Week 7 Review: Dakota Ridge Eagles vs Bear Creek Bears
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A look at the three best performances from this interconference, 4A matchup. Review While both teams are having fairly disappointing seasons compared to the standards that both of these 4A programs set for themselves, most expected both of these teams…
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Continue ReadingA look at the three best performances from this interconference, 4A matchup.
Review
While both teams are having fairly disappointing seasons compared to the standards that both of these 4A programs set for themselves, most expected both of these teams to play this game tight considering both were looking for their first win in conference play. Unfortunately for the Bears at least, this game was fairly lopsided from start to finish. The Eagles quickly jumped out to a 35-14 lead in the 1st quarter and never looked back from there, as they thoroughly dominated Bear Creek in every facet of the game through the 4th quarter, coming away with a dominant 63-28 victory. While Dakota Ridge showed they were easily the better team, there were some significantly impressive performances for both teams. With that being said, here were the three players who I felt had the strongest performances in this game.
Players of the Game
Blake Palladino Blake Palladino 6'3" | 195 lbs | QB Dakota Ridge | 2024 State CO , Dakota Ridge Eagles (QB)(Jr.)(9) – Palladino is a recent addition to the Eagles team, as he previously played for the Mullen Mustangs the past two seasons. With that being said, I think the Eagles are happy with the early returns so far from Palladino’s transfer, with last week’s win over Bear Creek being an example. Glancing at the box score from Palladino’s performance, he went 7 of 9 (78%) for 130 yards passing and a passing touchdown, a QBR of 156.0, as well as 93 yards rushing and a rushing touchdown on 10 carries (9.3 YPC). Watching the tape from Palladino’s night against the Bear Creek defense, it’s clear the type of talent that he brings to the table, as he displays elite level ball placement on throws to every level of the field. Strong armed passer who can easily hit every level of the field and can complete passes into extremely tight windows that most other QBs just simply don’t have the arm strength to consistently hit. Accurate, smart passer that knows exactly where to go with the ball based off the rotation of the defense and the design/structure of the play. Displays good processing ability as he can quickly move through his progressions, make the right decision, and deliver the ball accurately. Shows good pocket presence as he moves subtly enough to avoid the rush without bringing his eyes down to run too quickly while also not being a complete statue in the pocket. Good athlete with the ball in his hands as he shows good balance, vision, change-of-direction, and lower body/core strength. Good top end foot speed allows him to pull away from slower 2nd and 3rd level defenders on scrambles and designed runs. Palladino is currently ranked the number 5 QB and the number 39 player overall for the class of 2024, but it wouldn’t be surprising if his ranking rose over the course of this season. He has the size (6’3, 190 lbs), athleticism, and production that indicate he can play collegiately at a high level.
Jerry Torrez, Bear Creek Bears (WR/DB)(Sr.)(23) – To say there weren’t many positive takeaways for the Bears in the 63-28 beatdown, would be fair, but Torrez was certainly one of them on both sides of the ball. For his night against the Eagles, Torrez posted an impressive stat line of 98 yards receiving and 2 receiving touchdowns on 4 receptions (24.5 YPR) for the offense, while also adding 7 tackles and a pass deflections on defense. When you put on the film, you can see Torrez displays a tenacious nature despite his smaller size (5’7, 130 lbs). Brings good physicality to the point-of-contact when asked to come down and make a tackle on a ball carrier. Doesn’t shy away from taking on bigger blockers and ball carriers, often holding his own when forced into those situations. Excellent top end speed allows him to run with even the fastest receivers. Shows great first step explosiveness when crashing downhill in run support or when asked to turn and run on the boundary with a receiver going deep. Good lateral agility allows him to move hash-to-hash if asked to play deep middle. Displays a good understanding of the opposing offenses route concepts, routinely being in position to make a play on the ball. Shifty receiver out of the slot that presents matchup difficulties for even the quickest of nickel corners. Displays a good release at the line against press coverage, quickly being able to get on top of the opposing DB before breaking at the top of his stem. Highly effective runner in space with the ball in his hands after the catch, proving difficult to tackle in 1-on-1 situations in the open field. While Torrez will need to bulk up significantly if he hopes to play collegiately, he will undoubtedly be an exciting player to follow through his last season at Bear Creek.
Noah Triplett Noah Triplett 5'9" | 170 lbs | RB Dakota Ridge | 2023 State CO , Dakota Ridge Eagles (RB)(Sr.)(4) – Triplett was easily the biggest reason for the Eagles’ lopsided 63-28 victory over the Bear Creek Bears. While Triplett was only active in one phase of the offense, the Eagles offense absolutely leaned on his ability as a tailback to spear head their ability to run away with the game against the Bears. Looking at his numbers against the Bear Creek defense, Triplett accounted for an impressive 191 yards rushing and 5 rushing touchdowns on 20 carries (9.6 YPC), while also adding 36 yards receiving. When you watch the film of Triplett’s night against the Bear Creek defense, you can see that he is a highly explosive athlete with elite top end foot speed that allows him to quickly out run most 2nd and 3rd level defenders. Elite lateral agility makes him a highly elusive runner in the open field that can quickly move to space. Displays good physicality on runs between the tackles and when working through arm tackles in traffic. Great vision when setting up defenders to be blocked and working to daylight from there. Outstanding ability to anchor and stand up a blitzing defender when being asked to stay in the pocket for pass protection. Triplett is currently rated the number 4 RB and number 46 player overall for the class of 2023, with his performance against Bear Creek emphatically supporting his ranking. He’ll look to finish his career as an Eagle strong before heading somewhere to play collegiately in 2023.