Game Info
Date: September 17, 2016
Game time: 7:00pm
Stream: https://www.facebook.com/IMGAcademy/
Last matchup: St. John’s defeated IMG Academy 35-2 on August 29, 2014.
Storyline
This St. John’s football team is off to a great start to the season as it support a 3-0 record and is ranked No. 18 in the USA Today Super 25 rankings. All three of the Cadets victories came against some very tough out of conference opponents. In the game against St. Joseph (N.J.), St. John’s tallied 21 unanswered points to run away with a 21-10 win. The Cadets are averaging 32.6 points per game, while keeping their opponents to just 11 points.
There is no need for introduction when talking about IMG Academy. The Ascenders are coming off their first undefeated season (9-0) in 2015, and they have carried that success into this year. The No. 4 team in the nation is 4-0 and three of those wins were against teams in the Super 25 rankings. IMG’s last game was a 49-7 win over Booker T. Washington (OK.) on Sept. 10. In its last two games, IMG have tallied a combined 99 points.
Players to Watch
St. John’s
Kasim Hill, QB- Hill is one of the top offensive players in the D.C. area, so it was a big deal when the Cadets got him over the offseason. The four-star Maryland commit is the No. 2 player in D.C. and the No. 11 pro-style quarterback in the country. Hill has thrown for 286 yards and three touchdowns so far this season. Hill tallied 178 passing yards and two touchdowns last week against St. Joseph.
Tyree Johnson, DE/RB- Defensive end Tyree Johnson is another one of these top prospects on the Cadets roster. The Texas A&M commit is the No. 5 player in D.C. and the No. 32 weak-side defensive end in the country.
Calvin Ashley, OT- St. John’s made a lot of big splashes during the offseason and five-star offensive lineman Calvin Ashley is another blue-chip player to take their talents to the Nation’s Capital. The Florida native is the top player in the area and No. 5 offensive tackle in the country. The 2017 Under Armour All-American had 21 offers, but decided to commit to Auburn.
Cam Spence, DT- You can say that defensive tackle Cam Spence is a well-traveled player. Spence played at Gilman School in Baltimore before becoming a standout at IMG Academy. The four-star made the decision to come back to the DMV area when he transferred to St. John’s. The Maryland commit is the No. 3 player in D.C. and the No. 18 defensive tackle in the nation.
IMG Academy
Kellen Mond, QB- It’s hard to highlight which player to watch out for at IMG Academy because there is so many Division I prospects on the roster. However, Ascenders’ starting quarterback Kellen Mond is someone to keep in mind. The Texas A&M commit is rated a four-star, and ranked the third best dual-threat quarterback in the nation.
In IMG’s last game, Mond threw for 184 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 39 yards and a touchdown. That doesn’t compare to when he recorded 518 total yards, and five touchdowns against Corona Centennial in the Honor Bowl. The way Mond has played this season, St. John’s defense will really need to step up if they want to shut him down.
Joshua Kaindoh, DE- When Maryland landed defensive end Joshua Kaindoh, it meant a start of something good in the D.J. Durkin era. Kaindoh is the top recruit in the Terps 2017 recruiting class as he is ranked the No. 2 strong-side defensive end in the nation and the No. 8 player in Florida.
Dylan Moses, OLB- You can’t talk about players to watch at IMG without mentioning the transfer Dylan Moses. The five-star prospect is the top player in Florida, the No. 1 outside linebacker and the No. 4 player in the nation. Moses has offers from schools like LSU, Alabama, Ohio State, Texas and Miami.
Isaiah Pryor, S- Ohio State commit Isaiah Pryor is another defensive player to watch out for on Saturday. The four-star safety is the No. 5 safety in the and the No. 48 overall player in the country. His résumé is the reason why he will be playing in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
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