Week 8 Review: Littleton Lions vs Evergreen Cougars
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A look at the three best performances from this interconference, 3A matchup. Review Coming into this matchup, it appeared to be a game of two evenly matched teams that projected to be a very close game. Well, that was the…
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Continue ReadingA look at the three best performances from this interconference, 3A matchup.
Review
Coming into this matchup, it appeared to be a game of two evenly matched teams that projected to be a very close game. Well, that was the complete opposite of what happened in the game between the Littleton Lions and the Evergreen Cougars, with the Cougars thoroughly dominating the Lions from start to finish. This game was, all things considered, over by halftime as Evergreen held an extremely commanding 43-0 lead at half time. While the 2nd half wasn’t as profound of a beat down, the Cougars still further extended their lead, coming away with a 56-0 win when everything was said and done. While you would think this might not be the case, both teams had players with strong performances. With that being said, here are the players who I believe had the strongest nights in this matchup.
Players of the Game
Tommy Poholsky Tommy Poholsky 6'1" | 175 lbs | QB Evergreen | 2023 State CO , Evergreen Cougars (QB)(Sr.)(14) – Poholsky was, in my humble opinion, the player of the game offensively with the numbers from the box score supporting that. Looking at those previously stated numbers, Poholsky went an incredible 17 of 21 (81%) for 260 yards passing, 5 passing touchdowns, and a QBR of 160.7 while also adding 18 yards rushing on the ground. When you look at Poholsky’s tape against the Littleton defense, the first thing that stands out about him is his ability to improvise and show incredible poise in the face of pressure. Displays an excellent ability to elude pass rushers in the pocket to buy time so he can find a receiver downfield. Shows great accuracy while throwing off-platform, on-the-run, and from different arm angles when working almost every area of the field. Excellent ball placement on passes deep downfield that require touch to drop it in over the defender. Shows good footwork when moving around in the pocket and going through his progressions, keeping his feet flat and ready to throw as he steps up in the pocket. Shows outstanding arm strength that allows him to threaten the defense at every level of the field. Displays good athleticism to present an extra threat on the ground for the opposing defense if they don’t account for his legs which adds another dimension to his skillset and the offense. Poholsky is currently rated the number 6 QB and the number 48 player overall in the class of 2023, with his near flawless game against the Lions being the latest example of his ability.
Ethan Bird Ethan Bird 6'3" | 190 lbs | DL Littleton | 2023 State CO , Littleton Lions (DL/TE)(Sr.)(13) – Bird was one of the few players who had a strong game for the Lions and his numbers are still impressive despite the Littleton’s poor showing as a unit. Taking a look at those numbers against Evergreen, Bird accounted for 53 yards receiving on 3 receptions (17.7 YPR) offensively, while registering 2 tackles, a tackle for a loss, a pass deflection and a forced fumble defensively. For the sake of this article, we’ll focus on his defensive film. When you turn on the tape of Bird’s night, the first thing that jumps out about him is his elite first step explosiveness, often using that alone to overwhelm opposing linemen. Outstanding acceleration out of his stance allows him to easily convert speed-to-power when bull rushing. Excellent bend when turning the corner, forcing the opposing tackle to overextend when trying to maintain edge protection. Tall (6’3, 200 lbs), long armed, technically sound pass rusher that has a good understanding of hand technique, placement, and timing that gives him an edge when athleticism and size alone won’t win. Tenacious, high motor defender that will relentlessly pursue the ball carrier downfield, while being disciplined enough to not over-pursue and lose backside contain. Versatile pass rusher that can play both a standard 4-3, hand-in-the-dirt end position or a 3-4 standup LB/rush end position. Bird is currently ranked the number 13 DL and the number 114 player overall for the class of 2023, which will definitely increase if he continues to consistently string together strong performances over the rest of this season.
Kyle Solowetz, Evergreen Cougars (DB/WR)(Sr.)(3) – With his performance against the Lions, Solowetz has further emboldened his status as one of the best DBs in the state this year. Looking at Solowetz’s numbers on both sides of the ball against Littleton, he accounted for 64 yards receiving and 2 receiving touchdowns on 6 receptions (10.7 YPR) while also registering 4 tackles, a tackle for a loss, and a pass deflection on the defensive side of the ball. For the sake of this article, we’ll focus on Solowetz’s defensive traits. Just watching Solowetz’s tape from his night against the Littleton offense, you can see he is the prototypical ball hawk at DB, displaying an uncanny ability to find the football in coverage. A combination of great foot speed, lateral agility, and tracking ability while the ball is in the air allow him to shut down most of his side of the field. Outstanding athlete with excellent first step explosiveness out of his backpedal that allows him to hit top gear quickly when working deep coverage, easily being able to run with most boundary receivers. Tall, long DB (6’1, 160 lbs) that knows how to use his length whether in press coverage at the line or jamming the receiver at the top of their stem when playing off-coverage. Shows a good understanding of how to bait opposing QBs into throwing to his side, routinely capitalizing when the ball is thrown his way. Displays requisite ability to form tackle at the point-of-attack when making contact with the ball carrier. Solowetz isn’t currently ranked on any recruiting boards but has more than enough talent and athleticism to play at the collegiate level as he looks to finish his senior season strong heading into the state playoffs.