Week 5 – Offensive Players of the Week

We’ve officially reached the midpoint of the 2021 high school football season and there’s been a lot of great football played the last five weeks. Zeroing in on week 5, here’s a look at the top performances from last Friday night and what made them possible. <strong>Players of the Week</strong> Ryan Segovia, Bear Creek Bears (RB)(Sr.)(40) - Segovia was a one-man wrecking crew in the Bears’ 24-14 win over the Windsor Wizards, as he lit up the stat sheet on both offense and defense but we’ll focus on his night offensively for the sake of the article. Segovia was the definition of a work-horse as he finished the game with a staggering 253 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns as well as 5 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, and 2 sacks defensively - for those who were curious. Breaking down his offensive output on tape, you can see that Segovia quickly jumps out as your typical big-bodied, power back. Displays exceptional power behind his pads at and through the point-of-contact, routinely bowling over defenders at the second and third levels. Maintains a low pad level and great balance when taking on defenders in the gap. Displays good patience and vision when working behind the line to find daylight. While not having the foot speed or agility to elude defenders in the open field, he has adequate enough athleticism to work the edge. Strong, physical runner that easily runs through arm tackles and wears down a defense over the course of the game. While Segovia doesn’t have a ton of notoriety in the recruiting world, he’s definitely a player worth taking a flyer on (for offense or defense) for a smaller program. [player_tooltip player_id="22726" first="Keegan" last="Patterson"], Longmont Trojans (QB)(Sr.)(15) - Patterson made an appearance on this list earlier in the season as the state’s leading passer for week 1. With that being said, his week 5 performance was even more impressive. In the Trojans’ 45-33 victory over the Silver Creek Raptors, Patterson went a remarkable 25 of 31 (80%) for 497 yards, 5 touchdowns, and a QBR of 147.5. When you look at the film, Patterson displays outstanding touch on deep ball and boundary throws, routinely dropping it on the outside shoulder of the receiver just passed the defender’s reach. Overall ball placement is good, as he consistently gives his receivers the best chance possible to make a play on the ball on contested catches, while also consistently hitting receivers in stride on short and intermediate level throws. Very savvy passer that can quickly identify the shell of the defense (middle of the field open/middle of the field closed) and understands where to go based off that look. Good athleticism that allows him to escape the pocket and buy time to throw, while also presenting another threat for the opposing defense in the running game. While Patterson’s recruiting ranking hasn’t changed much since week 1, he’ll be a name to follow if he continues to shred defenses like he did Silver Creek’s. [player_tooltip player_id="22706" first="Jack" last="Moll"], Longmont Trojans (WR)(Sr.)(12) - [player_tooltip player_id="22726" first="Keegan" last="Patterson"] wasn’t the only standout performer for the Trojans in last Friday’s win over Silver Creek. Moll shined just as brightly as his QB, as he posted an incredible 8 receptions for 170 yards and 3 touchdowns for his end of the duo’s stellar night. When you go to the film, you can see Moll’s game-breaking speed is the first thing that jumps out to you, as it’s obvious most DBs aren’t able to keep up with him in a foot race. Excellent foot speed and athleticism make him a threat to score almost every time he touches the ball. Adequate enough size, a good vertical, and an understanding of how to box out the defender and high point the ball make him a red zone threat as well on fades and jump balls. Good lateral agility, lower body/core strength, and balance make him a threat after the catch as well. Willing blocker who doesn’t shy away from contact with bigger defenders. Operates best as a boundary receiver on deep and intermediate routes. Moll is currently rated the 15th best receiver in the state for the 2022 class and will certainly be a name to watch throughout the rest of this season.