Early Season Impressions: Who Has Made a Name for Themselves?
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Just like that, the first few weeks of the 2023 season are in the books! In the blink of an eye, the third high school football week is here and there’s no turning back now! Before we look ahead to…
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Continue ReadingJust like that, the first few weeks of the 2023 season are in the books! In the blink of an eye, the third high school football week is here and there’s no turning back now! Before we look ahead to this weekend’s action, what names across Colorado officially put themselves on the map with an early season lasting impression?
Trevor Lucero
Trevor Lucero
Exploding onto the scene in Week 1 of action, Mr. Lucero truly showcased how electric he can be with the football in his hands. With a fairly decent height of 6’3″ at the quarterback position, Lucero put on an absolute show against PRA en route to a 54-6 blowout win for Arvada with seven touchdown strikes through the air on an impressive 75% completion percentage. It looks like Arvada has their man!
A skilled defender in many aspects, DJ Crowe DJ Crowe 6’4″ | 220 lbs | DL Denver East | 2025 State CO simply has a nose for the football. Not to mention, he is a human wrecking ball at 6’3″, 225-pounds. Right off the bat, Crowe displayed his sheer strength in the two games he has already played. The end result? Racking up 16 total tackles including 5.5 for a loss and 3.5 sacks to boot. Only a junior, the scary thing is that Crowe may get even better as time goes by. This kid will only raise eyebrows before the season concludes.
Highlights
Already with multiple college offers, Spencer Rathbun Spencer Rathbun 6’5″ | 280 lbs | OL Rock Canyon | 2024 State CO is the real deal. In addition, Rathbun is the anchor on the offensive line of a Rock Canyon squad that possesses serious championship aspirations. Ranked #11 in all of 5A, the Jaguars have won their first two games and a big reason for such success has come from a ferocious ground game that has rushed for 428 yards . In large part due to Mr. Rathbun’s prioritizing his technique during the offseason, this hog mollie has become an incredible force up front with his ability to run block and even pass protect.
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First things first, there is no doubt that Kurt Rossner Kurt Rossner 6’4″ | 190 lbs | QB Heritage | 2024 CO passes the eye test at the quarterback position. At 6’5″, the Heritage product is considered prototypical height for a field general and that’s not even considering his rocket for a right arm. In a narrow loss to Mountain Vista in Week 1, Rossner did all he could completing 62% of his passes while firing five touchdown passes. Not to mention, but this kid has impeccable footwork and is athletic enough to throw humming darts on the run. Indeed, Rossner should be on everyone’s radar by this fall’s conclusion.
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Through two games, it appears that Ponderosa has found their man under center in Marcus Price. Still a junior, Price has absolutely tormented his first two defenses faced both resulting in victories against Fort Collins and rival Chaparral. Combined, the Mustangs QB has managed to throw for 607 yards including completing a sturdy 62% of his passes in eight quarters of play. Although Price doesn’t have a massive frame, he gets the ball out quick and has a high football IQ.
The second Heritage Eagle to be included on this list, Terch has a knack for big plays at the most opportunistic of times. Averaging a whopping 188 yards receiving per game up to this point, Rossner’s number one target in the passing game isn’t afraid to find pay dirt either. With four touchdown grabs and counting, Terch possesses excellent route running skills, supreme athleticism to pin point the football, and proper strength to run after the catch. With a big season ahead of him, Terch is truly the complete package at the wide receiver position.
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There’s no doubt about it; Austyn Modrzewski Austyn Modrzewski 6’5″ | 205 lbs | QB Mountain Vista | 2025 State CO is worth every second of the hype! Currently ranked as the number one player in the entire 2025 class, Modrzewski is already undergoing his third season as a high school starting quarterback. Since his freshman campaign, the Mountain Vista standout field general has used his gifted talents to torment defenses for a mind-boggling 57 passing touchdowns and more than 5,500 yards. Already with eight touchdowns next to his name in 2023, it appears Modrzewski is once again on another mission. Whether it is his stellar passing mechanics, his lanky presence in the pocket, or his overall sharp precision, could this finally be the season where the junior signal caller leads the Golden Eagles to glory?
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Surprise! It’s another Mountain Vista playmaker coming in hot! This time, the next Golden Eagle to leave an early season impression resides on the defensive side of the ball in middle linebacker Carter Daniels Carter Daniels 5’11” | 185 lbs | LB Mountain Vista | 2025 State CO . As ferocious as they come, Daniels is by far the anchor of the Vista defense while playing a balanced game in run support and pass coverage. Also only a junior, the 5’11” 190-pound backer is averaging double digit tackles through three games and has generated five tackles for a loss so far. With great instinctual technique, Daniels boasts nimble feet to gain proper tackling angles and rarely misses tackles. To summarize, there’s no doubt you’re going to feel it when running between the tackles and meeting with Daniels head on.