After-Action Report: First Playoff Round

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first round of the playoffs has come to a close for all of the classifications except for 3A. As the remaining teams prepare to head into the next round, the teams who earned a bye week will be challenged by the victors from this past weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This article will briefly examine Friday and Saturday's attended playoff games and a few standout players from the match.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"25px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:25px"><strong>#24 Doherty (7-4) at #9 ThunderRidge (10-1) | Friday, November 4, 2022</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>Final Score: 38-10 ThunderRidge</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The game between the ThunderRidge Grizzlies and the Doherty Spartans began as an exciting contest that lasted halfway through the second quarter. In his debut start for the Grizzlies, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='212243' first='DJ' last='Bordeaux']</strong> (2026 QB) put together a successful opening drive that was sealed off with a rushing touchdown by 2024 running back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='376589' first='Luciano' last='Tafoya']</strong> with just over seven minutes remaining in the first quarter. Doherty quickly responded with a rushing touchdown of their own by 2023 quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='376781' first='Kaden' last='Becker']</strong> with five minutes left in the first, bringing the score to seven points for each team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Doherty scored on a successful field goal attempt with just under eight minutes remaining in the half to take their first and only lead of the game. ThunderRidge responded with a successful field goal attempt of their own a few minutes later, bringing the game to a tied score once again. The field goal was the first of three scoring plays for the Grizzlies in the final five minutes of the first half. Bordeaux completed a touchdown pass to 2024 wide receiver <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='503779' first='CJ' last='Reese']</strong> with 2:19 left on the clock, then another to 2023 receiver <strong>Gavin Olshan </strong>with just over 30 seconds left to play in the half.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On their first offensive drive in the third quarter, ThunderRidge scored another touchdown by way of a 53-yard pass connection between Bordeaux and Olshan, giving the Grizzlies a comfortable 31-10 lead with nine minutes left to play in the quarter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The game's final score happened within the last four minutes of the contest. 2024 running back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='503788' first='Will' last='Fisher']</strong> punched in a rushing touchdown, bringing the score to 38-10 and securing the first-round victory for the Grizzlies. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Other Standout Players</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='150172' first='Richard' last='Okuno']</strong> | ThunderRidge | 2023 WR <br><strong>Erik Saur</strong> | ThunderRidge | 2023 CB <br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='503787' first='Max' last='Hughes']</strong> | ThunderRidge | 2024 LB</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Armando Solano</strong> | Doherty | 2023 OL/DL <br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='271172' first='Solomon' last='Latimer']</strong> | Doherty | 2024 WR <br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='503781' first='Logan' last='Hutcheon']</strong> | Doherty | 2024 WR</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Looking Ahead</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#9 ThunderRidge will travel to Littleton to face the #8 Arapahoe Warriors in a rematch of last year's second-round playoff match that ended in a 23-16 victory for the Warriors. Now that ThunderRidge's offense has started to build a rapport with their quarterback of the future, the revenge game against Arapahoe should be an exciting one to watch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/CHSAA/status/1589276950102687745?s=20u0026t=qBKKJt4AlNDbhDIJgfEGcg","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/CHSAA/status/1589276950102687745?s=20&amp;t=qBKKJt4AlNDbhDIJgfEGcg </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"25px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:25px"><strong>#22 Air Academy (6-5) at #11 Erie (7-4) | Saturday, November 5, 2022</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>Final Score: 49-7 Erie</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first-round game between the Kadets and the Tigers was a one-sided contest in favor of Erie for the entirety of the match. Erie's <strong>Trey Khanna</strong> (2023 RB/DB) scored the first touchdown on a run with 5:26 left in the first quarter. Backup quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='503793' first='Ronin' last='Ward']</strong> (2025) punched in a run for a successful two-point conversion, giving the Tigers an 8-0 lead early in the game. With under a minute to play in the first, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='143622' first='Blake' last='Barnett']</strong> (2024 QB) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='143644' first='Mason' last='Cowgill']</strong> (2024 TE) had a touchdown pass connection to push the lead to 15-0. Barnett threw another touchdown pass within the first minute of the second quarter, this time to 2023 wide receiver<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='62229' first='Caden' last='Lettis']</strong>. Khanna scored his second rushing touchdown with just over five minutes left to play in the first half, giving Eire a 28-0 lead heading into the third quarter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Khanna scored his third rushing touchdown on the opening drive of the third quarter, giving him a hat trick on the day and putting the Tigers up 35-0 over the Kadets. Erie would go on to score two more times before the Kadets managed to get on the board. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='503796' first='Gavin' last='Lusk'] </strong>(2025 RB) scored a rushing touchdown with close to five minutes left in the third, bringing the score to 42-0 and putting the game in a running-clock situation. With Eire's second team offense and defense in the game, the Tigers drove down the field and scored one final time on a QB keeper by Ward with 9:30 left fourth quarter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Kadets managed to drive down the field and score on a passing connection between senior quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='62218' first='Braden' last='Dougherty'] </strong>and sophomore receiver <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='503795' first='Caleb' last='Kasayka']</strong>, putting the Kadets on the board with just seconds left to play in the game to avoid a shutout.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Other Standout Players</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='150153' first='Jackson' last='Clancy'] </strong>&nbsp;| Erie | 2023 OL <br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='251219' first='Jackson' last='Cowgill']</strong> | Erie | 2024 DE <br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='503780' first='Kaveh' last='Meredith']</strong> | Erie | 2024 WR</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Joey McLaughlin</strong> | Air Academy | 2023 WR <br><strong>Collin Dougherty</strong> | Air Academy | 2023 WR <br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='503794' first='Madax' last='Daniels'] </strong>| Air Academy | 2025 QB</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Looking Ahead</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On Friday night, the #11 Tigers will travel to Denver to take on a tough #6 Denver South Ravens team. The Tigers will have a short week to prepare for the Ravens, who are coming off a first-round bye. Expect the two dynamic offenses to put on a show that should be an exciting one for all four quarters.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/CHSAA/status/1589276839452856321?s=20u0026t=qBKKJt4AlNDbhDIJgfEGcg","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/CHSAA/status/1589276839452856321?s=20&amp;t=qBKKJt4AlNDbhDIJgfEGcg </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed -->