By Marc Henry (@marchen44)
The Road To The Crown made it’s way to Houston, where some of the top teams from the state of Texas gathered to battle for supremacy. There were several quarterbacks who had standout performances during pool play. Here are a few signal callers to keep an eye on heading into Crown Sunday.
Tucker Parks | Class of 2024 | 7v7: KC Elite 18U| Klein Collins High School
Parks came out throwing lasers from the start. He has a big arm, he can make all the throws on the route tree and he has the ability to make quick decisions with correct reads. Tucker has a strong base, he uses hips to get extra torque on his throws to drive the football to his target. What stands out most about Parks’s game is his ability to fit the football into tight windows on time. The junior quarterback put phenomenal numbers for Klein Collins in 2022, racking up 3,217 total yards with 43 TDs. Parks has garnered interest from several schools. He has the skill set, strong, he has a compact frame and the athleticism for more schools to take a look his way heading into the fall. Parks look at continue his hot play on Crown Sunday.
Dash Williams| Class of 2029| 7v7 : Platinum Elite
Williams has a strong arm, his accuracy on the rollout is superb and he can thread the needle thru the defense. During pool play, he displayed a calm demeanor, didn’t get out of character if he made a tough throw and he had good command of his offensive huddle. Dash also lined up at safety on defense and used his speed to deflect several passes. Look for Platinum Elite to lean heavy on Williams’s arm heading into Crown Sunday.
Drew Denton | Class of 2024 | 7v7: Texas Pressure DTX | McKinney Christian High School
Denton is a competitor, he plays with a sense of urgency and he has the mentality of a gunslinger. He has the arm talent to fit the football into tight passing windows and he completes the short to intermediate route with pinpoint accuracy. Drew stands tall in the pocket, he keeps his shoulder square to his target and he has great touch on his deep ball. Heading into Crown Sunday, Texas Pressure will lean heavy on Denton to continue to make plays.
Donte Lewis | Class of 2024 | 7v7: BYF | St. Thomas High School
Lewis has a big arm, he can make all the throws on the route tree and his ability to make a quick reads and find the open receiver is superb. Donte has the arm talent to make accurate throws from multiple arm slots and he has a quick whip-like release. He plays with a killer instinct but remains calm under pressure. Lewis has great touch on his deep ball, he has the arm talent to thread the needle in tight coverage, which enables him to throw his receivers open. Lewis had a phenomenal season in 2022, passing for 2,489 yards with 26 TDs and he rushed for 640 yards and 11 TDs. He was the Houston Chronicle Greater Houston Newcomer of the Year, he was nominated as a Built Ford Tough Player of the Week and was a finalist for the award as the end of the season. Look for Lewis to lead the charge for BYF on Crown Sunday.
Bryson Andree | Class of 2024 | 7v7: 4th Pressure | Samuel Clemens High School
Andree has a long, lean build with a cannon of an arm. Bryson has a strong base, he engages his hips to get extra zip on his passes and his accuracy on the short to intermediate routes was on full display during pool play on Saturday. He has the arm strength to push the football down field and has great touch on his deep ball. Standing at 6’2, he stands tall when delivering the football and his ability to see the field well allowed him to complete passes at a high percentage. Andree is the engine that drives the 4th Pressure attack.
Elijah Favela |Class of 2025 | 7v7: SA Ducks | Converse Judson
Favela has a big arm, he has a strong, firm set up in the pocket and delivered lasers early on in pool play in one of the toughest brackets played on Saturday helping the SA Ducks to a 2-1 record. His demeanor is calm, he plays with a sense of urgency and he makes quick decisions with the football and had great timing with his receiving core. Elijah has the arm talent to make throws off platform with pinpoint accuracy and he has the arm strength to drive the football down field into tight windows. Look for Favela to continue his hot play on Crown Sunday.
Devin Lippold | Class of 2024 | 7v7: Team Mamba | Clear Lake High School
The 6’5 220 pound Lippold was on fire early during pool play on Saturday. He has a sharp, compact stroke, he delivers the football with a quick release and he uses excellent eye discipline and sees the field well. Lippold has quiet feet in the pocket, he has a firm set up with a strong base and gets his hips engaged, which adds velocity on his balls. Devin has great touch on his deep ball and completes the short to intermediate routes at a high percentage. Devin puts the bite in the Team Mamba offense and look for him to continue to stay hot on Crown Sunday.
