PRZ AL Game of the Week: Carver-Montgomery (5-3) v. Opelika (6-3)

Welcome back! We're previewing a huge Week 8 matchup between Carver Montgomery (5-3) and Opelika (6-3)   Both these teams have STACKED rosters, so we're discussing who we think everyone should look out for this week.   As always, check out these prospects' film below! You won't want to miss out on this group.   Let's dive in:   <h1 class="wp-block-heading">OFFENSE</h1>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">CARVER-MONTGOMERY</h2>    [player_tooltip player_id='1371428' first='Zion' last='Crumpton'] is a talented ATH who's made a huge impact at QB this season.   "Crumpton is a talented route runner capable of gaining great separation at every level of the field- he's such a reliable target in his offense, consistently getting open against some tougher secondaries and hauling in some huge catches throughout the year. Crumpton has a terrific set of hands he uses to bring in passes over the shoulder, downfield, and through contact/heavy coverage.   After the catch, Crumpton has breakaway speed and great change of direction he uses to make massive plays in the open field- it's really difficult for defenders to track and try to stop him once he's got the ball in his hands, he's terrific at making men miss and works to gain every possible yard each catch."   Crumpton has been unbelievable this season. It doesn't matter where he's lined up, he finds ways to produce. Opelika will have to pay attention to him every snap; he's that dynamic with the ball in his hands.      [player_tooltip player_id='1629160' first='Elijah' last='Tarver'] is an explosive back who's in the middle of a breakout season this fall.   “Tarver spent the day at camp competing at RB and really caught my eye- he plays with a ton of speed, has great size, and can easily make defenders miss- it's impressive to watch.   Tarver makes the most out of every carry- he's incredibly quick, plays with great speed, and is a massive threat in the open field, coming away with some huge plays on the ground.“   Tarver is a massive threat on the ground. I'll be interested in seeing how Opelika's defensive front performs against him. He can turn upfield for huge gains at any given moment.     <h2 class="wp-block-heading">OPELIKA</h2>    [player_tooltip player_id='366554' first='Darius' last='Whitlow'] is a dominant OL who's been having a seriously impressive season up front.   "At 6'3 315, Whitlow moves really well at his size- he's highly athletic and can make a ton of huge blocks on the move, consistently pulling across the line of scrimmage and working from level to level to open up massive rushing lanes for his RB.   On top of that, Whitlow is dominant in pass protection- he does a great job setting his feet and using his size, leverage, and strength to dominate defensive linemen at the line of scrimmage. Whitlow is constantly pancaking interior linemen, giving his QB plenty of time to decide what to do with the ball. I think what impressed me most was Whitlow's effort every snap- he's a physical OL who plays through the whistle every snap."   Whitlow will have a huge impact on the game. He does so much in the trenches that allows his team to flourish offensively. I'm excited to watch him this week.      [player_tooltip player_id='1621649' first='Dre' last='Vann'] is a talented WR who's been one of Opelika's top weapons out wide this year.   "Vann is excellent at gaining separation and hauling in the ball- he's quick, runs precise routes, and does a great job extending his hands and not using his body to secure passes. Vann also excels at beating press man- he has a great release off the line of scrimmage and completely burns DBs downfield, coming away with some massive catches.   Even when covered, Vann consistently wins one-on-one fights for the ball- he has a strong set of hands he uses to rip the ball away from defenders, it's really impressive to watch. I'm seriously impressed by Vann's ability to gain separation- no matter where he lines up, or where he's headed on the field, he finds ways to consistently get wide open for his QB."   Vann can make some really impressive plays out wide. I'll be excited to watch him go up against this Opelika secondary. He and Briaden Howard will have to battle it out this week- stay tuned.     <h1 class="wp-block-heading">DEFENSE</h1>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">CARVER-MONTGOMERY</h2>    [player_tooltip player_id='1604816' first='Camare' last='Jackson'] is a talented DB/ATH who's made a ton of plays for Carver's defense this year.   "Jackson is a certified ball hawk- he's excellent at reading the opposing quarterback's eyes and breaking on passes, frequently coming away with some unreal interceptions for his team. Jackson is also a heck of an athlete- he has ridiculous recovery speed, can change direction effortlessly, and will fly around the field from sideline to sideline to make plays.   Jackson is a reliable tackler but can also dish out massive hits- frequently breaking up passes and forcing fumbles all last fall. Jackson is a really talented up-and-coming DB in the state. He's developing incredibly well and has a ton of potential going forward."   Opelika will have to account for Jackson in the secondary. He can create game-changing plays at any moment- look out for him this week.      [player_tooltip player_id='1115955' first='Kendarius' last='Reynolds'] is a talented LB/ATH for Carver who's been really productive this season.   "Reynolds is a dominant defender who has lined up and made huge plays at LB, nickel, and deep downfield as a safety. No matter where he lines up, you can count on Reynolds to provide terrific coverage- he's quick on his feet, can cover tons of ground, and can get his hands on the ball to frequently come away with PBUs and INTs.   Reynolds is just as good at defending the run. He quickly flies downhill to the line of scrimmage, fills in rushing lanes, and is a talented tackler who gets low and wraps up the ballcarrier for little to no gain."   We'll have to watch Reynolds this week. He's a physical force every snap that offenses have to account for. Opelika's run game could run into some obstacles this week.     <h2 class="wp-block-heading">OPELIKA</h2>    Bradien Howard is a talented DB we've seen take over the state this season.   “Howard is quick, plays with a ton of speed, and dominates out in coverage. It was easy to see this both in person at camp and on tape.   I was really impressed with Howard's ability to adjust to WRs- he isn't easily beaten and wears down WRs physically, making it really difficult for them to haul in passes. Howard does a great job getting his hands on the ball- he's seriously good at breaking up and picking off passes. Offenses need to have him circled every down going into next season if they want to move the ball in the passing game.“   Howard has been lights out this season. Carver will need to get the passing game moving on the opposite side of the field- Howard demands that kind of respect.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/_Bray5x/status/1974890632213917875 </div></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='1970560' first='Xavier' last='Thomas'] is another talented junior DB in Opelika's secondary who's having a big year.   "At 6'0 160, Thomas has the size, speed, and instincts to impact the game in several ways. I'm really impressed with his run defense and tackling. He's great at identifying plays, can effortlessly move around the field, and is constantly in great position to create stops.   On top of that, he's a reliable tackler. He gets low, wraps up, and doesn't allow for any additional yards after making first contact."   Thomas has been one of Opelika's leading tacklers this season. Carver will have to have him circled going into this week. He's an every-down threat that can hurt your offense in several ways.

Welcome back! We're previewing a huge Week 8 matchup between Carver Montgomery (5-3) and Opelika (6-3)