St. Mary’s Ryken v Our Lady of Good Counsel: Game Standouts

Overview: This game was the definition of hard nose grind it out football. With a final score of 17-9 in the favor of Our Lady of Good Counsel, it's obvious to say that defense was the name of the game as each team struggled to make headway on offense. These are the players from each team that caught my eye as I watched that past weekend. Our Lady of Good Counsel Gary Bryant, 6'1", 225, 2022 Gary was very active from his Outside linebacker position. Gary was able to use his speed and strength to help set the edge for his defense, fighting through defenders' blocks to deny wide receiver screens or other edge plays from developing. When the offense made plays on the other side of the field he showed off his high effort play by continuing the chase, denying a would-be score in a game where every yard mattered. Gary was also often put in coverage against opposing slot receivers. He did an excellent job of keeping them in front of him and making plays on the ball, putting him in the position to come away with both a pass breakup and the game-sealing interception. Gary had a fantastic season debut for the Falcons, playing a huge role in the victory. Kameron Arocha, 6'3", 310, 2021 Kameron made his presence felt on the line of scrimmage all afternoon by creating knockdowns in the run game. The best example of this took place is early in the contest when Kameron drew a reaction out of an opposing defensive lineman after pancaking him, resulting in the other player's ejection. In pass protection, he did a good job of staying active as an uncovered guard by helping both his tackle and center depending on the side he was designated to slide to, helping maintain the pocket! In the second half of the game, when his team relied heavily on the run game, he helped create holes by combining his size and leg drive to wash interior defensive lineman out of the play on down blocks. I believe Kameron's physical play style helped wear down the Knights defense as the game went on, helping the run game take over late. Sean Aaron Sean Aaron 5'9" | 200 lbs | RB Good Counsel | 2021 State MD , 5'10", 200, 2021 Sean's physical running style was a catalyst for his team's success Saturday night by using his strength to help dominate the time of possession in the second half. From the I-formation, Sean was able to stick his foot in the ground and get vertical up the field, allowing him to build his speed and deliver blows to defenders trying to tackle him. He demonstrated the ability to run through arm tackles and gain the tough yards that kept the offense on the field. As the game wore on, he found the space to show off his speed and explosiveness with several long runs that gave his team momentum and electrified his sideline. In a low-scoring affair such as this one, a powerful running back like Sean is exactly what the Falcons needed to put themselves over the top and come away with the victory. St. Mary's Ryken Jordan Scarbrough, 5'10" 185, 2022 Even though the results weren't in his favor Jordan's production was undeniable. The Knights receiver made his offensive impact by turning short throws into large gains using his run-after-the-catch ability. He was able to use his speed to create separation on quick slants and short out-routes leading to easy completions for his quarterback. Even though he was effective in the short passing game, he did most of his damage in the screen game where he displayed his ability to navigate the blocks of linemen on tunnel screens and receivers on wide receiver screens to create explosive plays. Jordan also helped on special teams where he returned both punts and kickoffs and blocked for other returners when the ball wasn't kicked to him. Overall I was impressed by Jordan's grit, even in a losing effort. Terrence Mccauley, 6'0", 255, 2022 Terrence was able to show off his high-energy explosive playstyle from the Defensive End position. Terrence displayed his explosiveness in the run game by attacking half the opposing offensive lineman, opening them like a door en route to the backfield. It seemed as though Terrence was able to penetrate the offensive line almost every play in the first half leading to multiple TFL's and continuously forcing the running back to change direction. As a pass rusher, Terrance used his twitchiness to make offensive lineman miss with quick rips and swim moves, allowing him to come up with both a quarterback hit and sack. Terrence's penetration was a huge reason for Good Counsel's lack of offense throughout the game, his energy in his debut was truly undeniable regardless of the loss.