High school recap: Mater Dei/Carson
by Flynn Hill
Don’t read too much into the stats. Matt Barkley is the real deal and showed everyone why he is the country’s top player, leading Mater Dei High School to a thrilling 46-43 win over Carson High School. Barkley and Morrell Presley, NES’s No. 2 tight end, both showed why they are so highly regarded.
Key Players
Mater Dei
Matt Barkley, 6’3, 230- He’s the best pro-style quarterback in some time. Let’s focus on the positives. He more than passes the eyeball test and has good bulk for college, something that Jimmy Clausen, the top prospect in 2007, lacked. He makes throws that a bunch of starting quarterbacks can’t right now. He has an outstanding arm that will not limit an offense. Barkley made several impressive throws, but few were better than the one he made before halftime to wide receiver Ario Winston on an 18-yard comeback. From the left hash, he threw a strike that was on the money to Winston, and it was a throw that there are few people, especially at the high school level.
When Barkley and Mater Dei were inside their own five yard line at the end of the first quarter, he showed outstanding intangibles. The first play was a play action pass to wide receiver Victor Blackwell. The throw was on the money and the fake was sold to perfection. Although it was called back for a hold, Barkley showed that he’s more than just an arm. The next pass, Barkley came back and showed composure well beyond his years as he sidestepped two pass rushers and delivered another great pass. He will never win a game with his legs, however he has mobility similar to Tom Brady. His pocket presence is unparalleled and he always stays balanced, enabling him to make a solid strikes that will hit his target in stride.
Barkley showed two negative things. First, he forced two of his interceptions badly. On one of his interceptions in the fourth quarter, his target was blanketed in the end zone and he under-threw the ball, a rarity for Barkley. On his fourth interception, he tried to pierce the defense, but was intercepted by a linebacker who finally made an adjustment. He needs to be more patient and possibly check down to a different read. Secondly, his ball on the move was rarely a tight spiral. In the pocket, however, it was beautiful. there are very few mechanical problems, he needs to work on his throws while on the move, especially since he has such a strong arm and most of his incomplete passes sailed on him.
Some people are going to say that he had a less than 50 percent completion percentage, completing 15 of 31 passes, and that he threw four interceptions. But let’s consider the fact that his receivers couldn’t handle some of the bullet passes he threw, including one that hit Winston square in the hands and was then picked off by the Carson defender. The fact of the matter is that Barkley will not have to worry about that at the next level, as he will be playing with D1 receivers. He still may be reeling from the loss of last year’s top target, his cousin, Robbie Boyer, who is now a walk on at Southern Cal. The Tom Brady comparisons are dead on and Barkley is the real deal.
Victor Blackwell, 6’0, 175 (2011)- Remember the name Victor Blackwell. As impressive as Barkley was, an argument can be made that Blackwell was the best player on the field for Mater Dei. He returned the opening kickoff 92 yards for a score. He showed outstanding patience and explosiveness on the return. He started running East to West, allowing his blocks to set up and then turned on the jets. He followed that up with a great 19-yard touchdown catch on their first drive. He ran a great route on the skinny post and split the safety and corner perfectly, before Barkley threw it into the very small window.
Two of Blackwell’s better plays were both negated by Monarch penalties. He was the target on Barkley’s play-action bomb. It was an outstanding throw, but an even better catch. He used the same explosiveness he showed on the kick return to elevate over the defensive back and snatch the ball out of the air. On a punt return, Blackwell showed great suddenness and changed directions countless times. Although he’s just a sophomore, Blackwell shows excellent potential. If he continues to develop, there’s no reason Blackwell can’t be a top-25 recruit nationally by the time he’s a senior.
Ario Winston, 5’10, 175- He was Barkley’s go-to guy the whole night and finished with a game high 143 yards on 6 catches, three of which went for scores. While he lacks prototypical size, he can stretch the field as he did all night for Mater Dei. He found the soft spots in the Carson zones and really helped Barkley out by gaining plenty of yards after the catch. He showed great resiliency, as he bounced back after dropping one of Barkley’s passes that was returned for a score. He showed more than adequate speed, especially after the catch and in space. He’s a sleeper prospect who can make a difference in the slot.
Christian Maldonado, 6’0, 185- He made a few nice catches on offense but he impressed the most on defense. From his cornerback spot, he made countless big plays and several touchdown saving tackles on Ezekial Graham, the Carson running back. He showed excellent power when he hit anyone, including Graham when he had ten or so yards to pick up steam. He showed adequate cover skills and very good speed to be able to transition to safety if necessary. He should, at least be able to make an impact on special teams. He blocked a kick in the second overtime to send the game to a third and final overtime. Maldonado opened some eyes on Wednesday and should get significantly more interest after his performance.
Carson
Morrell Presley, 6’4, 220- He’s a very dangerous weapon and has great versatility. To start with the negatives, he’s a real tweener at this point. He will certainly redshirt his freshman year, as he is nowhere near ready to take the field for Southern Cal at tight end. The 220 pounds he is listed is extremely generous and he’s probably closer to 210. Kyle Rudolph, who was listed at the same weight and was two inches taller than Presley, had a significantly better build than Presley at the same point. His focus has to be brought into question. He dropped a catchable, but difficult, ball early in the first quarter and was whistled for a false start in the first half. His blocking technique was not very good. It could be in part to the fact that he had to overcompensate for his lack of strength, but he failed to sustain his block on a few different occasions.
With all that being said, Presley showed that he can change a game with his athletic ability. On his first catch of the game, he sold his block on a short play action boot pass, released, and caught the ball cleanly before scampering down the sidelines for a 31 yard touchdown. His speed is a great asset, especially if he can gain enough weight and maintain his mobility. At the least, he should be very similar to current Southern Cal receiver David Ausberry, in that he lacks the ideal speed for wide receiver, but just isn’t big enough to play tight end. He can flex out and create mismatches. While his blocking technique is poor, he does show good leg drive and hand position. He’s scrappy and is very good when he has his focus. Overall, Presley lived up to the hype, as he caught 4 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown.
Daniel Torres, 5’10, 190- Torres may be on the shorter side, but he’s still a capable college quarterback in the right system. His showed adequate arm strength, especially when he was flushed from the pocket and heaved one down field to Presley. He was most impressive as a runner, as he took two scores and ran very hard both times. His coach even referred to him as his team’s best fullback. He is elusive and can pick up yardage with adequate straight-line speed. Torres showed he’s an excellent game manager and never forced anything. He’s a sleeper at this point, but can make a name for himself, possibly at another position if need be.