In Attendance: Thursday’s Season Opener
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A brand new season kicking off in less than 24 hours making the timing perfect for introducing a new series that will provide a brief informal preview of the games I will be attending each week and who to watch.…
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Continue ReadingA brand new season kicking off in less than 24 hours making the timing perfect for introducing a new series that will provide a brief informal preview of the games I will be attending each week and who to watch.
With this being week one of the 2022-23 season, each game will get an in-depth preview of the match-up and what makes it intriguing.
Denver South at Skyline | Thursday, August 25, 2022 | 7:00 P.M.
Denver South will be traveling up to challenge Skyline in what will be one of the more interesting 4A games in terms of prospect performances and overall team talent.
Denver South is coming off a 9-3 season (4-1 in league) that ended in the second round of the playoffs to a tough Montrose team. Skyline finished 6-5 on the season (3-2 in league), falling to Bear Creek in the first round.
Each team has a top five senior quarterback and both offenses are loaded with phenomenal playmakers with game-changing talents.
Denver South
Denver South will return one of last year’s more dynamic QB/WR duos in the state with seniors Joseph Capra Joseph Capra 6'1" | 165 lbs | QB Denver South | 2023 State CO and Rashad Caldwell Rashad Caldwell 6'0" | 180 lbs | WR Denver South | 2023 State CO . Capra is the third-ranked 2023 QB, while Caldwell holds the second-ranked WR spot. Two additional offensive members to note are Jake Perruccio Jake Perruccio WR Denver South | 2023 State CO (2023 WR) and Chevelle Early Chevelle Early RB Denver South | 2024 State CO (2024 RB). Perruccio has the potential of shining this year as another receiving option for Capra, especially with Caldwell being an opponent of interest for defensive secondaires. Early is a tough runner who is on pace to have a breakout season by bringing strong running abilities to the high-powered passing attack of the Ravens.
Denver South will have seniors Jonah Buerk Jonah Buerk 6'0" | 175 lbs | LB Denver South | 2023 State CO (MLB) and Jamaire Smith Jamaire Smith DL Denver South | 2023 State CO (DT) applying pressure on the first two levels of the defense. Damajae Wells is a senior athlete who will shine on both sides of the ball but will be leaned on heavily as a corner, often matched against the other team’s number one receiver.
Other Ravens to note
Braeden Fitz
Braeden
Fitz
6'2" | 170 lbs | DL
Denver South | 2023
State
CO
| 2023 OLB/TE
Orlando Guevara | 2024 RB/CB
Skyline
After missing the first half of his junior season, Kaiden Box Kaiden Box 6'4" | 195 lbs | QB Skyline | 2023 State CO (5th-ranked QB) is determined to lead Skyline’s offensive attack as the Falcons look to establish themselves as a serious contender in the 4A classification. Fellow senior Logan Miller Logan Miller 5'10" | WR Skyline | 2023 State CO showed outstanding playmaking abilities during both preseason scrimmages, showing that he is eager to steal the spotlight this season. Senior receivers Logan Trosper and Landon Troupe Landon Troupe WR Skyline | 2023 State CO will be two additional targets for Box to spread the ball out this season, each capable of exploiting secondaries that may attempt to bracket Miller.
Skyline senior middle linebacker Maddox Leggett Maddox Leggett 6'1" | 195 lbs | LB Skyline | 2023 State CO is expected to be the core leader for the defense this season. Leggett is arguably one of the more overlooked interior linebackers in the state. He and fellow seniors Francisco Aranday (DL) and Evan King (CB) look to help keep the ball in their offense’s hands.
Other Falcons to note
Dilan Bridwell | 2024 WR/DB
Johnathan Canar | 2024 WR/DB
Pregame Perceptions
This game will likely boil down to whichever defense can hold their offensive counterparts. Capra is an absolute playmaker as a dual-threat QB who holds a handful of offers, while Box is one of the best pure-passers in the state who has yet to receive his first offer.
Caldwell has quite the reputation for being one of the more dominant receivers in the state, landing multiple Division I offers. I expect to see Miller come out with a chip on his shoulder as he looks to prove that his name should be circled on college recruiting boards.
Both QBs have the potential to lead their potent offenses and make this game a shootout, which is why I believe the deciding factor to be one of the defenses.
Leggett is a highly talented backer with an advanced understanding of the game, making him a key player for Skyline’s defense. For Denver South, eyes will be on that defensive front to see if Smith and company can control the trenches.
Other notable Thursday night matchups
There are more than a few games kicking off tomorrow worthy of watching. Here is a look at my top five runner-up games and a name to know from each team.
Thomas Jefferson at Pomona | 6:00 P.M.
Dedrick Payne
Dedrick
Payne
DL
Thomas Jefferson | 2023
State
CO
– Thomas Jefferson – 2023 DL/OL
Marcus Talbert Jr
Marcus
Talbert Jr
5'10" | 170 lbs | DB
Pomona | 2024
State
CO
– Pomona – 2024 RB/CB
Loveland at Fossil Ridge | 7:00 P.M.
Garrett Harstad
Garrett
Harstad
6'5" | 195 lbs | ATH
Loveland | 2023
State
CO
– Loveland – 2023 QB
Tyler Kubat
Tyler
Kubat
6'5" | 200 lbs | QB
Fossil Ridge | 2023
State
CO
– Fossil Ridge – 2023 QB
Poudre at Rock Canyon | 7:00 P.M.
Jordan Niesent
Jordan
Niesent
5'10" | 175 lbs | ATH
Poudre | 2023
State
CO
– Poudre – 2023 RB/WR
DeAndre Horn
DeAndre
Horn
6'3" | 210 lbs | TE
Rock Canyon | 2023
State
CO
– Rock Canyon – 2023 TE/LB
Douglas County at Horizon | 7:00 P.M.
Jake Stonebraker
Jake
Stonebraker
6'1" | 200 lbs | ATH
Douglas County | 2024
State
CO
– Douglas County – ATH
Landen Loomis
Landen
Loomis
WR
Horizon | 2023
State
CO
– Horizon – 2023 WR/DB
Legacy at Arapahoe | 7:00 P.M.
Omari Bursey
Omari
Bursey
6'1" | 225 lbs | LB
Legacy | 2024
State
CO
– Legacy – 2024 LB
Sterling DeCosta
Sterling
DeCosta
DB
Arapahoe | 2023
State
CO
– Arapahoe – 2023 FS/WR