Top Performers: Playoffs Week 1

Round 1 of the adjusted playoffs for the Spring Season here in Wisconsin is in the books and it had several strong individual performances from college level athletes. Today, we are going to dive into those performances and analyze the film from each one. Before we dive into the article I do want to mention we are doing it a little differently this week. With it being the playoffs portion of the schedule we don’t have as many teams involved. Because of that we are going to condense the Top Performers into one article instead of the weekly Offensive and Defensive articles. With that said, time to dive into some film from both sides of the ball!

Caleb Rinard Caleb Rinard 5'11" | 200 lbs | LB De Pere | 2022 State WI , 2022 LB- De Pere

Stat Line: 13 Tackles, 1 TFL, 1 FF 

Caleb had quite the weekend as he was able to help his team get the win, and then balled out at the Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase. You can bet that he will be brought up when I highlight that event, but today let’s dive into how he played last Friday. The 6′ 200 lbs ILB continued his strong junior season by flying all over the field making tackles and delivering big hits to force the ball out. Caleb’s range is one of his best tools. He is a sideline to sideline player and is a very slippery block to stick. Throughout this week’s tape you see linemen trying to land a block on him, but he easily slips off. I also love his recognition skills that jump off the screen. He always knows where the ball is and is able to get to it quickly. Caleb has had a great spring and his stock has been going up, up, up for me.

Adam Timbrook Adam Timbrook 5'7" | 190 lbs | RB De Pere | 2021 State WI , 2021 RB- De Pere

Stat Line: 14 Carries, 127 Rushing YDs Adam’s Week 6 Highlights

Adam’s aggressive, downhill running style has led to a great spring and another strong performance this week. His high end instincts for the position were on full display this week. He consistently found lanes to daylight and showed the elusiveness down the field and in tight quarters to generate more yards than what looked to be there. Now that we are six weeks into the season the most impressive part of Adam’s game is how consistent he is week to week. He is the same powerful runner with the contact balance and surprising elusiveness to produce large chunks of yards week in and week out. His style of play gives me confidence that he will be able to have an impact at Carroll sooner rather than later.

Matthew Fischer Matthew Fischer LB Greenfield | 2021 State WI , 2021 RB/LB- Greenfield

Stat Line: 7 Carries, 165 Rushing YDs, 3 TDs Matthew’s Week 6 Highlights

It doesn’t get much more efficient than this performance! Seven touches turned into three scores is wild. Matt’s power and contact balance were the key to this week’s crazy performance. He was able to break through arm tackle attempts at or near the line of scrimmage, keep his balance, and then show off the long speed to be able to turn the daylight he found after breaking those tackles into scores. His vision was a major key as well as he was able to quickly find running lanes set up by his blocks. You can’t ask for a better showing that this performance. Concordia University Wisconsin is getting a versatile athlete this fall that’s for sure!

Brett Prange Brett Prange 6'2" | 210 lbs | ATH Manitowoc Lincoln | 2022 State WI , 2022 ATH- Manitowoc Lincoln

Stat Line: 25 Carries, 160 Rushing YDs, 2 TDs Brett’s Week 6 Highlights

Power. That is the name of the game for Brett in this week’s film. Brett proved he could handle a workhorse sized load for his offense as he churned his way to an impressive performance. He had to earn every yard too. Brett was used a ton between the tackles, and had to generate a lot of his yardage after contact. That seemed to be just fine for the 6′ 210 lbs RB, though, as he was able to lower the shoulder and run over defenders on a bunch of plays. Brett is one of those backs that don’t waste time juking or trying to win with lateral agility. Instead he is going to attack downhill and dare the defense to step up and make a tackle. He’s a name to know in the Class of 2022.

Darrin Lowney Darrin Lowney 6'1" | 270 lbs | OL Superior | 2022 State WI , 2022 OL/DL- Superior

Stat Line: Safety on defense, Blocked for 130+ Passing YDs and nearly 200 Rushing YDs Darrin’s Week 6 Highlights

Another strong week of paving the way for the Superior offense for Darrin. The big man showed off his run blocking prowess as he was able to create movement and running lanes thanks to his ability to drive linemen off the ball with his power in single blocks, double team opponents, and get to the second level. The solid blend of athleticism and power showed up again for the 6’1″ 280 lbs RG. The stamina is clearly there too as he also makes plays on the defensive side of the ball. He was able stuff and inside run this week down on the goal line that resulted in a safety to go along with his good performance on the offensive line. Check out the big man’s film!

Nick Kent Nick Kent 5'8" | 190 lbs | RB Sparta | 2022 State WI , 2022 RB- Sparta

Stat Line: 11 Carries, 169 Rushing YDs, 2 TDs Nick’s Week 6 Highlights

It’s short film, but it is fun film! Nick shows off a lot of his game this week, and was a big play waiting to happen on every touch. He showed off the speed in the open field to pull away from defenders. The ability to quickly weave through traffic between the tackles, and a good amount of power to break through arm tackles or lower his shoulder to pick up the tough extra yards. I believe his short stride running form also boosts his contact balance. Because of it he always has contact with the ground. The 5’9″ 190 lbs bowling ball of an RB has put together a strong spring and I expect him to continue that right into the fall. D2- D3 schools should definitely check him out.

Curtis Jaskulke Curtis Jaskulke 6'3" | 215 lbs | DL Stoughton | 2021 State WI , 2021 DL- Waunakee

Stat Line: 13 Total Tackles, 4 TFLs, 1 Sack Curtis’ Week 6 Highlights

Another special performance for the uncommitted 2021 DE! This week Curtis proved how well he can defend the run. He did a great job of not over pursuing and taking himself out of the play when he came through free. Instead he stayed home, read the play and used his strength to stop the running back in his tracks at the line of scrimmage. Of course it wasn’t just stuffing the run all day for Curtis. He also had to get his pass rush going as he collected his 7th sack of the season when he used his length to drive the lineman back and get separation from him before disengaging and making the play. Unfortunately, Curtis has announced this is his last high school game as he won’t be able to play tomorrow. Congratulations on a successful high school career, Curtis! College programs, it’s time to take a look at this dude and come swoop him up late in the recruiting process.

Tobey Sayeg, 2022 RB- West Allis Hale

Stat Line: 20 Carries, 158 Rushing YDs, 3 Rushing TDs, 2 Receptions, 18 Receiving YDs Tobey’s Week 6 Highlights

Tobey has been slipping under the radar on me, but not anymore. The 5’10” 202 lbs junior has my full attention after a strong week 6. I love the physicality and one cut running style. It’s nearly a two minute highlight video from just this week, and there isn’t a single play where one defender was able to bring him down alone. It took a village. Play after play Tobey left a wake of defenders behind him. Tobey a also a decisive runner. He has the speed to attack the edges, but when he sees a lane and sticks his foot in the ground there is no jukes or second guessing. That is the path he is taking and they are going to have to stop him. The contact balance is next level ready. Hopefully I’m the last one to find Tobey. He should definitely be a player on the board for D2- D3 schools.

Blake Fletcher, 2023 LB/QB- Racine Horlick

Stat Line: 35 Passing YDs, 1 Passing TD, 14 Carries, 167 Rushing YDs, 2 Rushing TDs, 15 Total Tackles, 1 TFL Blake’s Week 6 Highlights

We have a special talent here in Blake Fletcher. The sophomore QB/LB already checks in at an impressive 6’3″ 220 lbs, and I think he may be the next special Wisconsin LB. On offense it is almost unfair. His power and athleticism paired with his size make it borderline impossible to contain him. Where he is at his absolute best, though, is on defense. The LB has great burst, acceleration, and top end speed for the LB position. His quick play recognition further gives him the advantage as he flies from sideline to sideline. When I saw this week’s film I had to instantly go through the rest of it. Blake is on the path to being a D1 talent, and is going to debut very highly in our 2023 rankings. Do yourself a favor and take the time to watch this kid’s film!

Colin O’Neal, 2023 RB- Cashton

Stat Line: 124 Rushing YDs, 3 TDs, 2 2-PT Conv., 3 Tackles Colin’s Week 6 Highlights

This is not the first time this young fella has gone off this spring. He earned a spot a few weeks back and it looks like he is starting to turn good performances into a habit. My first takeaway from this week’s film is the burst through the gap. When he sticks his foot in the ground he is able to accelerate quickly as he launches through the lane. I love seeing the nose for the endzone as a younger player too. Colin was able to find it five times total. He also sprinkled in a very good pass block rep to show that he is working his way towards being a useful back on all three downs no matter the situation. I’m looking forward to seeing how well he develops this summer, and what he does as a junior this fall. The talent is there to be able to play at the next level.