Quarterfinal Review: Valor Christ. Eagles vs Regis Jesuit Raiders

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A look at the three best performances from this 5A, quarter final matchup.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Review</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coming into the quarterfinal round of the state playoffs, there were many terrific matchups between great teams, but this was probably the most anticipated matchup of the weekend as the 2nd ranked Valor Christian Eagles faced off against the 4th ranked Regis Jesuit Raiders. From the opening play this game was a thriller, as Regis Jesuit intercepted a Valor Christian pass and returned for a touchdown to jump out to a lightning quick 7-0 lead. The Eagles would quickly respond, however, scoring 17 unanswered points to take a 17-7 lead late in 2nd quarter. The Raiders weren't to be counted out as they themselves were able to score 14 unanswered points to close the Valor Christian lead to 24-21 at the half. Through most of the 2nd half, both teams were able to trade scores, with Valor Christian holding a tight 31-28 lead halfway through the 4th quarter. Unfortunately for the Raiders, that would be as close as they game would get in the 2nd half, as the Eagles were able to score on two consecutive possessions late in the 4th quarter while simultaneously extinguishing any comeback attempt by the Regis Jesuit offense - giving Valor Christian the 45-28 win. Despite the fact that the Eagles won by double-digits in the end, this game was way closer than the score showed, with both teams leaving everything on the field. With that being said, these were the three players who I felt had the strongest performances in this quarterfinal matchup.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players of the Game</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='62247' first='Trey' last='Stott'], Valor Christian Eagles (DB/RB)(Sr.)(3) – In my mind, Stott had the best performance of any player on either team in this game, as he was an absolute force on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Looking at the numbers from Stott's performance against the Raiders, he registered an impressive 9 tackles, a tackle for a loss, and a pass deflection on the defensive side while also accounting for 100 yards rushing and 3 rushing touchdowns on 20 carries (5.0 YPC) on the offensive side of the ball. While Stott was dominant in every phase of the game, for the sake of this article we'll just focus on his night defensively. Turning on the tape of Stott's defensive performance against the Regis Jesuit offense, you can see his outstanding ability to always be around the ball whether dropping into pass coverage or coming up in run support, as he displays a good understanding of how different route concepts work off of each other and where the offense is trying to push the ball. Strong, big-bodied safety that can be brought into the box for run support. Good use of hands to stack and shed opposing blockers and get to the ball carrier. Displays great force and drive at the point-of-contact, consistently driving back the ball carrier when finishing the tackle. Reliable in both man and zone coverage, often being asked to cover boundary receivers in certain situations. Excellent athleticism, foot speed, and change-of-direction allow him to play almost any role in the defensive backfield at a high level. Rangy safety that can play in the box but is at his best as a deep defender. Stott is currently ranked the number 4 DB and the number 44 player overall for the class of 2024, with it not being hard to see why. He is an exceptionally talented player that will look to finish his career at Valor Christian with a state title.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='150452' first='Exander' last='Carroll'], Regis Jesuit Raiders (QB)(Sr.)(14) – Carroll was arguably the Raiders' best player on either side of the ball in this game, as Regis Jesuit might not have been in this game as tightly as they were had it not been for Carroll's performance. Despite not posting eye-popping numbers, the senior signal-caller made every snap count in his last game leading the Raider offense - going 13 of 23 (57%) for 177 yards passing, a passing touchdown against an interception, with a QBR of 77.6 while also accounting for 55 yards rushing and a rushing touchdown on 11 carries (5.0 YPC) as well . Watching Carroll's performance against the Valor Christian defense, you can see Carroll shows elite athleticism from the QB position that adds a lethal second element to the Raiders' offense. Highly elusive runner in the pocket and in the open field on scrambles and designed runs. Great foot speed that allows him to easily separate from 2nd and 3rd level defenders. Live arm with a ball that leaps out of his hand and allows him to hit every level of the field with relative ease. Adequately accurate passer on short and deep throws with consistent ball placement. Smart QB that makes good decisions with the ball, not turning the ball over often or putting the offense in a bad position. Thanks to Carroll's all-world performance, the Raiders are riding a huge wave of momentum heading into their next matchup, convincingly beating a very talented Fossil Ridge squad. He's currently rated the number 13 QB and the number 117 player overall, but I'm sure he would trade the rankings for a win every time. Despite the tough loss, Carroll certainly gave everything he had in his last game as the Regis Jesuit QB and will be a terrific player for whatever college program lands his commitment.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Roman Bradley, Valor Christian Eagles (LB)(Sr.)(6) – Bradley arguably had one of the most important performances of any player for Valor Christian last Friday against Regis Jesuit, as he made his presence felt on both sides of the ball from start-to-finish. Diving into Bradley's numbers from his night against the Raiders, he accounted for a remarkable 8 tackles, 4 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and a pass deflection on defense while also adding 48 yards rushing on 10 carries (4.8 YPC). When you put on the film of Bradley's performance against Regis Jesuit, you can see his outstanding strength/power at the point-of-contact. Extremely physical LB that has a very high motor and plays with an immense amount of aggression when attacking opposing blockers or ball carriers. Downhill defender with a highly explosive first step that allows him to quickly gain leverage over opposing blockers. Displays elite hand placement, timing, and strength when taking on opposing blockers and shedding blocks. Shows elite closing speed when pursuing the ball carrier or when rushing the QB. Excellent foot speed, first step explosiveness, and lateral agility allow him to play an extremely versatile role as a LB, often being asked to line up on the edge as a pass rusher, standing up as a 2nd level defender, dropping into zone coverage, while also being tasked with covering TEs out of the slot and RBs out of the backfield in man coverage. Chess piece of a defensive player that has experience playing the Mike, Will, and Sam backer positions while also playing a 3-4 edge defender role and even being lined up as a 3-tech in certain situations. Bradley is currently unranked as a recruit and it's pretty surprising to see that given how talented he is. Regardless, Bradley is an extremely talented player that will continue to be an integral component of a Valor Christian state title run.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->