Top Out-of-the-Gate Performances- Breakout Offensive Debuts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the long awaited first week of games now complete, here are a few offensive performers that certainly broke out of the starting gate quickly, served notice that their off seasons have been spent wisely and clarified their intentions to improve upon their prior seasons and performances. By establishing their threat of dominance from the season's outset in either the running game, the passing game, or both, these athletes have effectively dictated to their opposing defensive coordinators that this week's first defensive priority must seek to limit, interrupt or curtail opportunities for these game-changers to effectively take over the scope and pace of this week's contests like they so masterfully did in Week 1.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Gage Bale","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'10u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2408","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Green County","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"After a solid and promising sophomore campaign last fall, Bale broke out quickly to begin his junior season and clearly established himself as the Dragons' most likely workhorse when they opt to move the football on the ground. While the 160-pounder's long-term durability will largely determine collective outcomes as the season progresses, his 21 carries for 176 yards and 1 touchdown in Friday's 34-20 victory over Garrard County certainly suggest that he is poised to account for a major share of his unit's offensive touches when needed. Also pulling in 2 receptions for another 15 yards, he displays an increasingly varied skill set that will enable him to exploit defenses in a variety of ways, as both his open-field elusiveness and quick acceleration make him very difficult to account for with a single defender.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["373824"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"With two seasons of considerable varsity action at quarterback already under his belt, Jessie is an unusually experienced junior who appears ready to elevate his offensive game by becoming a legitimately confounding double threat. Now playing at 190 pounds, he possesses the physicality to run the football frequently enough to force defenses to honor him, and after running for 138 yards and a touchdown on 7 carries in Week 1, future opponents clearly will disregard his versatility at their own peril. Also connecting 12 of 20 pass attempts for 157 yards and 2 touchdowns, he demonstrates impressive accuracy on his perimeter/intermediate throws and continually exhibits increased comfort and vision/composure in the pocket.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1008390' first='Jacob' last='Rose']","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"5'5u0022","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"2408","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"Prestonsburg","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_2_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"One of the biggest takeaways from Prestonsburg's 30-21 home-opener win of Leslie County was the return of Rose to the Blackcats' roster and the multiple ways in which he can stress defenses with the ball in his hands. His exceptional vision, low center of gravity and quick change-of-direction skills enabled him to rack up 162 yards rushing and a touchdown on 20 carries, and given his ability to make first defenders miss in the open field, he seems specifically well suited to handle a comparable number of offensive touches weekly. Also a dependable and fundamentally sound linebacker on defense, his ultimate offensive production might just be determined to some degree by the amount of rest/recovery his defensive backup(s) can provide him when opponents have the ball.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_3_player_details_player_name":"Martavious Smith","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_3_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_3_player_details_height":"5'7u0022","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_3_player_details_position":"2408","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_3_player_details_school":"Bethlehem","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_3_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_3_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"After missing the vast majority of his junior season due to injury, Smith's return for Game 1 of his senior season was a feel-good story in and of itself. However, given his ultimate impact upon the Eagles' eye-opening 55-13 win over Class 5A Marshall County, he appears poised to assume a lion's share of the offensive workload in the running game and also provide his unit a skilled, dangerous receiver out of the backfield. With an impressive ability to consistently run behind his pads, he proves to be a difficult ball carrier to take down one-on-one, and without adequate defensive pursuit/run support, his exceptional speed can transform routine gains into game-breaking outcomes. In his Week 1 return to competition, he broke out for 169 yards and 2 touchdowns on only 12 carries, while also hauling in 1 pass for another 23 yards.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["381913"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"While likely all Cougar fans have entered this season anticipating some big things from Yates's return for his senior season, particularly offensively, it seems unlikely that anyone realistically expected him to have such an impact on this season-opening 57-14 win over Warren Central in such varied ways. How varied, one might ask? Well, for starters, how about a Week 1 performance that includes a rushing touchdown, 2 passing touchdowns and yes, also a touchdown reception, a successful 2-point conversion, and even a fumble recovery for good measure? In all honesty, after completing 12 of 16 passes for 163 yards, rushing 6 times for 114 yards and hauling in 1 63-yard touchdown pass, even this early in the season, Yates appears almost impossible to game plan for, as his exceptional athletic skill set enables him to excel in so many different ways.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-64d12927405e1"} /-->