There’s no such thing as too much football, and in 2021, you’ll take any chance to catch high school athletes on the gridiron.
This past Sunday, several of Arizona’s prep 7-on-7 teams headed out to the East Valley to compete in the Southwest Showdown Tournament. Let’s run down who showed out…
There’s no denying that a combo of a talented quarterback and a skillful playmaker can take you to some high places in high school, and Red Mountain High School should be eager to get to Fall 2021. Quarterback Jalen Daniels looked every bit the part of one of the top Arizona soon-to-be-Senior signal callers, showing off his big arm and impressive frame, making impressive throw after impressive throw. One target Daniels will certainly seek out this Fall is wide receiver Lenox Lawson of the 2023 class. Lawson showed off his great playmaking skills in his impressive agility, burst, footwork, and hands.
The beauty of these offseason tournaments is the exposure it can give to players that are yet to make themselves household names in the prep scene. Two players that really caught my eye were a fun-to-watch duo from Maricopa High School. Maricopa’s 2023 Wide Receiver Dorae Scott Jr. ( also nicknamed DJ) impressed on both sides of the ball, letting his size, agility and acceleration lead the way to several standout plays. Scott wasn’t the lone Ram who stood out as his 2023 teammate tight end Keire Earl also displayed great athleticism on a strong 6’4” frame.
Boulder Creek had their squad come out, and we got a look at one of the options to fill the massive shoes Bear Milacek leaves behind. Jaiden Clifford took the snaps and worked efficiently, distributing the ball around to his skill guys accurately. The quarterback battle in Anthem will be many will be monitoring.
A few other playmakers that stood out:
Mountain Ridge QB Brendan Anderson showed a nice arm, making all types of throws from the passing tree. I loved getting to see him play again. The last time I got to see him in action was in the #ChillyBowl, and I was so impressed with him then. I love the confidence he plays with. Excited to see him do work in the 2021 season.
Horizon Linebacker Nicholas Harris looked like a player who had taken his offseason training seriously, adding strength and displaying solid footwork at linebacker.
