Players of the Game: Hamilton vs. Baraboo

Saturday afternoon’s amber and blustery matchup between the Sussex Hamilton Chargers and the Baraboo Thunderbirds was the best game I have covered for PrepRedzone this season, and the 20-19 thrilling Chargers victory contained some tough and gutsy offensive and defensive performances by members of each team. Between both squads there is some legitimate Division 1 talent, and many players had strong games, especially defensively. However, PrepRedzoneWI can only give out so many game balls, and the below awardees absolutely balled out last Saturday. Check out who was named a "Player of the Game" with a simple scroll! Thanks for reading. Player of the Game: Nate Kollath (Hamilton) QB. 6’3, 205 lbs. 2023. Offensive Players of the Game Owen Nachtigal (Baraboo) RB. 5’11, 180 lbs. 2021. @OwenNachtigal. In Baraboo’s run-heavy offense Nachtigal was the featured back and showed himself to be a total workhorse capable of double-digit carries that will play strongly from his first rush to his last. He did a great job of always falling forward and getting positive yardage, and was a tough runner with good vision and an understanding of where the hole was going to be, and made sure to hit the hole hard. He also exploded for a 80-yard TD reception on a beautiful screen in the second half for Baraboo that showcased his speed and how dangerous he is in the open field, so I can easily say that Nachtigal looked impressive all day. College coaches: don’t be shy! Nate Kollath (Hamilton) QB. 6’3, 205 lbs. 2023. @nate_kollath . A fantastic 2023 QB recruit who is going to be receiving a ton of college interest as he gets older, Kollath looked far from a sophomore at the helm of Hamilton as he showed an impressive arm with the ability to accurately throw the deep ball as well as underneath and shorter routes. He was poised in the pocket and had good footwork, and was very pleasantly surprised by his ability to hurt the Baraboo defense with his legs. He was a really fun runner to watch and had breakaway speed and some good moves and shakes in his tool belt. There were multiple occasions he kept drives going with big, exciting runs that gave a lot of life to Hamilton, and you can see that the team really rallies around him and trusts him. He’s a name to watch going forward forsure. [player_tooltip player_id="31052" first="Quantell" last="Booker"] (Hamilton) RB/ATH. 5’10, 175 lbs. 2021. @Quantell4 . I wish that Hamilton would have been able to incorporate the Preseason All-State ATH Booker in their offense earlier and throughout the game, but when he did have a chance to do something with the ball in his hands he made sure to make the most of it. The highlight of the 5’10 ATH’s performance came on Hamilton’s second TD of the day in the 3rd quarter as he exploded through the LOS and up the sideline for an impressive 40-yard house call that gave the Chargers the lead halfway through the third. It was an all around display of his speed, athleticism, and shiftiness, and was one of the best plays of the entire game from either side. He’s a game-changer. [player_tooltip player_id="31225" first="Luna" last="Larson"] (Baraboo) 6’2, 200 lbs. QB/LB. 2022. @LunaLar06638257 . Holds an offer from Central Michigan. You’ll hear more about Larson in my description of his game from the LB position, but he was definitely a factor offensively and it was clear to see that the entire Thunderbirds offense was centered around Larson and started and ended with him, and the 200 lber. ran like he was 50 pounds heavier when carrying the ball in his hands. He has an absolute truck-stick that would make any seasoned Madden user drool, and put a hurting on defenders all day long. He’s easily a D1 athlete. Defensive Players of the Game [player_tooltip player_id="31225" first="Luna" last="Larson"] (Baraboo) LB/QB. 6’2, 200 lbs. 2022. @LunaLar06638257 . Holds an offer from Central Michigan. The aforementioned Larson dealt out even more hits on the defensive side of the ball, and was a playmaker in both the run game and in pass-rush situations. If he got a full head of steam running up on the LOS prepping for a blitz he was very hard to stop, and Hamilton had an impressive OL so I know that’s saying something. He is excellent in closing the space on ballcarriers and freezing them with indecision, and was the hardest hitter on the field. I am 100% certain that more than a few Chargers offensive players woke up sore on Sunday morning due to pops from Larson, and he was a force at what I think is his projected college position in LB. More to come from Luna! Colby Horn (Hamilton) DL. 6’5, 225 lb. 2022. @Colby_horn_ . A player who I unfortunately did not have on my radar like I should have coming into the game, Horn is a massive DL prospect who was the focal point of Baraboo’s offensive blocking scheme, and for good reason as I watched him eat up double-teams and when give given a 1-on-1 opportunity he was a monster and made for a really tough assignment to contain. He excels in the run game, but has some pass-rush capability and moves well at the DL position with a good first step and lateral agility. If he can put on some weight he’s going to be a major DL sleeper prospect in the 2022 class with a really high ceiling as a recruit. Luke Wroblewski (Hamilton) LB. 2021. Committed to play baseball at Bryant and Stratton in college. Finished the day with 15.5 tackles and had his head around the ball all game long. With natural instincts and a great ability to read and react to his keys I really wish he was playing football in college. Charlie Kinowski (Hamilton) LB. 2021. @Charlie63193040 . Kinowski made what one could argue was the biggest defensive play in the ballgame as he picked off a Larson pass attempt late in the second half, but also was one of the toughest and most consistent tacklers for Hamilton on the afternoon. He’s got a great frame and is an asset in the run and pass game. His best days of football are still in front of him. Campbell Koseor (Baraboo) OLB. 5’10, 185 lbs. 2021. Koseor was also a very consistent tackler on the day and had no problem sticking his head into the action in the run game and had some good range as an OLB. He was a tough kid as well and would make for a great DIII prospect.