Players of the Game: Sheboygan Falls vs Two Rivers

There was a lot of talent on display last Friday night in the Sheboygan Falls vs Two Rivers matchup. There were kids from the freshman class up through the senior class balling out. The breakdown between the two teams does suggest how the game played out. Sheboygan Falls’ most impactful players listed below are all seniors, while Two Rivers’ key contributors were almost all underclassmen. It’s hard to compete in a senior driven sport with underclassmen. This does tell me that Two Rivers is going to be a team worth keeping an eye on going forward though. They have some intriguing up and coming talent. So, let’s check out who actually made the list of the Players of the Game. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="30776" first="Malachi" last="Munoz"], Senior OL- Sheboygan Falls</strong> Malachi had another strong performance on Friday. He is a very talented offensive lineman. His frame has the room and can handle the mass needed at the next level at 6'4" 260 lbs. He fits perfectly into the guard position. He has the athleticism you look for to be able to pull and consistently hit his target and open up huge lanes for the backs. Munoz has a really smooth skip pull that he uses a ton during the game. In Friday's game, Munoz was finding success in every way. He had kick out blocks that sprung the backs for big gains and he had no problem using one on one blocks to drive defensive linemen off the ball with his power and then bury them into the ground. Munoz bullied the defensive line all night and it led to a huge performance for the Sheboygan Falls run game. He showed why he is one of the best senior linemen in the state. Check him out! <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/10432515/5faf6cef4798220a8ca6e632">Munoz vs Two Rivers</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="30781" first="Luke" last="Wezyk"], Senior OL/DL- Sheboygan Falls</strong> Luke is a name that needs to get out there more. He just picked up what looks like his first offer from Carthage College a month ago. D3 coaches don't miss out on this kid that is an all-conference player in the trenches on both sides of the ball. Standing at 6'6" 285 lbs, Luke has the prototypical frame you look. In the run game, Luke was a road grader. He consistently washed down defensive linemen and set up huge alleys when Munoz would pull and kick out the contain man. In short areas, Luke has some nice quickness too to go with all of his strength. He gets his hands on quickly and then uses his strong and wide base to drive defenders out of the area code of the play. Check this kid out! <strong>Jon Mathieu, Senior RB/LB- Sheboygan Falls</strong> College coaches, this is a kid you need to know. He definitely can play at the D3 level. I’ve become a bigger and bigger fan of his over the season. Jon has a nice blend of burst/quickness, power, and contact balance in a 5’10" 180 lbs package. When he gets a clean running lane his burst can take him to top speed in no time leading to several big plays a week and when he has to, Jon can lower his shoulder and run right through defenders thanks to the power and contact balance through hits. Jon had another huge game as he was the focal point of the offense. Despite knowing that, the Two Rivers defense couldn’t slow him down much as he finished with 26 carries forr 187 yards, and 3 TDs. On defense he was in on a ton of tackles too. He shot through gaps untouched and roamed the whole field making play after play. There is no doubt this kid can play at the next level in some role. Mathieu doesn’t have anything posted about offers, so coaches if you haven’t checked this kid out you should! <strong>Isaac Klemme, Senior QB- Sheboygan Falls</strong> There isn’t many things that I love to see on a high school field more than a QB wearing a non-QB number. When I saw Klemme trot out in that #29 jersey I knew I was going to have to keep an eye on him! Isaac is a gamer. He didn’t have to come out and carry his offense. Instead he had to step up when they needed him. When they wanted a change of pace they let him throw it around and go no huddle. When they got behind the changes they looked to him to convert. When they wanted to score before the half he stepped up and drove the team down inside the 10 before ending up just short of scoring. Isaac did a great job of doing exactly what the team asked of him no matter the situation. He even is a nice athlete. On the night, Isaac finished with 12/22 for 110 yards, and 1 passing TD to go along with 4 carries for 19 yards. <strong>Jamison Nickolai, Senior WR/DB- Sheboygan Falls</strong> Jamison’s basketball background really shows up in his game on the football field. He has really nice length for the receiver and safety position at 6’4". On offense he did a great job of using that length to both box out defenders at the catch point. He also did a great job of using his long arms to keep the ball away from defenders during the catch. He finished the night on offense with 4 receptions for 23 yards. He did a great job of moving the offense down into scoring position just before the first half ended on a deep ball and then was able to drag the defender with him as he fell out of bounds. Unfortunately they didn’t score on the drive, but Jamison did his job perfectly. On defense, Nickolai ended the game with an interception that made it so the offense could run out the clock. He was part of a secondary that completely shut down the pass heavy Two Rivers and picked off the QB 4 times as a team. <strong>Cayden Carpenter, Senior WR/DB- Sheboygan Falls</strong> Cayden was one of the many two way players that stepped up at key times. On offense he didn’t have a huge impact as he finished with 2 receptions for 21 yards. His best performance was on defense. In the late first quarter the game experienced one of the biggest back and forth momentum swings I have ever witnessed. In a string of about 10 plays there were three turnovers between the two teams. Cayden started that series off when he intercepted a pass. He perfectly stepped in front of his receiver and made a challenging catch. All night long Cayden played tight coverage against the pass heavy Two Rivers offense. <strong>Chase Matthias, Freshman RB/LB- Two Rivers</strong> It was very clear that Matthias was the most naturally gifted player on Two Rivers’ side of the ball on Friday and he was one of the most talented players on the field overall. That’s saying a lot for a freshman. Chase was so fun to watch. On defense, he and RB Jon Mathieu had some big time collisions between the tackles. I loved Chase’s physicality and he does a nice job of shedding blocks and working through the trash between the tackles to make plays. Chase also has the speed to pursue sideline to sideline. That physicality and play speed also show up when he switches to RB. Chase is a tough runner and also a weapon out of the backfield in the passing game. He is going to be a name you have to remember and his development over the next three years could bring us one of the top players in his class when it’s all said and done. Very high ceiling for the 5’11" 180 lbs freshman. <strong>Austin Phillips, Sophomore WR- Two Rivers</strong> Austin made his impact on both sides of the ball. On offense they couldn’t get much going through the air all night, but he did tie for the team lead in receptions and led the team in receiving yards with 3 receptions for 26 yards. On defense, Austin finished third with 14 total tackles, 1 TFL, and 1 pass breakup. This ended up being the best game of the season for the sophomore by far based off his stats. He was not a player I expected to see jump out, but he capitalized on his opportunity and showed off a nose for the football and the physicality needed on the defensive side. Austin is a player that we will have to keep an eye on as he earns a more consistent role for Two Rivers. <strong>Bailey Thelen, Senior- Two Rivers</strong> The third tackling machine from Two Rivers is Bailey Thelen. Bailey’s pursuit to the ball was some of the best on the field. There wasn’t many plays where he wasn’t either making the tackle, climbing out of the pile, or about to get in on the tackle before the whistle blew. That led to his impressive stat line of 15 total tackles, and 1 TFL. Coming into the game it was clear that Sheboygan Falls was going to want to run the ball, and Bailey looked ready for the physical matchup.