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Football Friday Film Session: 4/7/17

Every Friday I'll take a look at the HUDL film that's sitting in my inbox at azhsfootball@gmail.com and give an honest assessment of what I see, and/or highlight a couple of things I think you need to see.

Since this is the inaugural Friday Film Session, there's plenty to get to. Before I forget, make sure to follow on Twitter, and give us a like on Facebook for all the latest updates surrounding Arizona High school football.

Conlan Carey, RB- Chaparral (2018)

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Heard of Carey? I hadn't, until his film found it's way to my inbox. He only had two games in which he touched the ball at least 7 times last year- but look at the way he gets his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage and picks up every available yard... Carey could be a seriously good back for Chap this year. He runs very upright- almost looks like a strong, athletic running quarterback with the ball in his hands... and it gives lazy tacklers fits.

Larry Davis, S/LB- Desert Vista (2018)

Davis looks like a major pain to handle in blitz packages. You can see him here with great closing speed, and he knows how to put the quarterback down. Desert Vista's attacking defense is perfect for his skillset.

Jordan Herbert, LB- Thatcher (2018)

I got an email saying Herbert is a hard hitter, and it took all of 12 seconds into his HUDL film to confirm. The howl of the crowd as he drove the ballcarrier off his feet and backwards made me glad this video wasn't cut with any music. This is a fun tape- if you don't have 12 minutes, I recommend the first three minutes, and then the hits at 5:45 and 6:50.

Riley Langton, WR- Campo Verde (2018)

With Max Fine and Justis Stokes graduating from Williams Field, part of me expects Langton to be the WR that you hear most about in the city of Gilbert next year. The hands and the route running are more than solid. Gains in the weight room could take him from one of the city's best to one of the state's best. We'll see.

Blake Spear, LB- Verrado (2018)

I was able to see Spear and the Verrado defense last year put forth the gutsiest performance of 2016 in their 6-3 win over Desert Edge. Spear is always around the ball, and has a good frame for a linebacker at the 5A level. He's opportunistic, and you might see a big jump in production form him this year as a senior.

John Clark, DL- Liberty (2018)

Everything you could want to see from a 6-3, 260-pound defensive linemen comes at the 0:52 mark of his highlight. Takes on multiple blockers, gets a push, and disrupts the play. His highlight shows him as an effective nose guard, as well as someone who can give you solid reps as an outside linebacker/rush end. Clark is definitely one to watch.

Brandon McCrea, OL- Deer Valley (2018)

McCrea emailed me and let me know he believes he should be included in the conversation when it comes to the best linemen in the 2018 class. After watching his film, I'll concede that he definitely has some of the best hands of any blocker I've watched on film. McRea seems very comfortable in pass protection, and while there might not always be a pop at the point of impact, when his hands are on a player, they go where he wants them to.

Nick Hill, ATH- Desert Mountain (2018)

MULTIPLE people emailed me about Nick Hill. I have to say, in Desert Mountain's pass-happy offense, I didn't expect to see a running back with this much talent. He hits the hole with great acceleration, and is shifty in the way he moves once he has the ball in a way that seems natural and smooth (reminds me of the style Seahawks' great Shaun Alexander used to run the ball). While I was watching his film, I jumped over and checked out his teammate, WR Josh Walker. That there's a talented pass catcher. Looks like Desert Mountain's offense will be as dangerous as ever.

Jackson Groff, WR- Northwest Christian (2018)

Groff had seven catches last year. So why am I including this highlights in this write up? Well, 1) because he was cool enough to send them my way, which I appreciate, and 2) he can block from the WR position. In watching his highlight you can see exactly just how valuable the WRs are as facilitators for Dave Inness' offense. The bubble screens and toss plays work because Groff does his job well.

Garett Zimmerman, OL/DL- Notre Dame Prep (2018)

I enjoyed this. While there aren't a ton of devastating pancakes, a block is a block. Zimmerman, who might be more suited for guard at the next level, gets to his assignment on pulls and downfield locking quickly. He looks comfortable in pass protection, and when he needs to, get his pad level down to take care of bsiness in the running game.

Malachi Sisquieros, DE- Casteel (2020)

Casteel's situation is incredibly unique in that a bunch of sophomores (along with freshmen like Siquieros) put together a highly competitive season in 3A, and go into 2017 as one of the favorites to win the title. It's rare to have this much varsity footage on any freshman, and with Sisquieros you can see that while he's not uncomfortable taking on players that are 2-3 years older than him, he's got a lot of growing into his position and his knowledge of the game to do. This early experience (50+ tackles, 4 sacks) is invaluable, and you get a flash of what he's capable of at 2:27 of the highlight.

Cameron Garder, ATH- Casa Grande (2018)

If you follow me on social media, you know it's no secret I'm a fan of Casa Grande and the program Jake Barro is running. Last year, Cooper Gragg, Trevor Russell, Courtney Johnson, Koby Charles and Brock Hall led a team that the injury bug kept from doing some serious damage. This year, they'll be trotting out Cameron Gardner as a weapon on both sides of the ball, and if you're a fan of high school football, you don't want to miss the boat on this kid. He looks like Forrest Gump in the open field.

Bobby Ramirez, DB- Sunrise Mountain (2018)

Sometimes I'm leary of players who eclipsed the 100-tackle mark via mostly assisted tackles, but Sunrise Mountain has a swarming defense, and Ramirez really doesn't **need** the help. He decisively breaks on the ball and once he's zeroed in on a target, he gets the job done. Check out the play at 0:42 (then stick around for the next hit he lays...)

Coming up on next week's (4/14) Friday Film Room: Ryan Bendle (Liberty), Kedon Slovis (Desert Mountain), Quentin Mack and Quentin Turley (Thatcher), Jaiden Hayes (South Mountain), Hendrix Johnson (Boulder Creek), Gavin Davis (Pusch Ridge), Harrison Copoloff (Notre Dame Prep), Dante Coleman (Queen Creek), Tavian Robey and Kai Golden (Marana Mountain View), Armani Cruz (Tucson), Ryan Langford (O'Connor), Hunter Griggs (Pinnacle), Jonathon Williams (Mountain Pointe), Grant Mileski (Horizon)

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