Family issues set back two
At 5-foot-11, 250-pounds Tristan Thornton out of Philadelphia (Pa.) John Bartram is an undersized defensive tackle. Despite that, Thornton is a mature prospect to watch in the 2007 class.
"Tristan is a very mature kid that has gone through a lot of tragedy in his life already," John Bartram head coach Damond Warren said. "He has actually been granted another year of eligibility because of all he's gone through. That means he'll be a fifth year senior next season.
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"Tristan is strong, quick and explosive. He gets off the ball and into the backfield really well. The real downside with him is his height which will turn a lot of the bigger schools off, but he can definitely put on more weight and get up to 275-pounds I think."
Last season Thornton was named second team all-public defensive line.
The player many schools are eyeing at John Bartram in 2007 is running back John Pratt. Questions surround the 5-foot-8, 175-pounder after he missed part of the season last year.
"He didn't finish the year with us because he dealt with some family concerns," he said. "I believe it may be just about taken care of now and we should have him back this fall. We'll to see what happens.
"John is an extremely skilled player that needs to show more next season in order to get those scholarship offers. He has great upside and is a good kid to be around."