Week 3 Review: Grandview Wolves vs Ralston Valley Mustangs

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A look at the five best players from this ranked, nonconference matchup.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Review</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Going into Week 3, the matchup between the 11th ranked Grandview Wolves and the 4th ranked Ralston Valley Mustangs was probably the most highly anticipated matchup of the weekend. To the disappointment of many, especially the Wolves, this game was about as lopsided a contest as there could've been - with the Mustangs jumping out to a quick lead and never looked back after that. Ralston Valley held a 10-0 lead at the end of the 1st quarter and an even more commanding 17-0 lead at halftime, with the gap only getting wider in the 2nd half. The Mustangs would add two more touchdowns in the late in the 3rd quarter and early in the 4th quarter to make the score 30-0. The Grandview offense would add two scores on their final two possessions but it would be too-little-too-late as Ralston Valley would walk away with the 30-15 victory. Despite the fairly decisive outcome, there were players for both sides who had strong outings for their respective teams. It was pretty difficult to find just five players to highlight but these were the five who I felt had the largest contributions to the game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players of the Game</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='527105' first='Logan' last='Maddden'], Ralston Valley Mustangs (QB)(Sr.)(5) – Madden certainly showed his experience as the trigger-man for the Mustangs offense in this game, dicing up the Grandview defense from start-to-finish. Madden moved the ball with relative ease the whole night, going 20 of 28 (71%) for 290 yards passing, 2 passing touchdowns, and a QBR of 128.6. Turning to the film of Madden's performance against the Wolves, you can see the first thing that stands out about him is his outstanding accuracy to all levels of the field, consistently showing the ability to squeeze throws into tight spaces. Shows incredible ball placement and touch on deeper throws that require him to drop the ball in over the opposing defender. Displays good pocket presence when under pressure, consistently moving around in the pocket to avoid the rush and buy time to find a receiver downfield. Highly accurate passer when on the run or when being forced to throw off-platform. Athletic QB with good top-end foot speed that can present a threat to the defense with his legs if forced to scramble. Poised QB under pressure that rarely makes bad decisions or puts the offense in a bad position. Shows good arm strength that allows him to hit all the throws at any level of the field. Madden is currently ranked the number 4 QB and the number 27 player overall for the class of 2024 which, as I've stated in previous pieces, is a more than deserving ranking with his night against Grandview last Friday serving as another example.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='218297' first='Liam' last='Szarka'], Grandview Wolves (QB)(Sr.)(12) – Although he was on the losing side of this game, Szarka still played considerably well against a talented Ralston Valley defense. Szarka shouldered a heavy load for the Wolves as the future Air Force Falcon went 23 of 36 (64%) for a prolific 253 yards passing, a passing touchdown, and a QBR of 93.9. When you watch the tape of Szarka's night against the Mustangs defense, you can see that he has an extremely strong arm that allows him to hit receivers on short and intermediate routes in between tight windows while also giving him the ability to take the top off of even the most dynamic defensive backfields. Smart and poised QB that moves through his progressions quickly and decisively while limiting turnover worthy plays. Confident passer that takes calculated risks without forcing throws into no-win situations. Shows accuracy and great anticipation to all levels of the field. Precise passer while making throws on the run and against his body. Hard-nosed runner that isn't afraid to be aggressive at the point-of-contact with the defender to gain extra yards. Displays good vision finding day light on designed runs. Displays a knack for escaping the pocket and creating big plays when forced to scramble. Shows great lateral agility and top end foot speed that allows him to pull away from most 2nd and 3rd level defenders. Szarka possesses the traits, production, and the frame (6'2, 190 lbs) that college recruiters covet. Szarka is currently rated the number 3 QB and number 25 player overall in Colorado for the class of 2024, with that ranking continuing to be reinforced with every strong game the senior signal-caller has.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='251308' first='Xavier' last='Neto'], Grandview Wolves (WR)(Jr.)(1) - With Szarka having such a strong night, it makes sense that his leading receiver from last Friday would also have a strong showing - with Neto proving to be difficult to cover for the Mustangs defense despite the offensive unit as a whole struggling. Neto was a premier threat out of the slot for the Grandview offense, registering 110 yards receiving on 9 receptions (12.2 YPR) and 24 yards on a kickoff return on special teams. Diving into the film of Neto's performance against Ralston Valley, you can see he displays elite ability as a ball carrier after the catch, routinely turning short receptions into bigger playes. Extremely elusive runner in space that makes him tough to tackle in the open field in 1-on-1 situations, allowing him to be a dangerous receiver working underneath or the intermediate areas of the field. Consistent, strong hands in traffic and excellent lateral agility in tight spaces make him a reliable receiver out of the slot. Displays good top-end foot speed allows him to get past slower 2nd and 3rd level defenders if given enough space. Shows exceptional tracking ability on deep and intermediate balls. Tough receiver that isn't afraid of contact over the middle on short and intermediate routes. A well-rounded receiver that can execute every facet of the receiver position at a high level. Neto is currently rated the number 7 WR and the number 57 player overall for the class of 2025, but that ranking will certainly rise if he can continue to play at the level he performed at last Friday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jackson Hansen, Ralston Valley Mustangs (WR/DB)(Sr.)(2) – Hansen probably had the most dominant all-around game of any player in this game, showing out on both sides of the ball for the Mustangs. Hansen was as versatile as it gets, accounting for 120 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown on 9 receptions (13.3 YPR) on offense while also registering 2 tackles, a tackle for a loss, and 2 pass deflections on the defensive side of the ball. Despite arguably having a stronger performance on the offensive side of the ball, for the sake of this piece we'll focus on what Hansen shows on tape for the defensive side. When you watch Hansen's performance against the Grandview offense on film, you can see he displays a tenacious nature to attack and high point the ball in the air despite his size. Smart DB that always seem to be in a position to make a play on the ball. Even when being matched up against larger receivers, Hansen doesn't shy away from physicality at the line or down the field with the receiver. Exceptional athleticism and foot speed prevents him from getting beat on deep balls by faster receivers. Rangy defender with great lateral agility to move with quicker receivers on sharper breaking routes. Hansen is currently unranked on recruiting boards for the class of 2024, with his smaller frame for the position (5'10, 150 lbs) probably explaining why. Nevertheless, he is still a tremendously talented player that will be an integral piece to a Ralston Valley state title run this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Laird Jones, Ralston Valley Mustangs (LB)(Sr.)(9) - Jones, in my opinion, had the strongest showing of any defensive player on either team. The senior Mike backer played soundly in every facet of the defense, accounting for an impressive 10 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, a sack, and a pass deflection. When you dive into the film of Jones' night against the Grandview offense, you can see that he is an incredibly smart backer that displays a terrific understanding of how to maintain his gap responsibilities in run support and where the offense is trying to push the ball when dropping into pass coverage. Highly disciplined Mike backer that is rarely caught out of position when setting the edge, spying the QB, filling his run fits, or when pursuing the ball carrier. Extremely tough and highly physical LB that consistently brings excellent power/force at the point-of-contact when tackling the ball carrier. Displays a great combination of hand placement and strength when stacking-and-shedding opposing blockers to get to the ball carrier. Prototypical modern sideline-to-sideline Mike backer that plays with tremendous athleticism, showing incredible closing speed while in pursuit and elite first-step explosiveness out of his stance when crashing downhill. Jones isn't currently ranked on any recruiting boards for the class of 2024, which feels surprising given his traits and production that all translate to the collegiate level. Either way, he's a gifted player that will continue to be one of the leaders on the defensive side of the ball for the Mustangs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->