In Attendance: Saturday’s Season Opener

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It is time to shift the focus and provide a brief informal preview of the Saturday game I will be attending and which players I will look forward to seeing while finding new names to add to the radar.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With this being the end of week one of the 2022-23 season, this will be the last separate installment of this new series before my entire week's itinerary is listed in one write-up.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"25px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:25px"><strong>Smoky Hill at Denver East | Saturday, August 27, 2022 | 11:00 A.M.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Denver East will host Smoky Hill for a non-league matchup in the 5A classification. Smoky Hill is coming off a 4-7 overall record (1-4 in league) from last year, while Denver East's ended with a 3-7 record (2-3 in league).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Smoky Hill</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Buffaloes have a talented senior group on both sides of the ball. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='247098' first='Tyliq' last='Bowers']</strong> is the senior QB set the lead the offense with fellow seniors <strong>Saul Ibrahim </strong>(RB) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='246896' first='Jamahll' last='Humphrey'] </strong>(WR). Sophomore offensive lineman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='218868' first='Bailey' last='Bujanda']</strong> is the number one-ranked OL for the class of 2025, seventh-ranked sophomore overall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The defensive side of the ball has some serious talent as well. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='150173' first='Jaxon' last='Thompson']</strong> (OLB/SS), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='376561' first='Calem' last='Grimble'] </strong>(DT/OG), and <strong>Roscoe Taylor</strong> (CB/FS) are three big names on the senior-heavy roster for the defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Other Buffalos to note</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Amir Copeland </strong>| 2023 DE<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='376576' first='Tristen' last='Littlejohn'] </strong>| 2023 OLB</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Denver East</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Angels have a mix of young and veteran players who have the potential to be a powerful team. Seniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='62248' first='Ben' last='Wigglesworth']</strong> (QB), <strong>Uziel Martinez</strong> (WR), and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='247230' first='Deveron' last='Toppin']</strong> (WR) make up a dynamic passing attack that includes junior receiver <strong>Hank Usalavage</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Middle linebacker <strong>Landen Holloway</strong> (2024), defensive end <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='251255' first='Elijah' last='Goss'] </strong>(2024), and safety <strong>Deion Giles-Ray</strong> (2025) bring excellent size and strength to each level of the defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Other Angels to note</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Michael Trujillo</strong> | 2024 OL<br><strong>Sean Campbell</strong> | 2025 RB</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"25px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:25px"><strong>Pregame Perceptions</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This match-up can go either way because of the vast amount of talented players on both teams. Smoky Hill's defense having mostly veteran seniors among the ranks gives them a slight edge, but Denver East has a dangerous offensive arsenal.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There is a good chance that this game can come down to the offensive line of Denver East and how well they stave off Smoky Hill's defensive front. It is tough to say where the offense stands for the Buffaloes with some coaching changes, but their defense has the potential to be dominant.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"25px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:25px">Other notable Saturday matchups</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A couple more games are kicking off on Saturday that are worth watching. Here is a look at my top runner-up games and a name to know from each team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"18px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:18px">Northfield at Aurora Central | 2:00 P.M.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Jack Easterly </em></strong><em>- Northfield - 2024 MLB</em><br><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='22754' first='CaiReis' last='Curby'] </em></strong><em>- Aurora Central - 2023 RB/WR/DB</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"18px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:18px">Platt Valley at Kent Denver | 2:00 P.M.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Howdy Johnson </em></strong><em>- Platt Valley - 2024 QB</em><br><strong><em>Charlie Walker </em></strong><em>- Kent Denver - 2023 RB/LB</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->