Zapata Impresses Scouts

[UNCTarheels]

Prospects Brave Storms in New Jersey (http://scoutcombines.scout.com/2/636557.html)-Scout.com

New Yorks Top Prospects

http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=403&p=9&c=4&yr=2008

[DrewVT6]

Interesting. Averin Collier is one of three 4-star recruits in the state.

Zapata's 40 time was clocked at 4.48 and even though he was a 1-star recruit he's got some serious schools looking at him. I wonder if 173lbs is big enough to go with his 40 time.

[UNCTarheels]

New Jersey All-Combine Team (http://story.scout.com/a.z?s=403&p=2&c=637498)-Scout.com

New Jersey Combine Results (http://story.scout.com/a.z?s=403&p=2&c=636720)-Scout.com

Combine Results

Location: New Jersey
Height: 5-7
Weight: 173
40-Yard Dash: 4.48
Short Shuttle: 4.03
Vertical Jump: 33.0"
3-Cone: 7.23
Broad Jump: 9-8

[DrewVT6]

You know what I like most out of this information? Zapata has people around him who know how to put him in the best situation to succeed. Too many coaches aren't aware of what is necessary to get D1 attention and what it takes to become a D1 player or any level college player for that matter.

[DrewVT6]

Dan- Will you link to the source of that, please! It's proper "netiquette".

[football#1]

Interesting. Averin Collier is one of three 4-star recruits in the state.

Zapata's 40 time was clocked at 4.48 and even though he was a 1-star recruit he's got some serious schools looking at him. I wonder if 173lbs is big enough to go with his 40 time.

I keep hearing good things about this kid.I hope I have a chance to see him play this year.As for the 1 star thing.I think the only kids that get more than 1 star are the ones that pretty much have their pick of the school they want to attend and are ranked nationally at their position.The schools of interest listed in the profiles on Scout.com are those that the athlete wants to attend and not necessarily those
that are interested in the athlete but I'm sure that Zapata will get some pretty good offers.He is a tremendous athlete and has alot of time to work on his weight.I don't think that would keep him out of a d-1 school

[Bayhawk]

He is awfully good, but his size could keep him out of the 1-A picture. Probably more likely to be a 1-AA kid. Nothing wrong with that, full scholarships, top notch competition.

[DAMAGE INC 68]

Come on man. I called you on comparring Zappata to Barry Sanders earlier and you said "I didnt do that". Well you just gave a whole list of people you arent comoparing him to. He is a great high school back but compating his size to a pro is crazy. He is decent sized for a high school back. But I dont see him running over many 200 lb plus guys.

You say he is "just" 20 lbs away. I dont think you realize how much that really is. One it will take a ton of weight room work to put on 20 pounds of muscle which is what he will need. Two to put on that weight and keep the speed is also hard.

And as I have also said he had a great line that was big and physical that wore down in most occasions smaller weaker lines. I can tell you for a fact that last year at the Bath game in the 4th quarter his lineman were worn out and he wasnt ripping off huge chunks of yardage. Dont forget that his first carry was 75 or 80 yards and he was caught from behind at the five. And after that carry he ran the ball over 20 times an gained 90 yards which is decent but not dominating.

Go back and check Mike Harts stats in high school. That was domination. I believe he won 3 state titles and had countless 300 yard games. He hardly ever played a 2nd half. And watch him at Michigan if there isnt a hole he can put a shoulder down and gain a few still. I dont see Zappata doin that on that level.

[UNCTarheels]

I'm a Bath Fan and I started this thread.............

[VFan05]

Every Geneva fan doesn't dislike Zapata. I don't dislike Zapata. I have seen him play and, in my opinion, think he is overrated. Simple as that. All of his stats are nice but when you consider the fact that he gets 30-40 carries a game against teams like Dansvile, HFL, Livonia, and Way-Co, they seem less impressive, to me at least. Combine that with what I saw when Zapata had a chance to play against much better competition, where he ran over no one and didnt impress me or anyone I spoke to after the game with his speed, is where my opinion comes from. There is nothing personal in that. The only thing that I dislike about Zapata is how others hype him up.

[VFan05]

I edited my post to "ALMOST every" Geneva fan. As far as him getting 30-40 carries a game, he had 269 carries in 10 games. That is an average 26.9 carries per game. In fact, the entire team had 449 carries in the entire season averaging 44.9 carries a game creating 18 other carries per game to other runners so, Zapata gets 60 percent of the carries per game.

Who else did you speak to who has Zapata's speed?


That has nothing to do with the fact that the people I spoke to were not impressed with his speed. He ran a great 40 yard dash and that will help him, but in the game that I saw him play in person, he didn't show anything close to blazing speed.

[football#1]

Every Geneva fan doesn't dislike Zapata. I don't dislike Zapata. I have seen him play and, in my opinion, think he is overrated. Simple as that. All of his stats are nice but when you consider the fact that he gets 30-40 carries a game against teams like Dansvile, HFL, Livonia, and Way-Co, they seem less impressive, to me at least. Combine that with what I saw when Zapata had a chance to play against much better competition, where he ran over no one and didnt impress me or anyone I spoke to after the game with his speed, is where my opinion comes from. There is nothing personal in that. The only thing that I dislike about Zapata is how others hype him up.

What VFan05 is saying will be said again by others including college coaches I'm sure.When any star player comes from a lower class and playing average competition in comparison to larger schools there will always be those that wonder how good would he be against elite competition.I think if a college coach had to decide between 2 kids with similar stats,and size and had equally impressive game film,but 1 kid was from a C or D school and the other AAA I think the AAA kid would have the edge since he has been competing against much better competition. Any of the A schools probably has at least a couple of kids that are considered D1 prospects.I think this is why you find some kids from smaller schools that were stars of their league playing D3 ball because D1 coaches don't want to take a chance on them because they felt they haven't proved themselves even though their stats prove otherwise.

[DAMAGE INC 68]

First I'm a Bath fan not a geneva fan.I dont dis-like Zappata. I agree he is a great high school back and have said so in most of my posts. But as i also stated I dont see him as a god like you. Look at the stats in the tougher games from last year, His stats were good.But I dont call it dominate.

Look at Fowlers performance in the ER game last year, he took that game over.He personally delievered that game.(NOT A KNOCK ON ANYONE ELSE ON THAT TEAM...BUT FOWLER TOOK THE GAME INTO HIS OWN HANDS)

And like the Bath game he had 1 long run against Geneva. But it was late in the game and didnt mean anything.The rest of the game was average.

[VFan05]

The debate doesn't have to do with the name Zapata but the hype that surrounds it.

[DAMAGE INC 68]

Last season when he didnt deliver a state championship to Hornell.

[VFan05]

If this forum is read by the public, then isn't that a form of publicity? The problem that I, and many others on the syracuse.com forum have is the HYPE that some of his fans create for him. Is he a great high school back? Yes. I'll never say any different. I just don't think he is as good as many hype him up to be based on watching him play in person in a real game against top notch competition.

[fln07]

I edited my post to "ALMOST every" Geneva fan. As far as him getting 30-40 carries a game, he had 269 carries in 10 games. That is an average 26.9 carries per game. In fact, the entire team had 449 carries in the entire season averaging 44.9 carries a game creating 18 other carries per game to other runners so, Zapata gets 60 percent of the carries per game.

Who else did you speak to who has Zapata's speed?

Does Hornell have any passing game whatsoever?40 running plays is alot.How do they play when Zapata has a bad game?If he is their offense,they better hope he doesn't have a bad game or come across some stiff competition.

As for his speed, I think that any bigger school has at least a couple of guys with that speed.Anyway,running a 4.48 at a combine doesn't mean that he can translate the speed onto the football field,which is where it matters.There are some guys that have a terrific 40 time but on the field they are an
average runner.I'm not saying that is Zapata because I don't know who he is and have never seen him play.I think that some smaller schools would be surprised at the amount of talent that the larger schools have.Many times a superstar at a smaller school would only be an average player at a bigger school.Again I am not saying that is the case because I don't know him but you need to be careful when using words like"incredible"and "the best".You are only as good as the competition that you dominate.

[VFan05]

The fact that Hornell doesn't have much of a passing game catches up with them when they have to play teams aside from Dansville, HFL, Livonia, and Way Co. And to answer your question, a team that averages 310 rushing yards per game against weak competition needs to be able to throw the ball once they go up against good teams if they expect to win.

[fln07]

They can throw the ball as I have stated with the stats that I posted. What I am saying is that they are a run oriented team. If Hornell's stats were reversed everyone would say that Hornell can't run the ball and if they expect to win the big games they need to run more.

When I was referring to their passing game I was asking what it was like and not dissing it.I never heard of Hornell before now.What I was asking is what their passing game is like when their running game gets shut down?Can they still gain yards and score on those days when their running game is not working?Any team that averages 300+ yards a game and 40 carries is going to get yards when they pass because the defense is so focused on the run.When they only get under 100yds can they still score and gain yards?

[fln07]

There wasn't a single game last season when they rushed for under 100-yards, so I, along with everyone else, can not possibly say.

Where are you from that you have never heard of Hornell before?

I'm from Batavia.I think I may of heard the town mentioned once or twice but I have no idea where it is and know nothing about their sports teams.What league do they play in?I try to keep tabs on the local teams in our newspaper and Monroe County teams in the D&C so maybe our local newspaper doesn't not cover them because their to far away or else I have been overlooking their articles.

[Section5sportsguy]

All you Mel Kipers slow down. We're talking about a kid here.

[DrewVT6]

All you Mel Kipers slow down. We're talking about a kid here.

ha ha. good call.

[UNCTarheels]

Here's more on David Zapata including highlights

http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=58798&sport=1

[DAMAGE INC 68]

Max bench of only 230? That is pretty weak.

[football#1]

Here's more on David Zapata including highlights

http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=58798&sport=1

Please,no more Zapata!

[hilly]

zapata will be the bast rb in the history of the nfl. or he may get a free agent tryout and get cut. he's still in high school. we can talk about how good he is in a couple years.
i hope to see the kid go to a d1 school and play well. that's all you can hope for at this point.

[BATHFAN]

So is he 5'6" or 5'8"?