Finals in Review - State Championship MVPs

A look at the MVPs of the 3A, 4A, and 5A state championship games.   3A State Championship MVP   [player_tooltip player_id='251270' first='Xavier' last='Ramirez'], Roosevelt Roughriders (RB)(Jr.)(21) – In the Roughriders' 34-24 win over the Lutheran Lions, Ramirez was without question the player of the game from that matchup. As I stated earlier in the week in my 3A Finals Review piece, the Lutheran defense couldn't do a thing to even remotely stop Ramirez from wearing them down over the course of the game, as he accounted for a remarkable 147 yards rushing and 2 rushing touchdowns on 30 carries (4.9 YPC) for the offense while also adding 82 yards on 4 kickoff returns on special teams. Looking at the film from Ramirez's incredible performance against the Lions, you can see Ramirez displays a combination of exceptional top end foot speed, great change-of-direction, and good vision in the open field allow Ramirez to turn any carry into a touchdown or a big play. Extremely elusive runner in the open field that can find space quickly presenting a challenge for 2nd and 3rd level defenders to tackle in 1-on-1 situations in space. Displays good lateral agility when bouncing carries to the edge, making it difficult for slower defenders to set the edge. Shows a good ability as a receiver out of the back field, often creating a matchup problem with slower 2nd and 3rd level defenders because of his speed and change-of-direction. Ramirez is currently ranked the number 6 RB and the number 61 player overall in the class of 2024, which isn't surprising considering that the Roosevelt offense typically only goes as far as Ramirez can take them. Again, as I previously stated in my 3A Finals Review piece, Ramirez was certainly the catalyst for the Roughriders against the Lions - helping Roosevelt earn it's first state title in program history and will look to be an integral piece in their pursuit of another state title in 2023.   4A State Championship MVP   [player_tooltip player_id='514389' first='Canon' last='Juarez'], Broomfield Eagles (DB/WR)(Sr.)(4) – Reiterating what I wrote in my 4A Finals Review piece, Juarez was easily the MVP and best all-around player for Broomfield in their 24-14 win over the Loveland Red Wolves. Juarez had an all-world performance for both the Broomfield offense and Broomfield defense in what would be the last game of his prep career, accounting for 81 yards receiving on 4 receptions (20.3 YPR) as well as 38 yards rushing and a rushing touchdown on 6 carries (6.3 YPC) while also registering 3 tackles, a tackle for a loss, a pass deflection, and an interception that would help the Eagles extend their lead. For the sake of this piece, we'll focus on what Juarez shows on the offensive side of the ball. Diving into the film from Juarez's performance against the Red Wolves defense, the first thing that jumps out to you is his excellent first-step explosiveness out of his stance at the line, often winning the release against the DB off of foot speed and first-step explosiveness alone. Excellent athlete with the agility and elite top-end foot speed necessary to take the top off of a defense on deeper routes and take short to intermediate routes the distance if given enough space in the open field after the catch. Highly elusive ball carrier in the open field that can find daylight in even the tightest running lanes, presenting a challenge for 2nd and 3rd level defenders to tackle in 1-on-1 situations. Displays strong, consistent hands in tight coverage when going over the middle and working through traffic on short and intermediate routes. Shows great tracking ability when working through defenders on deeper routes. Versatile receiver that can be lined up on the boundary or in the slot, but is at his best in the slot where his strengths as a player in tight spaces can be accentuated. Juarez isn't currently ranked on any recruiting boards, and as I also stated in my 4A Finals Review piece, it is extremely surprising to see given how truly dominant he's been this season and the size of his role on a very talented Broomfield team. Despite the lack of attention on the recruiting trail, Juarez made the loudest statement he could have possibly made in his final performance as an Eagle.   5A State Championship MVP   [player_tooltip player_id='22757' first='Carlson' last='Tann'], Cherry Creek Bruins (RB)(Sr.)(17) – While there were a number of outstanding performances in Cherry Creek's 24-17 win over the Valor Christian Eagles, Tann was arguably the most important player in the Bruins' fourth straight state championship win. Tann carved out a number of big runs for the Cherry Creek offense, slowly wearing down the Eagles defense over the course of the game as he 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 unstoppable 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, while having won a state championship every year of his prep career, putting him and the other seniors for the Bruins in rare air. Cherry Creek might not have been able to pull out the win had Tann not been on the field and, like I said in my 5A Finals Review piece, whatever collegiate program lands his commitment will be getting an incredible player in 2023.

A look at the MVPs of the 3A, 4A, and 5A state championship games.