Week 1 Game Balls: Division 4

There were several players from Division 4 schools that played incredibly well last week during week 1 of the 2021 season.  Here are five of those players. QB, <strong>Aiden Pratt</strong>, 6’4, 195, Van Wert The Junior QB did it all last week as he completed 21 of 25 passes (84 pct) for 340 yards and 4 TD while also rushing for 94 yards on 12 carries (7.8 ypc) and 3 TD as Van Wert defeated Bryan 47-28.  He sees the entire field as he makes his reads, delivers the ball accurately with excellent touch on short, intermediate and deep throws possessing the arm strength to make all the throws.  He shows great poise in the pocket as he uses his great mobility to escape a blitzing LB coming up the middle and can accurately deliver the ball on the move.  He is a dual threat who uses a great combination of speed and power to elude LB and DB but also displays excellent play strength to run those defenders over. RB, <strong>C.J. Hester</strong>, 5’10, 170 Wyoming The Junior RB was a workhorse last week against Harrison as he had 36 carries 207 yards (5.75 ypc) and 3 TD as Wyoming won the game 26-21.  He displays very good patience as he waits for the block to be set up, shows great burst through the hole on inside runs and displays awesome power in the secondary as he drags DB and LB for several yards to pick up the first down.  He also possesses very good play speed and athletic ability to get to the edge and turn the corner on outside runs while accelerating to top speed quickly as he outruns all defenders for a TD. EDGE, <strong>Wyatt Crabtree</strong>, 6’2, 195, Waverly The Junior EDGE rusher played really well in week 1 against Miami Trace as he made 6 tackles with 2 sacks and a  fumble recovery.  He also caught a TD pass on offense helping the Tigers win 41-3.  Against the pass, He shows excellent burst off the ball as he puts a lot of pressure on the OT in his first three steps, uses his play strength and hand use to shed the block but can also beat the man in front of him with his speed as well. He displays an excellent motor with very good closing speed in pursuit of the QB and finishes up with a sack or an hurry forcing the QB to throw the ball sooner than anticipated leading to an incomplete pass.  Against the run, he uses his very good lateral quickness and agility to defeat the attempted block of the OT, shows excellent instincts as he takes the correct angle in pursuit and displays very good play strength as he brings down larger RB with ease. RB/LB, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="34482" first="Gideon" last="Lampron"]</strong>, 6’0, 220, Keystone The Senior RB/LB had a great game on both sides of the ball on Friday night as he rushed for 67 yards on 16 carries (4.2 ypc) and caught a pass for 22 yards.  On defense, he made 12 tackles (all solo), a sack and caused a fumble helping Keystone beat Northwestern 39-35.  As a LB, he plays as an OLB.  Against the run, he uses his excellent play strength and hands to stack the larger OT at the point of attack.  He displays good physical toughness as he sheds the block easily, keeps his eyes on the ball the entire time in pursuit and delivers a powerful hit bringing down the RB with force.  As a RB, he does a good job of getting skinny through the hole, shows great contact balance as he shrugs off hits from DB easily and lowers his shoulder while running behind his pads as he picks up a couple of extra yards. WR, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="141071" first="Ryne" last="Shackleford"]</strong>, 6’0, 178, Keystone The Junior WR played well last Friday night as he caught 6 passes for 105 yards (17.5 ypc) and a TD while rushing for 14 yards on 3 carries (4.67 ypc) and another TD.  He plays as a slot WR.  He shows good play speed off the ball and hip fluidity as he breaks off the stem at a 90 degree angle on dig routes, displays a great catch radius as he is able to make the catch on passes that are thrown high.  After the catch, he accelerates to top speed quickly and is able to outrun all defenders for a long TD. &nbsp; &nbsp;