Class of 2022: Best in Blue Valley

With several talented teams in the Blue Valley school district, it would be inevitable that there would be excellent players who will be Seniors in 2021.  Here is a look at the top 5. [player_tooltip player_id="35540" first="Dasan" last="McCullough"] ATH Blue Valley North The play of Ohio State commit [player_tooltip player_id="35540" first="Dasan" last="McCullough"] was a big reason why the Blue Valley North Mustangs made it to the 6A state championship game in 2020.   He is the #1 ranked player in the class of 2022 and at 6’5 and 225 lbs, he creates mismatches on both sides of the ball with his size and athleticism.  As a slot WR, he takes long strides to eat up the DB cushion, uses hip fluidity to manipulate the DB while separating and breaks off his stem on a 45 degree angle on slant routes possessing good hands as he makes on target catches with ease.  Once he has the ball in his hands, he uses his play strength to break tackles from DB and LB while keeping his balance and uses his athletic ability to gain multiple yards after the catch.  On defense, he plays as a SS and FS.  He uses his football intelligence to key and diagnose the play, his play speed and instincts while in pursuit and his play strength to bring down the RB with force. [player_tooltip player_id="35554" first="Henry" last="Martin"] QB Blue Valley North The 6’1 195 lb signal caller performed very well in 2020 as he led Blue Valley North to the state championship game.  At the snap of the ball, he scans the field very well as he makes multiple reads.  He quickly finds the open receiver and displays a quick release with very good arm strength as he delivers the ball with very good velocity.  He displays very good accuracy as he can make all the throws, puts the ball where only the receiver can catch it while placing the ball on the correct shoulder which maximizes yards after the catch.  He shows good mobility as he shows the ability to escape the blitzing DB while keeping his eyes down the field and uses his very good athletic ability to run for a first down. [player_tooltip player_id="35562" first="Greyson" last="Holbert"] QB/RB Blue Valley The 6’1 185 Holbert took over at QB this season for the Tigers.  He completed 68 of 140 passes for 944 yards and 6 TD while showing dual threat ability with 720 yards on 127 carries and 12 TD.  As a passer, he keeps his eyes downfield and uses his football intelligence to read the defense.  Possesses a strong, accurate arm as he delivers the deep ball with accuracy and touch.  He displays excellent mobility as he uses his play speed and athletic ability to escape the blitzing LB or DB, and is difficult to catch once he is in the secondary as he runs for big gains frequently.  On option keep, design and zone read plays, he displays the quickness to elude LB and DB while possessing the play strength to break tackles from DE and LB as he is a playmaker with the ball in his hands. [player_tooltip player_id="35568" first="Nick" last="Herzog"] OL Blue Valley The 6’4 265 lb Herzog is a powerful force on the Tiger offensive line at RT.  In pass pro, he keeps a good base, bends at the knee, keeps his feet constantly moving while winning battles with his hands inside against blitzing LB as well as 5T and 4i and uses his balance and play strength to anchor.  While run blocking, he fires off the ball at a good pad level, quickly gets his hat across the 4i or 3T while executing a scoop block on the backside cutoff or a 5T on a reach block when blocking playside, shoots his hands quickly and violently with good hand placement and uses his good play strength as well as his physical toughness as he finishes his block to the ground. [player_tooltip player_id="35569" first="Mikey" last="Pauley"] QB Blue Valley Northwest The 6’4 190 lb looked outstanding in 2020 as he completed 92 of 157 passes for 1,369 yards and 16 TD.  He was also productive on the ground with 571 yards on 118 carries and 9 TD. When looking at the film, he is able to process the defense quickly as he finds the open receiver and delivers the ball on short intermediate and deep passes to the correct shoulder leading to significant yardage after the catch.  He shows very good poise as he keeps his cool in the pocket when a DL or LB is coming at him and uses his athletic ability to avoid the rush as he completes the pass while on the move.  Displays good mobility as he is quick enough to beat the LB or DB to the edge and displays good play strength and competitive toughness as he lowers his shoulder into the CB who has run support in cover 2 to pick up a couple of extra yards.