Gridiron Game-Changers: Week 1's Epic Showdowns

Week 1 was full of exciting performances from a plethora of teams. Today, I will be discussing some game changing performances from week 1.    Markovich was a game breaker against Summit this past weekend. The senior showed his skills on both sides of the ball. On the offense, he had 18 carries for 248 yards and 4 touchdowns. On defense he had 3 total tackles with them all being a TFL. Markovich has very good athletic ability due to elite acceleration, very good speed, change of direction, and balance. As a linebacker, he is a hard hitter who watches the QB's eyes then lays the boom on an unsuspecting ball carrier. One play that stood out to me was he rushed/IDed a gap and tackled the RB during the handoff. Impressive. He brings those same skills to the offense. Markovich hits the hole with ferocity, using dynamic cuts or dynamic spin moves to create separation between him and the defensive line. He's a bruiser, running over defenders and taking multiple down with him. Markovich fights through contact, and uses a powerful stiff arm to throw defenders to the ground. He's got home run speed to run past the 2nd level of defense. I can't wait to see more of Markovich throughout this season, as he dominates the run game.     Toliver had a massive game for the Erie Tigers. He had 13 carries for 162 yards and 1 touchdown. In the passing game, he had 3 receptions for 34 yards and 1 touchdown. Toliver has very good athletic ability due to very good change of direction, acceleration, good speed, and balance. Toliver showcased good mental processing by identifying the correct gaps, and rushing through them. If he chose the wrong one, he used very dynamic cuts or spin moves to create space for himself. Toliver played some snaps as the slot receiver too. He showed good catching and good ball tracking skills. He used his athletic ability to create separation. Toliver used his strong hands and held onto the ball while getting tackled for a touchdown. During the scramble drill, he looks back for his QB allowing an easy completion. Even though the Tigers ended up losing, Toliver's performance can't be understated. He's a baller looking to continue thrashing defenses in the next week.     Gerig had a bounce back game after the loss against Chaparral. Against Gateway, he went 5/7 for 106 yards and 3 touchdowns with 2 carries for 28 yards and 1 touchdown on the ground. *He still hasn't thrown an interception this year* Gerig has a zippy release with a powerful arm allowing him to fit the ball in tight pockets. Gerig showed very good mental processing by going through his progressions, and keeping his eyes downfield while getting pressured. He has good athletic ability to roll out of the pocket and punish defenses with his legs. Gerig isn't afraid of contact, putting his shoulder pads down to truck through defenders. Gerig has very good accuracy at all 3 levels. Good ball placement too. One that thing really stood out to me was his off-script throws. While he's getting pressured, he's can make these awkward throws that are accurate down the field. Could be off his back foot, or a weird body angle. It didn't matter because he was still accurate while doing so. Gerig is an efficient passer looking to slice up the defenses next week.     Roy had a good game for Pine Creek. The receiver accounted for 8 receptions for 90 yards. Roy was a consistent target for his QB. When he was looking for someone, Roy was his guy. Roy has good size for a wide receiver measuring in at 6'2 155 pounds. He's got good athletic ability due to very good speed, acceleration, good change of direction and jumping. Roy has a good release at the line of scrimmage, and against the press jam he is constantly beating the corner. He's got good separation quickness due to play strength and athletic ability. Roy is physical with the corner and usually wins. He's got lengthy arms to go up for the catch, and pluck it out of the air. If the ball is over thrown, he will extend his entire body to make the catch. I'm looking forward to seeing more of what Roy has in store, and as he's a upcoming name to watch out for.

Week 1 was full of exciting performances from a plethora of teams. Today, I will be discussing some game changing performances from week 1.