Week 1 Review: Roosevelt Roughriders vs Palisade Bulldogs

A look at the two best offensive and defensive performances from this nonconference 3A matchup.   Review   Coming into this matchup, most expected this to be a lopsided affair, as the Roughriders started this contest riding the wave of a state title and undefeated season last year while the Bulldogs didn't even finish with a record above .500 in 2022. This game would, to the surprise of no one, be as one-sided as many had expected - with Roosevelt holding an insane 42-0 lead at halftime. The Palisade offense would eventually get on the board in the 3rd quarter, but that would be their only score in a 49-6 shellacking by the Roosevelt Roughriders. Given how dominant Roosevelt was, it's easy to assume that the four best performances from this game were from the Roughriders' sideline and that would be correct. Although there were players on the Bulldogs' side of the field who played well, all things considered, they didn't have nights like the Roosevelt players. Regardless, here are the four players who I felt had the strongest showings in this game.   Players of the Game   [player_tooltip player_id='381209' first='Bronco' last='Hartson'], Roosevelt Roughriders (QB)(Sr.)(8) - Hartson was easily the heartbeat of the Roughriders offense last Friday night, making his presence felt through the air and on the ground. While not lighting up the stat sheet, the Palisade defense had no answers for Hartson as he went 9 of 13 (69%) for 104 yards passing, 3 passing touchdowns against an interception, and a QBR of 100.6 while also registering 45 yards rushing on 7 carries (6.4 YPC). When you watch Hartson's night against the Bulldogs defense, you can see he is a tremendously accurate passer to all three levels of the field. Exceptional ball placement on throws to every level of the field, routinely dropping the ball onto the receiver's outside shoulder on deep balls and squeezing throws into tight windows in between zone coverage on short and intermediate concepts. Poised, intelligent passer that rarely makes bad decisions under pressure with the football and consistently takes what the opposing defense gives him. Highly athletic QB that presents a threat on the ground whether it's on designed carries or when he's forced out of the pocket and has to scramble to pick up yards. Hartson is currently ranked the number 5 QB and the number 50 player overall for the class of 2024, which seems fair given his performance against the Bulldogs. Much like last year, Hartson will be a key piece to a Roughrider state title run.   [player_tooltip player_id='251270' first='Xavier' last='Ramirez'], Roosevelt Roughriders (RB)(Sr.)(21) – While having a relatively slow night by his lofty standards, Ramirez was still the leader of the ground attack for the Roughriders. Ramirez was the leading rusher for both teams in this matchup despite not cracking the century mark, as he accounted for 65 yards rushing and 2 rushing touchdowns on 7 carries (9.3 YPC) for the offense while also adding 40 yards receiving and a receiving touchdown on 2 receptions (20.0 YPR). Looking at the film from Ramirez's night against Palisade, 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 2 RB and the number 51 player overall in the class of 2024, which is certainly a well-deserved ranking. Much like last season, Ramirez will be a key piece in the Roughriders' pursuit of another state title this year.   [player_tooltip player_id='1352540' first='Evan' last='Hays'], Roosevelt Roughriders (LB)(So.)(5) - Despite only being an underclassman, Hays had probably the most well-rounded performance of any defender in this game. Hays made plays at every level of the defense, as he registered an impressive 4 tackles, a tackles for a loss, a forced fumble, a pass deflection, and an interception. When you watch the film of Hays' debut performance against the Palisade offense, you can see his incredible ability to always be around the ball, as he displays a knack for sniffing out plays in both run support and pass defense. Strong, physical safety/backer hybrid that spends a majority of his time in the box to act as an extra run defender. Aggressive, hard-nosed backer that doesn't shy away from contact with the opposing blocker or ball carrier. Displays great strength and placement with his hands when stacking-and-shedding blockers and getting to the ball carrier. Displays exceptional force and drive at the point-of-contact with the opposing ball carrier, consistently driving his legs through contact. Reliable in both man and zone coverage when being asked to cover TEs and tailbacks out of the backfield. Exceptional combination of athleticism, foot speed, and agility for his position allow him to play any role in the 2nd or 3rd level well. Versatile player that can play multiple positions but is at his best when lined up in the box. Hays isn't currently ranked on any recruiting boards for the class of 2026, but it's still early in his prep career and if he can continue to show out like he did against the Bulldogs, he'll be a fun player to follow the next few years.   [player_tooltip player_id='1422250' first='Noel' last='Sanchez'], Roosevelt Roughriders (LB)(Jr.)(26) - Much like his running mate on the outside, Sanchez made plays at every level of the defense for the Roughriders. Although not registering insane numbers, Sanchez definitely made his presence felt as he accounted for 6 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, a sack, and a pass deflection. When you watch the tape of Sanchez's night against the Bulldogs offense, you can see he displays an incredibly quick first-step out of his stance when crashing downhill in run support. A combination of this explosive first-step and good play-strength allow him to generate a significant amount of force at the point-of-contact with the ball carrier. Highly intelligent LB with a motor that runs white-hot, rarely being out of position despite his aggressive style of play; whether dropping into zone/man coverage or maintaining his gap responsibilities in run support. Displays good ability as a defender in pass coverage, consistently showing the ability to run with slower TEs and tailbacks in man coverage. Shows good form at the point-of-contact, consistently getting his head across the core of the ball carrier, wrapping his arms, and driving his legs through contact. Tough, relentless LB that can play every position in the linebacking corps at a high level. Sanchez isn't currently ranked on any recruiting boards for the class of 2025, which is fairly surprising but regardless, he'll be an integral piece of the Roosevelt defense this season.

A look at the two best offensive and defensive performances from this nonconference 3A matchup.