Week 4 Review: Legacy Lightning vs Mountain Vista Golden Eagles
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A look at the five best performances from this 5A, nonconference matchup. Review Going into Week 4, there were a number of matchups that drew a notable amount of fan-fare before kickoff – including the game that had the Legacy…
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Continue ReadingA look at the five best performances from this 5A, nonconference matchup.
Review
Going into Week 4, there were a number of matchups that drew a notable amount of fan-fare before kickoff – including the game that had the Legacy Lightning taking on the 9th ranked Mountain Vista Golden Eagles. Early on, it looked like Mountain Vista was going to run away with the game in the first fifteen minutes, punching it into the end zone on their first two possessions while holding the Legacy offense scoreless to hold a commanding 13-0 lead after the 1st quarter. For most of the 2nd quarter, the Lightning offense was able to move the ball while the defense was able to shutout the Golden Eagles offense, allowing Legacy to close the gap on the scoreboard to 13-10. The come back effort would be incredibly short-lived however, with the wheels completely falling off for the Lightning from there, as both the Mountain Vista offense and defense would add touchdowns in the final two minutes of the half to extend the Golden Eagles’ lead to 27-10 going into the locker room at halftime. The 2nd half wouldn’t be any kinder to Legacy, as Mountain Vista would hold the Lightning offense scoreless in the 3rd quarter while adding a soul-crushing four touchdowns of their own to steamroll their way to a 55-10 lead going into the 4th quarter. The Legacy offense would add a touchdown in garbage time but wouldn’t do much to move the needle overall, as the Golden Eagles would ultimately walk away with the dominant 55-17 victory. Despite the lopsided results of the game, the excellent performances weren’t exclusive to the winning side of the field, with the Lightning having several standout players of their own. With that being said though, here were the five players who I felt had the strongest showings in this game.
Players of the Game
Jakhai Mack Jakhai Mack WR Mountain Vista | 2025 State CO , Mountain Vista Golden Eagles (WR/DB)(Jr.)(1) – Mack probably had the most all-around dominant performance of any player in this game, making big plays that swung the momentum of the game on both sides of the ball. The Lightning felt Mack’s presence the whole night as he registered an incredible 115 yards receiving and 2 receiving touchdowns on 5 receptions (23.0 YPR) for the offense while also accounting for a tackle, a pass deflection, and a huge interception returned for a touchdown for the defense. For the sake of this piece, we’ll just focus on Mack’s offensive tape. When you dive into the film of Mack’s performance against the Legacy defense, you can see he displays a lethal combination of tremendous explosiveness out of his stance and elite top-end foot speed, routinely creating separation against the opposing DB with these traits alone. Exceptional lateral agility and short-area quickness allow him to remain tough to cover for nickel DBs that are lined up across from him in a phone booth. Shows elite level elusiveness as a ball carrier in the open field that can find daylight in the blink of an eye while also being near impossible to tackle in one-on-one situations. Displays strong, consistently tough hands in tight coverage when going over the middle on short and intermediate routes and when making the catch through the point-of-contact with the defender. Versatile receiver but is at his best operating from the slot where his smaller but more explosive frame (5’9, 150 lbs) is best utilized. Mack is currently ranked the number 6 WR and the number 56 player overall for the class of 2025 which is certainly a well-deserved ranking. If Mack can continue to be a force on both sides of the ball, Mountain Vista will certainly be a powerful team this season.
Austyn Modrzewski Austyn Modrzewski 6'5" | 205 lbs | QB Mountain Vista | 2025 State CO , Mountain Vista Golden Eagles (QB)(Jr.)(13) – While Mack had a highly prolific night as a receiver, his trigger-man in Modrzewski had just as prolific a night, as he accounted for a whopping 5 total touchdowns against the Lightning. The junior signal-caller seemed to move the ball at-will against the Legacy defense as he went an impressive 21 of 27 (78%) for 320 yards passing, 3 passing touchdowns against an interception, and a QBR of 137.9 while also accounting for 40 yards rushing and 2 rushing touchdowns on 6 carries (6.7 YPC) as well. When you watch Modrzewski’s showing against the Legacy defense on film, the first thing that jumps out is his ball placement and overall accuracy, as his passes are consistently hitting his receivers in stride or in between defenders who are sitting in zone coverage. Poised passer that displays good pocket presence and is not easily rattled by the opposing pass rush. Highly intelligent QB that can quickly work through his progressions. Displays good arm strength that allows him to make most throws at every level of the field. Tall, long-armed passer with room to grow into his frame which makes his potential immense. Modrzewski is currently ranked the number 1 QB in the state for the class of 2025 as well as the number 1 player overall, with each game this season continuing to reinforce his standing on the recruiting trail. With Modrzewski holding the reigns to the Golden Eagles offense, every opposing defense this season can expect to have a tough outing.
Tyler Anderson Tyler Anderson 5'10" | 190 lbs | RB Legacy | 2025 State CO , Legacy Lightning (RB)(Jr.)(10) – While the Lightning might have gotten a beat-down at the hands of the Golden Eagles, Anderson certainly did his part with the effort he showed on the offensive side of the ball. The Mountain Vista defense kept Anderson out of the end zone but otherwise struggled to slow him down as he registered 119 yards rushing on 22 carries (5.4 YPC) while also adding 13 yards receiving as well. Watching the film of Anderson’s night against the Golden Eagles, the first thing that jumps out to you is his elite level agility and elusiveness as a ball carrier, routinely making multiple defenders miss on just about every carry. Shows excellent vision when working between the tackles on inside runs or when bouncing the ball outside to find daylight, consistently turning small creases into big plays. Highly explosive runner with the ball in his hands that can turn any carry into a score. A quietly tough and strong ball carrier that can consistently run through arm-tackles from 2nd and 3rd level defenders and churn out tough runs in short yardage situations. Shows elite top-end foot speed and acceleration that allows him to outrun most 2nd and 3rd level defenders if he’s given even a little bit of room to work. Anderson is currently rated the number 5 RB and the number 37 player overall in the class of 2025 which is certainly a well-deserved ranking considering his performance in a loss against a talented Mountain Vista defense. Although I’m sure Anderson would rather have the win, he still had a tremendous night that should be acknowledged.
Omari Bursey Omari Bursey 6'1" | 225 lbs | LB Legacy | 2024 State CO , Legacy Lightning (LB)(Sr.)(4) – Much like Anderson for the offense, the shellacking that the Lightning received did not come as result of the effort showed by Bursey on the defensive side of the ball. While Bursey might not have put up all-world numbers against the Mountain Vista offense, he still made plays all over the field as he accounted for 5 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, and a pass deflection. Turning to the film of Bursey’s performance against the Golden Eagles, he immediately jumps off the tape as the biggest and most explosive player on the field which makes him an almost unstoppable force on the defensive side of the ball. An absolute heat-seeking missile of a Mike backer that can quickly close in on the ball carrier while in pursuit. A sideline-to-sideline eraser that can quickly shoot his gap and get into the backfield while also displaying the ability to swiftly set the edge and prevent ball carriers from bouncing it outside. Explosive, downhill runner out of his stance that can win against opposing blockers or ball carriers with both power and speed. Aggressive and extremely physical defender that brings a ton of force behind his pads at the point-of-attack, routinely stopping the opposing ball carrier dead in his tracks. Shows good overall ability when being asked to drop into pass coverage, having the size and speed to stick with most RBs or TEs in man coverage while also showing an ability to make a play on the ball when dropping into zone coverage. Bursey is currently rated the number 2 LB and the number 19 player overall for the class of 2024, which I know I’ve stated before is a more than fitting ranking. Bursey has a rare combination of tape, production, and size (6’1, 225 lbs) that simultaneously translates to the collegiate level while also making him a force on the defensive side of the ball for the Lightning.
Carter Daniels Carter Daniels 5'11" | 185 lbs | LB Mountain Vista | 2025 State CO , Mountain Vista Golden Eagles (LB)(Jr.)(0) – Daniels was easily the best player on the defensive side of the ball for either team in this game, contributing in every phase and even making plays on special teams. The Legacy offense and even their special teams unit felt Daniels’ presence last Friday, as he accounted for a remarkable 7 tackles, a tackle for a loss, a pass deflection, 2 interceptions, and a blocked punt on special teams. When you turn on the film from Daniels’ dominant night against the Legacy offense, you can see that he always seems to be around the ball because of a combination of his extremely high motor and incredible first-step explosiveness out of his stance. Savvy LB that shows relentless effort whether working to shed a block, pursuing the ball carrier, or coming downhill to fill his run fits. Displays exceptional explosiveness out of his stance allowing him to consistently maintain power and pop at the point-of-attack when making contact with the ball carrier or an opposing blocker. Highly consistent tackler with good form that shows with very few missed tackles in the open field in 1-on-1 situations, routinely wrapping up and driving his legs through contact. Good hand strength and placement that allows him to stack-and-shed most opposing blockers consistently. Daniels is currently ranked the number 2 LB and the number 15 player overall in the class of 2025 which, much like I’ve previously written about his counterpart for the Lightning, is absolutely a ranking that suits Daniels. With Daniels leading the way for the Golden Eagles defense, we can certainly expect to see more strong performances from them as the season goes on.