By National Scout Marc Henry (@marchen44)
The DR7 Road To The Crown National Tournament rolled through Broken Arrow, Oklahoma this weekend, with sixty teams competing for the automatic bid to Round Rock in April. Players, teams, coaches and spectators battled the elements on Saturday, as a blistering cold front made it’s way into town as pool play started. The mission of The Platform, is to Expose The UnExposed and provide exposure for players who participate in DR7 Tournaments. Here are several Playmakers from Pool Play on Saturday.
Jayden Perry | Athlete | Minnesota Grind 10U | Class of 3030
Perry made his presence felt early on his team’s first play from scrimmage. From his defensive back position, Jayden read the quarterback’s eyes and stepped in front of a pass and headed to the end zone for a pick six. His ability to change direction and extend for the interception was on full display, as lept high in front of the intended receiver. The Chicago, Illinois native is a versatile athlete, who also lines up at wide receiver for the Minnesota Grind offense. Perry is quick in space, he has the ability to make defenders miss in the open field and he has a burst that allows him to leave defenders reaching for air. Look for Perry to continue to be a Playmaker for the Minnesota Grind heading into Crown Sunday.
Andrew Havens | Athlete | 918 Elite 14U | Class of 2027 | Bixby High School (OK)
Havens is a big body offensive target, who understands how to get open downfield and he uses vision to find holes in the defense. He has an extended reach, he is a hands catcher of the football and when the football is thrown his way he attacks the football with a purpose. Andrew has the versatility to line up on defense and make an impact from the safety position. He closes on the football under control and he uses his length to play the passing lanes well. Havens has the skill set that Playmakers possess and he was a key contributor in 918 Elite going 3-0 in pool play.
Tyson Laster | Cornerback | Oklahoma Intensity 14U | Class of 2027 | Ardmore High School (OK)
Laster the traits that you look for in a top flight cornerback. He is aggressive at the point of attack, he has violent hands that uses to get to hands on receivers and he knocks them off of their axis early on their routes. Tyson has fluid hips, he has the ability to flip, turn, cut and plant his foot in the ground to change directions quickly. Laster during pool play, had two interceptions, one that resulted in a pick six, where he showed great eye discipline, driving on an out route and displaying his playmaking ability. Laster has the flexibility to line up and dominate on the offensive side of the football. He has superb short area quickness, combined with an explosive burst, that enables him to win off the line of scrimmage. Tyson is a Playmaker to keep an eye on heading into Crown Sunday.
Isaiah Stephens | Running Back | CR Sports 14U | Class of 2027 | Sheridan High School (ARK)
Stephens is explosive, electric runner, who has the burst to make a house call quickly. On his team’s opening possession, he caught a short crossing route, made one cut, got north and blew by the entire defense for six. Isaiah left no doubt early on that he is a Playmaker. Stephens wasn’t done exposing his opponents, he makes the difficult catch look routine and he showed off his ability to makes grabs in traffic by coming down with a head topping catch, rising up and extending over the defense. He is multi-sport athlete, who tears up the track and can step on the baseball diamond and dominate. Look for Stephens to continue wreak havoc on defenses on Crown Sunday.
Corey Clemons | Defensive Back | CR Sports | Class of 2026 | Mayflower High School (Ark)
Clemons has long, lengthy, athletic build and he has the range from his safety position to cover ground in a hurry. He plays with excellent leverage, his back pedal is clean and he has superb eye discipline and tracks the football well in flight. Corey has the skill set to hop on offense and be a Playmaker.During pool play, Clemons made several big catches, using his extended reach to make grabs in traffic and he uses his large frame to wall off defenders. He has strong, powerful mitts, that enables him to make contested grabs and defenders don’t have a shot at swiping it from his grasp. Corey will continue to pull double duty for CR Sports when bracket plays gets cranked up on Sunday.
Tobie Serna |Wide Receiver | Minnesota Grind | Class of 2027| Centennial High School (MN)
Serna runs crisp routes, which allows him to win early off of the line of scrimmage. He is a hands catcher, who routinely receives the football away from his body and he has the strength to make contested grabs in traffic. Serna made a spectacular catch during pool play, showing off the bunnies to explode up and make a head topping grab over a defender. Tobie will continue to receive targets heading into Crown Sunday and remain a reliable Playmaker for the Grind offense.
Landon Gatto | Wide Receiver | Wichita Wheat | Class of 2025 | Maize South High School (KS)
Gatto has a lean, long, athletic frame with a large catch radius and his ability to consistently get open left no doubt that he is a Playmaker. Landon has an explosive get off at the line of scrimmage, he runs sharp, crisp routes and he understands how to find holes in the defense. He uses his big frame to shield off defenders in traffic to make contested catches routinely. Gatto excels in the red zone, where he uses his long reach to extend and win on the 50/50 jump ball. He has strong, large hands that enable him to engulf the football and he attacks the football aggressively. Look for him to be a key cog in the Wichita Wheat attack heading into Crown Sunday.
Arieus Finley Jr. | Running Back | Wichita Wheat | Class of 2027 | Derby Middle School (KS)
Finley is an explosive athlete, who has the flexibility to line up on both sides of the ball and be a Playmaker. From his safety position, he sees the field with good eye discipline, he transitions into his back pedal smoothly and his ability to stop, start and cut enabled him to step in front of a pass for an interception. During that interception, Finley Jr. cut back and got north in a hurry and burst into the end zone for six. He is a talented runner, who has fluid hips, a powerful lower half and his ability to explode past defenders makes him a lethal weapon with the ball in his hands. Arieus will be a player to watch for the Wheat as they head into bracket play on Sunday.
Keovion Brown | Wide Receiver | Frontline | Class of 2026 | Hamburg High School (AR)
Brown has a lean, long frame with an extended reach, that he uses to keep defenders from getting hands on him at the point of attack. He is very physical at the line of scrimmage, he doesn’t let defensive backs get hands on him and uses his strength to overpower them. Brown has a quick first step, he has good hip bend that helps him get in and out of his breaks quickly. Keovion has large hands that engulf the football, he has a large catch radius and his ability to extend for contested grabs, makes him a difficult cover. Brown is Playmaker that Frontline will rely on heavy on Sunday during bracket play.
Sam Rhoades| Tight End | Sooner 7 | Class of 2024 | Bishop Kelley high School (OK)
Rhoades is a natural, smooth route runner, who has a great feel for exploiting coverages and finding soft spots in the defense. At 6’4 235 pounds, he is physical at the line of scrimmage, he uses his extended length well to keep defenders from getting hands on him early and his crisp route running enables him to get seperation at the top of his routes consistently. Sam uses his size and frame well to shrug of defenders in traffic to make contested grabs and he attacks the football with a purpose. Rhoades runs well and he has the speed to work the middle of the field, which allowed him to be a reliable target for his quarterbacks throughout pool play, as he racked multiple touchdowns. Rhoades has offers from Army and Eastern Michigan and has taken visits to Texas, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Kansas State and Oklahoma State. Sam is one of to the top Playmakers for Sooner 7 heading into Crown Sunday and will no doubt continue to make his presence known during bracket play.
Kayleb Barnett | Slot Receiver | The Unit | Class of 2025 | Broken Arrow High School (OK)
Barnett is phone booth quick, he is twitchy with ability to cut, shift gears and explode past defenders leaving them reaching for air. When you can make defenders miss in 7v7, you are a lethal weapon that can make defenses look a step slow and that’s what Barnett brings in his game. Kayleb has great hands and when the football is thrown in his direction, he lays claim to it and attacks the football. He has an explosive first step, his oily hips enables him to get in and out of his breaks quickly and Barnett is a matchup problem who works the short to intermediate areas of the field like a veteran making him a reliable target for his quarterback. Kayleb has that here in a flash, gone in a flash skill set and these traits make him a Playmaker to watch heading into bracket play on Sunday.
