Preview: Eastside Catholic @ Valor Christian

Two powerhouses from different states will go head to head as Eastside Catholic will travel to Highlands Ranch, Colorado to test themselves against Valor Christian. Both programs are loaded with premier talent and look to be pretty evenly matched on paper. Regardless, this game has the energy to be a dog fight, and we’ll find out Friday who wants it more. <hr /> <span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>Eastside Catholic</strong></span> Eastside Catholic starts their season 1-0 with a week 1 W over Kennedy Catholic 23-8. They come off a 4-3 2020 spring season, where they had numerous underclassmen step up and make plays. Eastside Catholic is stacked on both sides of the ball, having numerous prospects with multiple division 1 offers. They are a very fast team on both sides of the ball as this projects to be one of the best matchups this season. Some players to watch for Eastside Catholic are: &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="87306" first="Dishawn" last="Misa"], <em>LB, 2022<img class=" wp-image-136931 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/04/PRZ-Generic-Helmets-300x187.jpg" alt="" width="321" height="200" /></em> Misa holds 14 offers thus far with the majority of them coming from PAC 12 programs. He possesses excellent instincts and range with the ability to make plays sideline to sideline. He knows how to shed blocks effectively to put himself in position to make plays and is a solid open field tackler as well, as they’ll need him to have a big game to lock in on Valor’s standout RB [player_tooltip player_id="22667" first="Gavin" last="Sawchuk"]. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="87315" first="Peter" last="Taoipu"], <em>DL, 2022</em> Taoipu entered his senior season with offers from Colorado, Arizona State, Michigan, and Nebraska, and should continue to see his stock rise barring he plays as expected. Tremendous build with a wide frame at 6’5" 350lbs and is powerful with his initial strike. He frequently overpowers offensive linemen to be a menace in opponents backfields. He’ll have a huge opportunity to go against some highly touted prospects, as this could be a very important game for him for his recruitment. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="158324" first="Unterrio" last="Latin-Henley"], <em>RB, 2024</em> Latin-Henley is a gifted young prospect with tremendous potential. He holds offers from Arizona, USC, Washington State, Utah, and Nevada and will only continue to see them flood in. Very explosive and dynamic back with the ability to hurt defenses on the ground or as a pass catcher. Excellent twitch and COD to make opponents miss and is dangerous with the ball in his hands. <hr /> <span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>Valor Christian </strong></span> Valor Christian enters this out of state matchup 2-0 as they come off a huge week 2 win in California against Oaks Christian 30-7. They also had an impressive week 1 win 24-6 over Regis Jesuit. Valor has a stacked 2022 class as they have two power 5 commits and at least four 2022’s with division 1 offers. It is also the alma mater of current Carolina Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey. A very talented and explosive team will look to defend their house against a big time Washington program. Some players to watch for Valor are: &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="22667" first="Gavin" last="Sawchuk"], <em>RB, 2022<img class=" wp-image-80730 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/12/Gavin-Sawchuk-Valor-Christian-300x201.jpg" alt="" width="319" height="214" /></em> The #1 player in Colorado and Oklahoma commit comes off a huge game against California’s Oaks Christian as he ran for 242 yards and 4 TD’s, continuing to prove he’s the real deal. He’s a complete back that checks all the boxes as a multi-year starter at the P5 level. Explosive, top end speed for big play ability, can catch the ball out of the backfield, physical when needed, and is strong and smart in pass pro. Big time player to watch. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="22677" first="Jake" last="Maikkula"], <em>OL, 2022</em> The Stanford commit sizes up with a tremendous frame at 6’6" 270lbs and is a monster up front for Valor. He possesses quick athletic feet, with a powerful punch and is explosive through contact. He shows the ability to block down to the second level which is huge for Valor’s lethal rushing attack. Your prototypical OT will have a huge role this Friday and will definitely be a key player to watch. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="22680" first="Jordan" last="Norwood"], <em>LB, 2022</em> Norwood is a huge piece to that Valor defense. He possesses an excellent football IQ and reads and reacts to the ball very well, as he does a great job meeting ball carriers in opening alleys. He is strong at the POA and explosive through the tackle, and flashes a nice striking ability if he can get squared up. Norwood holds 8 offers thus far which includes Oregon State, Colorado State, Nevada, UNLV, Utah State, North Texas, Liberty, and Nothern Colorado. &nbsp;