Week 10 Review: Palmer Ridge Bears vs Vista Ridge Wolves

A look at the three best performances from this 4A regular season finale.   Review   Coming into the final week of the regular season, this was debatably the most anticipated 4A matchup of the weekend as the 8th ranked Palmer Ridge Bears traveled to take on the Vista Ridge Wolves. Early on, this game was beginning look like a defensive slugfest, with the Bears holding a 10-3 halftime lead over the Wolves. The 2nd half, however, was a completely different story with Vista Ridge scoring two touchdowns on consecutive possessions in the 3rd quarter to take a 17-10 lead into the 4th quarter, within sniffing distance of a huge win. Palmer Ridge ultimately responded in the 4th quarter on their last two possessions, scoring on both drive, including the go-ahead score with under a minute left that would give them the exciting 24-17 victory. This game certainly lived up to the hype, with both teams having a number of players with incredible performances. With that being said though, here were the three players who I felt had the strongest nights.   Players of the Game   [player_tooltip player_id='251258' first='Derek' last='Hester'], Palmer Ridge Bears (QB)(Jr.)(4) – While Hester might have had a tough night through the air, his presence as a threat on the ground was easily one of the biggest difference makers for the Palmer Ridge offense. Hester made plays for the offense when they needed them the most, as he went 6 of 19 (32%) for 75 yards passing, an interception, and a QBR of 22.9 but also accounted for a huge 117 yards rushing on 16 carries (7.3 YPC), which would ultimately spark the offense. When you watch the tape from Hester's night, you can see he displays outstanding accuracy at all levels of the field. Good pocket presence allows him to keep his eyes downfield while avoiding the rush. Shows an ability to throw accurately from different arm angles and while being off-platform. Displays poise and composure when forced to ad-lib outside of structure. Adequate arm strength allows him to threaten all three levels if thrown with anticipation. Displays outstanding ball placement on throws that require touch on the boundary or in the middle of the field. Shows enough ability as a runner for the defense to respect the threat of him taking off. While not a true duel-threat, he displays enough athleticism to create plays and gain chunks of yards when forced to scramble or on designed runs in short-yardage/goal line situations. Hester checks all the boxes recruiters look for in a quarterback with his tape, production, and frame (6'1, 175 lbs). If Hester can cut down on his turnovers and continue to grow as a passer, he'll be a fun player to follow through the state playoffs this year and into next season.   Solomon Arnds-Volcin, Vista Ridge Wolves (RB/LB)(Sr.)(2) - Arnds-Volcin was, without a doubt, the biggest piece of the Vista Ridge offense in this game and arguably the biggest reason they were almost able to come away with the win over the Bears. Diving into the numbers from Arnds-Volcin's night against the Palmer Ridge defense, he accounted for 114 yards rushing and a rushing touchdown on 16 carries (7.1 YPC) while also adding 21 yards receiving as well as 5 tackles and a tackle for a loss on the defensive side. For the sake of this piece, we'll focus on his offensive tape because that's the side that felt his presence the most. Putting on the film of Arnds-Volcin's performance against the Bears defense, you can see he displays great top end foot speed in the open field, consistently pulling away from slower 2nd and 3rd level defenders. Very elusive runner in the open field that can find space quickly and present a challenge for defenders in 1-on-1 situations. Displays good lateral agility and one-cut explosiveness, anchoring his elusiveness and allowing him to turn any carry bounced to the edge into chunk yardage. Shows an extremely physical running style and great balance at the point-of-attack when making contact with a defender despite his smaller frame (5'8, 165 lbs). Shows a good ability to catch the ball out of the back field, often creating a matchup problem with slower 2nd and 3rd level defenders lined up with him in man coverage because of his speed and lateral agility. Arnds-Volcin isn't currently ranked on any recruiting boards but he is an incredibly talented player that will look to finish his prep career strong in the state playoffs.   [player_tooltip player_id='150219' first='Nathaniel' last='Robinson'], Palmer Ridge Bears (RB)(Sr.)(28) – While Hester's performance on the ground was a big piece of the Palmer Ridge offense and it's ability to squeak out the win, Robinson's might have been even bigger. The Vista Ridge defense struggled to slow down Robinson the entire night, as he accounted for 132 yards rushing and 2 rushing touchdowns on 19 carries (6.9 YPC). Putting on the tape of Robinson's night against the Wolves defense, you can see he is an extremely well rounded back that doesn't have many weaknesses to his game. Robinson has great top end foot speed and an explosive, one-cut running style that allows him to quickly race past the 2nd and 3rd levels of the defense if given enough space. Outstanding change-of-direction/lateral agility allow him to remain elusive in the open field when working against 2nd and 3rd level defenders, while also allowing him to create daylight on plays that should otherwise be a loss. Displays good physicality on runs between the tackles and in situations that require him to drive his legs through contact to grind out tough yards. Good balance and lower body strength allow him to run through arm tackles and smaller defenders with little resistance. Displays outstanding vision, consistently anticipating the running lanes that will be created as the play develops, allowing him to hit big-plays in a moments notice. Shows good ability as a receiver out of the backfield, routinely being an extremely difficult matchup for LBs and less athletic safeties. Good blocker out of the backfield in pass protection scenarios when asked to stand in the backfield, anchor, and deliver a solid block on a blitzing LB. Robinson is the definition of a workhorse tailback and will look to finish his prep career with a state title.

A look at the three best performances from this 4A regular season finale.