SD West River Players to Watch Part 2

Part Two of the Western Round-up! This time highlighting the bigger city athletes with a few smaller team athletes, but the talent level is still high. Another group of athletes with a variety of positions and assets at those positions to make watching tape a lot of fun to watch. Take a look at the second part of the West River Players to Watch for the 2023 season!   Braylon Marshall (OL/LB)- Rapid City Christian, <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Ke2gQ">Highlights</a>   Watching Marshall's tape, you would never guess that he was a Sophomore this year. His size, and style of play make him look like a seasoned vet. When getting his reads, he has a lot of patience, then reacts quickly and fills his gap. He is one of those kids that is the aggressive type on defense. Scraping across the formations with conviction and making a big hit in the gap with great form. While he is huge in the run stop game, he also shines in pass defense as well. Really showing his speed to get to his zone in a hurry on pass reads. Also showing his agility to shuffle across the middle zone and take away those targets from the offense.   [player_tooltip player_id='174193' first='Beck' last='Morgan'] (WR)- Rapid City Stevens, <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2JP7sG">Highlights</a>   Morgan seemed to be a good wildcard for the offense. Looking like he was the primary possession receiver to extend drives, it was what he did after the catch that made him stand out. After getting his separation with crisp route-running, he made sure to secure the catch to gain the minimum yardage on the given down. If he still had space after the catch, he turned a short play into a big one. Showing decent speed to gain as many yards as possible before the defense could close in on him. He also showed his agility to avoid the first defender, and strength to run through another and grind out every last yard.   Zack Soderlin (RB)- Rapid City Central,<a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2JDRRt"> Highlights</a>   Soderlin put his name on the radar this past season, now is his time to break loose. He really fits the mold of a RB that can change pace of the game. I like the way he finds the open gaps after his blocks develop and then attacks them. His speed gets him through the gap in a hurry and make a big play out of it. If speed doesn't get the job done, his agility and physicality will. Along with his vision he uses those two assets together to gain every possible yard in a given play. Lastly, his 'it' factor would be his grit. Even if he gets hit in the backfield, he never gives up on the play and makes something positive out of it.   [player_tooltip player_id='675281' first='Kolter' last='Robbins'] (OL/DL)- Spearfish, <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Jgb9r">Highlights</a>   Robbins brings a good energy to both sides of the ball in the trenches. Firing off the ball on both offense and defense to win the leverage battle early and help win the play for his team. Whether its run-blocking or shooting gaps, his pad level is always good and really gives him the leverage he wants on each play. On his down-blocks, he does a good job burying his defender and opening the gap up wide on his side. Defensively, he really shows off his motor. First engaging his blocker and pursuing the flow. If he heads in the wrong direction, he does an excellent job switching gears and chasing the ball down from behind.   [player_tooltip player_id='210627' first='Rylee' last='Veal'] (RB/WR)- Harding County/Bison, <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Jq5WY">Highlights</a>   Veal is the type of athlete that makes defenses' lives difficult each week. His size and strength make him a real problem to contain and bring down. I like his physicality and muscle when he runs through the tackles (or guards for 9-man sake). He keeps good pad level when running the ball and always has the ball secured. His stiff arm keeps any defender off of him in open space and gets him on those big runs. The difference making factor in his game is his speed. Once he gets loose, his running form is really smooth and effective to leave the defense in his dust for the long TD.   [player_tooltip player_id='294145' first='Tyan' last='Buus'] (WR)- Sturgis Brown, <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/16242679/635dacc84deb630d1c20691d">Highlights</a>   Buus is one of the best slot speedsters I've seen on tape. With one season left, he will make huge strides for the Scoopers in his Senior Season. He gets off the ball quickly into his routes and gets himself open down the field with speed. Being a very explosive athlete, if the defender can stick with him, he can elevate over top of him and win the jump ball consistently. His hands make him really stand out, since he only needs one at a time to make catches. If a big play was needed, or a score in the red zone, the ball was going his way.   [player_tooltip player_id='533141' first='Steven' last='Koper'] (DB)- Douglas, <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Kihd4">Highlight</a>   Koper can be used as a swiss army knife on both sides of the ball. Primarily on defense, he does a good job being a ball-hawking Safety on the passing downs. Also has the athleticism to roll up and lock down the opponents favorite target in man defense. He has very good football sense in pass coverage, knowing when to go for the pick or just knock the pass away and not draw flags. Also steps up and makes tackles around the line of scrimmage in run support. Lastly, on special teams, he can cause a spark with his speed and vision on kick returns.

Part Two of the Western Round-up! This time highlighting the bigger city athletes with a few smaller team athletes, but the talent level is still high. Another group of athletes with a variety of positions and assets at those positions to make watching tape a lot of fun to watch. Take a look at the second part of the West River Players to Watch for the 2023 season!