Top Players From The First Round of the Playoffs

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Playoffs have KICKED off and the stars were in full force tonight of players putting up some shows when the lights were brightest. Let's take a look at some players that showed up when it mattered most and player hearts out when they did. We have a lot of playoffs left to go, so let's kick off with the first list of stars. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='56546' first='Gavin' last='Ross'] - RB, Harrisburg </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Harrisburg was ready to rock in their 42-7 victory that had on Friday night and a big part of that was how well their offensive output was on the field. The X-Factor for them in this game was their star back [player_tooltip player_id='56546' first='Gavin' last='Ross'] who has played great all year and this was no different with the show that he put it. He was not able to be stopped this game and was able to run all over the field with his 174 rushing yards on the night and he did that in 24 carries overall. He had some big rushes that set him and his team up to run the score up all night as they put on a great offensive performance that allowed the offense to put on an offensive show on the night. Ross allowed the offense to open up the passing game and allow for some truly deep shots to be taken and allowed them to run like a well-olied machine. Harrisburg is looking to make noise once again, and the way that they played tonight, it would not surprise me if it did. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cole Artz - DB, Aberdeen Central </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Artz is a little-known player from Aberdeen Central but he played a huge role in their victory over Spearfish in a 34-7 battle where the defense of the Golden Eagles where king. Artz is someone I did not see much of going into this game but what he did was play his heart out and showed what happens when you grind and give effort on plays. He was being targeted in what the other team thought would be a weak link in the defensive unit but turned out to be the stronger part of it. He had a total of 1 interception on the night which led to a pick 6 for him to put some points on the board for the Golden Eagles. He had many tackles and pass breaks ups too, to go along with his simply shut-down level of performance that he put out on the field. He and the other Golden Eagles simply put on a defensive master class on the night and shut down everyone in their way, advancing them to the next round. Artz might not have had a big name in the regular season but he sure showed up when it mattered the most, landing him on our top player's list. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='56545' first='Taylen' last='Ashley'] - QB, Sioux Falls Jefferson </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ashley led his team to the victory last night and he was a big part of making sure they walked away from the field feeling like they did everything they could. Ashley was dishing out TDs all throughout the game and was looking to include everyone in the offense which allowed a multifaceted approach to be had all night. While his play on the field was a big draw to many including myself who saw the game, what stood out to me is how he led his team all night with his words of wisdom and just the general attitude that he had on the field. He was vocal in his team's win and in a good way, he was talking with players on the sidelines and hyping them up at any chance that he could, truly being an energy man for his team. Ashley does so much for his team and more with his play that shows on the field and his vocal style of leadership that he always manages to exude on everyone, truly a mature and talented player. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='273690' first='Chase' last='Van Tol'] - RB, Tea Area</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Van Tol got Tea Areas playoff run off to a hot start with the rushing attack that he put out on the field and he was simply a scoring machine in last night's games. Van Tol got touches everywhere on the field, where he was able to either get in for a score most times or set his other backs on his team up to punch into the end zone. Van Tol racked up well over 100 yards on the night and also tallied 3 touchdowns on the night, making him the player that truly set up his team for victory. They were going against a team in Watertown that had formed its defense into a cohesive run unit but that was no match for what Van Tol put out on the field. There is not much else to say about Van Tol that has not already been said, it is just great to see how talented he is in scoring and rushing at such a high level. Van Tol has been a great back all year and has silenced any doubters with his play, landing him on this list of top playoff performers so far. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->