Quarterfinal Round – Defensive Players of the Week
A look at the three best defensive performances from the quarterfinal round of the state playoffs. Players of the Week Cape Olsen, Ponderosa Mustangs (LB)(Sr.)(44) – Despite the Mustangs’ tough 43-25 loss to the Erie Tigers, Olsen was easily one…
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Continue ReadingA look at the three best defensive performances from the quarterfinal round of the state playoffs.
Players of the Week
Cape Olsen, Ponderosa Mustangs (LB)(Sr.)(44) – Despite the Mustangs’ tough 43-25 loss to the Erie Tigers, Olsen was easily one of the state’s best defenders in what would be the last game of his prep career. Looking at Olsen’s numbers against the Tigers offense, Olsen registered a remarkable 20 tackles, 6 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks, and a pass deflection. To say Olsen was an absolute force against the Erie offense would be an understatement. Going to the tape of Olsen’s incredible performance, you can see he displays excellent athleticism/foot speed out of his stance that allows him to play the role of a prototypical, modern backer that plays sideline-to-sideline and can quickly crash down hill in run support. Because of his overall athleticism, he displays a god ability in pass coverage to drop back into a zone or buzz underneath receivers in the flat. Heady LB with good instincts that can read and diagnose different blocking schemes (gap, zone, etc.) and react accordingly. Rarely out of position and consistently maintains his gap responsibilities, almost never over-pursuing the edge or getting caught in traffic inside. Extremely physical and aggressive defender that brings significant force to the point-of-attack when making contact with the ball carrier, consistently driving his legs through the ball carrier to finish the tackle. While Olsen doesn’t have the name recognition of other recruits, he is undoubtedly an extremely gifted player that ended his prep career with as much of an individual bang that he could have hoped for.
Roman Bradley, Valor Christian Eagles (LB)(Sr.)(6) – I previously wrote about Bradley in one of my Game Review pieces, but Bradley arguably had one of the most impressive performances of any defensive player in the quarterfinal round in the Eagles’ 45-28 win over the Regis Jesuit Raiders. Diving into Bradley’s numbers from his night against the Raiders, he accounted for a remarkable 8 tackles, 4 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and a pass deflection on defense while also adding 48 yards rushing on 10 carries (4.8 YPC). When you put on the film of Bradley’s performance against Regis Jesuit offense, you can see his outstanding strength/power at the point-of-contact. Extremely physical LB that has a very high motor and plays with an immense amount of aggression when attacking opposing blockers or ball carriers. Downhill defender with a highly explosive first step that allows him to quickly gain leverage over opposing blockers. Displays elite hand placement, timing, and strength when taking on opposing blockers and shedding blocks. Shows elite closing speed when pursuing the ball carrier or when rushing the QB. Excellent foot speed, first step explosiveness, and lateral agility allow him to play an extremely versatile role as a LB, often being asked to line up on the edge as a pass rusher, standing up as a 2nd level defender, dropping into zone coverage, while also being tasked with covering TEs out of the slot and RBs out of the backfield in man coverage. Chess piece of a defensive player that has experience playing the Mike, Will, and Sam backer positions while also playing a 3-4 edge defender role and even being lined up as a 3-tech in certain situations. Bradley is currently unranked as a recruit and it’s pretty surprising to see that given how talented he is. Regardless and as I previously stated in my Game Review piece, Bradley is an extremely talented player that will continue to be an integral component of a Valor Christian state title run.
Mikhail Benner Mikhail Benner 6'1" | 170 lbs | DB Broomfield | 2025 State CO , Broomfield Eagles (DB)(So.)(9) – Another player that I previously wrote about in one of my Game Review pieces, Benner was – without a doubt in my mind – the best DB from the quarterfinal round in Broomfield’s 46-0 beatdown of the Heritage Eagles. Benner was an absolute lockdown DB against the Heritage offense as he accounted for 2 tackles, a pass deflection, and 3 huge interceptions with 2 of them being returned for a touchdown. Turning on the tape of Benner’s night against Heritage, you can see he displays an uncanny ability to find the football, with this being the result of a combination of excellent top end foot speed, lateral agility, and tracking ability while the ball is in the air. Outstanding athlete with excellent first step explosiveness that allows him to hit top gear quickly and run stride-for-stride with most boundary receivers. Has the ideal build for a top-flight boundary corner as he has outstanding size and length (6’1, 175 lbs) that most lock down DBs have. Technically sound DB that rarely ever panics or gets handsy if he is in a less than ideal position to make a play on the ball/receiver. Prototypical ball-hawk DB that can shut down an entire quarter of the defensive backfield, routinely making opposing passers pay when they decide to test his side of the field. Benner is currently rated the number 2 DB and the number 11 player overall for the class of 2025, which isn’t really a surprise at all. As I previously mentioned in my Game Review piece earlier in the week, Benner has elite talent and despite only being a sophomore, will continue to be a key piece of the Broomfield defense as they prepare for their matchup in the semifinals.