Week Three: Top Offensive Performances

The student athletes are really hitting their stride as we hit the midway point here in the Wisconsin Spring Season. Because of that, we also have several players being included in this week’s rendition of the Top Performers of the Week. We have several familiar names and some brand new faces making their debut in the series. It’s great to see a lot of kids that I know took advantage of the extended offseason having really strong seasons. We have a lot of kids to get through, so let’s get right into the film analysis of these great performances! Max Stuhlmacher, 2024 OL- Shorewood/Messmer <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/14328780/607132ecbd6ba313d44da70a">Max’s Week 3 Highlights</a> It is going to be a fun three years of covering Max. The 6’1" 275 lbs freshman has found his place at center and put out some really strong film in Week Three. The two big takeaways from this week’s film are his play strength and his finish. In pass protection, you can see him quickly set his anchor to shut down the bull rush from the DT/NG trying to collapse the pocket. Even on a couple reps when it looked like the DL got good initial contact, Max was able to still set his anchor and stop the push. In the run game Max is able to drive interior defensive linemen off the ball vertically thanks to that solid strength that he already possesses. The finish of his blocks are fun to watch too. Over and over the play ends with him driving the defender into the ground. It’s not just as a road grading run blocker either. Even in his pass protection he was able to put his man on the ground multiple times. Max is going to be a kid to have highlighted over the next couple of years here in Wisconsin. [player_tooltip player_id="118551" first="Basil" last="Demco"], 2022 QB- Big Foot Stat Line: 85 Passing Yds, 1 Passing TD, 13 Carries, 111 Rushing YDs, 2 Rushing TDs <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11620014/6072fc32ab92961804f7d77c">Basil’s Week 3 Highlights</a> This is Basil’s first appearance in the Top Performers, but it won’t be the last. The 6’ 170 lbs dual threat QB is exciting to watch. This week as a passer, he showed off a quick release and the ability to hit tight windows on short routes; especially slants. He also proved that his duality isn’t just for scrambling. Demco did a really nice job of being accurate with the ball while rolling out to his right. He doesn’t have any issue tucking it and running when the pressure closes in on him. He showed off the ability to make defensive linemen miss in really tight quarters and once he gets into the open field he has the speed to really hurt a defense. Basil is an athlete that the next level needs to take a look at. D3 level for sure and possibly the D2 level based off what he has shown so far as a junior. Cole Kerchefski, 2022 RB- Stevens Point Stat Line: 18 Carries, 108 Rushing Yds <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9780260/6071d51d0c5da20c10b4aef9">Cole’s Week 3 Highlights</a> I really like the selfless play that Cole shows in his tape. I noticed it while I watched him live in Week 1 too. He has no problem doing the dirty work. Whether it’s blocking on special teams or picking up a blitz in the pass game week in and week out he steps up and handles the less praised part of the game. Then you get to the more meat and potatoes of the position and you see what makes the 6’ 190 lbs RB an intriguing prospect that should be on the radar of every D3 college in the state and could start getting the attention of the D2 level. The one cut, north south runner possesses some good vision and instincts for the position. He quickly sees opening and hits them. Once he gets into the open field he can be difficult to wrestle down too. Check out the tape vs a very talented defense. [player_tooltip player_id="30995" first="Jack" last="McHugh-Sake"], 2021 TE- La Crosse Logan Stat Line: None listed, Film shows 2 Receptions. Bonus: 1 Sack, 1 blocked punt. <a style="font-size: 1rem;" href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9713033/6071c519ab92961804f72218">Jack’s Week 3 Highlights</a> Just looking at the stat line doesn’t give Jack’s performance in week three nearly enough credit. Those two catches showed off how much of a mismatch he is down the field. His blend of size at 6’5" 230 lbs, speed, and hands makes him nearly impossible to defend at the high school level. He dominates up the seam and his strong hands at the catch point make it hard for defenders to break up the pass even when they have good positioning. Where I was most impressed this week was with Jack’s run blocking. He consistently generated a lot of movement and clean running lanes while lined up out wide and inline. Jack is a very willing and very successful run blocker and is one of the most complete TEs in the Class of 2021 that Wisconsin has to offer. SMSU is getting a really nice talent in Jack. Dadon Gillen, 2023 WR/S- McFarland Stat Line: 7 Rec. 93 Receiving Yds, TD. Bonus: 6 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12877492/607134d0420771195ceddb81">Dadon’s Week 3 Highlights</a> Dadon is one of Wisconsin’s up and coming two way talents. The 6’1" 180 lbs athlete has the makings to be successful on either side of the ball. He has impressive length with plenty of time to continue to grow. He has the straight line speed be able to stretch the field and have a large range from his safety position. This week he showed off the ball skills on both sides of the ball as he was a go to target on offense and was able to complete the tip drill for the INT on defense. Save this name for when it comes time to transition to the class of 2023. [player_tooltip player_id="131829" first="Gabe" last="Herman"], 2023 QB- De Pere Stat Line: 12/18, 160 Passing Yds, 2 Passing TDs, 55 Rushing Yds, 1 Receiving TD <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13982628/6071b9230dc00019c0d7291f">Gabe’s Week 3 Highlights</a> Gabe has been on the rise for me ever since the spring season started. His week three matchup looked like it was the game of the week as he and De Pere took on a very talented Bay Port team and came away with a hard fought victory. The sophomore QB really balled out too. The 6’3" 200 lbs QB showed off his strong and accurate arm over and over as he attacked down the field on several attempts. He also showed off the athleticism that adds another threat to his game. While he has the athleticism to hurt defenses with his legs, and he proved that again this week, he also impressed me with his ability to maneuver in the pocket or roll out while keeping his eyes downfield and then delivering the ball right where it needed to be. The poise he showed all game is not something you see from a lot of underclassmen on this type of stage. I can’t wait to watch Gabe’s development over the next couple seasons. The sky is the limit for him. There’s so much to like about his game at this point in his career. [player_tooltip player_id="31139" first="Adam" last="Timbrook"], 2021 RB- De Pere Stat Line: 19 Carries, 126 Rushing YDs, 1 Passing TD <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9627350/607327eda018ca1344e05de7">Adam’s Week 3 Highlights</a> Our next Top Performer also comes from the De Pere offense. The Carroll University commit was a workhorse in week three. Carry after carry he was able to keep his legs churning as he muscled his way through the middle of the Bay Port defense picking up very tough yards. The strength that Adam was playing with was impressive. He consistently was able to push the pile and always fell forward. It was clear that he was not going to go down on first contact. He set the tone out of the backfield. Adam also showed off some elusiveness in very tight quarters with his jukes and jump cuts and was an effective option in the pass game as they went to him a couple times in the screen game. It looks like Carroll has a strong competitor coming into their locker room this fall. Jackson Warren, 2022 WR- La Crosse Central Stat Line: 6 Rec. 147 Receiving Yds, 2 Receiving TDs, 64 Rushing Yds, 2 Rushing TDs <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13150865/6072510f420771195cee7883">Jackson’s Week 3 Highlights</a> Coming into the week I had predicted this to be a very close game as I was going through the matchups. At the time I didn’t realize that Jackson was about to absolutely go off for the Central offense. That’s exactly what the 6’ 180 lbs junior did though. He took over the game on the ground and through the air. His speed allowed him to take the top off the defense in the pass game and also create big plays as a ball carrier once he broke contain. After the catch, Jackson was extremely hard to not only contain, but to bring down. He constantly broke the tackle attempts of DBs and his nose for the soft spots of the defense allowed him to find a lot of wide open space for his QB. This was definitely a breakout game for Warren. He is a kid to follow. Mason Herlitzke, 2022 QB/ATH- La Crosse Central Stat Line: 201 Passing Yds, 3 Passing TDs, 76 Rushing Yds, 1 Rushing TD <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11734227/6073a193420771195cef72e5">Mason’s Week 3 Highlights</a> Our second member of the Central offense, and weekly Top Performer, is the athletic QB Mason Herlitzke. While undersized, the dual threat QB hasn’t let that effect his game. This week was Mason’s best passing performance of the season. Whether it was from the pocket or on the run, he was able to find and hit his receivers in stride. He is most dangerous as a passer in the short to intermediate range where he can win with his accuracy. Of course he was still able to hurt the Superior defense with his legs. His reported 4.53 straight line speed is accentuated perfectly by his very good agility and acceleration. So whether he is in tight quarters or the open field, he is able to be equally as dangerous on the ground. [player_tooltip player_id="30769" first="Konner" last="Knauf"], 2021 WR- Edgerton Stat Line: 6 Rec. 70 Receiving Yds, 1 Receiving TD, 80 Yd KO Return TD <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/14560133/6071bbee420771195cee1796">Konner’s Week 3 Highlights</a> Another week another strong performance by one of the top senior receivers in Wisconsin. The Dordt commit didn’t wait very long to go off as he took his first kickoff return 80 yards for the score. Just watching how fast Konner plays on tape is fun. You can see he plays at a different speed than everybody around him. His route running is next level ready too. On several of his film clips he was covered by multiple defenders, yet his sharp route running and the speed he carries through those routes allowed him to still create separation and openings for his QB to target. Konner also has natural hands. He quickly, yet softly, plucks the ball out of the air with ease. Dordt is getting a good one here. I’ve said it in past weeks and it’s still true; I can’t wait to watch Knauf at the next level. Caden McCartney, 2021 WR- Oshkosh North Stat Line: 4 Rec. 125 Receiving Yds, 2 Receiving TDs <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9441476/6071f03db5362d13cc75328a">Caden’s Week 3 Highlights</a> Caden was a big play waiting to happen during week three. The 6’2" 180 lbs WR and UW- La Crosse commit spent all night last Friday stretching the field and taking the top off the defense. His first reception showed off the top end speed as he blew past the DB and and hauled in the ball before easily sprinting in for six. The second reception showed off the wiggle and elusiveness he has as he was able to make the first defender miss in the open field allowing Caden to pick up more yards after the catch than what looked possible. The third reception demonstrated Caden’s ability to adjust to the ball as it was in the air and also be able to catch the ball in traffic. His 4th catch, and second TD, was the wildest one. I had to actually rewatch it a couple times to see that he caught. It was almost like he didn’t even try. I just had to sit back and laugh at how crazy it was. La Crosse is getting a good looking receiver in Caden.