Roster Breakdown: St. Clair/Mankato Loyola Spartans
ST. CLAIR/MANKATO– With this prospect list, we take a look at one of the up-and-coming programs the outstate has to offer in Southern Minnesota, the co-op of St. Clair & Mankato Loyola Spartans. We will go over some quick notes…
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Continue ReadingST. CLAIR/MANKATO– With this prospect list, we take a look at one of the up-and-coming programs the outstate has to offer in Southern Minnesota, the co-op of St. Clair & Mankato Loyola Spartans. We will go over some quick notes on their 2020 season, their prospect list of possible next-level prospects, who’s under the radar, and much more!
QUICK NOTES
2020 Record: 6-2
Key Wins in 2020: Norwood-Young America, Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton, United South Central, and Cleveland.
LOOKING BACK AT 2020
The Spartans exceeded expectations in 2020, going 6-2. “We had 11 guys that did their jobs well and didn’t care who got the credit,” Head Coach Dustin Bosshart said about his 2020 Spartans. The most significant “it” factor to the 2020 Spartans was having fresh legs from game start to finish. “We saw 23 guys get abundant playing time from start to finish, which allowed us to wear teams down once they got into the fourth quarter,” Bosshart said about the gameplan of the 2020 Spartans.
NEXT-LEVEL PROSPECTS
Here is a list of probable next-level players the Spartans have ready for 2021.
Mason Ward, QB/ATH (2022)
Ward does a solid job with his ability to extend plays with his legs and can still make a bunch of quality throws on the run. In my eyes, he needs to develop more touch on his deeper throws when throwing on the run. It’s no surprise that with his ability to extend plays that he also has a good burst out the backfield on inside runs on play action. Ward is a playmaker with solid versatility that you can line up in multiple spots, most notably at WR & DB. Defensively, Ward shows off good vision when he’s closing in on the football as well. I see Ward as DB at the next level due to his length and ability to jam guys in man coverage, which he used to his advantage logging five interceptions as a junior.
With the number of weapons Ward has in his arsenal, he, to me, is a scholarship level player from this Spartans program.
Thomas Loeffler Thomas Loeffler 6'3" | 260 lbs | OL St. Clair | 2022 State MN , OL/DL (2022)
Loeffler stood out to me on tape because of his strong pull-blocking ability and the punch he has in his arsenal. Loeffler’s OL skill set lines him up to me as a finisher-type blocker on the line, one that will not stop blocking until he hears the whistle blow. Loeffler was key into paving the way for a 1000 yard rusher & 1000 yard passer in his last two seasons with the Spartans. Loeffler also has a good football IQ. Defensively, Loeffler could use some development from a leverage standpoint. When he makes contact with the ball-carrier, Loeffler is a very textbook tackler that you can almost guarantee will make every tackle when the ball comes his way. In my eyes, he fits the mold with a little more size as an offensive lineman at the next level.
With adding a little more size in the weight room, I could undoubtedly see Loeffler at the Division II level.
Jake Sizer, QB (2023)
Sizer was a dominant quarterback on the Spartans JV roster in 2020 but provides another option at quarterback for this roster in 2021. Sizer fits the mold as more of a pro-style QB vs. Ward, who runs the option. Sizer has an excellent reading ability and is very accurate with his throws. His ability to have a pocket presence yet getting rid of the ball quickly from there makes him a solid option for the Spartans when they want to dive more into the passing game. Sizer is an active performer in the weight room and a solid student with a 3.71 GPA, and is a three-sport athlete at Mankato Loyola.
Devin Embacher, LB/FB (2022)
Embacher defines the term a student of the game as he’s committed his lunch periods plenty of times to watch film, workout, etc. Embacher, in my eyes, has good potential in his senior season, as he dove into football at a more serious level in his 2020 season after a couple of years locked in on basketball. Embacher started 2020 on a very high note, logging double-digit tackles at linebacker and roughly 40 yards at fullback in his first game only to have a hand injury cost the rest of his 2020 season. The excellent news is Embacher is back on the basketball court with that same hand is looking to make even more giant strides in 2021.
UNDER THE RADAR PROSPECTS
Simon Morgan, WR (2023)
Morgan looked on film to have the highest ceiling from this list, primarily due to his massive frame at WR standing at 6’4 195. Morgan does an excellent job of high pointing the football and uses his long arms to pull in the more challenging throws coming in from his quarterback. Morgan is most effective on his deep routes and models a burst that looks better than the 40 times might show on tape. Morgan is a big frame, too, that’s not afraid to go over the middle of the field or use his strong legs to accumulate yards after contact. Morgan, in my eyes, is a next-level TE but also could find some success as a specialist, with a booming kicking leg that is solid on kickoffs and averaged approx. 34 yards a punt last season. Since his freshman season, Morgan has been the Spartans specialist and will only get better with reps with two more seasons under his belt in this Spartans football program. Morgan, to me, should catch a significant eye in our Class of 2023 TEs.
Conner Andree, WR (2022)
Andree is looking for a bounceback senior season after missing all of last season due to injury. Andree is another WR in these Spartans receiving core with some size at 6’2 and can run some quality routes. Reflecting back to his 2019 season, Andree averaged nearly 20 yards per catch and three touchdowns. Andree will need to develop more in the weight room in my eyes to play WR at the next level to get the most of his tall yet lean frame.
Lawson Godfrey, WR/DB (2023)
Because of the substantial depth in the Spartans’ receiving core, Godfrey with QB Jake Sizer dominated on Junior Varsity this past season. Godfrey’s ability stretches to both sides of the field, as Godfrey has a physical presence and does a great job covering the distance of the football field in the secondary. Godfrey is a solid WR that has a good football IQ when carving out the different assets of what it takes to be a capable receiver. Godfrey should see significant reps for the Spartans on both sides of the ball in the 2021 season.
Brandon Karels, OL/DL (2023)
Karels offers intense athleticism on the Spartans offensive line. Karels has worked hard this offseason on his footwork, and it’s getting faster every day. Karels is one of those kids who show a new technique and has a quick learning curve to master that on the football field. Another finisher alongside Thomas Loeffler Thomas Loeffler 6'3" | 260 lbs | OL St. Clair | 2022 State MN on this Spartans offensive line. Defensively Karels has a lot of versatility in his 6’3 210-pound frame. If he can develop a quicker initial step, he could be a strong starter both ways for the Spartans in 2021.
2021 GOALS
The main goal for the Spartans is to continue building their football family. “They have the mindset that we are all brothers, and we have to take care of our family, Coach Bosshart told PRZ Minnesota. When it comes to goals that go with wins/losses, the Spartans hope to be on the top tier of their district, which can grab them a high seed in sections to expect to play for a section championship.
“It’s great to see these kids bond as they are teammates in fall and rivals in winter,” Coach Bosshart said about being a co-op football program in the fall season that turns into a basketball rivalry by the winter season.
THE ALUMNI FACTOR
There have been several Spartans alumni that have helped the current Spartans get to the level they want to be whether in the weight or just talking with the guys. This alumni group has one of the best stories I have heard from one player in particular.
Matthew Helget: Class of 2020, Current student at Minnesota State-Mankato
Grant Nagel: Class of 2018, plays defensive end at Minnesota State-Mankato.
Dawson Davito: Class of 2020, plays defensive line at Sioux Falls.
Isaiah Ewert: Class of 2020 has the best story out of this group of alumni. Because of the excellent family dynamic, the Spartans have, Ewert, got a tattoo saying “It Takes a Family” in honor of the family of football the Spartans have created!
Go Spartans!