After-Action Report: Denver South at Ponderosa

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first day of week six is in the books, meaning league matches have begun for most teams around the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A handful of week six games will significantly impact league standings and postseason seedings. Last night's game was between two teams that are highly ranked within the 4A classification, with Ponderosa coming in as the second-ranked 4A team and Denver South at eighth.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This after-action report will debrief last night's 4A League 5 opener.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"25px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:25px"><strong>Denver South (5-1) at #9 Ponderosa (4-2) | Thursday, September 29, 2022</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>Final Score 32-17 Denver South</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2022/09/in-attendance-week-six-games/">The pregame perception</a> for the contest between the Denver South Ravens and the Ponderosa Mustangs was that the defense with more success against the run would be the team with the best chance of winning, which is what the Ravens were able to accomplish.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Denver South put the first points on the board with a touchdown run early in the first quarter, followed by a safety resulting from a botched snap on a Ponderosa punt. With just under four minutes left in the first quarter, the Ravens scored a field goal and took a 12-0 lead before snagging an interception to solidify a first-quarter shutout.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The second quarter was of turnovers for both teams, starting with the Mustangs taking the ball away from the Ravens by recovering a forced fumble with 10:00 left in the first half. The Ravens' defense forced a three-and-out on the ensuing drive but muffed the punt and lost the ball to the Mustangs. Denver South's defense secured another interception with 6:01 left to play in the first half, only to find themselves back on the field in two minutes after Ponderosa picked off their offense. The Ravens got another takeaway immediately after the change of possession by recovering a forced fumble. Denver South's offense capitalized on the takeaway and scored on a touchdown throw that sent the game into the half with the Ravens up 18-0 after a failed two-point conversion.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Denver South scored on another touchdown run halfway through the third quarter, which Ponderosa responded to by scoring a rushing touchdown on the following possession. The game entered the fourth quarter with a score of 25-7 in favor of the Ravens, but Denver South quickly completed a touchdown drive that ended with a pass connection with 10:39 left in the game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Mustangs put together what looked to be a promising drive before the Ravens secured their third interception of the night. The Ponderosa defense came out the following drive and secured another forced fumble to give the ball back to their offense, who managed to cap off that possession with a field goal and cut the lead to 32-10 in favor of Denver South. After a few clock-eating plays from the Ravens, the Mustangs scored the game's final points with just over a minute left, bringing the final score to 32-17 for a Ravens' victory.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Denver South moves to 5-1 on the season, 1-0 in league, while Ponderosa falls to 0-1 in league, 4-2 overall. The Ravens will look to keep the momentum rolling as they take on Gateway (2-2) at home next Friday, whereas the Mustangs will work to bounce back when they travel to Vista PEAK Prep.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Top Denver South Standouts</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_63370cdfbd6e1","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["251267"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":324237,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Early's abilities as a power running back are outstanding. His only score was at the beginning of the game, but his tenacious running style proved too much for Ponderosa's defense to contain. Early finished this game as the most outstanding offensive player of the night, making him a running back prospect to invest in early.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["150187"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Capra is one of the top quarterbacks in his class who can torch defense through the air or expose them with his running abilities. When faced with heavy pressure, Capra simply tucked the ball and put his elusive running skills to great use. The Colorado Mines commit put on an impressive showing as he helped lead his team to victory in the first game of league play.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"Sharif Boyland","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"2023","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"6'1u0022","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"2496","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"Denver South","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_2_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"The defensive front was the deciding factor for this game, and Boyland played a significant role in his team's success. In addition to being a disruptive force against the run and the pass, Boyland recovered the last fumble in the first half, allowing his team to take a three-score lead going into halftime. Boyland is a versatile player who can play as an edge or anywhere else on the line.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":3,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-6499fbf6bc7b7"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Other Ravens to know</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Levi Headland </strong>&nbsp;| 2023 FS<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='150169' first='Jake' last='Perruccio'] </strong>| 2023 WR<br><strong>Henry Danford </strong>| 2024 OLB</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Top Ponderosa Standouts</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_63370e5abd6e4","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Ethan Rodriguez","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2023","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'0u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2496","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Ponderosa","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Rodriguez was perhaps the more dominant player for the Mustangs on both sides of the ball. Defensively, he was a field general who always rallied to the football on every snap, including the interception in the second quarter. On offense, Rodriguez scored Ponderosa's first points midway through the third quarter. Rodriguez is a tough two-way playmaker worthy of a closer look as a prospect.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["335500"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Edwards was in a do-all situation coming into this game. He opened as the started quarterback for the Mustangs before returning to his roles as a receiver, defensive back, and returner. Edwards scored the game's final touchdown, but the most impressive part about his performance was his willingness to give everything he had and leave it all on the field.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"Zach Stryker","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"2023","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"6'1u0022","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"2409","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"Ponderosa","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_2_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Stryker came into the game and immediately showed off his dynamic skills as a runner, helping to open up the offensive playbook a bit. His ability to escape the Denver South's relentless pass rush to keep drives alive was impressive. Stryker's pass to Edwards for the final score of the game was an accurate throw that allowed the receiver to catch the ball in stride, showing promising potential for the QB.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":3,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-6499fbf6bc827"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Other Mustangs to know</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cape Olsen</strong> | 2023 MLB<br><strong>Blake Pollock</strong> | 2023 DE/TE<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='232160' first='Max' last='Mervin'] </strong>| 2025 WR/DB</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->