Playoffs 4A RD1 Preview: Golden vs Air Academy

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Golden Demons</h2>   <p>The Demons run a balanced offense with dual threat QB [player_tooltip player_id='1549755' first='Thatcher' last='Matthews'] leading the helm. The QB leads the team in rushing as well. He has thrown 95/162 for 1124 yards, 58.6% completion with 14 TDs and 5 INT. On the ground, he has 91 carries for 588 yards and 7 touchdowns. Matthews has a very quick release and good throw power. He goes through his progressions. If no one's open he'll use his very good scramble ability to run for the first down. Matthews is a fantastic rusher. I included Matthews' most recent highlight reel. </p>    <p>[player_tooltip player_id='755537' first='Colin' last='Meier'] is a great two-way player for Golden. Measuring in at 6'1 175-pound RB/LB has 109 carries for 459 yards and 5 touchdowns, 49 total tackles, 1 TFL, and 1 blocked punt. He plays downhill at both positions. A bruising running back that isn't afraid of contact. As a linebacker, he demonstrates good range and good tackling to attack offenses. </p>   <p>WR [player_tooltip player_id='1986511' first='Ethan' last='Bonafede'] is the leading receiver 53 carries for 609 yards and 8 touchdowns. He has been Matthews' go to target throughout the season, and I expect that to continue in the playoffs. He has very good athletic ability and very good release to beat defenders. Very good separation quickness and very good catching. </p>    <p>The Demons have a nasty defense front. LBvVincent Novello leads the team in tackles with 98 total, 3 TFL, 3 INT, and 2 FF. Novello has good athletic ability allowing him good range across the field. Good read and reaction time. Very good get off and good block shedding. Novello can cover tight ends out in zone coverage as well. He's a hard hitter and consistently helps his teammates finish tackles. Inside linebacker Joey Filippone is tied with DE Drew Phillips with 3 sacks and 2 QB pressures each. They lead the team in that category. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Air Academy Kadets</h2>   <p>The Kadets are a run first offense with 141 passing attempts to 305 carries. Air Academy relies on the running game between their QB [player_tooltip player_id='1330906' first='Cade' last='Ballard'] and running backs SO Max Schlichter (6'1 205) and SR [player_tooltip player_id='1621147' first='Jackson' last='Schmadeka'] (5'10 185-pounds). QB Ballard went 58/129 714 yards, 45% completion rate, 5 TDS, 1 INT, 73 carries and 280 yards with 4 touchdowns. He has good athletic ability to scramble out of the pocket and gain first downs. Explosive quick start. Ballard is also protective of the football, not putting it in harms way. He has good throw power and very good release. Good touch on his throws.</p>    <p>RB/LB Max Schlichter has 87 carries for 355 yards and 9 touchdowns. He currently leads the team in rushing. He is a mixture of weaver and a bruiser. He uses his good athletic ability paired with very good vision to find routes through the defense. Very good balance to have defenders bounce off. He'll put his shoulder down and run right through defenders for extra yards. He's a a very good inside runner. [player_tooltip player_id='1621147' first='Jackson' last='Schmadeka'] is the other half of this running back duo. He has 52 carries for 289 yards and 4 touchdowns with 10 receptions for 123 yards and 1 touchdown. He has a similar bruising type of style like Schlichter. Very good strength and trucking to run defenders over with ease. </p>   <p>Schlichter currently leads the team in tackles with 99 total tackles, 5.5 TFL, 1 FF, and 1 blocked punt. He has very good range due to his athletic ability. He's a hard hitter linebacker that lays the boom on unsuspecting defenders. Good read and reaction time. Very good tackling. Schlicther is also a very good blitzer with very good take off speed and good strength to beat offensive lineman. </p>   <p>Here is a clip of one of Max Schlicter's highlights</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Final Thoughts</h2>   <p>I'm excited to see this matchup. There's a lot of similarities between these two teams. They both love to run the ball, especially with their QBs. They both have punishing linebackers who create game changing plays at the right time. I expect this to be a low scoring affair between two stout 4A teams. </p>