Week 6 Review: Arvada West Wildcats vs Chatfield Chargers
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A look at the three most outstanding performances from this 5A, interconference matchup between the Wildcats and Chargers. Review The game between the Arvada West Wildcats and the Chatfield Chargers was the conference opener for both teams, with both sides…
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Continue ReadingA look at the three most outstanding performances from this 5A, interconference matchup between the Wildcats and Chargers.
Review
The game between the Arvada West Wildcats and the Chatfield Chargers was the conference opener for both teams, with both sides coming into the contest hoping to begin conference play 1-0. Going into the game, both teams held records under .500 but it was the Chargers who appeared to be the better team early. The Chargers raced to a quick two score lead and never really slowed down from there, holding a 14-0 lead at the end of the 1st quarter, a 21-7 lead at the half, and never led by less than two scores at any point in the game; with the final score reflecting how the night went for both teams as the Chargers came away with the decisive win, 42-28. While the Chargers were clearly the better team in this game, this is actually the first game review I’ve done where two of the three most impressive individual performances came on the losing side of this game, but they were just impossible to ignore regardless of the results. With that being said, in my opinion, these were the three best performances from the game between Chatfield and Arvada West.
Players of the Game
Ethan Cook Ethan Cook 6'3" | 175 lbs | QB Arvada West | 2023 State CO , Arvada West Wildcats (QB)(Sr.)(8) – While Cook would much rather have the win than the numbers, he did everything in his power to bring the Wildcats back in the game, but his impressive individual effort wasn’t enough to will Arvada West to victory. While both quarterbacks played well last Friday, it was Cook who showed exactly why he’s one of the top passers in the state despite the disappointing result. Going against the Chargers defense, Cook went 22 of 38 (58%) for 344 passing yards, 4 passing touchdowns against 2 interceptions, and a QBR of 101.2 in addition to 14 yards rushing. When watching the tape on Cook, you can see he is a highly accurate passer. Great ball placement on throws to every level of the field, routinely dropping the ball into a bucket on deep balls and squeezing throws into tight windows on short and intermediate throws. Highly efficient passer that rarely makes bad decisions with the football and consistently takes what the defense gives him. Smart QB that can quickly work through his progressions and find the open receiver in between zones or when working man coverage. Cook is currently ranked the number 14 QB and number 123 player overall for the class of 2023. He is an extremely talented QB that is, arguably, the focal point of the Wildcats’ offense and will be a fun player to watch through the rest of his senior season.
Brock Narva Brock Narva 5'11" | 180 lbs | ATH Chatfield | 2025 State CO , Chatfield Chargers (RB)(So.)(20) – While the Chargers had several players with great performances against the Wildcats, Narva, the sophomore tailback, was easily the MVP for this Chargers team. Arvada West had no answers for Narva throughout the game and Chatfield knew it too, as they kept feeding Narva with no signs of letting up. Looking at the numbers from Narva’s game against the Wildcats, he accounted for 132 yards rushing and 3 rushing touchdowns on 27 carries (4.9 YPC) while also accounting for 60 yards receiving on 4 receptions (15.0 YPR). When you put on the tape of Narva’s night against the Wildcat defense, you can see that Narva displays exceptional balance and power at the point-of-attack when making contact against a defender despite his small, but stocky, stature (5’10, 180 lbs) thanks to his very strong core and lower body. While being a shorter back, this actually works in his favor against many second and third level defenders in addition to working inside carries on runs between the tackles, easily breaking through arm tackles because of his low center of gravity. Explosive, one-cut runner that quickly looks to find daylight if given enough space. Enough top end foot speed to pull away from slower 2nd and 3rd level defenders if a bad angle is taken. Versatile athlete on offense that displays excellent ability as a receiver, whether working out of the backfield or lined up in the slot. Definition of a workhorse tailback that is at his best in the 2nd half when the defense has been worn down over the course of a game. Narva is currently rated the number 1 athlete and the number 8 player overall for the class of 2025. If his game against the Wildcats is any indication, that ranking is well deserved and he’ll be a fun player to watch the next couple years.
Brady Witherspoon Brady Witherspoon 6'4" | 200 lbs | WR Arvada West | 2023 State CO , Arvada West Wildcats (WR)(Sr.)(5) – Witherspoon had, in my humble opinion, the most dominant night of any player on either team last Friday. If there was any reason the Wildcats were able to keep the game tighter than it should’ve been, it was the connection between Cook and Witherspoon. Looking at the stat sheet from Witherspoon’s night against the Charger defense, he posted an incredible 212 yards receiving and 3 receiving touchdowns on just 9 receptions (23.6 YPR). Watching the film from Witherspoon’s night against the Chargers, you can see Witherspoon is a tall, long, big-bodied receiver (6’4, 200 lbs), that knows how to use his large frame to overwhelm smaller DBs. Because of his size, he also displays the ability to consistently win contested catches by boxing out and high pointing the ball out of reach from most 2nd and 3rd level defenders, making him a force in the red zone on fades. Impressive athleticism given his large frame allows him to pull away from 2nd and 3rd level defenders if given enough space after the catch, in the open field. Shows outstanding awareness of where he’s at on the field and great body control allows him to tight-rope catches along the sideline or along the back line of the endzone. Large, strong hands allow him to rip the ball away from defenders as well as allow him to secure the ball well working intermediate routes over the middle or when making contact with a defender at the point-of-attack. Witherspoon is currently ranked the number 20 WR and the number 178 player overall for the class of 2023. If he continues to dominate like he did against the Chargers, he’ll certainly be deserving of more attention on the recruiting trail.