Game balls for Montrose in Week 6 win

In the marquee game for Class 4A, the No. 4 ranked Montrose Indians hit the road and came away with a 28-21 win over the No. 1 ranked Palmer Ridge Bears to remain unbeaten this season. It was a back-and-forth affair for most of the night, but the second half was the key for Montrose, who scored two touchdowns and forced two turnovers to come back from a seven-point halftime deficit. The win proves that Montrose is a legitimate contender for the title in Class 4A this season, and there was some strong play from multiple players in the win. Here are the game balls handed out to the top performers in the win. <h3><strong>Dmarian Lopez, 2023, 5’11, OL/DL</strong></h3> You can give a game ball to each offensive lineman for Montrose. They were the MVPs in the win. One of the leaders up front was Lopez from the center position. His ability to fire off the line of scrimmage so quickly allows him to get some push in the interior. He has the size and strength to handle the bigger defensive tackles he will face. He also has the athleticism to pull and reach block on the outside runs and can open up some holes. When he is not getting a push on the offensive line, he is bringing a mean streak from his defensive end spot, willing to get his nose in traffic. He did so against a pair of big, physical offensive tackles for Palmer Ridge. Lopez is a very intriguing prospect for an interior offensive lineman for his class and proved it with his play Friday night. <h3><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153733" first="Bode" last="Greiner"], 2022, 5’11, 205, OL/LB</strong></h3> One of two guards that is athletic enough to roam from the linebacker spot on defense as well, Greiner proved to be valuable on the outside runs. He did a great job when pulling to get to the outside and was able to make a key block on the edge, whether it was a kick-out block or him logging up the hole and sealing the edge to let the running back bounce it to the outside. His speed and athleticism makes him a threat on the outside runs, but don’t underestimate the drive, leverage and strength he plays with on double-team blocks up the middle on the inside runs as well. From his defensive spot, he can go sideline to sideline and flies to the football. When he makes contact with a ball carrier, they usually did not get much for yards after contact against him. <h3><strong>Hunter Duke, 2022, 5’11, WR/DB</strong></h3> Duke had a pair of interceptions that proved to be difference makers for the Montrose defense, and it was him being in the right position at the right time on a pair of overthrows. The first came on the first possession, and his return set up a short touchdown run for Montrose to take an early lead. His final interception came in the fourth quarter to get his team the ball back, and they were able to run the clock out because of it. With a spread offense and talented receiver core like Palmer Ridge has, it was crucial for Montrose to find a way to get some turnovers. They would get three, and two came from the senior defensive back. <h3><strong>Austin Griffin, 2022, 5’10, 200, FB/LB</strong></h3> In the offense Montrose runs, it has a true fullback in Griffin. He gets hard yardage running between the tackles, and his physical, downhill run style can wear a defense down. It also draws extra attention on him, freeing up the outside runs and deep shots in the passing game. That same style of play makes him a strong linebacker on defense as well. He is able to deliver a solid hit at the point of attack and is a steady, consistent player from that spot. He scored the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter and helped Montrose run out the clock on the final drive, proving the fullback is still an effective position when used like he is.