Week 7 – Offensive Players of the Week

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A look at the three best offensive performances from Week 7.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players of the Week</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='218214' first='Brycen' last='Mhlanga'], Littleton Lions (RB/LB)(Sr.)(3) – Mhlanga was, easily, the state's top rushing performer in the Lions' 48-26 win over the Skyview Wolverines. Looking at the numbers from Mhlanga's night against the Skyview defense, he accounted for an unbelievable 232 yards rushing and 5 rushing touchdowns on 28 carries (8.3 YPC) as well as 41 yards receiving on 3 receptions (13.7 YPR). When you put on Mhlanga's tape, you can see he fits the prototypical mold of a workhorse RB, wearing down the defense throughout the game and ripping off bigger and bigger plays as the game goes on. Every down back that can handle a heavy workload throughout the game and double as a viable receiver in obvious passing situations, while also serving as an extremely effective player in pass protection. Highly explosive athlete for his size (5'10, 205 lbs) that can hit the running lane quickly and create a chunk play on any given carry. Explosive acceleration and great top end foot speed allow him to hit another gear in the open field, consistently pulling away from most 2nd and 3rd level defenders. High motor athlete that runs with a ton of power behind his pads, routinely lowering his shoulder at the point-of-attack and driving his legs through combat. Lethal short yardage RB because of his size and physical/aggressive running style. Mhlanga is currently rated the number 6 RB and the number 64 player overall for the class of 2023 and he showed exactly why he's ranked so highly against the Wolverines. He'll be a fun player to watch through his last year as a Lion and beyond.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='22744' first='Brayden' last='Dorman'], Vista Ridge Wolves (QB)(Sr.)(16) – Dorman was, by far-and-away, the state's top passer in Week 7 and the Arizona Wildcats commit showed exactly why against the Air Academy Kadets last week. Looking at Dorman's numbers against the Kadets, he went an eye-popping 21 of 27 (78%) for 527 yards passing, 6 passing touchdowns, and a QBR of 158.6. When you breakdown Dorman's film, you can see Dorman is a tall, long-armed QB (6'5, 200 lbs) with a smooth, quick release that has excellent ball placement at every single level of the field. Strong armed passer that can hit every level of the field with little to no difficulty, forcing the defense to cover every blade of grass on the field. Intelligent QB with the ability to read the rotation of the coverage shell and identify the holes in zone coverage underneath. Displays deceptive athleticism when forced to scramble, consistently being able to pick up key yards with his feet. Shows outstanding pocket presence and enough mobility to avoid the rush and buy himself time to find a receiver downfield. Good accuracy moving out of the pocket and throwing on the run/off-platform with varying arm angles to get the ball around defenders. Like I stated earlier, Dorman was easily the state's most dominant passer in Week 7 and the blue-chip QB will look to finish his last season of prep football strong before heading down to Tucson in 2023.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='50576' first='Keyshawn' last='Dooley'], Vista Ridge Wolves (WR)(Sr.)(4) - With Dorman being the state's leading passer in Week 7, it makes sense that the leading receiver from that game would be the state's leading receiver for Week 7. Looking at the stat sheet, Dooley accounted for an incredible 273 yards receiving and 2 receiving touchdowns on 12 receptions (22.8 YPR). Diving into the tape from his night against the Air Academy defense, Dooley displays elite change-of-direction/route running ability as he can consistently beat most DBs that lines up across from him with both his release against press and at the top of his stem against off-coverage. Shows extremely consistent hands even when working shallow and intermediate routes through traffic over the middle. Highly intelligent and savvy receiver that knows how to use the DBs leverage against him to consistently create separation at multiple levels of the field. Highly explosive receiver that can hit top speed in a matter of a couple steps. Displays elite top-end foot speed consistently being able to get on top of the opposing DB and take the top off of the defense. Lethal weapon out of the slot that can easily beat the defender covering him inside if they don't have the short-area quickness to match his. Very tough, physical, and aggressive receiver despite his smaller frame (5'8, 165 lbs), as this routinely shows up when he's run blocking on the edge; consistently being able to lockdown the edge. Projects as a top-flight slot receiver at the collegiate level. Dooley is currently ranked the number 7 WR and the number 59 player overall for the class of 2023. If he continues to put up insane numbers, he can certainly expect his recruiting buzz to grow.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->