5A Finals Review: Cherry Creek Bruins vs Valor Christ. Eagles
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A look at the three best performances from the 5A state championship game. Review This game was probably the most highly anticipated matchup of the three state championship games last weekend, as the 2nd ranked Valor Christian Eagles took on…
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Continue ReadingA look at the three best performances from the 5A state championship game.
Review
This game was probably the most highly anticipated matchup of the three state championship games last weekend, as the 2nd ranked Valor Christian Eagles took on the number 1 ranked Cherry Creek Bruins for the third year in a row to decide the 5A state title. Early on, this game was largely dictated by the defenses for both teams, as neither offense could much of anything going with the Bruins managing only a field goal in the 1st half and the Eagles scoring right before intermission to take a 7-3 lead into the locker room at halftime. The Cherry Creek offense would find life on their first possession of the 2nd half, however, punching it in on the ground to take a 10-7 lead early in the 3rd quarter. Valor Christian wasn’t able to respond on their next possession and the Bruins would make them pay for it, scoring on a deep ball from 34-yards out to extend their lead to 17-7, quickly shutting down any momentum that the Eagles had built. Valor Christian had their backs against the wall at this point but slowly started to chip away at the Cherry Creek lead, kicking a field goal at the end of the 3rd quarter to cut the Bruins lead to 17-10. Unfortunately for the Eagles, the Cherry Creek offense would chew up most of the clock in the 4th quarter on what would be their last possession of the game, punching it in on the ground from 4-yards out to extend their lead to a comfortable 24-10 with a little over six minutes to go in the game. Valor Christian would drive the ball down the field on their next possession and would score on a pass from 29-yards out to cut the lead to 24-17, but with a little under a minute left in the game, it felt like too-little-too-late. The Eagles would attempt an onside kick but it would be scooped up by the Bruins, putting the nail in the coffin of any Valor Christian comeback attempt and sealing a remarkable fourth straight state title for Cherry Creek. In a matchup with teams as talented as these two programs, it was near impossible to pick only three players who had outstanding performances for their respective teams. With that being said though, these were the three players who I felt made the biggest difference in the game.
Players of the Game
Carlson Tann Carlson Tann 5'10" | 175 lbs | RB Cherry Creek | 2023 State CO , Cherry Creek Bruins (RB)(Sr.)(17) – While there were several key players for the Bruins on the offensive side of the ball, Tann was unquestionably the focal point of the offense in this game. For most of the game the Valor Christian defense had no answer for Tann on the ground as he created chunk play after chunk play, slowly wearing down the Eagles defense over the course of the game. Looking at the stat sheet, Tann accounted for over 100 rushing yards and a huge rushing touchdown to spark the Bruins’ offensive attack in the first half, with the numbers not showing how truly productive he actually was against the Valor Christian defense. Putting on the tape of Tann’s performance against the Eagles, you can see Tann displays good vision and patience to identify the running lanes created by his offensive line and accelerate through them. One-cut runner that can quickly identify the running lanes and fly through them before the defense has an opportunity to fill their run fits. Maintains a low pad level at the point of contact, driving his legs to finish runs and gain extra yards. Also shows great lateral agility/athleticism to elude defenders in the open field, as well as the requisite explosiveness and foot speed to separate against second and third level defenders consistently pulling away from most. Balanced runner with good lower body strength that allows him to run through would-be arm tackles on runs in between the tackles. Home-run hitter as a RB that is a threat to score or create a chunk play for the Bruins offense on any given play. Tann is currently rated the number 3 RB and the number 35 player overall for the class of 2023, that will have won a state championship every year of his prep career, putting him and his teammates in the class of 2023 in rare air. Whatever collegiate program lands his commitment will be getting an incredible player.
Roman Bradley, Valor Christian Eagles (LB)(Sr.)(6) – Despite coming up short in his last game as an Eagle, Bradley was easily one of the biggest reasons that the Eagles kept things as tight as they did for much of the game. Diving into Bradley’s numbers from his night against the Cherry Creek offense, he accounted for an all-around impressive 5 tackles, a tackle for a loss, a pass deflection, and a huge interception on the goal line that gave the Eagles much needed momentum. When you put on the film of Bradley’s performance against the Bruins 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. As I’ve previously written about Bradley, he is currently unranked as a recruit and, given how well he’s played this year on a very talented Valor Christian defense, is absolutely more deserving of more recruiting buzz. Regardless, Bradley is an extremely talented player that left everything on the field in the final performance of his career as an Eagle.
Ismael Cisse Ismael Cisse 6'0" | 175 lbs | WR Cherry Creek | 2023 State CO , Cherry Creek Bruins (WR)(Sr.)(14) – While Tann was the spark on the ground, Cisse was easily the centerpiece through the air for the Bruins offense. In many of the key moments in the game, the Valor Christian defense didn’t have a single player in the defensive backfield that could keep up with Cisse, as he registered just under 100 yards yards receiving and a receiving touchdown that would ultimately open the flood gates for the Cherry Creek offense in the 2nd half. When you dive into the tape of Cisse’s performance against the Eagles defense, you can see that he has elite first step explosiveness and top-end foot speed, routinely showing the ability to take the top off of a defense. Excellent route runner that understands how to attack the opposing DBs leverage when their playing off coverage and how to beat DBs off the line lined up in press coverage. Shows incredible ability after the catch, consistently turning short and intermediate routes into bigger plays with his elusiveness in space – routinely presenting a challenge to tackle in 1-on-1 situations in the open field against almost any 2nd and 3rd level defender. A combination of a good frame (6’1, 185 lbs) and strong hands allows him to outmuscle smaller defenders on jump balls in the red zone and while working through traffic over the middle of the field on intermediate and short breaking routes. Big play waiting to happen at the receiver position, consistently showing the ability to turn any reception into a chunk play with the ball in his hands. Cisse is currently ranked the number 1 WR and the number 5 player overall for the class of 2023, with that ranking certainly being well-deserved. Like Tann and the other seniors on this team, Cisse will wrap up his prep career with a state title in all four years before heading off to whatever very lucky power five program lands his commitment in 2023.