Quarterfinal Review: Evergreen Cougars vs Roosevelt Roughriders

A look at the three best performances from this quarterfinal 3A matchup.   Review   Unlike many of the highly discussed matchups from this weekend, this one didn't have as much fan far but was certainly an exciting contest between the Evergreen Cougars and the 12th ranked Roosevelt Roughriders. Early on, however, it looked as if this game was going to get away from the Cougars early as the Roughriders jumped out to a commanding 21-0 lead late in the 2nd quarter. Evergreen would respond though, getting on the board themselves to carry momentum into the locker room at halftime and cut the Roosevelt lead to 21-7. The Cougars came out of the locker room looking to stage a comeback, scoring on their opening possession of the 2nd half to cut the Roughriders lead to 21-13. Roosevelt would answer quickly however, scoring on their ensuing possession to extend their lead to 28-13. Evergreen would keep clawing, responding to the Roosevelt touchdown with a touchdown of their own to cut the Roosevelt lead to 28-20 entering the 4th quarter. Unfortunately for the Cougars, the 4th quarter completely belonged to the Roughriders as they scored 20 unanswered points in the 4th quarter to resoundingly put away any hopes of a Cougar comeback and effectively end the season for the Evergreen program with a final score of 48-20. While this game was much closer than it appeared on paper, it still comes as a surprise that two of the three best performances from this game actually came from the losing side. With that being said though, here are the three players who I believe had the strongest individual performances.   Players of the Game   [player_tooltip player_id='251270' first='Xavier' last='Ramirez'], Roosevelt Roughriders (RB)(Jr.)(21) - Ramirez was easily the best individual player for either team on either side of the ball in this game, as he had one of the most dominant rushing performances in recent state playoff memory. Looking at the ridiculous numbers that Ramirez posted against the Cougars defense, he accounted for a mind-boggling 365 yards rushing and 2 rushing touchdowns on 35 carries (10.4 YPC). I think it's safe to say that Ramirez was the state's top rushing performer from last week. Looking at the film from Ramirez's ridiculous night against the Evergreen defense, you can see Ramirez displays a combination of exceptional top end foot speed, great change-of-direction, and good vision in the open field allow Ramirez to turn any carry into a touchdown or a big play. Extremely elusive runner in the open field that can find space quickly presenting a challenge for 2nd and 3rd level defenders to tackle in 1-on-1 situations in space. Displays good lateral agility when bouncing carries to the edge, making it difficult for slower defenders to set the edge. Shows a good ability as a receiver out of the back field, often creating a matchup problem with slower 2nd and 3rd level defenders because of his speed and change-of-direction. Ramirez is currently ranked the number 6 RB and the number 61 player overall in the class of 2024, which isn't a shock to see given his incredible performance against the Evergreen defense. He'll continue to be the focal point of the Roughriders offense as they continue to pursue a 3A state title.   Kyle Solowetz, Evergreen Cougars (DB/WR)(Sr.)(3) – Solowetz probably had the strongest all-around performance of any player in this game, doing everything in his power on both sides of the ball to keep Evergreen's season alive in what would be his last game as a Cougar. Looking at Solowetz's numbers on both sides of the ball against the Roughriders, he accounted for 84 yards receiving on 6 receptions (14.0 YPR) for the offense while also registering 2 tackles, a tackle for a loss, a pass deflection, and an interception on the defensive side of the ball. For the sake of this article, we'll focus on Solowetz's defensive traits given how dominant he's been as a DB all season. Just watching Solowetz's tape from his night against the Roosevelt 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. While it is definitely disappointing to have your season end, Solowetz has a lot to be proud of from his prep career and was easily one of the state's best DBs in his last season as a Cougar.   [player_tooltip player_id='149357' first='Tommy' last='Poholsky'], Evergreen Cougars (QB)(Sr.)(14) – While Poholsky had a relatively slow night by his standards, he was still one of the best individual players from this contest in what would be his final game leading the Evergreen offense. Diving into his numbers against the Roughriders defense, Poholsky went an impressive 23 of 50 (46%) for 329 yards passing, 2 passing touchdowns, and a QBR of 81.2 while also adding 38 yards rushing and a rushing touchdown on the ground. When you look at Poholsky's tape against the Roosevelt 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 gritty effort through the air being the final incredible statement on what has been a remarkable prep career for the senior signal caller.

A look at the three best performances from this quarterfinal 3A matchup.