Whitefish Bay vs. Cedarburg Players of the Game: O/D/ST

In Friday’s <em>Whitefish Bay Blue Dukes vs. Cedarburg Bulldogs </em>matchup that ended in a <em>Whitefish Bay </em>40-23 victory, both teams produced sensational and productive performances in all three phases of the game. Whether offense, defense, or special teams, these plays caught my eye and impressed enough to earn themselves our <em>PrepRedzoneWI </em>Game Balls. Find out who was awarded these players of the game distinctions below! And thanks for reading. <span style="font-size: 14pt;">Player of the Game: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="31196" first="Grover" last="Bortolotti"] </strong><em>(Whitefish Bay) </em><span style="font-size: 12pt;">DB/RB. 5’11, 185 lbs. Game stat-line of 14 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 PBU, 1 INT on defense. On offense posted 17 rushes for 151 yards plus 1 catch for 56 yards &amp; 3 TDs. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2ELRCv">vs. Cedarburg</a> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> - Was all over the field for <em>Whitefish Bay </em>as his stats suggest, and it was almost impossible to go a series without seeing him make a play and hearing the announcer call his name. This was his first year playing FB on the <em>Blue Dukes </em>offense, but you would never guess it as he looked like a natural with the ball in his hands and ran really tough behind his pads for 185 lbs. His vision was also impressive, and he has a vast array of tools as a runner and can juke by you or run you over. On defense there isn’t anything he can’t do, and was all over the field in the passing game and in run support. Just an all-around natural football player and a really fun one to watch!</span></span> <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Offense </span></span> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="30735" first="Drew" last="Biber"] </strong><em>(Cedarburg) </em>6’5, 215 lbs. WR. It took <em>Cedarburg </em>a little too long to get <strong>Biber </strong>involved offensively, but when they did it was obvious why <strong>Biber </strong>has many D1 suitors for both football and basketball. He possesses off the chart athleticism and is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. I knew coming in that the two-sport star had great hops and strong hands, but he showed me another dimension to his game with his route-running and ability to find soft spots in the defense and get open. He was productive with crossing routes over the middle, and was tough to bring down after the catch. He had an impressive TD catch in the second half of the game that almost got <em>Cedarburg </em>back in the game. <b>Nigel Cheeks</b> (<i>Whitefish Bay</i>) RB. 2022. The junior RB was the lightning to <strong>Bortolotti’s </strong>preverbal thunder, and he showed some impressive vision and cutting ability that helped him break-off for some big runs all game. He’s a faster back as well who is physical with a good frame to boot. <b>Lucas Bork</b> (<i>Cedarburg</i>) RB. 5’11, 180 lbs. An every-down RB who made some exciting plays against a tough and stingy <i>Whitefish Bay</i> defense. <strong>Bork </strong>is a tough and physical runner who can hurt a defense if he finds the corner. Good leg drive and a strong lower body make him a load to bring down. 1/2 of a great RB tandem with teammate <b>Connor Roloff</b>, who also is a strong runner. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Defense</span></span> <b>[player_tooltip player_id="31200" first="Joe" last="Brunner"]</b> <em>(Whitefish Bay) </em>DL/OL. 6’6, 300 lbs. 2022. The 4star 2022 lineman was a force on the offensive and defensive lines of the <i>Blue Dukes</i>, but who really shone on the DL. Needing a double-team for almost the entire game, <b>Brunner’s</b> explosive first-step and powerful and violent hands helped him live in the <i>Cedarburg</i> backfield all night. He made some impressive TFLs, forced the <i>Bulldogs</i> to send their QB on the move for most of their passing attempts, and also freed up a lot of teammates to make plays as he commanded so much attention on the interior of the DL. He’s a special prospect and will no doubt add to his 18 Power-5 offers. <b>Henry Budd</b> (<i>Cedarburg</i>) LB. Made some drive-stopping TFLs that kept <i>Cedarburg </i>in the game on defense and was a strong run defender against <i>Whitefish Bay’s</i> dangerous rushing attack. Definitely can play LB in college. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Special Teams</span></span> <b>Nigel Cheeks</b> (<i>Whitefish Bay</i>) RB. Was a speeding bullet on KO coverage and made some power hard tackles on multiple kickoffs for <i>Whitefish Bay’s</i> special teams. <b>Ryan Schroeder</b> (<i>Cedarburg</i>) K. Made a 23-yard FG for the <i>Bulldog’s</i> first score of the game. <b>Lucas Bork</b> (<i>Cedarburg</i>) RB. Recovered a well-executed onside pooch kick for <i>Cedarburg</i> that almost sparked a legit comeback attempt. Really nice play.