Week 2 Review: Valor Christian Eagles vs Pine Creek Eagles

A look at the five best performances from this nonconference, ranked 5A matchup.   Review   Of all the games from Week 2 that carried a significant amount of hype going into last weekend, the matchup between the 5th ranked Valor Christian Eagles and the 3rd ranked Pine Creek Eagles was easily the most highly anticipated. Early on, the game wasn't necessarily one-sided but Pine Creek jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the 1st quarter, with a field goal early in the 2nd quarter extending the lead to 10-0. Valor Christian would add a field goal before the half to cut the Pine Creek lead to 10-3, carrying some momentum into the locker room. With their first possession of the 2nd half, Pine Creek was able to add a score through the air to extend their lead to 17-3. Valor Christian wouldn't submit though, responding with a score of their own to make the score 17-10 entering the 4th quarter. Pine Creek would continue to extend the lead in the 4th quarter, punching it in on the ground to make the score 24-10, but Valor Christian would continue to fight back, adding a touchdown of their own to make the score 24-17. The Valor Christian defense needed to force a stop and get the ball back for the offense to stay in the game; unfortunately, they weren't able to slow down the Pine Creek offense in the final minutes, as they would add another score to seal the 31-17 victory over Valor Christian. In a game as high-powered as this one there were a number of players with strong showings, but these were the five who I felt had the strongest performances.   Players of the Game   [player_tooltip player_id='152282' first='Cameron' last='Cooper'], Pine Creek Eagles (QB)(Jr.)(2) - Cooper was easily one of the more prolific players on the offensive side of the ball in this game, making his presence felt through the air and on the ground. The Valor Christian defense couldn't do anything to stop Cooper as he went 13 of 16 (81%) for 190 yards passing, 2 passing touchdowns against an interception, and a QBR of 132.8 while also adding 73 yards rushing and a rushing touchdown on 9 carries (8.1 YPC) as well. When you watch the tape of Cooper's night against Valor Christian, you can see that he's an extremely athletic QB that looks more like a RB with the ball in his hands than a QB. Highly explosive runner with great vision and top-end foot speed that allows him to turn any scramble or designed run into a big play. Deceptively physical runner that can gain the tough yards in between the tackles by lowering his shoulder and driving his legs through the point-of-contact with the defender. Very strong armed passer that generates more than enough velocity behind his throws, with a ball that seems to leaps out of his hand. Shows an exceptional ability to create outside of structure when the play breaks down and he's forced to ad lib. Displays great accuracy and overall ball placement to all levels of the field, consistently completing throws into tight windows downfield. Cooper is currently ranked the number 5 QB and the number 21 player overall for the class of 2025, which is a more than deserving ranking given his night against Valor Christian. Cooper will look to be a leader on the offensive side of the ball as Pine Creek pursues a 5A title this season.   [player_tooltip player_id='381192' first='Asher' last='Weiner'], Valor Christian Eagles (QB)(Sr.)(14) - Although Valor Christian came up short against Pine Creek, it certainly wasn't a result of Weiner's play, as he did everything in his power to keep Valor Christian in the game. The Pine Creek defense largely struggled to contain Weiner for most of the night as he went 18 of 30 (60%) for 178 yards passing, 2 passing touchdowns against an interception, and a QBR of 85.1 while also adding 29 yards on the ground. When you turn on the tape of Weiner's night against Pine Creek, you can see that he is a tall, long armed passer (6'5, 210 lbs) with more than enough arm strength to hit every level of the field. Extremely efficient passer that makes good decisions with the ball, rarely trying to do too much or force throws into risky situations. Savvy, highly intelligent QB that takes what the defense gives him and displays a good understanding of coverages and how to work through his progressions based off of those coverages. Excellent athleticism allows him to be a threat on the ground when being forced to scramble or on designed runs. Good pocket presence that allows him to consistently elude the rush and buy enough time for his receivers to get open downfield. Weiner is currently ranked the number 2 QB and the number 10 player overall for the class of 2024, which isn't all too surprising. Weiner is an extremely talented player that will look to finish his prep career with a state title before heading somewhere to play at the college level next season.   [player_tooltip player_id='504195' first='Jonathan' last='Coar'], Pine Creek Eagles (RB)(Jr.)(5) – Coar was easily the catalyst for the Pine Creek offense last week, as he completely shredded the Valor Christian defense. Valor Christian couldn't do anything to stop Coar on the ground, as the junior tailback accounted for an impressive 166 yards rushing on just 16 carries (10.4 YPC). Turning on the tape of Coar's night against Valor Christian, you can see that Coar is about as well-rounded of a tailback you could hope for, displaying both strength and elusiveness when running with the ball. Displays outstanding balance and power at the point-of-attack when making contact with the defender thanks to a combination of his tall and stocky, frame for his position (5'11, 185 lbs) and his strong core and lower body. Shows a downhill running style between the tackles on inside carries, consistently breaking through arm tackles and pushing the pile. Highly explosive runner that quickly hits the running lane and finds daylight if given enough space. Great top end foot speed allows him to pull away from most 2nd and 3rd level defenders in the open field. Shows reliability as a receiver out of the backfield, with consistent hands allowing him to remain a safe check-down option for the QB. Coar is currently ranked the number 8 RB and the number 65 player overall for the class of 2025, which feels a little low given his combination of tape, production, and frame. Regardless, Coar will be the workhorse of the Pine Creek offense this season as they pursue a state title.   [player_tooltip player_id='404945' first='Elijah' last='Roy'], Pine Creek Eagles (WR)(Jr.)(12) - If Coar was the most dominant player on the ground, Roy was the most dominant player through the air. There wasn't a Valor Christian DB that could contain Roy as he registered 129 yards receiving and 2 receiving touchdowns on 6 receptions (21.5 YPR). When you put on the film of Roy's performance against the Valor Christian defense, the first thing that jumps out to you about him is his game-breaking speed, as he can beat most DBs off the line with speed alone. A combination of exceptional top-end foot speed and explosiveness make him a threat to score almost every time he touches the ball. Good, long frame (6'2, 170 lbs) allows him to not only present a threat for defenses on deep balls but also in jump-ball scenarios in the red zone. His elite athleticism combined with his excellent lateral agility and short-area quickness make him an elusive ball carrier in the open field after the receptions. Willing blocker who doesn't shy away from contact with bigger defenders. Can be put in different alignments but is at his best as a boundary receiver that threatens the deep and intermediate areas of the field. Roy is currently ranked the number 12 WR and the number 85 player overall for the class of 2025, which seems low considering his tape, production, and frame. With that being said though, if he can continue to play at a high-level, Pine Creek will be tough to defend this season.   [player_tooltip player_id='691219' first='Mason' last='Miller'], Pine Creek Eagles (RB/LB)(Sr.)(13) – Miller probably had the most dominant night of any defender in this game, being all over the field for Pine Creek. Miller was an absolute force at LB as he accounted for 7 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, and a pass deflection. Watching Miller's performance against the Valor Christian offense on film, the first thing that leaps off the film is his size (6'2, 225 lbs), easily being the biggest player on the field in many cases. Displays an incredibly high motor that shows the most when pursuing the ball carrier or when working to stack-and-shed an opposing blocker. Extremely physical tackler that brings a ton of pop/power to the point-of-contact with the ball carrier or the opposing blocker. Displays tremendous form when tackling, consistently getting his head across their core, wrapping up, and driving through contact. Explosive, downhill runner out of his stance that fills his run fits hard and fast, often getting into the backfield off of first step explosiveness alone. Very smart, quick-thinking backer than quickly read-and-diagnose the development of the play and react accordingly filling the run lane or dropping into coverage. Highly disciplined LB that rarely bites on play action and doesn't over-pursue the ball carrier/QB while containing the edge. Miller is currently rated the number 3 athlete and the number 29 player overall for the class of 2024, which is a more than fitting ranking for Miller. Miller will look to close out his stellar prep career with a state title before heading off to play at the collegiate level next season.

A look at the five best performances from this nonconference, ranked 5A matchup.