Best Display Of Western Talent At Western Shootout

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PC: Chryste Sullivan

Another amazing western recruiting event in the books after 110 teams showed up to compete at the sold out Western Shootout tournament last weekend. The US Air Force Academy delivered on pristine grass fields, beautiful backdrops, and a steller indoor facility to host the 2020 & 2021/22 All Star games (check out the all star rosters here). 80+ top NCAA recruiters flocked to the sidelines, starting their weekend off on a more intimate scale at the Western Showcase. Attending players got to learn and interact with the college coaches before hitting the fields for tournament play the following two days.

Four club programs went home division champions, ultimately claiming ‘best of the west’ bragging rights in their respective age groups. Notably, Denver Elite secured 4 of the 7 titles. Congrats to RC, Denver Elite, Sixers, and the Tommyknockers for coming out on top! See championship photos here. Check out Tourney Machine for a full recap of scores on the weekend!

Check out images from the showcase and shootout on our Facebook (more coming soon!)

Inside Lacrosse was on site all weekend scouting talent to put in the national spotlight. See below for their Shootout Standouts (full article can be found on IL here).

Miles Botkiss, M, RC Lacrosse, Torrey Pines (Calif.), Harvard
He started at midfield for the 2020 bracket-winning RC Elite program, featuring top players from San Diego, at the 2019 Adrenaline Western Shootout.  Botkiss was the best Division I prospect of the weekend. He’s a “five tool” midfielder, able to dodge, shoot and feed on offense, play defense if he gets caught and go hard for groundballs and in the clearing game. Athletic frame, like a college prospect running back. Had an extra step from the midfield that defenders couldn’t match.

Tyler Blackburn, D, RC Lacrosse, Torrey Pines (Calif.)
Starting defenseman for the 2020 bracket-winning RC Elite at the Adrenaline Western Showcase.  Best defensive prospect at this year’s Showcase tournament. RC Elite placed him against opponent’s top attackmen, and he won every matchup, locking down the event’s best shooters. He’s a big, strong athlete with defensive technique and tenacity to match. Wasn’t afraid to through the big check to force a caused turnover, but his lockdown capabilities stood out the most. A top-end Division I prospect.

Tyler Hussey, M, Denver Elite, Grandview (Colo.), Denver
Played midfield for the Denver Elite 2020 team at the Adrenaline Western Shootout. Big, athletic midfielder with a requisite skillset to match. Saw him score multiple goals on open shots and off dodges against opponents. Has the legs and athleticism to run DI midfield.

Christian Rasmussen, A, RC Lacrosse, Torrey Pines (Calif.)
Played attack for the 2020 bracket-winning RC Elite at the 2019 Adrenaline Western Shootout.  Rasmussen is a smart, tough righty attackman. He works best from X to GLE right to right topside. Knows how to switch planes to score effectively. Has a burst of speed to get to the cage. Worked well in tandem with a talented attack, especially with Torrey Pines teammate Blake Erlbeck.

Blake Erlbeck, A, RC Lacrosse, Torrey Pines (Calif.), Denver
Played attack for the 2020 bracket-winning RC Elite at the Adrenaline Western Showcase.  Erlbeck’s a smart, head’s up attackman who does a great job executing plays. His feeds stand out, especially working with attackmen and midfielders he has on-field chemistry with like with his Torrey Pines teammates. Played well in tandem with attackman Christian Rasmussen. Shows a strong burst of speed from X to right topside.

More Evaluations from the Adrenaline Western Shootout: