Five Players Who Have Shined In The Playoffs

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024 QB </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='422486' first='Bradyn' last='Fleharty']<strong> (Hilliard Bradley) 6'3 200-</strong> The Yale commit has had a fantastic playoff run where he's helped lead his Jaguars to the D1 OHSAA State Semifinals for the first time in school history! Fleharty is the key cog that makes Bradley's offense go. He's a dual threat QB who must be accounted for at all times. I was able to see him live versus Westerville North earlier in the playoffs. Fleharty is a quarterback who can win from the pocket or outside of it. In my opinion Bradyn's biggest strengths are his deep ball placement, and his ability to extend plays and make things happen out of structure. He has a really nice touch on the deep ball which keeps defenses honest. For his size, he's an explosive and deceptively fast runner. When scrambling. he does a great job of keeping his eyes down field in an effort to make the play when it's there in the passing game. With his legs he does a great job of picking up chunk yards without taking the big hit. Fleharty and the Jaguars have the biggest challenge yet awaiting them on Friday in the form of a staunch Lakewood St. Ed's Eagles defense. On Friday Fleharty will have the opportunity to prove himself against the highest competition that Ohio has to offer, and I can't wait to see what this talented senior quarterback has in store for us!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025 DL</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='873286' first='Cal' last='Thrush']<strong> (Upper Arlington) 6'4 230-</strong> Thrush is a junior pass rusher who's really burst onto the scene over the last year. I like him as a strong-side defensive end who definitely has the ability to play at the D1 college level. Cal is a strong lineman who plays with good pad level. He has the strength to stand up opposing offensive linemen at the point of attack. He has the upper body strength to shed. In the Golden Bears' defense Thrush lines up head on tackle and is clearly asked to occupy the tackle, play with heavy hands, and hold his ground. The upside for, Cal, presents itself when he's able to use his athleticism in combination with his strength to make plays. When he does that, you see a different skillset. You see a player who has a quick burst and the bend to dip, get skinny, and beat blockers. In total he's just more explosive and downhill in his play, then when it's one step, punch, and read. Thrush currently has offers from Cincinnati, Ball State, and Kent State. I expect that list to continue to grow this offseason.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025 LB</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='503170' first='Grant' last='Beerman'] <strong>(Lakota West) 6'4 200-</strong> Beerman was a player who really blew up on the P5 regional level this last offseason. With a strong junior season, he's put himself squarely on the radars of schools like Ohio State and Notre Dame. It was up to Grant to follow that up with strong play as junior. While he was able to get on the field as a sophomore his playing time was limited due to the talent of the upperclassmen and an injury that sidelined him for part of the season. In watching his playoff film, you see a player who has good eyes, and he trusts them. He's a player you can count on to put in the work when it comes to preparation and that carries over to the field. He's gap sound, and rarely overruns plays. Though Beerman lines up at inside linebacker for the Firebirds, I project him to the outside linebacker position at the college level. He has the length and athleticism to cause consistent trouble for offenses either coming off the edge or playing in space. At this point it's really just a matter of adding good weight and strength for Grant and he has the chance to become a dominant high school linebacker.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 QB</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1084960' first='Matt' last='Ponatoski'] <strong>(Moeller) 6'2 190-</strong> Last year the Moeller and the Springfield Wildcats met at Piqua's Alexander Stadium for the right to go to the Division 1 state championship game. The Wildcats prevailed in a hard fought and back and forth game. Fast forward a year later, and the two will meet once again at Alexander stadium for the right to move onto the D1 State Championship game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton. In the past Moeller has been a team that largely has leaned on its run game and Michigan commit [player_tooltip player_id='284612' first='Jordan' last='Marshall']. This year however there's a completely different dynamic that comes in the form of a lethal passing game that's lead by the Crusaders sophomore quarterback. Matt's play has given this offense a totally different gear in 2023. In the pocket he shows off great poise and a stellar arm. He has the ability to beat teams by throwing over the top with a deep ball that has good touch and placement. He also shows off his accuracy in the short game where he has strong ball placement. What has me excited is that I think he has a lot of arm strength that he's yet really to show. He has a really live arm and the ability to really open it up and let it rip when he wants too. As he gets more high school reps and an even greater command of his offense, I think that will happen more and more. As a runner he's mobile and has the ability to avoid the rush and get the yards that are there. This Friday Ponatoski will face maybe his stiffest competition yet with a really good Wildcats' pass defense that will make you earn every completion. The throwing windows will be smaller than they've been for much of the season. I'm excited to see if Ponatoski can rise to the occasion and help lead the Crusaders to the State finals. Ponatoski, is also a top 100 rated baseball player in the country. He's currently committed to the University of Missouri to play baseball. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025 QB</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1092770' first='Keller' last='Moten'] <strong>(Walsh Jesuit) 5'11 185</strong>- Moten is a fun watch on film. Some of his best moments of the season definitely came in the playoffs where he helped lead his offense to 93 points versus two good strong defenses in Austintown Fitch, and Hudson. Don't be fooled by his size, Moten has a cannon. He had a throw versus Fitch where he drops back and unleashes a 45-yard (in the air) bomb that he dropped into the bucket for a big-time play. You also see him throw darts from different arm angles and lower body bases. The other dynamic of his game is Keller's ability to hurt you with his legs. He's comfortable tucking it and running when the pocket breaks down, but he's also comfortable in designed run plays. He can execute the zone read run game. He's also not afraid to take it between the tackles on a QB draw where he shows good vision. He also is comfortable rolling out and throwing it on the run. In the open field Moten is no easy tackle, he's sudden in his jukes and frequently broke ankles, as the kids like to say. I'm interested to see what schools start to take notice of this talented 2025.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->