Find out what some of the elite players in the state are saying about how football now!
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Q&A with Northfield offensive tackle Aidan Martin
What have you been doing as of late with off-season workouts?
“I have been working with Jenkins Elite all off season to work on both OL and DL techniques. Our Northfield football team gets together three times a week to run and lift. This Spring I was on the track team for both shot and discus. All have helped me improve my agility and strength in different ways.”
What do you feel you have improved on most since last football season?
“My pass pro blocking techniques. We were a heavy run team last year and working with Jenkins Elite has helped me focus more on this area of my game.”
How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“It will be our first season playing in 4A after we made it to the playoffs last year in 3A. We have some tough games at the beginning of the season and they will be a great test on how we will do.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“Hard to say as it will be the first time we see many of these teams now that we are in 4A. Roosevelt is a school that we have always talked about and we are excited for the chance to play them.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“Probably Heritage’s TE Tanner Tech.”
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Q&A with Mountain View wide receiver Derrek Parker
What have you been doing as of late with off-season workouts?
“I've just been in the gym by myself working on my speed and strength getting as big as fast as I can for this season.”
What do you feel you have improved on most since last football season?
“My strength and drive for wanting to be the best definitely improved the most.”
How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I feel we will do well this season as we can have a lot of talent and hard workers on and off the field.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“I think the toughest team will be ourselves getting in the way of beating any other team.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“No one, we are ready for whatever comes at us.”
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Q&A with Thompson Valley defensive lineman Dane Gray
What have you been doing as of late with off-season workouts?
“For off-season workouts me and my buddy Tim, who is new to the team, have been working out with each other, making each other better. We really emphasized legs this off-season to build speed and quick burst.”
What do you feel you have improved on most since last football season?
“I feel like overall I’ve improved best with my technique. I’ve learned the pass rush moves and how to perfect them so now it’s just up to using them live.”
How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I feel we have a great team coming up for this season. We lost some key players but definitely returned a lot for this season. We have very good depth and are guys who are willing to do what it takes to win.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“I think the toughest team we are going to play is definitely Pomona. They have a really solid team with a lot of returning players. And from the score against Loveland last year, they seem like a tough team.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“The best player I think we will face this year is Rider Easton from Loveland. Being one of the better quarterbacks we face this season, and with the offensive playbook switch they are emphasizing, I feel he will be a tough player to face.”
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Q&A with Erie interior offensive lineman Cash Rhodes
What have you been doing as of late with off-season workouts?
“We’ve been grinding in the weight room looking to get stronger, faster, more agile. Competing in the 5A division now is going to be hard, it’s faster pace and more variety of play styles you’ll see in opponents. Going that extra mile to not only develop yourself but also building chemistry and learning how your partners face adversity in the weight room and with our on the field stuff too.”
What do you feel you have improved on most since last football season?
“I definitely have felt my strength as well as my aggression improve. We (Erie) always have what seems to be a target on our back, people don’t like us, that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The only way to prove somebody wrong is to take any chance given to show them what’s up!”
How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I think our team will turn some heads moving up to 5A. Erie has always been doubted so I believe our team will do well next season and I’m excited to see what happens come August.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“I don’t like to view anyone on our schedule as tough quite yet, I know we’re going to see what we’re dealing with and make our adjustments week by week.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“There’s too many people to name! I mean being a two way player I see guys like Carson Hageman, Dylan Firebaugh and Gio Giampietro on the defensive side of the ball treating every snap like it’s their last and balling out like Gio’s a shifty kid you may think you have him on the ropes but then … boom he spins off you and he’s in the backfield making a play, and Carson he can read your hips like a book and know exactly where your weight is and straight up embarrass you and Dylan is a helluva DB. The kids are always in the film room knowing what to expect against our opponents and he can make a play like no other. pivoting from that on the Offense, guys like Cole Powell, Ronin Ward, and Braylon Toliver just to name a few. Cole can ball out any chance you give him, he’s ready to make a Defensive Ends night hell. Ronin’s so technical at QB he’s always searching how to make a defenses job just a little harder every snap, if he notices any mistakes in a defense he can automatically play it against them. Braylon knows how to hit a whole and he can put our team in the best situation possible, plain and simple. At Erie we don’t like to look too much into the past but I always think about one specific play in the State Championship game, we were at about mid field and I pulled as the Right Guard and Palmer Ridge knew what was coming, Braylon was already there with the ball and noticed the amount of traffic, he didn’t like it. Strapped all of the small town of Erie Colorado on his back, noticed a cutback lane hit it and scored.”
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Q&A with Thompson Valley outside linebacker/wide receiver CJ James
What have you been doing as of late with off-season workouts?
“This off-season, I have been working with my trainer and a couple of teammates on speed, agility, footwork, and basic football drills.”
What do you feel you have improved on most since last football season?
“I feel that I have improved my speed the most since last football season.”
How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I feel that our team will do great next season. I think we can go 10-0 and go deep into the playoffs and even win state.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“The team on our schedule that I think will be the toughest is Fort Morgan, I don't know much about them, but that's what makes me think that they're going to be tough.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“There is no individual player that will be tough for our team to handle. But there are some studs out there though that will give us some competition.”
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Q&A with Northfield offensive tackle Aidan Martin
What have you been doing as of late with off-season workouts?
“I have been working with Jenkins Elite all off season to work on both OL and DL techniques. Our Northfield football team gets together three times a week to run and lift. This Spring I was on the track team for both shot and discus. All have helped me improve my agility and strength in different ways.”
What do you feel you have improved on most since last football season?
“My pass pro blocking techniques. We were a heavy run team last year and working with Jenkins Elite has helped me focus more on this area of my game.”
How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“It will be our first season playing in 4A after we made it to the playoffs last year in 3A. We have some tough games at the beginning of the season and they will be a great test on how we will do.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“Hard to say as it will be the first time we see many of these teams now that we are in 4A. Roosevelt is a school that we have always talked about and we are excited for the chance to play them.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“Probably Heritage’s TE Tanner Tech.”
......................................................................................................
Q&A with Mountain View wide receiver Derrek Parker
What have you been doing as of late with off-season workouts?
“I've just been in the gym by myself working on my speed and strength getting as big as fast as I can for this season.”
What do you feel you have improved on most since last football season?
“My strength and drive for wanting to be the best definitely improved the most.”
How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I feel we will do well this season as we can have a lot of talent and hard workers on and off the field.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“I think the toughest team will be ourselves getting in the way of beating any other team.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“No one, we are ready for whatever comes at us.”
......................................................................................................
Q&A with Thompson Valley defensive lineman Dane Gray
What have you been doing as of late with off-season workouts?
“For off-season workouts me and my buddy Tim, who is new to the team, have been working out with each other, making each other better. We really emphasized legs this off-season to build speed and quick burst.”
What do you feel you have improved on most since last football season?
“I feel like overall I’ve improved best with my technique. I’ve learned the pass rush moves and how to perfect them so now it’s just up to using them live.”
How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I feel we have a great team coming up for this season. We lost some key players but definitely returned a lot for this season. We have very good depth and are guys who are willing to do what it takes to win.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“I think the toughest team we are going to play is definitely Pomona. They have a really solid team with a lot of returning players. And from the score against Loveland last year, they seem like a tough team.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“The best player I think we will face this year is Rider Easton from Loveland. Being one of the better quarterbacks we face this season, and with the offensive playbook switch they are emphasizing, I feel he will be a tough player to face.”
......................................................................................................
Q&A with Erie interior offensive lineman Cash Rhodes
What have you been doing as of late with off-season workouts?
“We’ve been grinding in the weight room looking to get stronger, faster, more agile. Competing in the 5A division now is going to be hard, it’s faster pace and more variety of play styles you’ll see in opponents. Going that extra mile to not only develop yourself but also building chemistry and learning how your partners face adversity in the weight room and with our on the field stuff too.”
What do you feel you have improved on most since last football season?
“I definitely have felt my strength as well as my aggression improve. We (Erie) always have what seems to be a target on our back, people don’t like us, that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The only way to prove somebody wrong is to take any chance given to show them what’s up!”
How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I think our team will turn some heads moving up to 5A. Erie has always been doubted so I believe our team will do well next season and I’m excited to see what happens come August.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“I don’t like to view anyone on our schedule as tough quite yet, I know we’re going to see what we’re dealing with and make our adjustments week by week.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“There’s too many people to name! I mean being a two way player I see guys like Carson Hageman, Dylan Firebaugh and Gio Giampietro on the defensive side of the ball treating every snap like it’s their last and balling out like Gio’s a shifty kid you may think you have him on the ropes but then … boom he spins off you and he’s in the backfield making a play, and Carson he can read your hips like a book and know exactly where your weight is and straight up embarrass you and Dylan is a helluva DB. The kids are always in the film room knowing what to expect against our opponents and he can make a play like no other. pivoting from that on the Offense, guys like Cole Powell, Ronin Ward, and Braylon Toliver just to name a few. Cole can ball out any chance you give him, he’s ready to make a Defensive Ends night hell. Ronin’s so technical at QB he’s always searching how to make a defenses job just a little harder every snap, if he notices any mistakes in a defense he can automatically play it against them. Braylon knows how to hit a whole and he can put our team in the best situation possible, plain and simple. At Erie we don’t like to look too much into the past but I always think about one specific play in the State Championship game, we were at about mid field and I pulled as the Right Guard and Palmer Ridge knew what was coming, Braylon was already there with the ball and noticed the amount of traffic, he didn’t like it. Strapped all of the small town of Erie Colorado on his back, noticed a cutback lane hit it and scored.”
......................................................................................................
Q&A with Thompson Valley outside linebacker/wide receiver CJ James
What have you been doing as of late with off-season workouts?
“This off-season, I have been working with my trainer and a couple of teammates on speed, agility, footwork, and basic football drills.”
What do you feel you have improved on most since last football season?
“I feel that I have improved my speed the most since last football season.”
How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I feel that our team will do great next season. I think we can go 10-0 and go deep into the playoffs and even win state.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“The team on our schedule that I think will be the toughest is Fort Morgan, I don't know much about them, but that's what makes me think that they're going to be tough.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“There is no individual player that will be tough for our team to handle. But there are some studs out there though that will give us some competition.”
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