Offensive stars through two weeks in 5A, 4A spring

The spring season is heating up, and there have been a number of offensive prospects putting up solid numbers so far. Here is a look at some stat stuffers in the higher two classifications, Class 5A and 4A <h3><strong>Julian Buerk, 2021, 6’2, QB/DB, Denver South</strong></h3> Buerk has recorded seven touchdowns through two games to help them get off to a 2-0 start, including a 29-21 win over Far Northeast on Saturday. When throwing, the 6-foot-2 quarterback shows great velocity on the deep ball and hits his receivers in stride. A quick release also allows him to hit the short routes on time with his receivers. And with his athleticism, he is a good fit in the read-option game and a natural runner when calling his number. Buerk has 440 yards on 56 percent completion percentage and five touchdowns while rushing for 96 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. <h3><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153715" first="Andrew" last="Seest"], 2022, 6’1, 190, QB/LB, Fort Collins</strong></h3> It was a decent first game for Seest with 144 yards and three touchdowns thrown in a 52-6 win over Adams City. Last week, however, Seest had a monster game, completing 17 of 23 passes for 226 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-0 win over Denver East. The arm strength gives him the ability to push the ball down field, yet he can fit throws in tight windows when rolling out and throwing in the flat. Because he does a good job throwing on the move, it allows Fort Collins to move the pocket and do more things in the passing game, and the athleticism he has can also make him a decent runner in the read-option game. <h3><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="56029" first="Erick" last="Covington"], 2021, 6’1, 180, QB, Gateway</strong></h3> The dual-threat runner has been a stat stuffer in his career, and he is picking up where he left off in his career. Most of his damage has come on the ground, where he has rushed for 349 yards and four touchdowns on 19 carries (18.4 yards per rush attempt average). He has thrown two touchdown passes out of his 11 completions as well. As a top rusher in the division, look for him to continue to put up some big numbers to give his team the best chance to win some more games this season. <h3><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="56024" first="Ja’Derris" last="Carr"] , 2021, 5’11, 180, RB, Vista PEAK</strong></h3> It’s no surprise the No. 1 ranked running back in the 2021 class is having a big season this spring. While he has only rushed 23 times in two games, he has picked up 288 yards and seven rushing touchdowns, making the most of his carries. Carr also has a touchdown reception. The speedy back does a good job finding the hole and following his blockers to get to the next level, and he picks up plenty of yards after contact to get some extra yardage. With Vista PEAK an early favorite in Class 5A, Carr will be a key for the Bison to make a run towards the state title. <h3><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="22740" first="Darius" last="McFarland"], 2022, 5’10, RB/DB, Falcon</strong></h3> Part of a strong one-two rushing punch for the Falcons, McFarland has picked up some big yardage. He came out strong versus Aurora Central with 176 yards and two touchdowns on just 12 carries. Another solid rushing game followed last week with 145 yards on 16 carries against Thomas Jefferson. He is shifty in the open field and has the ability to make a guy miss, and the speed allows him to run away from defenders as well. <h3><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="242109" first="Rashad" last="Caldwell"], 2023, 6’0, 172, WR/DB, Denver South</strong></h3> One of the top receivers so far in this spring season is Caldwell. He is a receiver who can do many different things, whether it’s going down the field on the outside or working over the middle of the field. He is sure handed and excels running after the catch for extra yardage. After catching two touchdown passes in a win over Mountain Range, he had a monster offensive game last week versus Far Northeast with four receptions for 168 yards and two scores. Caldwell appears to be a big-play receiver that Denver South can rely on so far this spring.