Week 2 Review: Heritage Eagles vs Arapahoe Warriors

A look at the five best performances from this cross-division, nonconference matchup.   Review   Coming into Week 2, the matchup between the Heritage Eagles and the 7th ranked Arapahoe Warriors wasn't a matchup that many expected to turn into a tight game. To the chagrin of the Heritage Eagles, the game played out as many expected, with the Eagles never really being in this game from the beginning. The Warriors would jump out to a 14-0 lead in the 1st quarter, with that remaining the score as both teams headed into the locker room at halftime. Heritage was able to add a touchdown late in the 3rd quarter to bring them back into the game. In the 4th quarter, however, Arapahoe would separate themselves from the Eagles, as they added two more touchdowns to put the upset out of reach and seal the 28-7 victory for the Warriors. In a game like this one, it was easy to find five players who stood out but unfortunately they were all on the Warriors' side of the field. With that being said though, here are the five players who I felt had the strongest showings.   Players of the Game   Michael Moynihan, Arapahoe Warriors (QB)(Sr.)(11) - Moynihan was easily the heartbeat of the Warriors offense in this game, having as solid a night as you can hope for from your QB. The Eagles defense had no answers for Moynihan through the air as he went an impressive 12 of 14 (86%) for 200 yards passing, 2 passing touchdowns, and a QBR of 165.2. When you watch the film of Moynihan's night against the Heritage defense, you can see he is an extremely poised, highly intelligent QB that takes what the defense gives him, rarely forcing throws into coverage or making risky decisions with the ball. Displays good arm strength, showing the ability to consistently hit most throws to all three levels of the field. Shows good accuracy on throws to all levels of the field, with ball placement often allowing his receivers to create after the catch. Not a lethal threat as a runner but is definitely mobile enough in the pocket to buy time for his receivers to get open downfield. Displays a good ability to throw accurate passes when forced out of the pocket and on the run or when he's forced to throw off-platform and from different arm angles. Moynihan isn't currently ranked on any recruiting boards for the class of 2024, with his smaller frame for the QB position (5'10, 165 lbs) probably being the reason why. Regardless of that, Moynihan is an immensely talented player that will be an important piece in the Warriors pursuit of a state title this season.   [player_tooltip player_id='277534' first='Charlie' last='Eckhardt'], Arapahoe Warriors (RB/WR/DB)(Jr.)(8) – In my professional opinion, Eckhardt had the best night of any player on any side of the ball. The Eagles had no answer on offense or defense for Eckhardt, as he accounted for an incredible 190 yards receiving and 2 receiving touchdowns on 7 receptions (27.1 YPR) on the offensive side of the ball, while also adding 5 tackles, a tackle for a loss, a pass deflection, and a huge interception on the defensive side of the ball. When you look at Eckhardt's performance against Heritage, the first thing that jumps out to you is his incredible overall athleticism and versatility. Outstanding athlete that can be plugged in and play multiple positions on offense and defense, often lining up in the backfield, out wide on the boundary, as well as in the slot on offense while also lining up as both a deep-middle safety, in the box safety for run support, nickel corner, and boundary corner on the defensive side. Great top end foot speed that allows him to stretch the defense as a boundary receiver while also making him a matchup problem for 2nd and 3rd level defenders out of the backfield. Shows excellent sideline-to-sideline ability as a ball hawk while playing a deep middle role. Displays excellent pop/force at the point-of-contact with the ball carrier when coming up in run support. Excellent overall athleticism allows him to match up in man coverage with most offensive skill players while also making him a lethal defender while roaming in zone coverage. Displays elite closing speed when pursuing the ball carrier from both the 2nd and 3rd levels. Eckhardt is currently ranked the number 2 WR and the number 21 player overall for the class of 2024, which isn't a surprise at all to see. Eckhardt is one of the most well-rounded players in the state and will be a force for the Warriors this season on both sides of the ball.   [player_tooltip player_id='777383' first='Trajan' last='Frasier'], Arapahoe Warriors (RB)(So.)(12) – Frasier was the spark plug for the Warriors ground attack last Friday night, as he had his biggest runs in the biggest moments. While not posting world-beating numbers, Frasier still played a huge role as he accounted for 55 yards rushing and a rushing touchdown on 10 carries (5.5 YPC), with the numbers not fully showing Frasier's impact. Diving into the film of Frasier's night against Heritage, 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 if he can continue to be the bell-cow for the Arapahoe offense, there's no reason to believe he won't create some recruiting buzz before 2026 roles around.   Will Knox, Arapahoe Warriors (LB)(Sr.)(3) – Knox, from my perspective, was the Warriors' most important player on the defensive side of the ball last week. Knox was an absolute force against the Heritage offense as he registered a remarkable 12 tackles, a tackle for a loss, a sack, and a pass deflection. Watching the film of Knox's night against the Heritage 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 shocking to see given his combination of production, tape, and frame that all translate to the collegiate level. Either way, Knox is a tremendously talented player that will be a massively important piece to an Arapahoe state title run this year.   Cade Nierling, Arapahoe Warriors (DB)(Sr.)(9) - Nierling was another player for the Warriors who made his presence felt on the defensive side of the ball - more specifically, in the defensive backfield. Nierling was a lockdown DB for the Arapahoe defense as he accounted for 6 tackles, 2 pass deflections, and a massive interception. When you watch Nierling's performance against the Heritage offense on film, you can see he has an outstanding combination of athleticism, agility, and speed that allows him to excel at both the boundary corner role, in either man or zone coverage, but is at his best when being asked to play the role of nickel DB, as he operates best in a phone booth where he can maximize his strengths as a DB. Despite his smaller build (5'9, 160 lbs), he brings a good amount of power to the point-of-contact with the ball carrier or an opposing blocker when coming down-hill in run support. Exceptional lateral agility allows him to cover hash-to-hash or run with even the fastest/quickest receivers on the boundary or in the slot. Shows excellent lateral agility and short area quickness that allows him to quickly flip his hips and run with most receivers on the boundary or when working against slot receivers in a phone booth. Fast, explosive, and savvy DB that always seems to be around the ball. Technically sound DB that knows how to utilize his explosiveness and athleticism to bait opposing QBs into risky throws. Nierling isn't currently ranked on any recruiting boards for the class of 2024, but nevertheless, is an incredibly talented player that will look to close out his prep career with a state title this season.

A look at the five best performances from this cross-division, nonconference matchup.