Week 3 Offensive Players of the Week
In this article:
Like the past two weeks have been, Week 3 was an action-packed weekend with some incredible match-ups and performances. This week’s list has some names we’ve seen before and a name who is new, with all three being names to…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingLike the past two weeks have been, Week 3 was an action-packed weekend with some incredible match-ups and performances. This week’s list has some names we’ve seen before and a name who is new, with all three being names to follow this season and beyond. With that being said, here were the top three offensive performances from Week 3.
Players of the Week
Sam Beers Sam Beers 5'10" | 200 lbs | RB Air Academy | 2023 State CO , Air Academy Kadets (RB)(Jr.)(42) – This is Beers’ second time being named an offensive player of the week, taking home that honor in week 1 as well. Much like week 1, Beers was easily the top rusher in the state, as he ran for 291 yards and a ridiculous 6 touchdowns on just 15 carries (19.4 ypc) in a 53-0 blowout of the Palmer Terrors. When you put on the tape, you can see that Beers displays a very physical running style, supported by his strong core and lower body that allows him to power through smaller defenders and arm tackles with relative ease. He’s an aggressive ball carrier that doesn’t shy away from contact and often takes multiple defenders to bring him down. Displays adequate athleticism and foot speed, routinely pulling away from second and third level defenders if they take a bad angle. It wouldn’t be far fetched to say that Beers has been one of the top RBs so far in the state and has been just as good, if not better, than the other top RBs in the state like Gavin Sawchuk Gavin Sawchuk RB Valor Christian | 2022 State CO and Carlson Tann Carlson Tann 5'10" | 175 lbs | RB Cherry Creek | 2023 State CO . I fully expect to see Beers’ name on this list again and I’m confident in saying that we’ll see his name pick up steam in recruiting circles if he continues to perform at such a dominant level.
Bekkem Kritza Bekkem Kritza 6'4" | 180 lbs | QB Santa Margarita Catholic | 2025 CA , Fairview Knights (QB)(Fr.)(8) – Like Beers, this is Kritza’s second time being named an offensive player of the week. It’s also the second week in a row that the freshman has led the state in passing as he went 27 of 38 for 330 yards and a QBR of 86.5 in the 17-0 win over the Grand Junction Central Warriors. Looking at the film, you can see Kritza is a tall, long armed QB with a quick release that has excellent ball placement on deep and intermediate throws. Strong armed passer that can hit every level of the field with little to no difficulty, with his arm strength also contributing to his ability to squeeze throws into tight windows. Intelligent QB with the ability to read the rotation of the coverage shell and identify the holes in zone coverage underneath. While not lightning in a bottle athletically, he has outstanding pocket presence and enough mobility to avoid the rush and buy himself time to find a receiver downfield. Good accuracy moving out of the pocket and throwing on the run/off-platform with varying arm angles to get the ball around defenders. Leading the state in passing two weeks in a row is quite an accomplishment. However, being a freshman and accomplishing that within your first three starts is pretty remarkable and shouldn’t be glossed over. Kritza is a gifted QB, and if he continues to develop, will be a very special player in the future.
Rashad Caldwell Rashad Caldwell 6'0" | 180 lbs | WR Denver South | 2023 State CO , Denver South Ravens (WR)(Jr.)(1) – Caldwell is making his first appearance on this list and it was certainly well deserved, as the junior had 8 receptions for 218 yards and 3 touchdowns in a tight 48-40 win over the Broomfield Eagles. There’s a lot to like about the junior receiver. Going to the film, you can see that Caldwell has an average build with long arms and strong hands that allow him to attack/high-point the ball away from the defender. The explosive, twitchy athlete that can take the top off of a defense if they’re caught napping. Excellent foot speed and lateral agility allow him to operate as a smooth, efficient route runner without any wasted movement, routinely gaining separation against less explosive defenders. Displays a good feel for where to find the holes in zone coverage on underneath routes. Shows an understanding of how to adjust his routes based off of the leverage of the defender, type of coverage, and designed release from the line. Operates best on deep and intermediate routes where he can best utilize his athleticism/explosiveness. Caldwell is currently listed as the 3rd best WR in the state for the 2023 class and we can certainly expect to see that ranking rise if he continues to produce like he did last week. He’ll certainly be a name worth following the next two seasons.