Semifinal Review: Loveland Red Wolves vs Palmer Ridge Bears

A look at the three best performances from this 4A semifinal matchup.   Review   This 4A matchup was one of several highly anticipated matchups of ranked teams last weekend, as the 8th ranked Loveland Red Wolves took on the 11th ranked Palmer Ridge Bears. The tale of the season for both these teams is strikingly similar, as the Bears came into the contest 12-0 and looking to continue their perfect season while the Red Wolves came in at 11-1 and riding an 11-game winning streak into the semifinals. These two programs certainly played like many had hoped, in an absolute slug-fest that was reminiscent of football games of old, with the ground game and the defenses dictating the day for both teams. Palmer Ridge was able to strike first, punching it in from a yard out to take a 7-0 lead at the end of the 1st quarter. Neither was able to move the ball much at all in the 2nd quarter, but the Loveland offense was able to drive down the field on their last possession and kick a field goal to cut the Bears' lead to 7-3 at the end of the 1st half. On their opening possession of the 2nd half, the Red Wolves ripped off an 80-yard touchdown run to take a 10-7 lead over Palmer Ridge. For the next two quarters, both defenses played about as flawlessly as they could have - which unfortunately for the Bears - meant that Loveland was able to seal the 10-7 nail-biting finish by riding their defense to the win and a trip to the 4A state championship. With a game between two teams as good these two programs, it was tough to pick just three players who had important performances for their respective teams. With that being said though, here are the three players who I felt had the strongest games.   Players of the Game   [player_tooltip player_id='62223' first='Garrett' last='Harstad'], Loveland Red Wolves (QB)(Sr.)(7) - Harstad was easily the Red Wolves most important player on either side of the ball, despite only completing one pass on the night, it was his performance on the ground that ultimately made the difference for Loveland in this game. Looking at Harstad's numbers from his showing against the Palmer Ridge defense, he only went 1 of 6 (17%) for 43 yards and a QBR of 56.9 through the air, but registered a remarkable 207 yards rushing and the would-be game-winning touchdown in the 3rd quarter on 26 carries (8.0 YPC). Turning on the tape of Harstad's day against the Bears, the first thing that jumps out to you is his ability as a ball carrier. Big-bodied (6'5, 200 lbs) ball carrier with a long stride and good top end foot speed that allows him to pull away from slower 2nd and 3rd level defenders. Physical runner bringing plenty of power behind his pads to the point-of-attack when making contact, routinely taking multiple defenders to bring him down while also presenting a lethal threat in short-yardage and goal line situations. Deceptively elusive runner in the open field that can quickly find daylight if given enough space. Elite level arm strength that allows him to push the ball to any spot on the field and squeeze short and intermediate throws into tight windows. In addition, his high level arm strength and mobility allow him to turn broken plays into chunk yardage, consistently putting pressure on the opposing defense if the structure of the play is broken. Harstad is currently rated the number 27 QB and the number 231 player overall in the class of 2023. Harstad is an incredibly talented player with the frame, production, and numbers to support that. He'll look to finish his career leading the Loveland offense with a 4A state title next week.   [player_tooltip player_id='150219' first='Nathaniel' last='Robinson'], Palmer Ridge Bears (RB)(Sr.)(28) – In what would be his last game as a Bear, Robinson did everything in his power to keep Palmer Ridge in the game and was easily the biggest reason they almost pulled off the incredible win. The Red Wolves defense did better than most defenses against Robinson, but were still gashed on several plays, as he accounted for 100 yards rushing on 18 carries (5.6 YPC). Putting on the tape of Robinson's night against Loveland, you can see he is an extremely well rounded back that doesn't have many weaknesses to his game. Robinson has great top end foot speed and an explosive, one-cut running style that allows him to quickly race past the 2nd and 3rd levels of the defense if given enough space. Outstanding change-of-direction/lateral agility allow him to remain elusive in the open field when working against 2nd and 3rd level defenders, while also allowing him to create daylight on plays that should otherwise be a loss. Displays good physicality on runs between the tackles and in situations that require him to drive his legs through contact to grind out tough yards. Good balance and lower body strength allow him to run through arm tackles and smaller defenders with little resistance. Displays outstanding vision, consistently anticipating the running lanes that will be created as the play develops, allowing him to hit big-plays in a moments notice. Shows good ability as a receiver out of the backfield, routinely being an extremely difficult matchup for LBs and less athletic safeties. Good blocker out of the backfield in pass protection scenarios when asked to stand in the backfield, anchor, and deliver a solid block on a blitzing LB. Robinson is the number 1 RB and the number 24 player overall in the class of 2023, with his ranking being very well deserved. While I'm sure this loss is an extremely tough thing to move on from, Robinson has so much to be proud of from an unbelievable career at Palmer Ridge and will be a great player at the collegiate level.   Caden Stansbury, Loveland Red Wolves (LB)(Jr.)(22) - While Harstad dominated on the offensive side of the ball for the Red Wolves, Stansbury was equally as dominant for the Loveland defense. The Palmer Ridge offense was completely stifled by Stansbury's performance, as he registered an outstanding line of 8 tackles, 3 tackles for a loss, a sack, a pass deflection, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Diving into the film of Stansbury's performance against the Bears offense, you can see Stansbury displays great top-end foot speed and explosiveness for the LB positions that allows him to attack downhill and drive back the ball carrier at the point-of-attack. Tremendous foot speed in addition to his outstanding lateral agility allow him to play the prototypical sideline-to-sideline role of a modern Mike backer. Displays good use of hands at the point-of-attack when making contact with an opposing blocker, showing a consistent ability to stack-and-shed in pursuit of the ball carrier. Savvy backer in run support with a good understanding of how to attack the blocker's outside shoulder and set the edge. Disciplined backside defender that doesn't over-pursue the ball carrier, maintaining backside contain and gap responsibility with his run fits. Excellent form tackling with a consistent ability to wrap up the ball carrier and drive his legs through contact. Displays requisite ability to drop into zone coverage and clog throwing lanes for the opposing QB. Tough, very physical, highly aggressive defender that looks for contact and finishes tackles well. Stansbury isn't currently ranked on any recruiting boards for the class of 2024, but if the Red Wolves can claim a 4A state title next week, he can certainly expect more buzz on the recruiting trail.

A look at the three best performances from this 4A semifinal matchup.