Week 4 Review: Broomfield Eagles vs Erie Tigers

A look at the five best performances from this 4A, nonconference matchup   Review   In a weekend that was chalk full of enticing matchups, the matchup that garnered the most excitement from the Saturday slate of games was a rematch of last year's thrilling 4A semifinal game - pitting the defending state champ Broomfield Eagles against the 6th ranked Erie Tigers. Early on, it seemed like this year's rendition of the game might be another back-and-forth affair. Albeit, as a defensive struggle as opposed to the offensive shootout last year; with neither side managing anything offensively, leading to a 0-0 stalemate at the end of the 1st quarter. On their first possession of the 2nd quarter, the Eagles were able to punch it in on the ground to take an early 7-0 lead. Unfortunately for Broomfield, those would be their only points on the day. From there it would be all Tigers, as Erie would add two touchdowns and a two-point conversion in the 2nd quarter to carry a 15-7 lead going into the locker room at halftime. The Broomfield defense would keep them in the game through the 3rd quarter, largely shutting down the Erie offense - but the Eagles' struggles offensively would prevent them from putting any points on the board. The 4th quarter mostly felt like a replay of the 2nd quarter, to the chagrin of Broomfield, with the Erie offense punching in two touchdowns and a two-point conversion on the ground to put a stamp on their largely dominant 30-7 victory. Although the results of this game were pretty lopsided, there were still a number of players on both teams who had strong performances. With that being said though, here are the five players who I felt had the strongest impact on the game for their respective teams.   Players of the Game   Alex Sweeney, Erie Tigers (WR/DB)(Sr.)(1) – Sweeney was probably the most well-rounded player for the Tigers in this game, contributing on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball against the Eagles last Saturday. While Sweeney wasn't necessarily dominant against Broomfield on either side of the ball, he was still a solid contributor as he accounted for 40 yards receiving on 3 receptions (13.3 YPR) while also registering a tackle and an interception for the defense. For the sake of this piece, we'll solely focus on Sweeney's offensive tape. When you dive into the film of Sweeney's performance against the Eagles, you can see he displays a knack for finding soft spots in zone coverage, consistently turning catches up the seam into chunk plays downfield. Tall, long slot receiver (6'3, 175 lbs) that knows how to use his frame to box out defenders when high pointing a ball on fade routes or when making contested catches in traffic over the middle. Strong handed, extremely physical receiver that doesn't shy away from contact and being physical with the defender while working down field. Willing and able to make tough catches on short and intermediate routes in traffic, consistently making catches in gotta-have-it moments in the game. Good athleticism and top end foot speed allow him to consistently pull away from less athletic 2nd and 3rd level defenders. Highly elusive ball carrier after the catch, that can consistently break tackles in one-on-one situations if given enough space. Requisite ability as a blocker against smaller DBs and LBs. Sweeney is currently unranked on recruiting boards for the class of 2024 but that doesn't take away from his impact on the Erie team. He's an immensely talented player that will look to close out his prep career with a state title this season.   [player_tooltip player_id='143622' first='Blake' last='Barnett'], Erie Tigers (QB)(Sr.)(3) – The future Kansas State Wildcat showed again why he's such a highly coveted recruit with his day against the Eagles defense. Barnett was a threat through the air and on the ground against the Broomfield defense as he went 9 of 17 (53%) for 139 yards passing, a passing touchdown, and a QBR of 99.9 while also registering 77 yards rushing and 3 rushing touchdowns on 19 carries (4.1 YPC) as well. Looking at the blue-chip passer's tape from his performance against the Eagles, you can see that he's a big, powerful, and extremely athletic QB that looks more like a RB with the ball in his hands than a QB. Highly explosive runner that can take it the distance if given the smallest amount of daylight. Well balanced, highly physical runner that can gain the tough yards in between the tackles while also being able to run through arm-tackles/smaller defenders at the point-of-contact. Very strong-armed passer that generates more than enough velocity to hit all the throws at every level of the field, routinely stretching the back end of the defense with his deep balls. Extremely quick release with a ball that seems to jump out of his hand. Exceptionally accurate passer at every level of the field, with consistent ball placement on short, intermediate, and deep passes. Displays incredible accuracy when off-platform, on-the-run, or when being forced to ad-lib. Smart passer that rarely makes bad decisions with the ball that lead to turnovers. Barnett is currently ranked the number 1 QB and the number 3 player overall for the class of 2023, which I know I've stated in previous pieces is a more than well-deserved ranking. As long as Barnett is pulling the trigger for the Erie offense, the Tigers are in a prime position to pursue a 4A state title this season.   [player_tooltip player_id='251319' first='CT' last='Worley'], Broomfield Eagles (QB)(Jr.)(17) – Despite the Eagles being on the receiving end of a heavy beat-down, Worley certainly did everything in his power to keep them in the game. While not posting jaw-dropping numbers, Worley left it all on the field against the Tigers as he went 10 of 12 (83%) for 91 yards passing and a QBR of 103.1, while also adding 63 yards rushing and a rushing touchdown on 9 carries (7.0 YPC) as well. When you put on the film of Worley's day against the Erie defense, you can see he shows a combination of incredible athleticism and size (6'2, 210 lbs) from the QB position that adds a lethal second element to the Broomfield offense. Well-rounded ball carrier that is both an elusive runner and a physical runner in the open field, consistently showing the ability to break tackles in a multitude of ways. Great top-end foot speed and acceleration that allows him to easily separate from 2nd and 3rd level defenders. Exceptionally live arm with a smooth, over the top release that makes the ball look like it's coming out of his hand effortlessly. Highly accurate passer on short and intermediate throws, while also displaying consistent ball placement while on the move. Smart QB that rarely makes bad decisions with the ball that put the offense in a tough spot. Worley is currently rated the number 3 QB and the number 12 player overall in the class of 2025 with each strong performance continuing to support his recruiting buzz. While I'm sure Worley would rather have the win, he's a tremendous player that will continue to lead the Broomfield offense in their pursuit of another 4A state title this season.   [player_tooltip player_id='514391' first='Brent' last='Harris'], Broomfield Eagles (DB/RB/WR)(Sr.)(6) – Much like Sweeney for the Tigers, Harris had probably the most well-rounded performance of any player for the Eagles. Harris might not have put up ridiculous numbers but he still contributed on both sides of the ball as he accounted for 5 tackles, a forced fumble, and a pass deflection on the defensive side of the ball while also registering 12 yards receiving on the offensive side of the ball. Turning on Harris' defensive film from his day against Erie, you can see the first thing that jumps out about Harris is his outstanding overall athleticism and versatility as a DB. Excellent athleticism, lateral agility, and top-end foot speed allow him to excel at both the boundary corner role, in either man or zone coverage, as well as the ability to play a deep middle safety role in cover 3 – while also being occasionally asked to come into the box for run support. Despite his relatively smaller frame (6'0, 165 lbs), he brings plenty of power and force behind his pads at the point-of-attack when making contact with the opposing ball carrier. Exceptional awareness and change-of-direction allows him to cover hash-to-hash or run with even the fastest receivers on deeper routes downfield. The prototypical fast, explosive, and long-armed ball hawk that can shut down an entire third of the field. Savvy, ball-hawking DB that always seems to be around the ball and shows a good understanding of how to bait opposing QBs into dangerous throws. Harris is currently ranked the number 4 athlete and the number 39 player overall for the class of 2024, which is certainly a ranking that matches his combination of tape, production, and frame. Although the loss stings, Harris is a player that will continue to anchor the defense for a team that still has all of it's goals ahead of it.   [player_tooltip player_id='675339' first='Carson' last='Hageman'], Erie Tigers (LB)(Jr.)(55) - Hageman easily had the most remarkable day of any defender on either team with his showing against the Broomfield offense. Hageman was an absolute tackling machine for the Erie defense as he accounted for a ridiculous 21 tackles, a tackle for a loss, a forced fumble, and a pass deflection. When you watch the film of Hageman's world-beating performance against the Eagles, you can see he displays an exceptionally white-hot motor that shows the most when pursuing the ball carrier or working to stack-and-shed a block. Extremely physical tackler that brings a ton of force/power to the point-of-contact with the ball carrier. Shows consistently excellent form when tackling, routinely getting his head across the core, wrapping up, and driving his legs through contact with the ball carrier. Explosive, downhill runner that fills his run fits hard and fast, often getting into the backfield off of first step explosiveness before the opposing OL have time to react. Highly disciplined but extremely aggressive Mike backer that doesn't often bite on play-action and doesn't over-pursue the ball carrier while consistently taking good angles in pursuit and maintaining gap-integrity with his run fits. Hageman is currently ranked the number 6 LB and the number 46 player overall for the class of 2025 which, given his unreal performance against Broomfield, seems like a well-deserved ranking. As the Tigers continue their pursuit of a state title this season, Hageman will be a key piece on the defensive side of the ball.

A look at the five best performances from this 4A, nonconference matchup