Live Look Week 4: Palatine Pirates

It was a hard fought game that came down to the wire, but Palatine had just enough to pull off the upset against Maine South, 20-19. It was a team effort from Palatine, where there were multiple players who impacted the game in a positive way. What was impressive also was that the Pirates we without their best offensive weapon, Iowa commit [player_tooltip player_id="110715" first="Jacob" last="Bostick"] as he sat out with an injury. Here were the best performances from this past Friday night’s contest for the winning Pirates. 2024 Running back [player_tooltip player_id="161321" first="Dominik" last="Ball"] (5’10” and 180lbs) @DominikBall After seeing Ball last year, I was excited to see his progress against a very well rounded Maine South defense. Although they contained Ball and didn’t allow him to break off any big runs, his impact was still felt. He managed to rush for over 100-yards, the majority of them he had to grind out. https://twitter.com/mikefchen/status/1439042560958341121?s=21 Ball is a bit shorter but low to the ground and has great balance. His vision is impressive as he found the endzone on a wildcat goal line play. He showed great hands as well, catching a very nice wheel route for a big gain. Ball was a workhorse on Friday night and even when he was a decoy, made an impact on offense. He has an extremely bright future. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-204232" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/09/7469A56A-E9E4-4A06-B4AD-6E3F43590717-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> 2022 Linebacker [player_tooltip player_id="118756" first="Mitch" last="Larkin"] (6’1” and 205lbs) @Mitch_larkin16 The growth from last year to his year from Larkin was on display. More of a run stopper later year, Larkin has really improved in coverage. He stepped in front of a pass and picked it off, which led to Ball’s score (above). Larkin made plays in the run game, getting big stops all night long. He’s showed some impressive speed, which leads me to think he could be a 3-down linebacker at the next level. Larkin made his presence felt all evening. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-204235" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/09/8CA93E39-6A9C-44CA-A690-D34F0475E409-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> 2022 Cornerback [player_tooltip player_id="162711" first="Kameron" last="Lewis"] (6’ and 175lbs) @Kam_propsect1 Another player who’s growth was evident from last spring was Lewis. He showed some very good versatility, switching back and forth from boundary corner to either safety position. Lewis did a great job when he played press coverage, staying with his man. Loose hips and good footwork allowed him to stay in the hip pocket of the receivers. He made multiple plays throughout the night, but his best was to seal with win. https://twitter.com/mikefchen/status/1439067732214009857?s=21 He stepped in front of the receiver, high pointed the ball and off he went. Lewis had enough recognition to run out of bounds knowing that the turnover had sealed the game. A great tackler as well, Lewis has all the tools to be a very good player in the secondary. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-204237" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/09/6398979F-7C37-419D-99F1-F61437B428DA-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> 2023 Quarterback Grant Dersnah (6’3” and 185lbs) @GDersnah The Pirates rode Ball early in the game, but the adjustments made at halftime were to mix in the short passes as the defense focused on the running game. It worked to perfection, as Dersnah was extremely accurate getting the ball to his receivers while getting positive yards. He did a great job of feeling pressure and getting the ball out of his hands or leaving the pocket, a quarterbacks sixth sense. His first year as a full-time starter, Dersnah was poised as the game got tight, throwing for the game winning score to his tight end, more on him below. It was a great play call, and he put the ball in a great spot. He’s athletic enough to make defenders miss when he runs with the ball also. A very impressive performance and this should give Dersnah a lot on confidence for the remainder of this year and beyond. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-204240" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/09/BBF1229C-D3F1-4C44-ACF9-580370A4816E-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> 2023 Tight end [player_tooltip player_id="181798" first="Nate" last="Branch"] (6’2” and 210lbs) @NateBranch810 Another player that did get many looks his way early was Branch, but he still had an impact. Multiple times he was setting the edge for the running backs, giving them room to get to the outside. When he wasn’t blocking, Branch showed soft hands and wasn’t always an inline player. He would split out wide as well, and made a great play on a scramble drill, finding an open spot in the defense and making a very good, contested catch. https://twitter.com/mikefchen/status/1439060187038560256?s=21 His touchdown reception was a thing of beauty, I loved that he wasn’t afraid to go over the middle and take a hit. He’s going to be able to add weight to his frame and really be a factor over the next two years and beyond. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-204241" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/09/4B76B645-E1BA-4A2F-9763-07215D2198DC-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> 2024 Defensive end Filip Rolek (6’3” and 200lbs) Although he is a bit on the skinnier side right now, Rolek does have a good frame and solid lower half. As he continues to get stronger, his impact on the field will be felt more. It’s still impressive that he held his own against Maine South, their line full of athletic and mobile players. Rolek has long arms and showed some very good athletic ability. He does need to work on technique, but the potential for him to be a very good defensive end is there. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-204242" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/09/5CDB1D2F-F5D0-4BFA-BD84-7B7F91008CD4-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> 2022 Offensive guard Jhermari Mabry (6’1” and 250lbs) @Jhermari2 Although he played on both sides of the ball, I really liked what Mabry showed as an interior offensive lineman. He is an absolute load off the line, athletic enough to get to the second level and take out linebackers. Mabry has decent bend and very strong hands. He plays out of position as a tackle, but when he makes the move to the interior he will fare much better.