Top Performers from Playoff Rd 1: Fern Creek @ Manual

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This past Friday, I was fortunate to attend the round one 6A playoff matchup between Fern Creek High School (4-6) and Dupont Manual High School (8-2). When pulling into the stadium, I can already tell what the Dupont Crimson atmosphere was going to be like. For any away game playing at Dupont Manual Stadium, they should expect the Dupont sideline to host a loud &amp; passionate crowd cheering on their football team. Besides that, the 1st half went by pretty slowly as both schools showed dominant defensive efforts highlighted by some key players. However, once the 2nd half started, the Dupont offense caught fire and they never slowed down for the rest of the game. Dupont ended up winning the game with a final score of 37-18. Today, I will be highlighting some key performances from both teams in that football game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_63695dff6d5e9","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["417460"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"u003cstrongu003ePast Analysis: u003c/strongu003eZah'ron put out a ridiculous performance this past week, recording 20 carries for 236 rushing yards u0026amp; 4 total touchdowns. What's impressive about the young man's athletic stature is his extremely fast acceleration once he starts running with the football. Once Zah'ron breaks out onto the open field, nobody is going to be able to catch up to him. He also possesses excellent footwork that helps keep him light on his feet and creates nasty jabs that freeze the opposing defenders every time. Connect those attributes and we have a truly talented tailback that can easily compete at the next level.rnrnLast night, Zah'ron was easily the star of the show for Dupont as he scored the first 2 touchdowns, both of them being on consecutive carries to start the 2nd half. The Junior was on a different level compared to the rest of the players on the field. His lateral quickness is unmatched, which makes his shifty moves nearly impossible to make a tackle from the opposing defense. I shook my head in disbelief at the many carries he took as he single-handily dismantled the Fern Creek defense. I cannot wait to see what his future football career holds for him, especially for him and the Dupont playoff run.rnrnu003ca href=u0022http://www.hudl.com/v/2Jk1DUu0022u003eTape: u003c/au003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["423719"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Although Ramari and the Fern Creek defense did not put out the greatest performance against a high-scoring Dupont offense, Ramari had performed great for the entirety of the game. Besides a few penalties, Ramari's elite receiver coverage helps him make stops for the defense consistently. Standing at 6-1 with a similar physique to an above-average wide receiver, Ramari shows excellent footwork that mirrors the moves of a receiver which makes him even better at locking them down on man coverage. Along with that, Ramari is a great ball hawk that is consistent in reading the QB's intended target when he is about to throw the ball. With one more year left of high school football, I am excited to see what the future holds for [player_tooltip player_id='423719' first='Ramari' last='Taylor'] and that Fern Creek defense.rnrnu003ca href=u0022https://www.hudl.com/video/3/15091389/634376a4b023b10ad41deeeeu0022u003eTape:u003c/au003eu003c!u002du002dmoreu002du002du003eu003c!u002du002dmoreu002du002du003e","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"Trey Ryan","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"2023","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"6'4u0022","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"2405","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"Dupont Manual High School","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_2_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"When his teammate Zeke Washburn is scoring multiple running touchdowns in the game, I have to go admire the offensive line that is creating open running lanes for him. What I found is the dominant force that Trey Ryan is on the offensive line. The senior is an extremely strong u0026amp; aggressive tackle that can bring down any opposing defensive player to create open running lanes. What is admirable about Ryan's playstyle is that he never stops fighting his assigned defensive player until the whistles have been blown. His passion and determination to win can be easily recognized and I bet a lot of college recruiters can see that as well. I hope more recruiters can see Trey play because I believe he can perform exceptionally well at the next level.rnrnu003ca href=u0022http://www.hudl.com/v/2JdScdu0022u003eTape:u003c/au003e","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["386165"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Although not a crazy performance statistically, watching that game you can tell that [player_tooltip player_id='386165' first='Dominic' last='Shoulders'] was a problem for the Fern Creek offense. There were plenty of plays on every single drive where Dominic would run through the offensive line and put lots of pressure on the quarterback. Although no sacks were recorded from him, his pressure allowed him to make a few tackles including a tackle for loss as well. What is notable about Dominic's game is his awareness when he gets past the opposing guard. His hand skills are amazing as he uses them to leverage himself off the offensive line which has enabled him to be able to deflect passes, catch an interception, and forced fumbles in the recent past. After watching his film, I can confirm that he has been a difficult problem for every opposing offense he has faced this season.rnrnu003ca href=u0022http://www.hudl.com/v/2GpQd4u0022u003eTape:u003c/au003e","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"Will Moore","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"5'10u0022","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"2406","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_4_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Earlier I said that the first half was pretty slow for both teams. One of the reasons Dupont had an issue scoring the football was due to the pressure created by Fern Creek defensive lineman Will Moore. The 2025 grad played a really solid game despite the overall turnout. Will did his job by consistently putting pressure on the offense and limiting running lanes being created on his side of the line of scrimmage. What I really like about Will Moore is his unrelenting desire to knock that football out of the hands of the opposing quarterback. His passion u0026amp; determination to wreak havoc on the opposing offense fuels him to make crucial plays for the defense and play at a different level than the rest. There's a lot to learn for that Fern Creek defense to get back to into dominant shape after that loss, and I believe Will Moore will continue to develop into an elite defensive lineman in 6A football for years to come.rnrnu003ca href=u0022http://www.hudl.com/v/2JkdLAu0022u003eTape: u003c/au003e","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"edit","anchor":"acf-block-65823fc543673"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Honorable Mentions:</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Camren Trice DB/KR | 6-0, 170lbs. Class of 2023 | Fern Creek High School, KY |</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1121543' first='Landon' last='Edwards'] QB | 5-8, 170lbs. Class of 2024 | Fern Creek High School, KY |</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Eli Creech QB | 6-3, 180lbs. Class of 2024 | Dupont Manual High School, KY | </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Miles Rhodes DE | 6-0, 190lbs. Class of 2023 | Dupont Manual High School, KY |</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Jalen Hayes MLB | 6-10, 210lbs. Class of 2025 | Dupont Manual High School, KY | </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list -->