Turf Wars: OC Elite Defensive Standouts
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On Sunday I covered a 7-on-7 event called Turf Wars at JSerra High in San Juan Capistrano. The event featured some of the top 7-on-7 teams in the state. I did not get a chance to take a close look…
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Continue ReadingOn Sunday I covered a 7-on-7 event called Turf Wars at JSerra High in San Juan Capistrano. The event featured some of the top 7-on-7 teams in the state. I did not get a chance to take a close look at every team at the event, but I did see some excellent players, some up and coming stars and hundreds of spirited student-athletes competing at a high level.
OC Elite had multiple teams competing at the event of all age levels. The two varsity level teams were “OC Elite Sky Blue” and “OC Elite 5 Star”. Both teams are loaded with some of the top skill players in Orange County and some up and coming players who will be making a name for themselves this fall.
Here are some of the top defensive players I noticed from each OC Elite team on Sunday.
SKY BLUE
Joseph (Drew) Faulkner V Joseph (Drew) Faulkner V 5'10" | 175 lbs | ATH Western | 2023 State CA , 2023, Western
I hadn’t seen Faulkner play in person in quite some time and I was pleasantly surprised with how he has grown as a player. He has packed on quite a bit of muscle since I saw him and he was right in the hip pocket of every top receiver he covered in man coverage. He covers large chunks of the field when in zone and closes to the ball quickly. I asked some of the coaches which defensive players were impressing them and all of them pointed out Faulkner. He is a big fish in a small pond at Western, but he is showing that he can play with guys from top schools from the Trinity and South Coast Leagues. He is one of the more under-recruited players in the county and should get some big offers this spring and summer.
— Joseph Faulkner V (@V1Drew) January 12, 2022
Mikey D’Amato, 2023, Mission Viejo
I saw D’Amato play at Tesoro last year twice and thought he was the best defensive player on his team. He recently transferred to Mission Viejo and will make an immediate impact for the Diablos. He has put on some serious muscle already this offseason and flies around the field. He has the frame and build of a linebacker but plays safety. He flies around the field in multiple coverages and had an interception in one of the preliminary games.
Check out my highlight – https://t.co/SGI8ZcGrSU Year number 3 in the books,I managed to finish with 106 tackles, 4 INT, and 5PBU. Blessed to have a great season, with no injuries! @SteveFryer @ocelitefootball @TesoroFootball @247Sports
— michael Damato (@mikeyDamato2) November 3, 2021
Donovan Comestro Donovan Comestro 6'0" | 175 lbs | DB Santa Margarita Catholic | 2023 State CA , 2023, Santa Margarita
Comestro was second on the Eagles in tackles last season and they had a very good defense. He just missed making the All-County team for the OC Register and he has all the tools to be a Division 1 defensive back. He effortlessly breaks from his back pedal and has the athleticism to deflect 50/50 balls even against guys that are bigger than him. He plays physical and toes the line in coverage but doesn’t draw penalties. I expect some Ivy League schools to take interest in him and he can definitely play at the Division 1 level.
Quick highlight tape of plays on the ball!@SMCHS_Football @ocelitefootball pic.twitter.com/hEljE0KX2n
— Donovan Comestro (@dcomestro) January 5, 2022
Ben Durham Ben Durham 6'0" | 205 lbs | DB Santa Margarita Catholic | 2023 State CA , 2023, Santa Margarita
Durham patrols the middle of the field very well at all levels. In the preliminary games, teams rarely threw to the middle because Durham was there immediately to break the pass up or prevent big plays after the catch. When you watch his film, his biggest strength is flying up the field and stopping the run, but he is showing his abilities as a pass defender this offseason. He had an interception in the prelim games and if you leave the ball hanging, he will get hands on it. He gets overshadowed by some of the bigger names on the Santa Margarita defense, but his stock is quickly rising.
5 STAR
Treyvon Tolmaire Treyvon Tolmaire 5'11" | 170 lbs | DB Mission Viejo | 2024 CA , 2024, Mission Viejo
Tolmaire was shutting down receivers receivers all day, particularly on routes outside the numbers. He has the speed to give small cushions in man coverage and to close on short routes in zone coverage. He is a ball hawk who will intercept careless passes and deflect good ones. He was a major contributor for Mission Viejo as a sophomore last season and will be an All-County candidate for the next two years. He had one of the best broad jumps of the day at the PRZ Stock Up Showcase last week and had good shuttle times. He will be a Division 1 prospect this time next year.
1st game, 1st start, 1st pick @RecruitsSocal @missionfootball @GregBiggins @diablocjohnson @CoachTB02 @Coach_Caruso pic.twitter.com/5PyjsPsbfl
— Treyvon Tolmaire (@TolmaireTreyvon) August 22, 2021
Thaddeus Woods Thaddeus Woods 6'2" | 195 lbs | DB Centennial | 2024 State CA , 2024, Mater Dei
I first heard of Woods last January after he performed well at the National Preps Showcase in San Diego. He didn’t get to play a lot of varsity ball for the National Champion Monarchs this season but would have started at 90 percent of the schools in the area. He is every bit of 6-foot-1 and built at 185 pounds. He patrolled the other side of the field opposite Tolmaire and is a physical corner with impressive footwork. He can line up anywhere in the secondary and matched up against top receivers from Bishop Amat and Inglewood and held his own.
Jacob Carlon Jacob Carlon 6'2" | 200 lbs | LB Newport Harbor | 2024 State CA , 2024, Newport Harbor
Carlon is a tall outside linebacker at around 6-foot-3 and has sideline to sideline speed. He is right around 200 pounds and has the frame to add some muscle without sacrificing his speed. He can fly to the flat in zone coverage and stay step-by-step with running backs and slot guys in man coverage. He had 29 tackles and a sack for the Sailors as a sophomore last season and his size makes him an intriguing college prospect.
My postgame interview with Jacob Carlon of @NHTarsFootball who had a key sack in the 4th quarter. Scary part about this guy is that he’s only a sophomore. @Sunset_Rewind pic.twitter.com/hwtpWdCuir
— Teran Rodriguez (@TeranRodriguez1) November 28, 2021