OTH TAKES: PSM 7v7 Tournament

Another week, another area 7v7 tournament as Parkview Sports Medicine sponsored its inaugural event, partnering with host East Noble.

Once again, OTH was there to take in the action and get a look at several area squads.

SOUTH SIDE

Let’s start with the best story out of the entire event. Coach Andre Goodwell’s squad knocked off Woodlan in the championship game to capture the Thrive Division title made up of the smaller teams in attendance.

While many will gloss over the title, it was really cool to see the Archers celebrate success on the gridiron, even if it is in June. Goodwell’s style of constant coaching up and positive reinforcement is infectious, even more so when a team is thriving. There was energy, there was excitement, there was PRIDE in South’s performance.

Freshman Kendrick Alexander was impressive in leading South at quarterback. While the learning curve will be steep if Alexander gets the nod at QB1, he definitely has potential and his decision making was pretty solid. Senior Cody Jenkins is also in contention for the QB job, but could Jenkins help out South elsewhere on the field?

At the very least, South Side took a tremendous step forward with the title. It gives those kids a tangible reason to buy in to what Goodwell is selling.

LEO

There is a lot of anticipation around Leo about what the duo of Brock Schott and Kaden Hurst can accomplish.

Schott is a beast, showing as much again while combating double teams and still hauling in balls from QB Kylar Decker. Hurst was on a college visit and missed the event, but excitement still abounded about what the Lions can potentially be offensively.

But success is still going to come down to the offensive line – a unit that needs to replace All-NE8 players Collin Butler and Truman Wirtz.

The Lions have bodies up front, but are the next guys up as physical as they need to be? Can they move as well as they will need to?

That’s the biggest question mark for the Lions on offense. Leo still needs to be able to run the ball and protect Decker to put its vertical passing game in the best position to succeed.

EAST NOBLE

The youth movement we saw the Knights go with last year provided equal parts struggle and promise over the course of the season.

One player who was young even by last year’s standards was Rylee Biddle. As a freshman, Biddle tied for the team lead with a pair of interceptions despite not seeing much action at the varsity level. Now, the sophomore may already be one of the team’s top two-way players. He made a highlight-reel interception from his safety spot in the tournament and contributed offensively at both wideout and quarterback.

Keep an eye on Biddle this year and beyond.

SNIDER

It’d be a lie to say it wasn’t a surprise that Snider went winless in the tournament on Wednesday, including a pool play loss to Huntington North. However, let’s be clear, the constant with the Panthers is always aggressive and fundamentally sound offensive and defensive fronts, aspects which are not utilized in 7v7.

Ke’ron Billingsley and Aaron Vance swapped spots at quarterback throughout the day. Neither have much in the way of varsity experience behind center, making the offensive line all the more key in terms of protection.

One aspect of the game we don’t see in 7v7 is a QB’s versatility in taking off and running. Billingsley has that capability.

In short, let’s calm down on the panic regarding Snider, mkay?

Food for thought

– No one in the SAC has a shot against Carroll unless pressure is put on Jimmy Sullivan. If he is allowed to sit in the pocket and pick his spots, the opponent has no hope. To be clear, even if you do get to Sullivan, you may not have hope.

So who can get to the QB with just its defensive front in the SAC? Maybe Snider? Other teams may have to bring linebacker help to try and force Sullivan on the move and out of his comfort zone. Of course, that opens up the middle level to throws underneath.

Seriously, the Carroll offense is THAT good.

– Who replaces Peyton Slaven at Homestead? It’s currently a three-way battle between Michael White, Evan England and Grayson Yenser. All three are underclassmen, meaning whoever wins the job could be a stalwart at QB1 for multiple seasons for Sparty.

– Northrop is also running through a trio of prospective quarterbacks in senior Axel Bullins, junior Zayne Barth and sophomore David Callison. All three bring unique attributes to the spot. Does Coach Quentin Bowen go young and utilize Bullins as a weapon elsewhere in the offense? Or does he roll with the senior?

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