Week 1 Needle-Movers

There were a number of very competitive week 1 matchups. This article is all about those needle-moving players that helped their respective teams come away with close W's.    The Saginaw Heritage transfer had quite the opening week performance against Mona Shores.   Daylin had an excellent day defensively. 0:17 showcases excellent play recognition. Great job sidestepping the timid receiver and earning himself a TFL. 1:01 is another excellent tackle in space. I always knew Daylin is a great receiver, but I honestly didn't expect him to perform so well at DB.   0:43 is the highlight of the week. A game-defining 93-yard kick return TD, exposing bad lane discipline for Mona Shores. Nothing like a quick, lethal kick return right up the middle.   Without Daylin, this game would have likely been much closer. Can't wait to see how Daylin's entire season plays out.      No week 1 jitters for the Hudsonville QB.   Kicking off the week 1 tape is a quick, on-time throw to the middle of the field seam. Second, a nice 12-yard toss to the flat, resulting in a TD. Third, an on-time throw to his receiver sitting in zone coverage, and fourth, some great play extension and a bucket drop to his reciever, right over the safety's head.   A ton to be optimistic about. On a few occasions, I've heard Coach Sandee gush about Brady's confidence and readiness as QB1. No smoke and mirrors here- Brady looks like the real deal after this week 1 performance.      Nawrocki put pressure on the Muskegon offense all night long.   In an offensive shootout, Garrett did enough to limit Muskegon's elite offense. Yes, the Big Reds found success, but Garrett made a few plays that ultimately helped swing the game in Grandville's favor.   Most of Garrett's tape showcases his great play recognition and play speed. 1:02 is a well-timed blitz, and Garrett does a nice job pushing the guard backward and into the QB. Then, plays like 1:19 show Garrett's ability to make stops at the sideline.   With linebackers, I always stress the importance of playing fast. Garrett fires himself out of a cannon every play. Extremely decisive, sound tackler, etc. As long as he keeps playing like this, his IQ will only improve.   Plus, Garrett had a great game offensively. A handful of great blocks, and a catch at the goalline. Stock up for Garrett- an excellent week 1 highlight tape and a needle-mover for Grandville.      Another shoutout for the Northville OLB. Playing on the edge, Danny did an excellent job rushing the passer and disrupting Lake Orion's slow-developing run game. A few run stops from he backside and a few quick QB pressures.   I don't have Danny's full stats. He should have some pretty nice stats from this game, but I promise, Danny had a much greater effect on this game than any stats would indicate. Dude flew around the field, and I can tell he was hard at work all offseason.     This game lived up to the hype, and Jakoby was a big reason why Goodrich pulled out the close victory.   Kicking off his week 1 tape is a brutal block on an unsuspecting safety. Great job eliminating the defender from the play with a brutal hit, then continuing downfield to find more people to hit. Second and third on his tape (same play, different camera angle) is a great read, pursuit angle, and hit stick on the QB keeper. It was the correct veer read by the QB- Jakoby just made a better play. The tape concludes with a few solid rushes, and another high-effort defensive play.   Jakoby is a major force for this Goodrich team. Offensively and defensively, Jakoby raises Goodrich's ceiling significantly.

There were a number of very competitive week 1 matchups. This article is all about those needle-moving players that helped their respective teams come away with close W's.