Playoffs RD 3 5A Preview: (4) Legend vs (5) Valor Christian

Boy, do we have a good one on our hands this Saturday at Echo Park. #4 seeded Legend Titans will host the #5 Valor Christian Eagles to determine who makes it into the final 4. The Titans won 42-28 against Fort Collins, in a hard fought game till the end. The Eagles had big scoring game against Erie, winning 70-28. This will have two top offenses pitted against each other, and I'm excited to see who comes out on top. Let's dive into the preview.   We also have our Stock Up Showcase event on December 13th! It's a great way to gain extra exposure as a prospect, and gain valuable measurables. If you interested, click this<a href="https://events.prepredzone.com/e/2118/register/stock-up-showcase-colorado"> link </a>to sign up and use code TateWinterPRZ at checkout for $10 off. I will be in attendance evaluating prospects, and I hope to see you there !   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Legend Titans</h2>   The Titans run a balanced offense with a potent running game (290 carries), and quarterbacks (260 attempts) who can sling it all over the field. Bordeaux has had a phenomenal season with 124/193 for 1958 yards, 64.2% completion, 27 TDs, 4 INT, 65 carries for 566 yards and 10 touchdowns. Bordeaux has a cannon for an arm with a quick release. Very good touch on this throws. DJ stays poised within the pocket, and is very good under pressure. He has very good scramble ability and athletic ability to punish defenses on the ground. Check out down below.    Bordeaux has a plethora of weapons at his disposable between RB [player_tooltip player_id='212253' first='Ryken' last='Banks'] (166 carries, 1203 yards, 19 TDs, 27 rec, 399 yards, 6 TDs), and receivers like 6'4 [player_tooltip player_id='1113006' first='Kellen' last='Marchand'] (32 rec, 624 yards, 11 TDs), [player_tooltip player_id='1696707' first='Freddie' last='Burke'] (19 rec for 493 yards, 4 TDs), and [player_tooltip player_id='1694608' first='Ryan' last='Iglesias'] (27 rec, 399 yards, 6 TDs).   Banks has the ability to change the game in an instant. He uses his elite athletic ability to dominate the field. He consistently gains yards after contacts by having defenders slide off of him, or bounce off them. Very good vision and glides through the field effortlessly. Banks has very good catching, and home run threat ability with the ball in his hands. Check below    [player_tooltip player_id='1696707' first='Freddie' last='Burke'] is a versatile weapon on both sides of the field, and like [player_tooltip player_id='212253' first='Ryken' last='Banks'], can change the game with his presence. I recently did a full evaluation on him that you can read <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/11/moments-that-echo-the-playoff-titans-of-round-2/">here</a>. WR [player_tooltip player_id='1113006' first='Kellen' last='Marchand'] is a big body receiver with a large catch radius. He has very good athletic ability to get open, and is consistent bucket on contested catches. Very good body control and strength. If Bordeaux needs a must-have play, Marchand is the guy.   [player_tooltip player_id='1694608' first='Ryan' last='Iglesias'] is another great shifty receiving option for Bordeaux. His shiftiness creates opportunities at the line of scrimmage to get wide open. I recently did a full evaluation on him that you can read here.   Junior linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1692830' first='Carter' last='Berard'] leads the team in tackle. The 6'1 215 LB has 95 total tackles, 4 TFL, 1 sack, 5 QB pressures, and 1 fumble recovery. Berard has very good athletic ability and a quick twitch to his game. Has very good lateral agility and acceleration. Good read and reaction speed. Very good get off and block shedding. Berard has very good blitz rush. Very good tackling and strength. Check down below !    [player_tooltip player_id='1338118' first='Kellen' last='Brown'] has 72 total tackles, 9 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 4 QB pressures, 1 FF, 1 FR, and 1 INT. Brown is another defensive leader for Legend. He has very good lateral quickness giving him very good range to go sideline from sideline or deep in his pass responsibility. Brown is a smart player, not getting fooled on options or RPOs but staying patient to make the correct read. Very good tackling and good strength with the athletic ability to cover tight ends out in space.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Valor Christian Eagles</h2>   In my playoff preview of their game last week, I already went in depth on a handful of their top talent. You can read that article <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/11/playoff-preview-rd2-valor-vs-erie/">here</a>. In this, I am going to dive into some of the other talent the Eagles have.   RB [player_tooltip player_id='1870125' first='Channing' last='Fox'] is just as explosive as [player_tooltip player_id='1371842' first='Chase' last='Hanosh']. The 6'0 205 RB has 93 carries for 517 yards and 10 touchdowns with 2 receptions for 16. Fox has very good acceleration, speed, change of direction, and balance. Very good vision. If a gap is covered, he uses his explosive jump cuts to pivot into an open one. Very good inside running. In short yardage situations, he follows his blockers to the 1st down or endzone. Very good outside running. He has powerful legs to churn forward. Fox is a beast and you can check out for yourself down below !    Versatile offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1620542' first='Peyton' last='Edwards'] can playing guard or tackle, and is another crucial part to Valor's offensive line. He has very good strength and initial quickness out of his stance. Very good hand placement and hand strength to control his opponent. He kills it in pass protection with his very good anchor, good knee bend and flexibility. Very good competitive toughness, playing through the whistle. I included his highlights down below.    [player_tooltip player_id='1632751' first='Noah' last='Pacheco'] currently leads the team in sacks. The 6'4 230-pound DE/TE has 7 receptions for 84 yards and 1 touchdown with 14 total tackles, 6.5 TFL, 5 sacks, an 1 FF. He has good athletic ability. As a tight end, he has a large catch radius due to his lengthy arms, and finds ways to get open. On the defensive side, very good bend around the edge. Very good strength and initial quickness to overpower the offensive lineman. Very good tackling. Very good block shedding. He has a nose for the backfield and continues to sniff his way there.   Kicker Luke Brust has been a consistent piece on special teams all year long. The two-sport athlete (football/soccer) has 71 kickoffs for 4102 yards, with 44 touchbacks. 72 total points, 60/60 on PAT, 4/6 on FGs, with his longest being 41 yards. Brust has very good kick power, and kick accuracy. One thing of note his Brust's very good leg control. He has very good leg strength and can launch it downfield accurately.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Final Thoughts</h2>   I honestly expect a high scoring game between two potent offenses. These two teams have a lot of similarities with offensive personnel. Both have great running backs , efficient and poised quarterbacks, and stout offensive lines, with great receivers. However, that isn't to discount the defensives who are hungry to hit their respective opponents. There are so many great players on both sides of the ball, and I can't wait to see who finishes out on top !

Boy, do we have a good one on our hands this Saturday at Echo Park. #4 seeded Legend Titans will host the #5 Valor Christian Eagles to determine who makes it into the final 4. The Titans won 42-28 against Fort Collins, in a hard fought game till the end. The Eagles had big scoring game against Erie, winning 70-28. This will have two top offenses pitted against each other, and I'm excited to see who comes out on top. Let's dive into the preview.