit, that’s where they’re the best at of course. Offense will be rough for the Golden Knights, the lack of a solid quarterback and a solid wide receiver room means they will be fighting for every yard on both sides of the ball. So…they’re in a weird spot. They have the overall talent to be one of the best teams in the league, but the way that talent is distributed might make the overall product on the field a bit less than ideal.

Entering the season with 7th-place expectations, there’s not a whole lot to be happy about at La Escuela in terms of their overall talent; theirs is simply not a great team. The offensive unit is led by quarterback T.J. Browning, a junior who’s biggest strength is his accuracy though he leaves a lot to be desired as a prospect. His favorite target and the team’s best offensive player is senior wide receiver Taylor Jones, at 6’2 and 198lbs he’s got good size and some decent wheels to go with his exceptional catching ability. If the Footballers need to go to the run game, they’ve got junior Neiko Yemm who’s a real elusive runner and a decent pass option too, the 17 year old is comfortably in the top half of high school running backs. The offensive line for La Escuela is headlined by sophom*ore Craig Rogers, who brings an incredibly refined sense for pass protection despite his young age, and 5’9 senior Tyler Upton.

The Footballers got some dogs on defense, none more so than senior linesman Koldo Davis Montremari, tipping the scales at an astonishing 6’7, 263lbs, Koldo is the best D-line player in the country bar none. He’s an incredible athlete, tall, quick, strong, fluid, and he’s a helluva rusher, especially when it comes to the run game. The rest of the line sorta sucks but when you got KDM, that doesn’t really matter cause this kid is going pro one day and that alone can be the difference maker at this level of competition. La Escuela has an elite cornerback room, top two in the country no doubt thanks to senior Trevor Gowins being one of the fastest players in the league and having the pass coverage ability to match it. He’s only 5’7 and that lack of height definitely shows up on film, but he’s got great verticality and the heart+hustle to make up for it. Lining up with him is junior back Parker Butler, who brings similar blanket coverage to the backfield. The Footballers linebackers suck, just suck, but freshman Landry Stuart has plenty of talent and could be a force to be reckoned with in his upperclassmen years. The safeties are also awful, so a whole lot relies on Koldo Davis Montremari destroying the offensive line and making plays.

Some good news though for La Escuela fans, you’ve got the best kicker in the country! Junior Jaxon Larrañaga is the best kicking talent Cardenao has seen in a long time, he’s accurate, he’s got power, what else do you need? So overall, likely to not be a great season for the Footballers in terms of wins but it will definitely be entertaining thanks to Koldo Davis Montremari smashing offenses and Taylor Jones pulling in whatever sort of sh*t T.J. Browning is throwing.

It’ll be a tough run for the St. Bonaventura Blue and Golds in their first season competing in the Cardenaoan high school system as they have the talent to cause some major upsets but the vein of quality doesn’t run deep through the team. The Blue and Golds have one of the better offenses in the country and look to primarily smash the ball through the run game with junior Joey Royal one of the best in the country. While senior quarterback Mike Cantenaro Rivas does lack a bit in throwing power, he can count on senior Sawyer Franklin to almost always be open thanks to the senior’s elite route running and combination of size and speed at 6’4. Jeff Wright is one of the most dominant linesmen in the game and the captain anchors an offensive line many consider to be the best in the country as he’s flanked by juniors Mike Mullen and Cayson Watson, along with the incredibly talented freshman OL/DL combo Tucker Bennedetto.

When it comes to the defensive side of the ball, St. Bonaventura is not super great. The defensive line is awful, they only have one upperclassmen, junior Antonio Blair, the rest of the line is a pair of sophom*ores and freshman Tucker starting once again. The Blue and Golds linebackers are probably a little below league average, though sophom*ore Nicky Box and freshman Remy Martin look to have a lot of potential, so things could look better in a year or two. The cornerback room is actually pretty good for St. Bonaventura as junior DeColdest Carey is one of the better backs in the country and sophom*ore Jared Williams is by far the best at the position in his class and it’s not unlikely he enters the top tier of cornerbacks by the end of the season, sure he’s got a lot of growing to do but his speed and play awareness is remarkable for his age. As far as safety goes, if junior Roger Fleming is your starting safety you clearly have the worst room in the league so let’s just leave that alone.

As far as your kicking unit goes, things are not great for STB fans. Senior kicker Brandon Gordon is one of the worst at his position and having freshman Marlin Brunk start at punter is certainly an interesting choice, one that makes this the worst unit in the league.

The Obyedako High Blue Devils play a high tempo run and gun style of play built around dual-threat scrambler Raymund Fitzgerald. As always the success of a football team by and large comes down to their quarterback, and for the Obyedako Blue Devils that is especially true in Raymund Fitzgerald. With the departure of Brøgby’s Michael Monrovia to LeBois Santura University, Fitzgerald is the clearcut best dual-threat quarterback in the league, he’s an incredible runner and possesses a blend of speed and strength that would make a running back jealous. There are some questions of how good his arm is considering his running preference, so he’ll have to open things up to his receiving corp to put that to bed. Raymund Fitzgerald’s likely first look on every throw is going to be senior tight end Isiah Zanelli, top-three at his position. At 6’, he’s on the shorter side for the position but he’s bulky and strong at 231lbs and has elite speed for a TE, with the stamina to boot. He’s got great hands and knows his routes, so he’s a great threat for his QB, who prefers to hit shorter but more guaranteed throws as opposed to long range bombs. The Blue Devil’s primary wide receiver is 6’3 junior Earl Gardner, who’s a good all-around threat though not particularly speedy or strong, but hopes are high for freshman Orlando Thomas, already a freaky 6’4 but built like a twig, the kid is tall, fast, and runs good routes so expect him to get some snaps as a freshman. The running back situation is certifiably not groovy for the Blue Devils, with junior RB1 D’Von Glover leaving a lot to be desired in terms of overall quality, though to his credit he has bags of pace and is a slippery runner. Two of the other starting OLs for Obyedako are seniors and similarly not great, but it’s the fourth starter that does provide a spark of hope for their fans, and that’s sophom*ore guard Trey Hamlin. At 5’11 he still has some growing to do but the 15 year old is already a capable run and pass blocker, with great strength for someone his age. He’ll see plenty of snaps this year and Blue Devils fans can feel good that they’ve got at least one of the OL positions locked down at a high level.

When it comes to defense, the Blue Devils don’t have a lot to look forward to. Sophom*ore edge rushers Willie Jenkins and Korey Neill are among the best in their class while fellow sophom*ore linebacker Brion Woods looks poised to become the best high school LB in the next few years, but these kids are a year or two from having the overall ability to match their peers. Great potential though! The secondary is absolutely abysmal and teams will be looking to kill the Blue Devils in the passing game. Hopefully quarterback Raymund Fitzgerald can scramble and gun his team to victory but…considering the state of this defense, I find that highly unlikely.

1. Brøgby Preparatory Academy Miners
2. Academia Cardonia Golden Knights
3. Hatathia High School Pirates
4. J.C. Evermore Academy Green Titans
5. Timberline High School Wolves
6. Skyview Mountain Academy Rangers
7. Escuela Nacíonal DCPF Footballers
8. Mokuleia Island High Red Raiders
9. Ficilian Point High School Raiders
10. St. Bonaventura Gold and Blues
11. Riverstone International School Otters
12. Obyedako High Blue Devils
13. Alexandria High School Eagles
14. Alameda High School Desperados
15. Glenelg Athletic Academy Green Dragons
16. Treasure Valley Triceratops