The Jake Reed Fall Nike Blue Chip took place Saturday, November 23 and Sunday, November 24 at the Mecklenburg County Sportsplex in Matthews, North Carolina.
One of the preeminent stops on the Fall recruiting circuit, the event featured players from the 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 graduating classes. About 160 participants per grade represented a diverse geographical area.
Some of the nation’s top college programs were on hand to take in the action, including Denver, Johns Hopkins, Syracuse, Ohio State and many, many more.
Here are five players that stood out and some others who made an impression from the 2014/2015 classes. Be sure to check back tomorrow for a great highlight video.
JAKE REED FALL NIKE BLUE CHIP: FEATURED FIVE (2014/2015):
Note: Click here for our Featured Five from the Class of 2016.
1. JAKE CHRISTENSEN
Position: Attack
Class: 2015
High School: Quince Orchard (MD)
Overall: A speedy, crafty attacker, Christensen is a playmaker on the offensive side of the ball. He has a great first-step, and consistently created separation when dodging. He is a polished finisher, freeing his hands to unleash a powerful shot. While dodging, he keeps his head up, and is able to see the entire field when drawing slides on takes from X. He also showed good poise on fast breaks, able to complete plays with deft handle.
From the Notebook: Dodger. Quick. Playmaker. Creates separation. Good poise. Goal Scorer. Keeps head up.
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2. THOMAS ALOE
Position: Midfield
Class: 2015
High School: Caesar Rodney (DE)
Overall: Aloe is an athletic, downhill dodger who was very productive in the games we took in. The lefty has an outstanding shot on the run, and frees his hands extraordinarily well to generate plenty of power to go along with his accuracy. While he preferred to go left, he also showed a promising shot with his right hand as well, making him a tough cover. He also hustled in the riding game and to get back on defense, traits college coaches covet as much as production.
From the Notebook: Lefty with a great shot. Frees hands well. Goal scorer. Athletic dodger. Dodges downhill well. Frees hands. Powerful shot.
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3. KYLE BUSER
Position: Midfield (F/O)
Class: 2015
High School: St. Anthony’s (NY)
Overall: Buser made his mark at the faceoff dot, winning a majority of the draws we saw him take. He uses a good, quick forward move to get the ball to himself. From there, he showed good smarts sparking transition, and did not look out of place on the offensive side of the field with solid stick skills. With faceoffs such an imperative part of the game, the Friars have themselves a good one in South Huntington.
From the Notebook: Faceoff guy. Quick pinch-and-pop forward. Good stick. Can get involved offensively. Dominating at the dot.
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4. NICK RIZZIERI
Position: Defense
Class: 2015
High School: Charlotte Catholic (NC)
Overall: Rizzieri is a big, athletic defender who utilizes his size very well. He plays sound positional defense, which he uses to set up a barrage of stick checks that are made possible by his excellent reach. He uses all of his stick when throwing checks, and caused numerous turnovers in the games we saw. He has sound stick work in the clearing game, which coupled with his size and athleticism really stood out in North Carolina.
From the Notebook: Big athlete. Outstanding reach. Throws good checks. Causes turnovers. Solid footwork. Uses all of d-pole well to increase leverage.
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5. CARLO CASTANEDA
Position: Attack
Class: 2014
High School: Westlake (CA)
Overall: Castaneda is a supremely productive finisher who has excellent handle inside. He possesses a very good lacrosse IQ, which he displayed numerous times with smart skip passes to open teammates. He was lights-out with the ball in his stick around the crease, finishing with ease all weekend. He plays hard and smart, riding with good tenacity.
From the Notebook: Productive. Inside finisher. Smart player. High IQ. Takes smart risks to make plays on skip passes.
*For more on Carlo, including his highlight reel, check out his SportsRecruits.com profile here
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Others who made an impression:
Jude Buckholz – D – 2015 – Robinson Secondary (VA): A tall defender, Buckholz has outstanding speed to go along with a great stick. He was tremendous in the clearing game, legging the ball to safety numerous times. Buckholz has good athleticism, and threw smart checks on defense, rarely sacrificing position for checks.
Patrick Caufield – D – 2015 – Chatham (NJ): Caufield is a big, athletic and rangy defender. The New Jersey product is an imposing physical matchup, and was able to use his athleticism and size to dictate pace to attackman. He plays great positional defense, and was very physical throughout the weekend.
Garrett Christenson – A – 2015 – Calvert Hall (MD): Christensen is an outstanding attackman with great handle. The Maryland product has great hands, and was consistently involved in the action, using his big frame to protect the ball and shield opponents.
Joshua Kirson – G – 2015 – Rivers (MA): We noticed Josh over the Summer at a few events, and he again stood out in North Carolina. He tracked the ball very well, and showed solid fundamentals and positioning. He was also vocal, identifying ball position and directing traffic.
*For more on Josh, including his highlight reel, check out his SportsRecruits.com profile here
Drew Wiseman – M – 2015 – St. Stephens/St. Agnes (VA): Wiseman is a very smart midfielder who possesses outstanding vision. He looks to pass first when dodging from up top, acting as an offensive QB. He was able to break down defenses and cause slides by getting a step when dodging down the alley. He made some fantastic passes on the move in the games we took in, showing a great understanding of the game.