This is the most fun part of the year for us, we get to recognize outstanding performances from players. We name an Offensive, Defensive and Wildcard player of the year for freshman newcomers, sophomores, and upper classmen. The wildcard can be an offensive player, defensive player or special teams player, at the discretion of the editing and selection team.
Congratulations to all of our winners!
Freshman Offensive player of the year:
Dolphka Lewis from Pueblo East. Unfortunately we did not get to catch any Pueblo East games this year but he threw for 773 yards and ran for 524 putting him at #1 and #2 in those categories for 3A freshmen. Hopefully we can catch him in a game next year!
Freshman Defensive Player of the Year:
Jackson Post from Evergreen. 45 tackles, 10 TFL, 7.5 Sacks. As a freshman he is 6’3 and he is FAST. Watching him come off the edge you would think he is a corner blitzing with how quick he is. We were able to see him play in one game and you never would have guessed its a freshman playing. He is going to continue to be a problem for QBs for the next three years.
Freshman Wildcard of the year:
Noah Lucero from Roosevelt. He caught 28 balls for almost 500 yards and 6 TDs. He is already 6’2 with an athletic build, this young athlete has already shown glimpses of remarkable potential on the field. Displays an innate understanding of the game, with impressive field awareness for a player of his experience. He has a knack for finding open spaces and using them to the team’s advantage.
Sophomore Offensive Player of the year:
This one was particularly hard but we are going with Chace Hurley from Pueblo South. He averaged an impressive 8.8 YPC while rushing for 722 yards and 10 TDs. Chace has the size and and speed to take over games. Pueblo South is a young team and I expect Chace to be the center of their development for the next few seasons.
Sophomore Defensive Player of the year:
Ryan Myers from Severance. He recorded 106 tackles including 64 solo and 5 TFLs. This was another tight race but in what we saw he possesses a remarkable ability to execute clean, effective tackles. His technique and strength ensure that once he gets his hands on an opponent, they’re going down.
Sophomore Wildcard of the year:
Dylan Burns from Durango. He was 8 of 10 on field goals, nearly flawless on extra points and has a very strong leg for his age.
Upperclassman Offensive Player of the year:
Rylan Cooney from Holy Family. When it comes to quarterbacks sometimes there are quite a few options which is the case for the upper classmen in 3A. However, when it comes down to the last few, we look at what we saw in games as well as everything being close, completion percentage. The fact of the matter is that Rylan outside of his 2800 yards, was completing 64% of his passes and many of those were as he was running for his life. At least one of his interceptions was tipped putting his efficiency through the roof. He has a very quick release which is generally one of the things that high school quarterbacks struggle with, which earns him our OPOY spot.
Upperclassman Defensive Player of the year:
Brayden Bach also from Holy Family. He had 156 tackles on the year of which 125 were solo tackles. Thats right 125 solo tackles. He shows incredible instincts for the game, often anticipating plays before they unfold. His quick reaction time allows him to respond rapidly to offensive plays and he is another one that it felt like he made almost every tackle of the game.
Upperclassman Wildcard of the year:
Xavier Ramirez from Roosevelt. He racked up 1725 yards rushing on 212 carries for 8.1 average. The thing we love about Xavier was that watching him play was just how good of a zone running back he is. The ability to have the patience to see the hole and acceleration and agility to hit it full speed is a rare thing and he has it. I absolutely believe Xavier should be playing at the next level next year and hope to see him land somewhere he can make full use of his abilities.