Early varsity newcomer standouts of 2020

Week 2 concludes with one more game Monday and Tuesday, but most teams in the state are focused on their Week 3 opponent and the midway point of the shortened regular season. Many top stars we’ve highlighted in the summer and fall are back to doing their thing this season, but we have seen plenty of new players emerge through the first two weeks. Here is an early look at some new varsity stars that have performed well and are catching attention in 2020. Nate Early, 2022, WR/DB, Banning Lewis Prep  In two games, Early leads the entire state in turnovers. He has been a ball hawk in the secondary for Banning Lewis Prep. His breakout started in Week 1 when he recorded four interceptions in a 27-16 win over Jefferson. Those turnovers allowed his team to pull away in the second half to get the win. He followed his four-interception night with two more picks and a fumble recovery in Week 2, a 50-0 win over The Pinnacle. The seven turnovers he has to his name is tops in the state, and the defensive back so far has his team as the one many believe will challenge the Strasburg Indians for the 1A Foothills league title. Tyler Kubat, 2023, 6’5, 180, QB, Fossil Ridge  Fossil Ridge finished 2-8 in 2019, but this season the team is off to a good start, already winning as many games as they did all of last season. A big reason for the 2-0 start is the emergence of Kubat at the quarterback position. While he is completing 46 percent of his passes and has five interceptions, Kubat has pushed the ball and looks to find big plays in the passing game, which has resulted in 501 passing yards and seven touchdowns. Fossil Ridge is averaging 17.3 yards per completion under Kubat. While he did flash when he took over in a 28-21 overtime win over Fort Collins last season, this is his first season as the full-time starter, and the 6-foot-5, 180-pound quarterback looks like he will keep Fossil Ridge in position to compete for the 5A North league title and give them a chance at a winning record for the first time since 2016. Cole Carlucci, 2022, 6’0, 180, RB/LB, Monarch Monarch has found its latest two-way star in Carlucci. Playing limited snaps in 2019 on defense, Carlucci is now leading the team in rushing yards and tackles this fall. He can run sideline-to-sideline and is great in pursuit to make tackles in the open field, resulting in 14 solo tackles and 29 total stops. While his speed allows him to cover a wide range on defense, he runs north to south and can punish smaller defenders in the hole when carrying the football on offense. He has carried the ball 52 times for 354 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Coyotes. Jay Barry Jay Barry 6'1" | WR Fairview | 2021 State CO , 2021, 6’1, 176, WR/DB, Fairview Barry is filling up the stat sheet through two games this season. His debut versus Poudre saw him catch eight passes for 77 yards in Fairview’s air raid offense, but it was his defense that stood out as he picked off two passes. His defense continued in a Week 2 win over Rocky Mountain with an interception return for 39 yards. He has also defended five passes in the first two games of the season. The rangy defensive back has helped a Fairview defense that has carried the team so far in allowing just seven points in the first two games and quickly jumping to the front of the 5A North league standings. Dylan Tressler Dylan Tressler 5'11" | 150 lbs | RB Pagosa Springs | 2021 CO , 2021, 5’10, 150, RB/DB, Pagosa Springs A late bloomer, but one that has carried a top 10 team in Pagosa Springs. Tressler is third in the state in 11-man football with 421 rushing yards and has scored four touchdowns in a pair of routes over Middle Park (44-0) and Alamosa (46-6). Tressler has proven to be a shifty, durable running back who can handle a heavy workload so far with 22 rushing attempts in each game. They face an 0-2 Bayfield on the road this week before returning home to host another top 10 team in Lamar in Week 4, a game that could ultimately decide the 2A Southwest League title.