Week 8 – Offensive Players of the Week

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A look at the three best offensive performances from Week 8.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players of the Week</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Benjamin Mischke, Centaurus Warriors (RB)(Jr.)(25) - Mischke was the easily the state's top rushing performer of Week 8 in the Warriors 42-32 win over the Thornton Trojans. Looking at the junior tailback's numbers from his night against the Trojans defense, Mischke accounted for an impressive 270 yards rushing and 3 rushing touchdowns on 29 carries (9.3 YPC). When you watch Mischke's night against the Thornton defense on film, you can see that Mischke displays an explosive, one-cut running style that allows him to turn any carry into a big play. Highly explosive athlete with elite level foot-speed that allows to easily and routinely pull away from most 2nd and 3rd level defenders if given even a small amount of daylight. Adequate receiving ability coupled with his outstanding overall athleticism make him a tough matchup out of the backfield in man coverage for some 2nd and 3rd level defenders. Displays an innate ability to set up his blocks, consistently showing patience as his blocks develop before exploding through the running lane. Extremely elusive ball carrier that presents an incredibly difficult challenge for any defender to tackle him in 1-on-1 situations if he has enough space in the open field. Mischke isn't currently ranked on any recruiting boards, with his smaller frame (5'7, 185 lbs) probably being the reason, but regardless, Mischke is an unbelievably talented player that has more than enough ability to play at the collegiate level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ryland Reetz, Estes Park Bobcats (QB)(Jr.)(4) - Reetz was by far and away the state's top passer from week 8 in the Bobcats' 66-30 shellacking of the Manual Thunderbolts, with his numbers being so ridiculous, I had to double check to make sure I was reading it correctly. Diving into previously said number, Reetz went a mind-boggling 31 of 41 (76%) for 663 yards passing, 8 passing touchdowns against just 1 interception, and a QBR of 146.6. That type of performance is...I don't even have words for it, honestly. It's just insane. Putting on the film of Reetz's all-world performance against the Thunderbolt defense, Reetz is a tall, long-armed pocket passer with enough mobility to move around in the pocket and extend time to find a receiver down field. Smooth, over-the-top release that allows him to get the ball out quickly in the face of pressure without passes being batted down at the line. Strong armed passer that can get enough on his deep balls to stretch the defense and put pressure on deep defenders in single or two high coverage. Savvy, intelligent QB that understands the structure of a defense and how to attack it while not forcing throws into low-win situations. Good processing speed, as he displays the requisite ability to go through his progressions in a quick and timely manner. Reetz isn't currently ranked on any recruiting boards with his lower level of competition probably being why (1A). However, if his unbelievable night against Manual is any indication, he's definitely one of the better QBs in the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='251277' first='Jose' last='Gonzalez'], Estes Park Bobcats (WR)(Jr.)(2) – With Reetz easily being the state's leading passer from week 8, it only makes sense that his favorite target in last week's win over the Manual Thunderbolts was the state's top receiver, with numbers equally as amazing. For his night against the Thunderbolts defense, Gonzalez accounted for an eye-popping 371 yards receiving and 4 receiving touchdowns on 12 receptions (30.9 YPR) while also adding 5 tackles, a tackle for a loss, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery on defense. Like I stated with Reetz, that's just a whole other level of dominance. When you turn on the tape, you can see that Gonzalez displays a fearless nature when catching short and intermediate passes over the middle or through traffic despite his smaller size, often taking a significant shot but still maintaining his concentration on the ball. Elusive runner after the catch that displays a good ability to find daylight in the open field. Great athleticism and foot speed to routinely separate against less athletic defenders. Strong, consistent hands that are reliable when the offense needs a tough catch, often in the red zone and short yardage situations. Requisite route running ability that paired with his reliable hands and ability after the catch, make him a lethal matchup out of the slot. The junior receiver is currently ranked the number 18 WR in the class of 2024, with the Bobcats lower level of competition (1A) likely being the reason. With that being said, if Gonzalez continues to show-out like he did against the Thunderbolts, he'll be a name to watch as a late riser for the class of 2024.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->