Game balls for Regis Jesuit in Week 3 win at Mullen

In the game dubbed the Holy War, the No. 4 ranked Regis Jesuit Raiders hit the road to face its rival, the Mullen Mustangs. The game lived up to expectations, and Regis Jesuit was able to build an early lead and sustain it to win 35-21, improving to 2-1 on the season. There were plenty of players who had strong performances in the win. Here are some game balls for the players who played well in the win Friday night. <h3><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="22691" first="Dallas" last="Macias"], 2022, 6’1, 190, WR/DB</strong></h3> One trait that Macias possesses is breakaway speed. That trait was on full display when he caught a short pass in the flat, headed to the sideline and then sprinted up the field away from the defense for a long touchdown reception in the first quarter. He was effective with his opportunities on offense in both the run and pass game to find room to run. Then he used his speed to crash to the ball carrier from his secondary spot on defense, and he found his way to the football a number of times. Because he arrives at a furious pace, he is able to deliver solid contact in making the tackle as well. <h3><strong>Dervin Taylor III, 2022, 5’9, 170, WR/DB</strong></h3> Early in the game, it appeared that Mullen wanted to challenge Taylor in the passing game, targeting him much of the first half. Despite the heavy volume his way, he showed he could handle it. If a reception happened in front of him, he did a good job making a sure tackle, even if it meant wrapping up the receiver by his ankles to make him fall. Then, he showed excellent ball instincts and had a great read to jump a route in the second quarter, stepping in front and intercepting a pass and then running it to the end zone for a pick-six. Taylor could also handle the challenge of running down the field in stride with a receiver when Mullen wanted to try for a deep pass. With sure tackles and good instincts, he was able to limit any big-time damage and even scored for the defense in the win. <h3><strong>Tony Padilla, 2022, 5’11, 185, WR/LB</strong></h3> It was a productive night on defense for Padilla. The linebacker was solid against the run, doing a good job of finding his way to the ball to contain a number of runs. He was in the box all night long and seemed to put himself in position to make a play for himself or set up a teammate to make an easy tackle. Padilla brought plenty of physicality to the position and did a good job going up against blocks as well. His play against the run was good, but he also was able to intercept a pass in the second half, showing he has a good, well-rounded game from the defensive spot. Entering the game, he was one of the top players in terms of tackles for Regis Jesuit, and that trend will continue with a nice game on Friday. <h3><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="150452" first="Exander" last="Carroll"], 2023, 5’10, 180, QB</strong></h3> After seeing Carroll in person, he definitely seems to look like a hidden gem for dual-threat quarterbacks in the Class of 2023. In the read-option game, he shows that he will hold the ball in the running back’s stomach for as long as possible before pulling it if he decides to, and the number of times he did resulted in him running for a good amount of yardage before facing contact. He is clean with his handoffs as well and there did not seem to be any exchange issues. When running, he has great speed in the open field to get extra yardage. As for his arm, Carroll flashes a strong arm when going down the field and a quick release when throwing short and in the flats. He is also decisive on his reads and did not seem to second-guess himself. Another positive trait was his toughness, taking some big hits but seeming to bounce up from them and even returning to the game after a brief break in the second half following a hard hit. Ranked No. 23 for quarterbacks so far in his class, Carroll has his stock rising with his play so far in 2021.