Week 13 – Defensive Players of the Week
As we get closer and closer to the end of the 2021 prep football season in Colorado, this is now crunch time for the teams that are left standing. While the old mantra of “Defense wins championships” might not hold…
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Continue ReadingAs we get closer and closer to the end of the 2021 prep football season in Colorado, this is now crunch time for the teams that are left standing. While the old mantra of “Defense wins championships” might not hold as much weight in modern football, it is still a vital piece to any championship level program. With that being said, here’s a look at the three best defensive performances from the quarterfinal round of the 2021 state playoffs.
Players of the Week
Brett Alvey Brett Alvey 6'1" | 220 lbs | LB Pine Creek | 2023 State CO , Pine Creek Eagles (LB)(Jr.)(34) – Alvey had himself quite a night in the Eagles’ tight 10-7 win over the Loveland Red Wolves. Against the Loveland offense, Alvey accounted for for an outstanding 19 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, and 2 sacks. When you put on the film of Alvey’s performance, you can see he displays an extremely high motor that shows the most when pursuing the ball carrier or working to shed a block. Very physical tackler that brings a ton of pop/power to the point-of-contact with the ball carrier. Displays outstanding form when tackling, consistently getting his head across their core, wrapping up, and driving through contact. Downhill runner that fills his run fits hard and fast, often getting into the backfield off of first step explosiveness before the OL have time to react. Disciplined LB that doesn’t often bite on play action and doesn’t over-pursue the ball carrier/QB while consistently taking good angles in pursuit. Alvey is currently rated the number 2 LB and number 15 player overall in Colorado for the class of 2023. He’ll look to end his junior year with a state title and to continue developing into one of the best players in the state through the 2022 season and into college.
Caden Logan, Chatfield Chargers (LB)(Sr.)(10) – Logan is the second Chatfield player to be named a player of the week, joining his teammate Jake Marschall this week. Logan had an incredible game in the Chargers’ 42-31 win over the Dakota Ridge Eagles and was easily the game’s biggest contributor defensively. For the night, Logan accounted for a remarkable 16 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks, and a forced fumble. When you go to the tape, you can see that Logan is a very smart LB that displays a great understanding of how to work through traffic in order to maintain his gap responsibilities. Extremely physical LB that consistently brings a ton of power/force at the point-of-contact with the ball carrier. Shows great hand technique and strength when working against opposing blockers. Shows a good repertoire of pass rush moves, techniques, and counters against the opposing offensive lineman in pass rushing situations. Versatile chess piece on defense that can be asked to play edge rusher or play the role of a prototypical, sideline-to-sideline Mike LB. Shows requisite first step explosiveness that allows him to gain an edge on some blockers whether he’s coming downhill for run support or rushing the passer. Logan might not be high on some recruiting radars, but he certainly should be. He’s an extremely talented player that has more than enough size, talent, and production to play at the college level.
Ezra Ekuban, Regis Jesuit Raiders (LB)(Sr.)(3) – Despite the tough 28-7 loss to the Cherry Creek Bruins, Ekuban was an absolute force defensively against the Bruins offense and might’ve been the biggest reason the point deficit wasn’t larger. In his final game as a Raider, Ekuban accounted for an eye-popping 11 tackles, 4 tackles for a loss, and 3 sacks. When you watch Ekuban on film, the first thing that immediately jumps out about him is his elite explosiveness and closing speed. Highly twitched-up athlete whose first step explosiveness alone is often enough to overwhelm opposing blockers. His outstanding foot speed, lateral agility, and overall athleticism allow him to play a role that most outside backers can’t fill in pass coverage as he is routinely asked to play man coverage on slot receivers and boundary receivers while also being asked to drop into a deep zone on some occasions. While not being asked to play Mike for the Raiders, Ekuban displays enough sideline-to-sideline explosiveness to fill the role of a Mike LB if needed. Deceptive physicality despite his smaller frame for a LB that shows at the point-of-contact with the ball carrier as he consistently stops them in their tracks when contact is made. While showing his ability as a productive LB, he projects more as a safety or WR at the college level. While Ekuban might not be on a ton of recruiting boards, much like Caden Logan, he should be. He has more than enough athleticism and talent to match his incredible production. Ekuban gave it all he had in his final game at Regis Jesuit and I don’t think there’s any question he left everything on the field.