The West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is another excellent place to mine for potential diamonds in the rough, and the annual grudge game between arch-rivals Glenville and Shepherd is as good a place to start as ever. This was a hard hitting affair from the get-go, and the two teams nearly played a scoreless first half, until Shepherd recovered a Glenville miscue with 3 second remaining and then kicked a FG to make it 3-0 at intermission. During the second half, the offenses got going and Shepherd really missed the spark usually provided by star tailback Tommy Addison (141-797-10) who was out with a torn ACL. Shepherd simply could not respond on offense often enough without him, and Glenville pulled away for the victory behind the running of RB Brian Harden and the judicious passing and running of QB James McCants. Not that may gems in this one, but there are a couple guys who might sneak into a camp, starting with Glenville MLB Kaleb Lawrence (#11, 6'2", 240).

SCOUTING SUMMARY:

College: Shepherd Conference: Division II Columnist: Staff

Game Notes
T.J. Taylor 6 6' 2.2" 221 4.80 DE 2010: An obvious conversion project who is rag dolled some even at this level as a DE. Extremely raw and looks like a WR out there. Must bulk up. Doesn't play full time and stays wired to blockers. Gets walked out by the OT and gets pinballed when he stays in to defend the run. Pretty quick though, and rushes the passer pretty well. Has some raw talent, and shows the kind of agility and lateral quickness you want to see in an OLB. Always sells out on the pass rush. A huge project, but there is some untapped ability there. GRADE: Neutral



College: Glenville State Conference: Division II Columnist: Staff


Game Notes
AD Hale 5 6' 1.0" 180 4.66 S 2010: Plays CB for Glenville but lacks the hips and speed to be considered a CB prospect at the next level. Has some coverage ability, and might be able to bulk up and play safety, and that is where he projects. Has nice instincts in coverage and hands for the pick. Not real tough, and not a blowup hitter, so he'd have to be paired with one who was unless his adding weight gives him more confidence as an enforcer. Pretty quick reacting in coverage. Does not involve himself much in supporting the run at this stage. Has some natural pass coverage ability and is a ballhawk, and that is the stuff that you can't teach. Strength, hitting confidence and tackling tech all can be taught or acquired. GRADE: Neutral

Kaleb Lawrence 11 6' 1.1" 240 0.85 LB 2010: Thick and well-built. Looks like Wyatt Gayer (Anderson, IN, '06) and plays a bit like him. Tackles like a train wreck. Lacks lateral agility and fluidity, but really backs the line in the run game. Vocal leader with a work ethic and no-holds-barred approach. Would have to be strongside 3-4 ILB candidate, and may lack the overall athleticism to make it, but certainly has the dedication, body and heart. A bit stiff. Looks like a bulked up DIII defensive tackle. Fills a gap and is solid with reads. Wraps. Enforcer. Pass drops are below average in speed and fluidity, but, like with everything else, he gives good effort in pass d. It will be interesting to see if he makes a name for himself if he gets an invitation to any minor post-season all star events. GRADE: Positive

Sione Maafu 47 6' 1.0" 303 5.35 DT 2010: Another in a long, long line of Somoans to make a name for himself in college football. Grew up in Cali though so there is no cultural adjustment needed. Thick and bounces about pretty well like a dancing bear. Doesn't attack the LOS like he should and doesn't do nearly enough with his ability in terms of rushing the passer. Plays soft and high. Needs more conditioning, especially his upper body. Pile make when he wants to. Runs around a lot. Hunts the ball and will tackle. Needs a ton of patience and technique. Very raw, but moves like a 250-pounder. GRADE: Slightly negative

OTHER NOTES:

Glenville: WR-KR-PR Xavier Glenn (#4, 5'6", 185) is rumored to have sub 4.4. speed, but did nothing to impress me in this one. Had no QB to test his speed. Runs the ball on reverses. Listed at 5'8", but I ain't buying it. QB James McCants is a nice DII QB with no pro potential. Strongside OT Joe Charles (#66, 6'6", 338 min.) was whispered to be a potential PP, but I ain't buying that either. Fully evaluated for possible inclusion in our database and dismissed. He's fat and lacks balance. Pass drops are painful to watch. Misses on the 2nd level. Contacts too high in the running game. Overall, his feet are better than you might think but he just has way, way too far to go. Will pancake people and is pretty consistent in run blocking but he would drive a pro line coach nuts. LB #22 Terrell Parker flashed. DE Scott Sears (#96, 6'3", 235) is Kaleb Lawrence's roommate and workout partner and gives a similar kind of effort. May surprise. He's a senior who is now on my radar.

Shepherd: RB Tommy Addison was one of the big reasons I tuned in, but he is out for the rest of the year with an ACL tear. Junior LB Brian Taylor (#58, 6'3", 237) is a first-team preseason all-conference type and will probably be a CDS HM AA. This is a name to remember. A poor man's Alex Wujciak. Freshman LB A.J. Parrish (#44) may eventually prove to be even better.