Week 12 – Defensive Players of the Week
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A look at the three best defensive performances from the 2nd round of the state playoffs. Players of the Week Nick Long, Heritage Eagles (LB)(Jr.)(48) – Long was arguably the state’s top pass rusher from the 2nd round of the…
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Continue ReadingA look at the three best defensive performances from the 2nd round of the state playoffs.
Players of the Week
Nick Long, Heritage Eagles (LB)(Jr.)(48) – Long was arguably the state’s top pass rusher from the 2nd round of the state playoffs in the Eagles’ 21-10 win over the Mesa Ridge Grizzlies despite not registering a ton of tackles. While not registering a high number of tackles, Long made his presence felt by the Mesa Ridge offense the entire night, as he registered an impressive 6 tackles, 3 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks, and a pass deflection. When you turn to the tape of Long’s performance against the Grizzlies offense, you can see Long displays excellent athleticism/foot speed out of his stance that allows him to cover sideline-to-sideline when pursuing the ball carrier and crash downhill to fill his run fits. Smart, saavy LB with good instincts that can quickly diagnose running lanes and run fits/gap responsibilities accordingly while also presenting good instincts when playing underneath in zone coverage, rarely getting caught covering grass. Displays a motor that runs white hot while having an extremely tenacious and aggressive nature as a defender. Highly physical defender with a good frame for the backer position (6’1, 195 lbs) that doesn’t shy away from contact with would-be blockers and ball carriers. Displays excellent form as a tackler, consistently wrapping up the ball carrier and driving his legs through contact to secure the tackle. Down-hill runner with an extremely explosive first step that allows him to generate significant amounts of force at the point-of-attack when making contact with the ball carrier. Versatile 2nd level player that can play both a Mike backer position and a Sam/Will edge rusher role in a 3-4 scheme. Long isn’t currently ranked on any recruiting boards, which is rather surprising considering he has the size, tape, and production that indicate a collegiate level player. Regardless, he’ll continue to be an incredibly important player in the Eagles’ continued pursuit of a 4A state title.
Payton Wainwright Payton Wainwright 5'10" | 180 lbs | LB Columbine | 2023 State CO , Columbine Rebels (LB)(Sr.)(38) – I previously wrote about Wainwright in one of my Week 12 Game Review pieces and while not putting up world-beating numbers, his presence in the game – and more specifically, the 2nd half – was easily one of the biggest reasons that the Columbine Rebels were able to avoid an upset against the Rock Canyon Jaguars, almost single-handily sealing the 24-17 victory. Diving into Wainwright’s numbers from his night against the Jaguars offense, he registered a very impressive all-around 9 tackles, a tackle for a loss, a fumble recovery, a pass deflection, and a massive interception. When you watch Wainwright’s performance on film, you can see he displays elite closing speed while crashing downhill to fill his run fits/gap responsibilities and while in pursuit of the ball carrier. Incredible first step explosiveness out of his stance allows him to blow past opposing blockers almost entirely off of his first step alone. Extremely physical and aggressive defender that consistently wraps up and drives through contact with the ball carrier. Shows good hand placement, technique, and strength when stacking and shedding the opposing blocker. Great lateral agility combined with his outstanding athleticism allows him to routinely tackle the ball carrier in 1-on-1 scenarios in the open field. Smart, savvy LB that knows how to set the edge on a ball carrier without over-pursuing the ball carrier. Shows good ability in man coverage, being fast enough to cover almost any TE or RB out of the backfield and also being able to even match up with most slot receivers. Good zone defender showing a solid understanding of keeping the offense in front of him and not covering grass. Projects as a safety at the collegiate level. Wainwright is currently ranked the number 17 LB and the number 158 player overall for the class of 2023 . He certainly displays the traits and production that support his ranking. As I stated in my Week 12 Game Review piece, If the Rebels are able to capture a 5A state title, he can expect his recruiting buzz to increase even more.
Brent Harris Brent Harris 6'0" | 170 lbs | ATH Broomfield | 2024 State CO , Broomfield Eagles (DB/RB/WR)(Jr.)(6) – Harris was easily the state’s top performing DB from the 2nd round of the state playoffs in the Eagles’ 42-0 shutout of the Windsor Wizards. Harris made his presence felt in every phase of the defense for the Broomfield Eagles, as he accounted for 6 tackles, a tackle for a loss, a pass deflection, and 2 interceptions while returning one of the picks for a touchdown as well as 40 yards receiving, a receiving touchdown, and 24 yards rushing on the offensive side of the ball. Looking at Harris’ defensive performance against the Wizards on tape, you can see the first thing that jumps out about Harris is his outstanding overall athleticism and versatility as a DB. Excellent athleticism, lateral agility, and top-end foot speed allow him to excel at both the boundary corner role, in either man or zone coverage, as well as the ability to play a deep middle safety role in cover 3 – while also being occasionally asked to come into the box for run support. Despite his relatively smaller frame (6’0, 165 lbs), he brings plenty of power and force behind his pads at the point-of-attack when making contact with the opposing ball carrier. Exceptional awareness and change-of-direction allows him to cover hash-to-hash or run with even the fastest receivers on deeper routes downfield. The prototypical fast, explosive, and long-armed ball hawk that can shut down an entire third of the field. Savvy, ball-hawking DB that always seems to be around the ball and shows a good understanding of how to bait opposing QBs into dangerous throws. Harris isn’t currently ranked on any recruiting boards for the class of 2024, but if he continues to make plays while the Eagles 4A state title hopes are still alive, he can certainly expect some attention on the recruiting trail.