New Names, Faces from Pylon7v7 in NJ: Garfield Gators

Vic Castillo March 24, 2022 @ 09:24 PM

Prep Redzone was present at the Pylon 7v7 at Iron Peak in Hillsborough NJ this past weekend. I had the pleasure of watching excellent talent at every age group go at it in 7v7 format. Many will say what they please regarding the 7v7 scene but one thing is for certain, it’s a great way to discover new talent to add to Watchlists. I am on a constant hunt to find talent, these tournaments help with that cause. No performance at these tournaments can get you ranked, but if you ball out, be sure to know you’re on my radar for the Fall. Below are some new names to me (or the site), whose play stood out to me. Garfield Gators Lloyd Penn | 5'11, 180 | WR/DB | Westinghouse | 2025 Lloyd Penn was the best player on the field for the Gators for the duration of time I was at the event. Unbelievable awareness displayed from his safety spot, showing he could cover hash to hash while tracking the ball with ease. Strong pair of hands for someone his age. Penn doesn't necessarily stand out from a build perspective, which makes his high-pointing ability at 5'11 all the more impressive. He continuously came down with 50/50 balls which, to someone not in the know like myself, had me pleasantly surprised. He came up with plenty of TDs for GG but is more effective from his safety spot. Even though this just a 7v7 setting, I do love that Penn can align at multiple positions on both offense and defense. Again, it's 7v7 but getting reps from inside and out on offense now could help his development for the Fall. Can't wait to add him to our rankings in the future. Also can’t wait to see what kind of player he is with pads on. I don’t think there will be much of a drop-off in his play. We’ll see.

Balled out today🐶day 2 loading…#risingstar @WHCoachGreen @CoachCowart1 @TWalls_SB @GatorsGarfield @210ths pic.x.com/Tgd5ZzuYo9
— Lloyd Penn (@lloydpenn0) March 20, 2022

Tristan Huston | OLB/WR | Gateway | 2026 Xavier Primus | 5'7, 150 | RB/DB | Penn Hills | 2025 Del Shields | WR/DB | Steel Valley | 2025 Garfield’s roster is tiny and many of their kids are incoming freshmen who do not currently have film out to watch. It’s a testament to the coaching staff to still do damage in 15U with such a limited and young roster. Three other names that stood out to me besides Lloyd Penn were Gateway’s Tristan Huston, Penn Hills’ Xavier Primus, and Steel Valley’s Del Shields. All three have been added to the 2025-2026 Watchlist to be ranked. Tristan Huston has the look of a future productive wideout in the WPIAL. Displays the ideal frame and chiseled physique that he’s bound to continue to grow into. Xavier Primus may not impress initially, as he isn’t much to look at size-wise, but don’t let that fool you. Primus has got some serious acceleration and balance out of his cuts when at wideout. My eyes will be set on the Garfield Gators moving forward, I’ll make sure to touch base with the coaching staff all summer to continue finding young, developing talent.