Week 11 – Offensive Players of the Week

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A look at the three best performances from the opening round of the state playoffs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players of the Week</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='246924' first='Aidan' last='Duda'], Rock Canyon Jaguars (RB)(Sr.)(20) – Duda, in my mind at least, had the most dominant night of any offensive player in Week 11 with his performance in Rock Canyon's 23-20 win over the Cherokee Trail Cougars. Epitomizing the definition of a workhorse tailback against the Cherokee Trail defense, Duda accounted for a ridiculous 341 yards rushing and 3 rushing touchdowns on 43 carries (7.9 YPC). Duda's offensive output on the ground was the most prolific night, statistically, of any offensive player from Week 11 - outpacing even the top passers from last week, as crazy as that is to say. When you turn to the tape of Duda's performance against the Cougars defense, you can see that Duda is a thickly built (5'10,190 lbs), power back with an extremely physical running style with the ball in his hands. Displays an exceptionally powerful and aggressive mentality with the ball in his hands that allows him to easily run through arm tackles on inside carries, as well making him an extremely difficult ball carrier to bring down in the open field. Shows a good ability to lower his shoulder and drive his legs through the point-of-attack when making contact with the defender, often gaining several more yards after the initial contact is made by the defender. Highly explosive runner that can hit top gear quickly and turn almost any carry into chunk yardage. Good top end foot speed allows him to outrun most slower 2nd and 3rd level defenders if he has enough space in the open field. Shows great ability as a blocker in both pass protection and as a lead blocker on designed runs or scrambles. Duda is currently ranked the number 22 RB in the state and the number 195 player overall for the class of 2023, but will look to finish his career as a Jaguar with a 5A state title.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='150189' first='Tyler' last='Kubat'], Fossil Ridge Sabercats (QB)(Sr.)(18) - Kubat was easily one of the state's top passers from the opening round of the state playoffs, with his performance in the Sabercats' 45-21 win over the Mullen Mustangs being instrumental in coming away with the victory. Kubat slung the ball all over the field for the Fossil Ridge offense, going an impressive 18 of 23 (78%) for 324 yards passing, 4 passing touchdowns against an interception, and a QBR of 140.9. When you put on the film of Kubat's performance against the Mustangs defense, you can see you can see that Kubat is a tall (6'5, 200 lbs), long armed passer with enough arm strength to hit every level of the field. Highly efficient passer that makes good decisions with the ball, rarely trying to do too much or force throws. Savvy, poised QB that takes what the defense gives him and is rarely phased in the face of pressure. Deceptive athleticism allows him to be a threat running the ball when scrambling or on designed runs. Good pocket presence that allows him to buy enough time for receivers to create separation downfield. Shows a good ability to throw accurately on the run, off-platform, and from different arm angles. Tough runner as a ball carrier, not being afraid to lower his shoulder and drive his pads through contact to finish a run. Kubat is currently rated the number 8 QB and the number 71 player overall for the class of 2023, with his prolific night against the Mullen defense serving as another example. Kubat will look to lead Fossil Ridge to a 5A state title before heading somewhere to play collegiately in 2023.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='503807' first='Gavin' last='Olshan'], Thunder Ridge Grizzlies (WR)(Sr.)(6) - In what was a huge game for the Thunder Ridge offense and their passing attack, Olshan was not only the leading receiver in the Grizzlies' 38-10 beatdown of the Doherty Spartans, he was also the leading receiver in the state from last week. Olshan was about as productive as you could hope for from a receiver against the Doherty defense, accounting for an outstanding 173 yards receiving and 2 receiving touchdowns on 10 receptions (17.3 YPC). When you dive into the tape of Olshan's performance against the Spartans defense, you can see that he is a highly explosive athlete with elite foot speed and acceleration that allows him to take the top off of a defense on any given play. Prototypical boundary, deep-threat receiver with a good frame (6'0, 180 lbs) that is a highly elusive, lethal runner in the open field after the catch. Excellent route runner that is a matchup nightmare against 2nd and 3rd level defenders lined up in man coverage when working short, intermediate, and deep routes. Strong, tough hands that consistently allow him to hold onto the ball when working through traffic. Shows good ability as a blocker on the boundary, consistently driving back the boundary corner lined up across from him. Olshan isn't currently ranked on any recruiting boards which is fairly surprising to see. He is a very talented player that will look to continue stacking good performances in the next round of the 5A state playoffs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->