Week 1 Review: Arapahoe Warriors vs Legacy Lightning

A look at the two best offensive and defensive performances from this 5A nonconference matchup.   Review   Coming into this 5A matchup between the 13th ranked Arapahoe Warriors and the Legacy Lightning, many were expecting a great game between two playoff teams. How the game actually played out though, couldn't have been further from expectation, as the Warriors raced to a 17-0 lead in the 1st half. The Lightning wouldn't manage to put any points on the board until halfway through the 3rd quarter when they were able to register a safety. The Legacy offense would add a touchdown in the 4th quarter but it was too-little-too-late as Arapahoe would maintain the strong lead to seal the 31-9 shellacking of the Lightning. Despite the one-sided contest, Legacy still had a few players with strong performances, but the Warriors still had several themselves. With that being said, here are the players who I felt had the strongest offensive and defensive performances from this game.   Players of the Game   [player_tooltip player_id='777383' first='Trajan' last='Frasier'], Arapahoe Warriors (RB)(So.)(12) - Starting off the list is the player who I felt had the strongest showing of any player on either side of the ball in this game despite only being a sophomore, in tailback [player_tooltip player_id='777383' first='Trajan' last='Frasier']. The Legacy defense had zero answers for Frasier on the ground, as he registered an impressive 108 yards rushing and a rushing touchdown on 17 carries (6.4 YPC). Diving into the film of Frasier's night against the Lightning defense, you can see he displays a combination of good patience and vision behind the line-of-scrimmage, consistently waiting for his blockers to create running lanes and then accelerating through them. Tall, long (6'0, 180 lbs), physical runner with an aggressive nature when he has the ball in his hands. Shows the ability to maintain a low pad level at the point-of-contact with the defender, consistently driving his legs to finish runs and churn out extra yards. Displays good lateral agility and acceleration to elude defenders in the open field if given enough space, as well as the requisite top-end foot speed to separate against slower 2nd and 3rd level defenders. Very balanced runner with good lower body strength that allows him to run through arm tackles and smaller defenders routinely. Tough ball carrier that is at his best when asked to gain tough yards in-between the tackles. Frasier is currently unranked on recruiting boards for the class of 2026, but it's still very early in his recruitment but if he can continue to play a major role for the Warriors offense, that ranking will certainly rise.   [player_tooltip player_id='724845' first='Tyler' last='Anderson'], Legacy Lightning (RB)(Jr.)(10) - Despite the Lightning being throttled by the Warriors, it certainly wasn't a result of Anderson's performance, as the junior tailback might have been the lone bright spot on the Legacy offense. While not posting all-world numbers against the Warriors defense, Anderson still played well accounting for 75 yards rushing and a rushing touchdown on 13 carries (5.8 YPC). Watching the tape of Anderson's night against the Arapahoe defense, the first thing that jumps out to you is his elite level agility and elusiveness as a ball carrier, routinely making multiple defenders miss on just about every carry. Shows excellent vision when working between the tackles on inside runs or when bouncing the ball outside to find daylight, consistently turning small creases into big plays. Highly explosive runner with the ball in his hands that can turn any carry into a score. A quietly tough and strong ball carrier that can consistently run through arm-tackles from 2nd and 3rd level defenders and churn out tough runs in short yardage situations. Shows elite top-end foot speed and acceleration that allows him to outrun most 2nd and 3rd level defenders if he's given even a little bit of room to work. Anderson is currently rated the number 5 RB and the number 37 player overall in the class of 2025 and given his performance against the Warriors talented defense, it's not difficult to see why. He's an incredibly talented player that will play a huge role for the Legacy offense through this season and next.   [player_tooltip player_id='381201' first='Omari' last='Bursey'], Legacy Lightning (LB)(Sr.)(4) – Although he was on the losing side of this game, Bursey had the strongest defensive performance of any player on either side, making his presence felt for all four quarters. The Arapahoe offense couldn't even remotely stop Bursey last Friday, as he registered a remarkable 10 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, a sack, and a pass deflection. Turning to the tape of Bursey's performance against the Warriors, he immediately jumps off the tape as the biggest and most explosive player on the field which makes him an almost unstoppable force on the defensive side of the ball. An absolute heat-seeking missile of a Mike backer that can quickly close in on the ball carrier while in pursuit. A sideline-to-sideline eraser that can quickly shoot his gap and get into the backfield while also displaying the ability to swiftly set the edge and prevent ball carriers from bouncing it outside. Explosive, downhill runner out of his stance that can win against opposing blockers or ball carriers with both power and speed. Aggressive and extremely physical defender that brings a ton of force behind his pads at the point-of-attack, routinely stopping the opposing ball carrier dead in his tracks. Shows good overall ability when being asked to drop into pass coverage, having the size and speed to stick with most RBs or TEs in man coverage while also showing an ability to make a play on the ball when dropping into zone coverage. Bursey is currently rated the number 2 LB and the number 19 player overall for the class of 2024, which feels appropriate given his rare combination of tape, production, and size (6'1, 225 lbs). Bursey can continue to cement his status as one of the state's top LBs with a strong senior season leading the Legacy defense.   Will Knox, Arapahoe Warriors (LB)(Sr.)(3) - Knox was easily the leader of the Warriors defense last Friday, as he had about as well-rounded a performance as you can hope for from a Mike backer. Knox was a big reason the Arapahoe defense was able to mostly smother the Legacy offense as he accounted for an impressive 11 tackles, a tackles for a loss, a sack, and a pass deflection. Watching the film of Knox's night against the Lightning defense, you can see he displays a combination of great top-end foot speed and explosiveness for a Mike backer that allows him to attack downhill and drive back the ball carrier at the point-of-contact. Foot speed, acceleration and his outstanding lateral agility allow him to play the prototypical sideline-to-sideline role of a modern Mike backer. Displays outstanding use of hands at the point-of-contact to shed blockers and close on the ball carrier. Highly intelligent, very savvy LB with a good understanding of how to attack the blocker's outside shoulder and set the edge when coming up in run support and when diagnosing plays pre-snap. Highly disciplined defender when working backside not over-pursuing the ball carrier, maintaining outside contain, and gap responsibility on the edge or on the inside. Elite form tackler with a consistent ability to wrap up and drive his legs through contact with the ball carrier. Displays good ability when being asked to drop into zone coverage. Extremely tough, highly aggressive, and incredibly physical defender that looks for contact and finishes tackles well. Knox is currently unranked on most recruiting boards, which is fairly surprising given the fact that he has all the traits recruiters would look for in a Mike backer. Regardless, he'll be a key piece on a strong Arapahoe defense.

A look at the two best offensive and defensive performances from this 5A nonconference matchup.