Playoffs RD1 5A Preview: Fountain-Fort Carson vs Cherokee Trail

<p>The first round of the playoffs pits two great teams against each other between the Fountain-Fort Carson Trojans and the Cherokee Trail Cougars. The Cougars will be hosting the Trojans this Friday. This will be the first time the Cougars host a playoff game in over five years. This is a big one for C.T. I believe we are in for a good one with the Trojans hungry for a playoff win. Let's dive into the preview.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Fountain-Fort Carson Trojans</h2>   <p>The Trojans offense revolves around junior RB Da'Kari Releford Jr, and with good reason. The star running back is averaging 135 yards per game. Releford Jr. measures in at 5'8 170-pounds. Throughout the season, he has 181 carries for 1356 yards with 19 touchdowns and 23 receptions for 400 yards and 4 touchdowns. He has game breaking speed. At one of our combine events, he ran a sub 4.45. He is the leading rusher and receiver for FFC. The Trojans also have a good quarterback on their hands in Jaylen Martin. The 5'9 150-pound sophomore QB went 68/116 for 974 yards and 10 TDs with 1 INTs, 88 carries for 520 yards and 6 rushing touchdowns. Martin is very decisive with the football, not putting the ball in harms way. He has good throw power with a very good release to fit the ball in tight windows. I expect him Martin to continue with poise in the pocket and continue to make the correct reads against a hardy Cherokee Trail defense.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Flash_DakariJr/status/1975923066568872012 </div></figure>   <p>On the defensive side, senior DB Devon Bradford leads the team with tackles. The 5'10 170-pound defensive back has 52 total tackles (42 solo, 10 assisted), 2 TFL, 2 INT, 2 PD, and 23 receptions for 400 yard and 4 touchdowns. Bradford uses his very good athletic ability to assist with tackles across the field. The slot corner is a very good tackler. Good at jamming the wide receiver. Bradford uses his very good read and reaction time to lead him to the tackle. He's good in run support with good get off and block shedding. Cherokee Trail will have to watch out for this two-way player. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cherokee Trail Cougars</h2>   <p>The Cougars run a more balanced attack with sophomore QB [player_tooltip player_id='1720473' first='Bryson' last='Peterson'] airing it out and SR RB Logan Posey pounds the ground. Peterson is 129/234 for 1615, 55.1% completion rate, 12 TDs, and 9 INTs with 31 carries for 128 yards and 1 touchdown on the ground. Peterson uses his good throw power and very good release to fit the ball in tight windows downfield. He goes through his progressions and finds his open man. RB Posey has 175 carries for 1066 yards and 7 touchdowns with 18 receptions for 123 yards on the year. Posey is a shifty back, weaving through the defense for big gains. He's been a consistent safety valve for Peterson all year. Sophomore WR [player_tooltip player_id='1890875' first='Evan' last='Smith'] is the leading receiver on the team with 39 receptions for 550 yard and 4 touchdowns. He uses his good route running skills to get open and make defenders miss after the catch. Standout tackle [player_tooltip player_id='1672272' first='Kanoa' last='Gillespie'] has been on fire ever since he became the starter. He creates extra time for Peterson in the pocket and creates running lanes with ease. <em>I did a recent evaluation on Kanoa, click his profile to check it out ! </em></p>   <p>I included some of Gillespie's highlights down below. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Kanoa_Gillespie/status/1981907463902486809 </div></figure>   <p>On the defensive side, CB Cristian Mbarmarah and LB [player_tooltip player_id='1394930' first='Nico' last='Mavromat'] lead the defense. Mbarmarah's play has rewarded him a plethora of P4 offers. Playing both sides of the ball, he has 31 total tackles, 1 INT, 3 PD, 11 receptions for 204 yards and 2 touchdowns. He's a lockdown corner with very good athletic ability. He's a physical corner, jamming the WR at the LOS. Very good in both man and zone with very good read and reaction time. Very good closing quickness and a good tackler as well. [player_tooltip player_id='1394930' first='Nico' last='Mavromat'] is one of the fastest rising linebackers I've seen this season. He has 84 total tackles, 4 TFL, 3 sacks, 6 QB pressures, 1 INT, 2 PD, 1 FR, and 2 FR. He's a very good linebacker with very good athletic ability. He uses his very good range to prowl the field, and consistently helps his teammates finish tackles. He has a quick twitch with very good read and reaction time. Very good tackler. He'll try to punch the ball out of the ball carrier's hands for a fumble. He has grit and tenacity and plays with a never ending fire. I love this kid's playstyle and he deserves P4 offers. </p>   <p>Here are some of Nico's highlights down below.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/nicomavromat/status/1973447105957208269 </div></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Final Thoughts</h2>   <p>I'm very excited for this 5A matchup. I believe the running backs and defense will set the tone for the game. I think it will be a close one. Whoever wins will need to have limited turnovers and play with fire each and every snap. Each team has something to prove and whoever wins will have an even taller task against the defending champs in Cherry Creek. </p>

The first round of the playoffs pits two great teams against each other between the Fountain-Fort Carson Trojans and the Cherokee Trail Cougars. The Cougars will be hosting the Trojans this Friday. This will be the first time the Cougars host a playoff game in over five years. This is a big one for C.T. I believe we are in for a good one with the Trojans hungry for a playoff win. Let's dive into the preview.