Week 3 Review: Regis Jesuit Raiders vs Arapahoe Warriors

A look at the five best performances from this ranked, nonconference matchup.   Review   Of all the ranked, high-stakes matchups this weekend - the contest between the 6th ranked Regis Jesuit Raiders and the 3rd ranked Arapahoe Warriors was probably the one with the most excitement surrounding it. Different from many of the other highly anticipated games from Week 3, this game was a back-and-forth battle that came down to the wire. In the 1st quarter, both teams would trade scores in back-to-back possessions, keeping the score tied at 7-7 going into the 2nd frame. The 2nd quarter would be a tough one for the Raiders, as the Warriors would add two touchdowns to carry a 21-7 lead into the locker room at halftime; with the feeling of another blowout starting to become palpable. The script would be flipped coming out of the locker room though, with the Regis Jesuit offense getting the ball into the end zone on consecutive possessions that would tie the game up at 21-21 after the 3rd quarter. The Arapahoe offense would come to life in the 4th quarter when it mattered the most, scoring on consecutive possessions to take a commanding 34-21 lead with only a few minutes left in the game. Regis Jesuit would try to claw their way back into the game again, adding a score of their own late but ultimately coming up short with the second comeback attempt - sealing the hard-fought and extremely thrilling 34-27 victory for the Warriors over the Raiders. In a game as dramatic as this one, it'd be easy to imagine that there were players on both teams with tremendous performances, which would be correct. With that being said though, here are the five players who I felt had the biggest impact for their respective team.   Players of the Game   [player_tooltip player_id='777383' first='Trajan' last='Frasier'], Arapahoe Warriors (RB)(So.)(12) – Frasier was, without a doubt, the best player on the field in this game despite only being a sophomore. Frasier was easily the heartbeat of the Arapahoe offense last Friday, registering an impressive 172 yards rushing and 3 rushing touchdowns on 20 carries (8.6 YPC). Diving into the film of Frasier's performance against the Raiders 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 with a performance like this one, it'll be hard to ignore him this season as the Warriors chase a 5A state title.   Michael Moynihan, Arapahoe Warriors (QB)(Sr.)(11) – While Frasier might have been the most valuable player from this game, Moynihan wasn't far behind with his performance against the Raiders. Moynihan was able to efficiently move the ball for most of the game against a very talented Regis Jesuit defense as he went 16 of 21 (76%) for 193 yards passing, 2 passing touchdowns against an interception, and a QBR of 115.8. When you watch the film of Moynihan's night against the Raiders, 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, which I've stated in previous pieces, is probably due to his smaller frame for the QB position (5'10, 165 lbs). Despite the lack of recruiting buzz though, Moynihan is an incredibly talented player whose importance to the Warriors this season can't be overstated.   [player_tooltip player_id='404992' first='Peyton' last='Lindell'], Regis Jesuit Raiders (QB)(Jr.)(15) - Lindell had an equally poised performance as his counterpart on the other sideline, bringing the Raiders back once and nearly completing a second comeback. The junior signal-caller was able to accurately deliver passes to all areas of the field against the Warriors as he went 17 of 26 (65%) for 186 yards passing, 3 passing touchdowns against an interception, and a QBR of 108.8. When you turn on the tape of Lindell's night against Arapahoe, you can see the first thing that jumps off the film is is his elite-level arm strength that forces the defense to cover every blade of grass, putting tremendous pressure on the back-end of the opposing defense. Shows good ball placement and overall accuracy to all three levels of the field, including on tight-window throws in between defenders in zone coverage. Exceptionally accurate passer on the run, consistently showing the ability to consistently hit throws when forced out of the pocket or when off-platform. Tremendous pocket presence allows him to feel the rush well and move around the pocket without taking his eyes off his receivers downfield. Displays good overall athleticism and ability as a ball carrier, as he has good top-end foot speed that allows him to pull away from slower 2nd and 3rd level defenders if given enough space. Long-armed passer with a smooth release and a good frame for the position (6'2, 190 lbs) that fits the mold of a modern QB. Lindell is currently ranked the number 12 QB and the number 95 player overall for the class of 2025, which seems low given his combination of traits and production against quality competition that all translate to the collegiate level. Either way though, he's an immensely talented player that will continue to lead a talented Raiders offense.   [player_tooltip player_id='1430836' first='Jojo' last='Hernandez'], Regis Jesuit Raiders (WR/DB)(Jr.)(14) - Hernandez probably had the most well-rounded performance of any player in this game, making plays on both sides of the ball for the Raiders. Hernandez was all over the field for Regis Jesuit and made his presence felt the whole night, accounting for 95 yards receiving and 2 receiving touchdowns on 6 receptions (15.8 YPR) for the offense while also registering a tackle, a pass deflection, and a massive interception on the defensive side of the ball. For the sake of this piece, we'll focus on Hernandez's offensive tape since that's the side that felt his impact the most. When you watch Hernandez's showing against the Arapahoe defense, you can see he displays tremendous explosiveness out of his stance when getting off the line, often winning the release against the opposing DB off of first-step acceleration off the line alone. Exceptional all-around athlete with the combination of lateral agility and great top-end foot speed that threatens to take the top off of a defense on any given play. Incredibly elusive ball carrier after the catch, in the open field that can consistently win against defenders in one-on-situations. Shows strong, consistent hands in tight coverage when going over the middle on short and intermediate routes. Highly nuanced route runner for his age that displays a significant understanding of how to attack opposing DBs based off their alignment and the type of coverage. Hernandez isn't currently ranked on recruiting boards for the class of 2025, which is probably because he hasn't taken on a large role for the Raiders until this season. If he can continue to play like he did Friday though, Regis Jesuit can expect to compete against every team they play this season.   Will Knox, Arapahoe Warriors (LB)(Sr.)(3) – Knox, from my perspective, was one of the most important players on the defensive side of the ball for the Warriors last Friday. Despite not putting up mind-boggling numbers, Knox was still a problem for the Regis Jesuit offense as he accounted for 7 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, and a pass deflection. Watching the film of Knox's performance against the Raiders, 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 recruiting boards for the class of 2024 which feels more and more surprising with each strong performance he has this season. Nevertheless, he'll look to close out his time as a Warrior with a state title before hopefully getting an opportunity at the college level.

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