Week 0: Defensive Behemoths on the Move!

Week 0 was full of exciting performances. Today I will be discussing some standout players from week 0 on the defensive side. These players are setting the tone for their season, and I'm excited to see how they each progress.    Bakken had a very impressive performance. The linebacker ended with 18 total tackles, 17 solo and 1 assisted. Luke has very good athletic ability due to very good speed, acceleration, and change of direction. Bakken used good mental processing to identify the play and stop the ball carrier in their tracks. He has good mental processing and was consistently watching the QB's eyes leading him to a tackle. Bakken was a brute force in the middle, and looks to continue being that dominating presence throughout the season.     Crowe continued where he left off last year. He racked up a total of 6 tackles (4 solo, 2 assisted), 3 TFL, 2.5 sacks, and 3 QB hurries. Crowe demonstrates very good athletic ability with very good speed, acceleration, and a very good bend around the edge. He has a good initial quickness out of his stance, creating contact with the OL first. He has a low pad level and will use his very good strength to over power the OL with a bull rush. Crowe will continue dominating offenses, so they need to watch out.     Lira put on a show for Moffat County in week 0. The safety had 2 interceptions for a total of 111 return yards. Lira had his ball hawking abilities on full display. Damien has good mental processing and was continuously watching the QB's eyes, diagnosing the play leading to an interception or defensive breakup. Lira was impressive in zone coverage as well. He started the season with a lot of good momentum, and it'll propel him further into the season.     The linebacker out of Durango had a big evening against Montrose. The senior racked up 19 total tackles (9 solo, 10 assisted) and 1 TFL. Waddell was consistently all over the field making plays. He showcased good mental processing by assisting his teammates with tackles. Waddell would stop the ball carriers in their tracks. He would watch the QB's eyes leading him to the ball carrier. Even though Durango lost, Waddell was a bright spot to look out for.     Another stellar linebacking performance this time from the Coal Ridge standout. Isenhart had 18 total tackles (9 solo, 9 assisted) with 2.5 TFL. Isenhart has good athletic ability due to good speed, good acceleration and jumping. He used his athleticism and competitive toughness to be all over the field. He wrapped up defenders with his good tackling. Isenhart showcased mental processing by identifying gaps, and rushing them for the TFL. Isenhart will continue putting offenses on notice throughout the season.     Toliver was eating up blocks for Manual. He had 6 total tackles combined with 2 sacks. Toliver is a powerful defensive tackle, measuring in at 6'0 188 pounds. Toliver has very good strength, and was consistently pushing the offensive line. He created pressure for his defensive ends to thrive as well. Toliver has a good low pad level to out leverage the OL. He has a powerful bull rush to knock the OL off their anchor. He'd wrap up the ball carrier and stop in their tracks. Toliver will look to continue this impressive performance for a breakout season.     The current leader in sacks goes to Mr. Contreras. Contreras finished the game against Fort Morgan with 4 total tackles (3 solo, 1 assisted) and 3 sacks. He has a good initial quickness out of his stance and creates contact first with the OL. Contreras used a low pad level to get underneath the offensive line then used his good hand placement to move the lineman out of the way. He was undefendable and was exploiting the miscues on offense. Elijah is a name to know moving forward.

Week 0 was full of exciting performances. Today I will be discussing some standout players from week 0 on the defensive side. These players are setting the tone for their season, and I'm excited to see how they each progress.