Ball Hawks of the Week
DB’s were all over the place on Friday night, including some exceptional performances from some young faces. The athleticism of these guys was exciting to watch, as they clearly separated themselves from competition. Take a look at the top 5…
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Continue ReadingDB’s were all over the place on Friday night, including some exceptional performances from some young faces. The athleticism of these guys was exciting to watch, as they clearly separated themselves from competition. Take a look at the top 5 DB’s from week 3:
Carlos Griffin Carlos Griffin 5'11" | 170 lbs | DB Saguaro | 2023 State AZ , DB, Saguaro HS (C/O 2023)
Griffin played outstanding against Maricopa with 3 INT’s and returning 2 of those for TD’s. The sophomore covered ground well with his speed and showed solid placement throughout the game. He showed a good leaping ability when Maricopa tested him with a deep ball and he was able to pluck it out of the air for an INT. He reads the QB’s eyes very well and breaks to the ball extremely effectively. His performance on Friday landed him an offer from Syracuse. Griffin is the upcoming stud for Saguaro and will be a big name for the next few years.
Howard Russell, ATH., Phoenix Christian HS (C/O 2021)
Russell had a big night at CB with 2 INT’s and taking one of those for a TD. He actually took the other INT to the house as well, but the TD was called back by a penalty. Russell is a lanky build but has been continuing putting on size at 6’1 190lbs., as he has much room for growth. He can transition into a safety build at the college level. Russell showed good ball instincts and breaks on the ball well. He displayed good speed on his INT returns and hits a different level of speed when the ball is in his hands.
Jeremiah Newcombe, CB, Casteel HS (C/O 2024)
The Casteel freshman stepped up huge on Friday. He recorded 2 INT’s including the game winning INT on the last play of the game on a Queen Creek drive. Newcombe looks nothing like a freshman on the field. He absolutely locked up the Queen Creek receivers and his football maturity is outstanding. He gets out of breaks well and shows very good fast twitch and change of direction. He identified routes very well as he was mostly in off-man coverage. Newcombe is going to be a dangerous player in the years to come.
Jack Burch, SS/WR, St. Mary’s HS (C/O 2021)
Burch racked up an INT that he took to the house, 6 tackles, 1 TFL, and 1 PBU. Burch has been one of the most consistent players for St. Mary’s with an INT in every game so far. He showed excellent football IQ in zone coverage when he picked off a high pass and went 54 yards for the score. He also set the physical tone when he punished a Seton Catholic receiver running a shallow crossing route into his zone. He reads the QB well and can provide run support as well. At 6’4″ 190lbs, his size is a huge upside as he has the potential to transition into multiple positions at the next level.
Kevin White, DB/WR, Casa Grande HS (C/O 2022)
White had a clutch performance by recording 2 INT’s and returning one of those for a TD. He recorded 4 total tackles, but was flying all over the field consistently. The 2022 class for Casa Grande is stacked, and White will only continue to utilize his potential to be a threat on both sides of the ball. Expect White to continue to have bigger roles going forward.