Cross Plains/Sterling City scrimmage
By Cam Tovias
August 22, 2007
I saw the tape of the first scrimmage last night and now I'm officially excited about the season. I have to admit, before seeing the tape I had a feeling this was going to be an average year. We have a lot of underclassmen, only three seniors, and the kid with the most potential didn't even show up. Let me tell what I now believe.
Phillip Carrillo will be on everyone's mind when district rolls around. The kid can flat out play fullback. What does a prototypical fullback do? He runs low. Phillip is not very tall to begin with so this part is easy for him. He runs hard. The burley senior loves contact and will bury defenders who don't come ready. He blocks. Boy does this team block! All over the tape you can find bodies flying and it's not Yellowhammers getting hit. Phillip is the hardest hitter in the bunch. Occassionally, when he's not an integral part of the play, he'll slack off, but this problem is easily correctable. My early prediction. He's your first team all-district fullback.
Josh Reese is as sensational as ever. He's been a threat for years but this is his year. He scored both touchdowns and one was a broken play. Most impressive was his willingness to lower his shoulder and finish a run. If Josh stays positive about his role as the playmaker on the team from the QB spot, the backfield or catching passes, there's no stopping him. Prediction? Josh is already on everyone's radar. He's an early candidate for offensive MVP and every other award in the area. It's 100% up to him to go get 'em.
Jordan Miller and Levi Sparks. What a tandem on the offensive line! Phillip and Josh are good runners, but when Jordan and Levi open holes, running the ball looks fun. They are absolutely crushing folks. The all stars at Roscoe and Albany may be getting the praise now, but I'll put my boys against them anyday. They're the leaders on an offensive line that includes junior Jonathan Boles. Boles is strong and quick. He won't be as noticeable as the other two, but humble and durable, he'll be there every play. These guys lead an offensive line that is strong, unselfish and classy. You won't be able to help but cheer for these linemen.
The receivers. Luke Wells and Quaintell Williams are gifted. Either one of them could just as easily play running back. They're shifty. They've got great hands and both have a smoothness on the field that's fun to watch. Quaintell has more speed and athleticism but Luke has a nose for the football and great downfield blocking skills. They're both great and they're both coming back next year.
The Youngsters. These guys have multiple years left and that is just plain exciting. Hunter Kennedy, Ryan Tovias, Brandtly Kelly and Dylan Warren are all starters on varsity. They fill different roles and they'll likely have to learn multiple positions to ease a serious depth problem. They come off a stellar JV season and they know how to win. The ultimate youngster is David Reese. A freshman fill in, Reese may find himself starting on defense and getting considerable time running the ball. He's got Reese quickness and he carries the name through for three more years.
More Weapons. All this, and we haven't even seen Dexter Daniel, Sean Lee or Byron Antaya. The three missed the scrimmage for various reasons but will most likely be active by district.
I may have left some people out, but it wasn't intentional. I watched the tape and mentioned those I felt stood out. If you want to comment and call me out on forgetting anyone, misspelling names or anything else. Feel free to do so. This is the Rotan Yellowhammers Blog, not Cam Tovias's soap box. I look forward to your comments.
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