Game balls for Erie in Week 9
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The Erie Tigers kept their undefeated season in tact with a solid 49-21 win over the Broomfield Eagles on Friday. The win secured the 4A Region 1 conference title and their ninth win by double digits as well. A team…
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Continue ReadingThe Erie Tigers kept their undefeated season in tact with a solid 49-21 win over the Broomfield Eagles on Friday. The win secured the 4A Region 1 conference title and their ninth win by double digits as well.
A team playing this good has plenty of star talent across the board, and a number of players shined in the win. Here are the game balls handed out to Erie following the win.
John Pastore John Pastore 6'6" | 270 lbs | OL Erie | 2022 State CO , 2022, 6’6, 270, OL/DL
Pastore, the No. 7 ranked offensive lineman and No. 16 ranked overall prospect in his class, looks the part. He has a great frame he is building into at 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds on the line. For a big guy, he moves well in space, and Erie did a good job getting him out to lead block in the screen game for some blocks downfield. He will pummel smaller lineman with his size and plays with great physicality at the position. His skills also translate on the other side of the ball. He got a key strip-sack fumble in the red zone on the opening drive that Erie recovered and nearly blocked a PAT when he pushed a lineman down and got his hands up on the kick. Pastore announced his commitment to play at Kansas State back in August.
Ryan McConnell, 2022, 6’2, 210, OL/LB
McConnell plays on the offensive line, but his athleticism is through the roof. He gets up the field to the second level quickly and did a good job in pass protection up the middle. Where his athleticism shined most was on defense from his linebacker spot. He shows great form tackling, getting a good, low base and driving a defender back when initiating contact. His speed makes him a good coverage linebacker as well, where he can roam in his zone and force a quarterback to hold a ball longer than he should. There was also great ball skills when rushing the passer, as he chopped the quarterback’s arm to force a strip-sack fumble. His great play is backed up by his work in the weight room, where he boasts a bench of 325 and a squat of 550 on his social media account.
Blake Barnett Blake Barnett 6'2" | 210 lbs | QB Erie | 2024 State CO , 2024, 6’1, 210, QB
Barnett has pure arm talent. He can deliver great touch on the short passes and lead his receivers so they can run after the catch. But in Friday’s win, he also showed how strong his arm his. He delivered a number of deep balls with great precision, throwing over the secondary but putting the ball right in the basket for his receivers to stretch their arms out and haul in the pass. That touch and arm strength allows him to hit all the throws and keep the defense honest. If a play broke down, he showed creative scrambling ability to avoid the rush and not take the sack. Not only are the tools there, but Barnett shows great energy on the field and the sidelines with his team, always engaged and motivating the troops like a leader at his position should be doing. With his play and leadership for an undefeated team in Class 4A, the stock is rising fast on Barnett and should draw plenty of attention on the recruiting trail.
Caleb Theisen, 2022, 6’0, 190, RB/LB
Theisen ran hard with the ball from his running back spot. He routinely bounced off of tackles and got yards after contact, including breaking a couple of tackles on his huge touchdown run for the first score of the night. When he gets in the open field, he has the speed to run by the defense and scamper for a score, so it’s that combination of power breaking tackles and speed to run away from the defense that makes him a big-play threat. He was also a factor on the defensive side of the ball, flying all over the field and getting to the ball with great pursuit. He will also deliver a big hit when gang tackling with his teammates to ensure they get the stop. He is a fun athlete to watch on the football field.
Trey Khanna, 2023, 5’10, 170, WR/DB
Here is a player who will deliver the hit-stick tackle that will make your jaw drop. The speed that he brings to the ball carrier helped him deliver a couple of hard hits that dropped opposing players in their tracks. Because he has great speed, he has the ability to cover a wide margin of the field, whether it’s playing coverage against the pass or coming up and helping in run support. That speed also helped him from his wide receiver spot, where he was able to beat the corner and go up the field. On his touchdown reception in the second half, he showed the ability to break tackles for extra yardage to get in the end zone. For his size, Khanna packs plenty of punch with him, and he could be a nice find on the recruiting trail for some programs.