Recruiting Report: Tim Stapleton (2020)
Few high school football teams have a weapon like the Waconia Wildcats. Especially during his senior season – when he expects to see significant time on both sides of the ball – Tim Stapleton will be an impact player in…
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Continue ReadingFew high school football teams have a weapon like the Waconia Wildcats. Especially during his senior season – when he expects to see significant time on both sides of the ball – Tim Stapleton will be an impact player in all three phases of the game. As a junior, he racked up interceptions as a defensive back and points as one of the state’s best kickers. Now he has college programs looking at him at three different positions and two different sports.
Although the season ended sooner than anyone in a Waconia uniform would have liked, there was no doubting; it was a great season.
“I think the team was even better than what we got credit for,” Stapleton said. “It was the most fun I have ever had playing football and one of the best years Waconia has had in a long time. With a 7-1 record, I hated to see it end (in the first round of the playoffs).”
The Wildcats leaned on their defense.
“We had a big defensive line that would eat up the run, but then we also had some big defensive backs who were quick too,” Stapleton said. “We could usually roll up into the box and not worry about getting beat over the top because of our speed on the outside.”
“I think our defense averaged giving up about five points a game,” Stapleton continued. “Our offense gave up a couple of safeties and a couple of pick-sixes in there, so you take those out, and I think we have four or five shutouts. It was a fun defense to be a part of. On offense, we had an electric running back – Mitch Garnatz. We had one of the biggest offensive lines in the state, so our running game was our strength. Then once in a while, we would catch defenses off guard with Will Koppi going deep.”
Early in the season, Stapleton had a game he will likely never forget.
“I had a solid season,” the soon-to-be senior said. “In the first four games, I had four interceptions. One of them was a pick-six. In the second game against Hopkins, I had a rushing touchdown, a pick-six, and a punt block touchdown. I also kicked a field goal and all the extra points. I think I had 25-points that game. After Week Five – all the defensive backs had at least two interceptions, so teams didn’t throw much anymore. It looked like my stats went down, but my tackles went up. On the kicking side, I was lucky enough to have my coaches trust me with a lot of kicks. I was 14-16 kicking field goals with a long of 45-yards. I think I had five forty-plus yard field goals.”
Defensively he is used in many ways.
“I am primarily a strong safety,” Stapleton – who saw some limited time on offense as a backup running back – said. “With my wrestling background, the coaches trust me to make tackles if need be. I am strong in man coverage too so in goal line or any short-yardage situation I would roll up, and I would be the safety that would go into man coverage. I think I am good at leading the defense and being vocal, stopping the run as well as leaving space to make the quarterback think the receiver is open and then closing the gap to make a play on the ball.”
Stapleton has been kicking – in some form – his whole life.
“I have an older sister who was into soccer, and my mom was a soccer coach,” Stapleton – who kicks field goals, extra points and had nine touchbacks – said. “I grew up with a soccer background. In middle school, our football team didn’t have a kicker, and I thought I would give it a shot. After kind of winging it the first couple of years, I decided to take it more seriously. I started looking on YouTube at kicking videos. With kicking, it is all about routine and consistency, so once I got my steps down and kept practicing – it was a done deal.”
During the offseason, Stapleton focused on his feet.
“For defensive back and running back, I have been working on a lot of footwork drills and getting quicker on my feet. I need to be able to explode from any position. A couple of times a week, I get out and get some kicks up to keep that consistency. I am working on keeping everything the same and consistent.”
Like usual for this multi-sport athlete, his football focus had to wait until after the winter sports’ season.
“I have been wrestling since before kindergarten,” Stapleton said. “I won five youth state titles. Once high school hit, I had some injury issues. My freshman year, my first match at the state tournament, I tore my MCL and meniscus during the match. I won the match but obviously had to default the rest of the tournament. My sophomore year, I lost in the state finals and then right after the season I dislocated my elbow – taking me out of a lot of the offseason. Last year I finally won my first state title.”
“A lot of my (wrestling) offense comes from scrambling and keeping motion going and getting them out of position,” Stapleton continued. “I like to fire off a single leg takedown or a high crotch. A big part of my wrestling is moving faster than the other guy and wait for the guy to get in a bad position.”
This spring, he did a lot of wrestling – which also helps football – and worked on kicking.
“We went to a team camp at South Dakota State,” Stapleton said. “This spring, I went down to Nebraska – my sister goes there – after getting invited to the kicking camp. It is always good to get in front of people and get some balls in the air. Then I went to the Gophers’ specialist camp and then I went to the Wisconsin kicking camp.”
Stapleton – who likes hiking and being on the water – has multiple opportunities for college athletics.
“Most of the college offers I have been for wrestling. Wyoming and South Dakota State have offered. I have been in talks with Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Iowa State (for wrestling). I have been getting looked at (by DI schools) for kicking – a lot of big schools don’t offer for kickers. As an athlete I have been looked at by schools like SDSU, Northern Iowa, schools like that and have been offered by some Division II schools.”
Stapleton has made an impact athletically in several ways. With another solid couple of seasons, he will not only have to figure out what school he wants to attend, but what position and what sport he will focus on as well.