Week 7 Review: Vista Ridge Wolves vs Air Academy Kadets

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A look at the three best performances from this interconference, 4A matchup.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Review</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Air Academy Kadets were brought back down to Earth last week against the Vista Ridge Wolves after ripping off four straight convincing wins going into this matchup. Unfortunately for the Kadets, they not only crashed but they crashed hard as the Wolves controlled this game basically from the opening kickoff through the 4th quarter and it wasn't close at all with the 64-20 final score reflecting that and then some. Vista Ridge clearly showed why they are one of the upper-tier programs in the 4A division in every phase of the game against the Air Academy, even being able to almost entirely shut down one of the best tailbacks in the state in [player_tooltip player_id='22753' first='Sam' last='Beers']. While there were a number of great performances in this game, they pretty much entirely came on the Wolves' side of the field. With that being said, here were the three players who I felt had the strongest performances in this contest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players of the Game</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='22744' first='Brayden' last='Dorman'], Vista Ridge Wolves (QB)(Sr.)(16) – Dorman is by far-and-away the best passer in the state and the Arizona Wildcats commit showed exactly why against the Kadets defense. 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. Those are video game numbers, to put it mildly. 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 is easily the best passer in the state 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 posting video game numbers against the Air Academy defense, it's obvious to assume that his top receiver from the game would also put up video game numbers. Dooley did exactly that, as there wasn't a Kadet DB that could keep up with him. 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 Dooley's night against the Kadets 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 --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='22764' first='Brandon' last='Hills'], Vista Ridge Wolves (WR)(Sr.)(7) – To further compound Dorman having such a strong performance through the air, it's very fitting the second half his favorite receiver duo from last week makes this list as well. The Air Academy Kadets had zero answers in their defensive backfield for the Washington State commit. Hills numbers show exactly the type of night he and the Vista Ridge offense had, as he accounted for 156 yards receiving and 2 receiving touchdowns on 4 receptions (39.0 YPR) while also adding 13 yards rushing. Not quite the video game numbers of Dorman and Dooley, but every bit as dominant. Watching Hills' performance on tape, he displays outstanding ability after the catch. Highly elusive runner in space that makes him tough to tackle in the open field in 1-on-1 situations, allowing him to be a dangerous receiver working underneath or the intermediate areas of the field. Consistent, strong hands in traffic and exceptional lateral agility in tight spaces make him a reliable receiver out of the slot. Good top end foot speed allows him to get past most second-level defenders and third-level defenders if the defender takes a bad angle. Displays excellent tracking ability on deep and intermediate balls. Tough receiver that isn't afraid of contact over the middle on short and intermediate routes. A versatile and well-rounded athlete that is a threat to create chunk yardage or a touchdown whenever he has the ball in his hands. It's obvious to see why Hills is a coveted prospect in this year's class, holding the number 3 WR and number 15 player overall for the class of 2023, and will look to finish his senior season strong before going off to Pullman.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->