The Ultimate X-Factor: Each Remaining Team’s Best Kept Secret

As each year comes to pass, we are reminded of what makes the sport of football so magical. When it is the least expected, it is often times a player or coach who rises to the occasion when no one else saw it coming. Throughout the  champions of old and new, these teams etch their names in the history book not only because of their main contributors, but also thanks to an X-Factor who helps relieve the pressure of the craziness that is playoff pandemonium. These heroes in their respective sports instantly become legendary figures in their communities for coming up clutch when it matters most. We are down to only eight teams throughout each class in this year’s CHSAA State Football Playoffs, and every team lucky enough to be alive has a secret among them. Which players on the rest of the best provide each squad a boost to help them hoist a championship? <em><strong>Class 5A</strong></em> <strong>1. Valor Christian</strong> <strong>RB [player_tooltip player_id="143630" first="Gabe" last="Sawchuk"] </strong> <strong>2021 Stats: </strong> <strong>135 CAR, 724 Yards, 5.4 AVG, 12 TD’s </strong> Despite his older brother breaking the school record for most career rushing yards at Valor Christian, the youngest Sawchuk has still proved that he is the next man up. His twelve rushing touchdowns on the ground is second on the team, and with good reason. Sawchuk’s shifty feet and good hands out of the backfield provides a lethal family one-two punch. The future is bright for the next Valor workhorse. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/5519061/615e0e4790f0540aa4422819" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <strong>2. Cherry Creek</strong> <strong>WR [player_tooltip player_id="43837" first="Ky" last="Oday"]</strong> <strong>2021 Stats: </strong> <strong>25 REC, 425 Yards, 17.0 YPC, 5 TD’s </strong> The Bruins are led by an abundant amount of electric playmakers, and it is hard to argue that the four-your wideout Oday doesn’t top the list. The future CSU Ram provides a spark on offense for Cherry Creek that will be critical for winning out and repeating as champions. Get the ball in Oday’s hands, grab some popcorn, and watch the fireworks go off as he strolls into the end zone. Expect the speedy pass catcher to have a big role during Final Four weekend. &nbsp; <strong>3. Legend</strong> <strong>WR, TE [player_tooltip player_id="241181" first="Brecken" last="Reiser"]</strong> <strong>2021 Stats: </strong> <strong>20 REC, 492 Yards, 24.6 YPC, 8 TD’s </strong> On a roster that is filled with Division-I talent, Reiser has risen to the occasion, becoming a reliable option for QB [player_tooltip player_id="240371" first="Colton" last="Warner"] and the rest of the Titans squad. Combining his strong and steady hands with exceptional route running ability, Reiser is a versatile game changer. His ability to line up at wide receiver and tight end gives Legend the flexibility to move him around the offense and shift their plan to attack opposing defenses. <strong>4. Grandview</strong> <strong>LB Max Kibbee</strong> <strong>2021 Stats: </strong> <strong>102 Tackles, 8.5 TPG, 4.0 TFL</strong> The 6’2 190 pound junior is the heart and soul of the Wolves defense, and is also a big contributing factor in Grandview’s magical run thus far. Kibbee is the type of player coaches love to have on their team, while making opposing offensive coaches pull their hair out at the same time. Kibbee’s ability to be stout in the running game forces teams to third and longs, which is not an ideal winning recipe of football. The linebacker is also steady in pass coverage, with the ability at times to deflect a pass or take away a quarterback’s first read in the middle of the field. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/14559111/6133b04fd21c6605acd65749" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <em><strong>Class 4A</strong></em> <strong>1. Montrose</strong> <strong>LB Brody Greiner </strong> <strong>2021 Stats: </strong> <strong>N/A</strong> There is no question that Greiner has been the back bone of not only the Montrose defense, but he also leads the team by example. Playing in his final season for the Indians, Greiner is trying his best to will his squad to a championship and put the finishing touches on a once in a lifetime type season. &nbsp; <strong>3. Pine Creek </strong> <strong>DE Kael Reeves-Dunbar</strong> <strong>2021 Stats: </strong> <strong>55 Tackles, 4.6 TPG, 20.0 TFL, 8.0 Sacks</strong> Possibly the most slept on prospect in the state, defensive standout Kael Reeves-Dunbar has been a human wrecking ball that destroys anything that comes in his path. Often portraying the closest thing to a natural disaster on the gridiron, Reeves-Dunbar has put up remarkable numbers in his 2021 campaign. His speed and strength off the ball is the biggest thing that stands out, and his skills have put fear in the opposition. The 6’3" 245 pound ballhawk has given the Pine Creek defense a sense of swagger, and the team will need as much confidence as they can get heading into the biggest game of the season versus feisty Chatfield. &nbsp; <strong>5. Erie </strong> <strong>WR [player_tooltip player_id="241205" first="Gauge" last="Nichols"] </strong> <strong>2021 Stats: </strong> <strong>21 REC, 364 Yards, 17.3 YPC, 7 TD’s </strong> The Tigers of Erie love to dominate the line of scrimmage and run the ball down their opponent’s throats, but when they like to throw it over the top, they have plenty of weapons at their disposal. Senior wideout [player_tooltip player_id="241205" first="Gauge" last="Nichols"] has had tremendous chemistry the entire campaign with freshman hopeful QB [player_tooltip player_id="143622" first="Blake" last="Barnett"]. Nichols is as reliable as it gets, and he leads a wide receiver room that not only is talented, but prioritizes their work in the run blocking department. Nichols also has a knack to find pay dirt, as his seven touchdown grabs is second on the team. &nbsp; <strong>7. Chatfield</strong> <strong>RB [player_tooltip player_id="22769" first="Mason" last="Lowe"] </strong> <strong>2021 Stats: </strong> <strong>63 CAR, 508 Yards, 8.1 AVG, 9 TD’s </strong> One of the more physically demanding teams in the Centennial state, Chatfield requires teams to have all of their men on deck in order to come out victorious. This has been the case thus far throughout the playoffs, as the run game has worked wonders in wins against Dakota Ridge and Ponderosa. Despite All-State RB [player_tooltip player_id="240088" first="Jake" last="Marschall"] leading charge for the Chargers, it has been tailback [player_tooltip player_id="22769" first="Mason" last="Lowe"] who has provided extremely good play when Marschall isn’t on the field. There is no doubt the junior ball carrier is looking forward to being the go-to guy in the Chatfield backfield next year, but for now, Lowe is an electric X-Factor that can turn the tide of any ballgame. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/13004335/5fcd9d1e0c554d0b20a2efa1" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <em><strong>Class 3A</strong></em> <strong>1. Roosevelt</strong> <strong>RB Xavier Ramirez</strong> <strong>2021 Stats: </strong> <strong>99 CAR, 778 Yards, 7.9 AVG, 10 TD’s </strong> The one-seeded Roosevelt Roughriders have trounced school on the schedule through 12 games, and a big reason for that has been the stellar play from running back Xavier Ramirez. Between him and partner in crime tailback Ryan Doucette, Roosevelt has formed quite the two-headed monster out of the backfield that has been tough to spot. The two backs compliment each other perfectly, and they have both given an incredible balance to Roughriders’ offensive attack. Watch Ramirez to be a bright spot for Roosevelt to lean on, and be someone to take the pressure off standout QB [player_tooltip player_id="240368" first="Brock" last="Saya"]. &nbsp; <strong>2. Lutheran </strong> <strong>RB [player_tooltip player_id="22736" first="Dorian" last="Pacheco"] </strong> <strong>2021 Stats: </strong> <strong>83 CAR, 670 Yards, 8.1 AVG, 14 TD’s </strong> It has been a season of undefeated teams at the 3A and 4A level, as the Lutheran Lions have also roared to a 12-0 regular season record including two 49-7 routs against Discovery Canyon and Palisade. Other than their high octane passing display, the Lions have three running backs with at least 650 yards and ten rushing touchdowns. RB [player_tooltip player_id="22736" first="Dorian" last="Pacheco"] is one of those backs that can turn a game on its side, as he has averaged nearly 60 yards per game and an astounding 8.1 YPC. &nbsp; <strong>3. Fort Morgan</strong> <strong>WR [player_tooltip player_id="58939" first="Fernando" last="Marquez"]</strong> <strong>2021 Stats: </strong> <strong>38 REC, 536 Yards, 14.1 AVG, 2 TD’s </strong> The speedster receiver has elite speed to blow the top off of a defense, as his 14.1 yards per catch demonstrates his big time ability. Despite Fort Morgan being pretty run-heavy for the most of the year and Marquez only have recorded two touchdown catches thus far, expect him to be due come this weekend. Marquez’ is a fantastic route runner and usually finds the soft spots of the defense most of the time. &nbsp; <strong>5. Mead</strong> <strong>LB Jeremiah Strizki </strong> <strong>2021 Stats: </strong> <strong>28 Tackles, 3.1 TPG, 1.0 Sack </strong> Mr. Strizki is as gnarly and tenacious as it gets, as the bruising senior linebacker is wrapping up quite the career during his time at Mead. You can count on Strizki to be in on almost every tackle, as he excels in open field tackling and can even get down and dirty on the gang tackling side of things. Strizki is a football player through and through, and he’ll need a big day on defense to slow down an undefeated Roosevelt team. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/13208893/5fb4cfcbff0c3b0888bd355f" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>