Friday Night Lights: April 16 2021

By Max Frincke

April 21, 2021

3,581

2021 Commits

Lu-Magia Hearns‍ continued to be a ball-hawk for the undefeated De La Salle Spartans, thriving as the single-high safety for most of the game in Saturday’s 21-7 win over Clayton Valley. Hearns defended three passes and made three tackles on the day. Hearns has proven to be a formidable defender and kick returner this spring. He has a lot of potential to break out at Cal.

Keleki Latu‍ caught four passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns, including one score for 49 yards and another for 34, in Jesuit’s 56-42 win over Vista del Lago. Latu demonstrated good speed as he ran right past a CB twice for his two scores. Latu, like Hearns, is a recruit that is showcasing improvement in his senior year, putting up great performances in his best season yet.

2022 Recruits

Justyn Martin‍ ‍threw for 257 yards and five touchdowns in Inglewood’s 58-19 win over Monrovia on Friday. The 6’4 four-star QB also rushed four times for 65 yards and one touchdown, putting his full arsenal of skills on display. Martin showed no signs of rust after torching Muir High School with eight passing touchdowns last week.

This week, Martin showed off his excellent deep ball again, throwing one straight shot touchdown for 45 yards and another for 41. He also showcased good mobility, effectively evading pocket containment and running for first downs on three occasions, including one 41-yard run.

One thing that we haven’t seen from Martin is his ability to throw on the run, but to be frank, he may never need to with his proven pro-style ability. Clearly, however, he has the lateral quickness and arm strength to do it. If he can just look up and deliver some bombs while shifting to the right, it’ll add a lot more to his game. If he can continue to use his legs, he has Josh Allen playmaking potential.

CJ Williams‍ recorded three receptions for 55 yards and two touchdowns in Mater Dei’s 34-17 win over St. John Bosco, completing the Monarchs’ sweep of the Trinity League, moving them to #1 in MaxPreps’ California state rankings.

In Friday’s win, Williams showed off his clutch ability, catching two vital scores in a heavyweight bout between the two top programs in the state. Williams’ first score was a tough one-handed snag in the corner of the endzone.

He demonstrated excellent footwork in this play, initially making a nice fake to the right to create separation at the line of scrimmage. Once the ball was in the air, Williams made a spectacular spin away from the defender whilst keeping one foot on the grass to stay-in-bounds. If football doesn’t pan out, CJ might have a future in ballet.

Williams should have had a third touchdown on a ball that was underthrown and broken up by three-star Jaxon Harley. Speed was an early concern for the route-running expert, but this play demonstrated his capability of outrunning D1 defensive backs.

Danny “Deuce” McGuire, 6-5 right guard out of Marist in Chicago, Illinois, helped pave the way for the Redhawks’ 48-13 win over the St. Patrick Shamrocks. The three-star recruit made some nice plays on the day, including one block on two defenders, reinforcing a lane for a 54-yard touchdown run. McGuire is a versatile guard that can play guard or tackle. He’s got offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon and Michigan State.

2022 three-star commit Damonic Williams‍ totaled four tackles, including three tackles for loss, in Alemany’s 25-24 loss to Junipero Serra. At 6-2 and 325 pounds, Williams has the look of a Stanley McKenzie or Rickky Correia type.

In Cathedral Catholic’s 51-0 win over Madison to extend their undefeated run to 5-0, Jaxson Moi‍ totaled four tackles, including three tackles for loss. The three-star San Diego native played DT on Friday despite being listed as a DE. He’s big and is an excellent tackler. He also has good hands and has some moves to penetrate the pocket.

In De La Salle’s 21-7 win over Clayton Valley to give them a 6-0 record, Zeke Berry‍ had an all-around outstanding performance, defending one pass, recording three tackles, including one for loss, and catching a 60-yard touchdown. The three-star CB showed off good ability against the run, making two tackles on runners, and also making a nice one-on-one tackle off a screen pass. Berry looks to have potentially grown an inch this season to 6-1, and has excellent tackling ability and could play safety.

As the 2021 season progressed, Braydon Brus‍ seemed to just keep getting better and better. In Thursday’s 35-28 win over Bonita, the three-star athlete carried the ball 22 times for 244 yards and four touchdowns. On defense, the crossfit aficionado totaled eleven tackles (three solo, eight asst).

Brus is the real deal, and virtually has no weaknesses on offense or defense. He’s a great runner, has speed, size, and looks for contact. On defense he has quick lateral movements, and should pick up more offers after his sensational season, where he amassed 62 carries for 491 yards (7.9 avg) and eight touchdowns.

Through the air he had 7 receptions for 122 yards (17.4 avg), and on defense he amassed 58 tackles (20 solo, 38 asst), nine tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception, and one forced fumble. The Bears have recruited him as an outside linebacker, but it’s clear that he has plenty more to offer.