5A Championship Standouts (Offense)

Horizon will go home the 5A Arizona State Champs with a 38-28 win over Salpointe Catholic. Take a look at the offensive standouts from this 5A state championship matchup: &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="211752" first="Cole" last="Linyard"], <em>WR, Horizon ’23<img class="size-medium wp-image-211675 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/10/IMG_6547-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></em> Linyard had a huge game, as he hauled in 15 receptions for 189 yards and a TD on the night. He’s done a fantastic job all year of taking advantage of cushion or finding the soft spots in zone coverages, and once again capitalized on this. He’s proven to be dangerous in space given his ability to make opponents miss and possesses deceptive top end speed to finish big plays. Good patience as a route runner to set up his routes, then flashes a nice burst into his route. Very elusive after the catch as he took a bubble screen 66 yards to the house for the first score of the night, and also showed the ability to adjust to ball in air and come back to the ball. Very impressive and underrated 2023 WR overall. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="210196" first="Skyler" last="Partridge"], <em>QB, Horizon ’22</em> Partridge played nearly perfect, as he showcased his dual-threat ability with 278 yards and 3 TD’s passing, while racking up an additional 5 carries for 40 yards and a TD on the ground. He did a good job processing reads quickly, especially on RPO’s, and delivers with a quick release with nice velocity and zip. Excellent placement on numerous throws, especially on a quick back-shoulder fade to [player_tooltip player_id="162082" first="Ethan" last="Tinsley"] for six. He did a great job selling play action, and got his head around quick enough to be able to go through progression on levels/crossing concepts well, which he was able to deliver a 9 yard strike for six. He threw with great timing an accuracy all night, and can finalize his resume as a 5A state champ. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="42798" first="Treyson" last="Bourguet"], <em>QB, Salpointe Catholic ’22</em> Bourguet had himself a quiet first half, then played lights out in the second half to cut the lead to once score in the 3rd quarter. He did a great job extending plays and picking up yards on his feet when forced out of the pocket or during coverage sacks. He threw the deep ball well with solid touch, and flashed his ability to stretch the field vertically with his arm. He was able to push in a QB sneak for a TD, and also threw a fade for a TD. One of the top 2022 QB’s remains unsigned as we creep closer to signing day, so he will definitely be a top prospect to follow for the next month and a half. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="211753" first="Wesley" last="Lambert"], <em>ATH, Horizon ’23</em> Lambert has proven all season that nobody should underestimate him for his size (5’8" 165lbs). He sizes up with a muscular, athletic frame and his balance and physicality is as as good as anyone’s in the state. Lambert displayed solid vision and burst with instincts to hit the hole with a purpose. Strong lower half with good physicality at the POC with a good center of gravity to frequently break initial contact and keep momentum moving forward. Showed good durability with 33 carries on the night, and ran for 143 yards and a TD. Big night for Lambert as he should sky rocket in the ranks heading into his senior season.<img class="size-medium wp-image-242586 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/12/PRZ-Generic-Gray-300x187.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="187" /> &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="100696" first="Anthony" last="Wilhite"], <em>RB, Salpointe Catholic ’22</em> Wilhite displayed good physicality and strength at the POA as a ball carrier to run through opponents and pick up extra chunks of yards. He’s a well polished RB as he’s shown the ability to make an impact between the tackles with physicality, utilize speed to stretch the edge and cut into space, or run routes out of both the backfield and the slot. He also had a TD on the night for Salpointe, and will be another interesting player to monitor as we approach signing day.