Peter Woods Dominates in 7A State Championship

Peter Woods dominated when it mattered most.

Author:
Brian Smith
Publish date:
Dec 2, 2021 7:30 AM EST

BIRMINGHAM - There are prospects that go hard most of the time, and then there are players that just get after it play after play after play. The latter represents Peter Woods, the 6-foot-3, 270-pound junior defensive lineman from Thompson High School in Alabaster, Ala.

Playing in Wednesday night’s 7A title game against Central High School in Phenix City, Ala., Woods moved around from one technique, five technique, three technique, and it all resulted in the same thing.

He came off the snap of the football hard, he was overpowering, and his hand usage allowed him to disengage from blocks more like a player in the range of 225-pounds than 270-pounds.

Woods was credited with six tackles, one sack, and one tackle for loss. He was also near Phenix City (Central) quarterback Caleb Nix several times right before making a throw. Overall, Woods’ provided good statistics but his value went farther than numbers on a sheet of paper.

Sometimes he would not make the play, but Woods just kept coming back for more. He was relentless, and it helped Thompson shutout Central in the first half and go into the locker room up 24-0 before eventually winning 38-22. Here are some of the finer points about Woods and his style of play.

One of, if not his best move, is the hand swipe and rip. He gets to the edge of a blocker and used that upward rip motion and he’s just so strong that any high school offensive lineman is just not able to stay in front of Woods. On this next clip, Woods did not even need to use the rip move. Just quickness off the snap of the football and a quick hand swipe.

Another move he’s good at would be the old school bull rush. Two hands to the chest plate, extend his arms, then look for the ball carrier and attack. Without question, Woods could be a two-gap player in a 3-4 scheme in college.

Woods also does an excellent job of holding the edge on the line of scrimmage. Despite his size, mind you, he’s quite capable of being an edge rusher. Quick feet, good change of direction, and he consistently extends his arms and locks out the offensive tackle. At that point, his natural power took over during several plays and he walked the offensive tackle backwards before making a counter move.

All of the talent that Woods possesses represents the reasons for offers from schools like UCF (visited last summer), Clemson, Auburn, Alabama, Florida State, Florida, Notre Dame, Michigan, Georgia, Kentucky and LSU already took place.

Now the only question will be defining which specific position he will play. He’s so versatile, and he’s still learning the game of football. It’s difficult to project what exactly this young man has in store for the college level. Remember, Woods still holds another year of high school football before heading off to the college ranks.

Peter Woods dominated tonight in the Alabama 7A state championship game, and he’s just going to get better and better.