No matter what crazy Texas weather you find yourself on any given day, there is always one constant, driving force that never finds itself out of season.
Football
Despite the sweltering heat and April showers of this past weekend, the dedication of the attendees of VTO Sports’ Elite 100 Showcase shined through.
Split over two days between Dallas and Houston camps, the Showcases were a cornucopia of homegrown Texas talent.
Hosted by Colleyville Heritage and C.E. King High Schools respectively, the weekend saw over 260 prospects and 50 schools represented in drills including 7-on-7 tournaments, Linemen Trench Challenges, and other 1-on-1 and position-specific drills.
Once the dust cleared and the deluge ceased (or didn’t, in Houston’s case), the top performers from each Position Group earned their Invitations to the upcoming All-American Challenge, hosted by VTO near their headquarters in Charlotte, NC. In addition, the MVPs of each Group earned trophies as further testament to their skills. The Houston event also saw Athlete and Sleeper Awards earned by three players who proved themselves amongst the immense pool of talent on display.
In Houston, the top five per position were as follows
Quarterback
- MVP Austin Smith (Katy Taylor 2020)
- Luke Grden (Friendswood 2021)
- Ben Mills (The Woodlands 2020)
- Joe Puccio (Langham Creek 2020)
- Nathan Grifaldo (Porter 2020)
Running Back
- MVP Nikita Bridges (Klein Collins) 2020
- John Friend (Pearland) 2021
- Xzavier Sidney (Humble 2022)
- Kywon Morgan (Oak Ridge 2020)
- Jayce Gardner (Moore 2020)
Wide Receiver
- MVP Blake Wiley (Lake Creek 2022)
- Bryce Keith (Stratford 2020)
- Hunter Johnson (Crossings Christian 2020)
- Tyler Bruton (Pearland 2020)
- Justin Beaudion (Northside 2020)
- TreVeon Petty (Klein Collins 2020)
Offensive Line
- MVP Cenard Gonzales (Shadow Creek 20201)
- Mehdi Torrence (Clear Brook 2020)
- Fredrick Jones (Westbrook 2020)
- Seth Bower (Geneva School of Boerne 2020)
- Tristen Hickman (Atascocita 2020)
Defensive Line
- MVP Aven Shelton (Lamar 2020)
- Jaylen Allen (Cypress Creek 2020)
- Sam Treadaway (Dickinson 2020)
- Dave Babalola (George Ranch 2021)
- John Abernathy (Manvel 2020)
Linebackers
- MVP Josh Lopez (Geneva School of Boerne 2020)
- Drake Woodson (Lafayette Christian Academy 2020)
- Tanner Hobeck (Smithson Valley 2020)
- Logan Anderson (Nederland 2020)
- Bake Horton (Edmond Memorial 2020)
Defensive Backs
- MVP Sage Luther (Westlake 2020)
- Justin Wilson (Legacy School of Sports Science 2020)
- Joseph Trim (Fort Bend Kempner 2021)
- Jonathan Galleno (Cypress Springs 2021)
At the end of the day, it’s always an uplifting time witnessing the talent and drive of these athletes who have proven themselves the faces of the future of football, both in Texas and beyond.
Many thanks to Coach Vince Jacobs Sr, Vince Jacobs Jr, and the rest of the VTO Sports Team for allowing The Old Coach to capture the Elite 100 Showcase events on 6-7 April.
