Recruiting Report: Will Mostaert (2019)

About midway through the 2017 football season, Lakeville North's <strong>Will Mostaert</strong> was starting to find his comfort zone. He was a full-time starter on the defensive line and was also contributing as a situational player on the offensive side of the ball. During the most critical point of the season – the playoffs – Mostaert's season was derailed by an injury. As a team, the Panthers had a solid year but were just a couple of plays away from putting together a great season. Both Mostaert and North have unfinished business going into the 2018 campaign. "We had a good season and had some good accomplishments," Mostaert said. "We beat some teams that beat us the year before. We could have won a lot of close games if we could have scored one more time." The Panthers ended the regular season with a 5-3 – two of their losses were by eight points. The defense was the backbone of the team. In eleven games the defense pitched four shutouts and gave up more than fifteen points in a game just twice. "We got good pressure on the quarterback and forced a lot of turnovers," Mostaert explained. "We either had a lot of people get to the ball – striping at the ball – and we had like eight interceptions." Mostaert's season started slow, but gained momentum. "At the beginning, it wasn't going too well, but coaches started to see what I could do, and I started getting more playing time. Then at the end, I broke my collarbone in the second half of the Totino-Grace game, and then I tried to play the next week against Eden Prairie, but I couldn't move my arm in the second half, so I couldn't continue in that last game." Although he expects to play plenty of snaps at defensive end as a senior – as a junior, he spent most of his time at defensive tackle. "I think my speed and quickness around the edge and weaving through players," NFN's 22nd-ranked player from the Class of 2019 said. "I am up to 240 pounds now, so I should be able to take on some of those big offensive linemen, but last season I used my athletic ability to get around people." Mostaert – who has been a starter since early in his sophomore year – will be focusing on improving both the physical and mental side of his game. "I want to be better with my hands. I want to be able to get off blocks quicker. Since I play both ways, I want to focus on the playbook, so I know the calls and get them perfect. I am going to be watching more film, so I know what other teams are doing too." During the winter he was a member of the basketball team, and he threw the shot put and discus for the track team. Mainly a junior varsity player – Mostaert saw a handful of minutes on the varsity. This spring he placed 5th at the state tournament in the shot put and took 5th in the section in the discus. Mostaert has already been to a handful of college camps. He has been to or is going to camps at South Dakota State, Iowa, Iowa State, Wisconsin, North Dakota State and Northern Iowa. When the calendar flips to July, his focus will switch to working out. As far as recruiting goes, Mostaert already has a handful of offers at the defensive line position. "I have offers from Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, South Dakota, Western Illinois, Mankato and Air Force." "The (schools) say they like my motor," Mostaert continued. "They like how I run after the ball. They think I have a lot of energy coming off the ball and they say my hands are good." Although Mostaert ended his season with an injury and a season of what could have been, the soon to be three-year starter will be ready to make up for lost time during his final high school season.