Class 5A Player of the Year Candidates

Where has the time gone? Believe it or not, the end of the regular season is finally here! With nine weeks officially in the books, the stakes are as high as ever for schools with so much on the line. With postseason play only days away, there are thousands of playmaking athletes that are still trying to make a name for themselves. In fact, there are even a select few within the Class of 5A that has stood out from the rest and have proved to be some of the top performers in the box state. Without further ado, here are a handful of players that could be 5A Players of the Year by season's end.     QB [player_tooltip player_id='232153' first='Austyn' last='Modrzewski'] 6'4" 285 Soph. Mountain Vista   Class of 2025 Ranking: #1 QB, #3 Overall   2022 Stats: 186/283, 2,768 Yards, 307.6 YPG, 30 TD's, 6 INT's, 124.1 QBR   College Commitment: N/A   No surprise here. Without a doubt, the Mountain Vista product has taken that next step from last year in becoming a lethal quarterback within the Class of 5A. After tacking on 15 touchdowns through the air during his freshman campaign, Modrzewski has upped his game by lighting up defenses all across the state. Through nine games, the sophomore signal caller has doubled his touchdown count from a season ago and suddenly looks like one of the top quarterbacks in the entire state. With the Golden Eagles sitting at a stellar 7-2 record, there's no reason to believe that Modrzewski can't take home POTY honors.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/austynqb13/status/1579695531202600960 </div></figure>     RB Aiden Duda 5'9" 186 Sr. Rock Canyon   Class of 2023 Ranking: #22 RB, #195 Overall   2022 Stats: 170 CAR, 1,228 Yards, 7.2 AVG, 153.5 YPG, 11 TD's   College Commitment: N/A   At first glance, Duda doesn't wow you with his overwhelming size, but the Rock Canyon halfback makes up for it with his blazing speed in-between the tackles. This season, the senior has put the Jags on his back and hasn't looked back. Whether it's running circles around defenders in the run game, providing some solid hands in the passing game, or even picking up a block in pass protection, Duda surely plays bigger than his frame. Although Duda isn't necessarily ranked high among our running backs rankings, there is no doubt that he is turning heads with his eye-popping stats and tremendous play.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/aidanduda20/status/1574435553226813440 </div></figure>       WR [player_tooltip player_id='376789' first='Brady' last='Witherspoon'] 6'4" 200 Arvada West   Class of 2023 Ranking: #20 WR, #178 Overall   2022 Stats: 57 REC, 1,085 Yards, 19.0 AVG, 120.6 YPG, 16 TD's   College Commitment:   Towering at 6'4", there isn't much that [player_tooltip player_id='376789' first='Brady' last='Witherspoon'] can't do at the wide receiver position. As Arvada West's number one option on offense, Witherspoon not only displays strong hands when pinpointing the ball in the air, but also possesses smooth route running that helps him get open on almost every single passing play. Already having eclipsed the 1,000 receiving yard mark while also reeling in a whopping 16 touchdowns grabs through his nine games played. Obviously one of the top pass-catchers in the state up to this point, it would be a crime if Witherspoon wasn't on this list.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BradyWitherspo6/status/1579476868709101568 </div></figure>   OLB [player_tooltip player_id='62241' first='Blake' last='Purchase'] 6'4" 230 Cherry Creek   Class of 2023 Ranking: #1 LB/DL, #1 Overall   2022 Stats: 39 Tackles, 4.3 TPG, 6.0 TFL, 13.0 Sacks   College Commitment: Oregon   Without a doubt, the number-one overall play in the box state has every reason to be included in the 5A Colorado Player of the Year of the discussion. Taking his talents to Eugene next fall to be an Oregon Duck, Purchase's collective work out on the field is second to none. With an extremely quick first step off the line and a knack for bringing down ball carriers, Purchase possesses the ability to be an absolute stud at the next level as the sky is the limit for the Cherry Creek product.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BlakePurchase/status/1577051501230698496 </div></figure>   OLB [player_tooltip player_id='43841' first='Hayden' last='Moore'] 6'3" 220 Regis Jesuit   Class of 2023 Ranking: #2 LB, #11 Overall   2022 Stats:   College Commitment: Nebraska   Another top standout edge rusher within the state of Colorado, Moore brings an added intensity and ferociousness to the Red Raider defense that few other teams fail to possess. In his final year at Regis Jesuit, Moore is on his way to play big time college football next fall at Lincoln, Nebraska as a Cornhusker and should be a tremendous addition to that program. The most impressive part of Moore's game comes from his upper body strength that helps him shed opposing blockers and also boasts a slew of swim moves that make it almost impossible for offensive lineman to block him. Simply put, there aren't many defenders in Colorado as dominant as Moore.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/HMOORE3405/status/1579280448521310209 </div></figure>   QB [player_tooltip player_id='218213' first='Ethan' last='Cook'] 6'3" 180 Arvada West   Class of 2023 Ranking: #14 QB, #123 Overall   2022 Stats: 133/238, 2,152 Yards, 239.1 YPG, 26 TD's, 13 INT's   College Commitment: N/A   The heart and soul to the Wildcats offense and the second player from Arvada West to be named to this list, Cook is a vital reason that the Wildcats sit with the record that they do heading into the final week of the regular season. In his second season under enter as the starting quarterback, Cook has taken his game to the next level. Already with more passing yards than he had all of last year, Cook has improved upon his throwing mechanics and footwork and it has showed. The best part of Cook's game is his deep ball, as he is averaging 14.1 yards per pass. With a rocket for an arm, Cook can make any throw from the field which further demonstrates how dangerous he is for opposing defenses.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Ethan8Cookie/status/1579474043325272065 </div></figure>     RB [player_tooltip player_id='376592' first='Marquane' last='Taylor'] 5'6" 165 Columbine   Class of 2023 Ranking: Watch List Nominee   2022 Stats: 140 CAR, 1,100 Yards, 7.9 AVG, 122.2 AVG, 20 TD's   College Commitment: N/A   Standing at 5'6", Taylor certainly plays bigger than his size. Not only that, but the speedster out of Columbine has been the focal point of the Rebels offensive attack. While Taylor may not be in the running on many people's list for Player of the Year, thing again. At first glance, the shifty halfback's numbers absolutely pop out at you. In fact, rumors have it that spectators can see a dust cloud following behind him whenever he is in full sprint. The most impressive part of Taylor's gave is his footwork when running through an open lane. Combined with his stellar ball carrier vision with the rock, don't be surprised if Taylor is able to lead the Columbine Rebels to a deep run come postseason time.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/_Mark_Taylor223/status/1584333239040192512 </div></figure>