2021 Minnesota Team Preview: Kasson-Mantorville Komets

KASSON, MINN-- We got up at the crack of dawn early Thursday and drove to Kasson to catch the 7:30 AM practice to learn all about the Kasson-Mantorville Komets. What I found out besides some of the talents I knew from K-M prior, is there is a lot of untapped talent on this roster that needs plenty of exposure as this is why I like to physically go to fall camps to find those types of players that are under the radar. We take a look at the prospect list and the 2021 schedule with key games to watch of the Kasson-Mantorville Komets. The Prospect List Matthew Donovan Matthew Donovan 5'10" | 175 lbs | WR Kasson-Mantorville | 2022 State MN | QB/DB | 2022 When I watch Donovan out of the flexbone, he shows off tremendous a tremendous burst out the gates. To add to that burst, he also has well put together lower body and can shed off tacklers despite not being the biggest guy on the run. He also showed a solid touch on the football while showing solid mobility at the Komets practice on Thursday. Donovan’s tape shows a prospect with strong vision as he does a solid job at reading the seams within the defense and capitalizing on where the defender is lined up. There is a lot to like about having Donovan as a wide receiver at the next level based on his speed and his quick ability to turn his hips in either direction based on what I saw in drills at the SDSU prospect camp. Donovan currently holds seven offers from various NAIA and has finally gotten some well-deserved attention at the D2 level as well. Jr Tape | Twitter Anthony Moe-Tucker Anthony Moe-Tucker 5'11" | 215 lbs | ATH Kasson-Mantorville | 2022 State MN | RB/LB | 2022 Out of the backfield, the Komets possess likely one of the most powerful running backs the state of Minnesota has to offer when it comes to size in 5’11 225 pound Anthony Moe-Tucker Anthony Moe-Tucker 5'11" | 215 lbs | ATH Kasson-Mantorville | 2022 State MN . You can imagine that Moe-Tucker is going to be a pain to tackle, and you would be correct with that theory. He runs with solid speed but also has a lot of power and a strong hip drive while in pursuit. Moe-Tucker also lines up at linebacker and shows a high amount of physicality on his tackles at that position as well. This young man has just kept improving over prospect camp season, dropping his 40 yard dash time significantly done throughout the camp season. I do find it very shocking that Moe-Tucker only has one D2 and one D3 offer at the moment as there is a lot to like about his tape. He hopefully will get more opportunities to show off his bruising power this fall. Jr Tape | Twitter Brooks Buchanan | RB/DB | 2022 Buchanan was not present at the Komets practice I was at on Thursday, but is a prospect I have gotten to know at our Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase. Brooks is another option the Komets like to use in the veer offense, as he shows great speed as an east/west runner. A development Buchanan can work on at RB, is his patience as I like his attacker mentality but I think if he waited for the plays to develop he could show some even better tape in 2021. From what my eyes can see, I see Brooks as a defensive back at the next level based on his length and size at 6’1 185 pounds. Buchanan has a solid physicality level at corner, and I think could even develop even better ball tracking skills as in some of the clips I saw he can be just a second late. Buchanan is still hunting for that first college football opportunity this Fall. Jr Tape | Twitter Gavin Giesler | TE/DE | 2022 Giesler showed a solid flex in his hips in the early warmups along with showing a tough put-together lower body. The first 10 seconds of Giesler’s film is certainly a must-watch, as we have found another driver in our team previews that loves to get leverage to the second level. Defensively there is a lot to like about this young man’s athleticism as he shows solid vertical and quick hands as he batted down multiple balls on his junior tape. He gets off his blocks quickly and has a long stretch he can use to get his hands around a ball carrier from a distance. The one development I found on tape was how he approaches the ball carrier, as I feel he can get more aggressive with his hands to make wrap-up tackles in his senior season. I firmly believe Giesler will be an addition to our Class of 2022 rankings this fall. Another prospect from the Komets has done some camping this summer but has not gotten that first offer yet. Jr Tape | Twitter Reese Tripp | OL/DL | 2023 The biggest under-the-radar prospect in SE Minnesota the entire state needs to know now about is offensive linemen Reese Tripp of Kasson-Mantorville. You simply cannot ignore the massive 6’7 335-pound size this young man brings to the table on the Komets offensive line. I was impressed with how well Tripp ran with his feet in some 11on11 reps the Komets ran on Thursday morning. He also had some strong leverage I witnessed which you would certainly expect as he outsizes most of his teammates by at least 50 pounds at the least. He will need to develop a better bend at the line, but this young man already has the scholarship-level college coaches talking about this junior and the second Tripp gets his film up in this upcoming junior season, we will tell you more about this young man. Hudl Profile | Twitter Kellen Wilke | OL/DL | 2022 There is a lot to like about the push Wilke gets as a defensive tackle and his ability to climb off tacklers is solid as well. Wilke does a solid job of closing into the ball carrier after strongly engaging with his defender. He shows elusive movement with solid athleticism when he’s invading into the opponent’s backfields. With that athleticism noted, I could see Wilke as a linebacker at the next level as that would be a better fit with his 6’0 210 pound frame. Jr Tape | Twitter More Komets Prospects to Watch A few notes on some of these young men that caught my eyes on Thursday. Most are without football tape yet but in my eyes are players to watch this year and beyond. Emmitt Ricke | SB/LB | 2024 I came away impressed with Ricke’s speed with the football in his hands. This young man showed a lot of athleticism for his age and will be a prospect that will see some varsity reps this season as a sophomore that was running with the varsity side at practice.   Ben Nelson | OL/DL | 2022 There was a lot to like about Ben’s drive in his feet as he was a prospect that could get a push to that second level a handful of times in the reps I watched. His stance was another strength to his game as I feel he was in a solid position in the reps I watched him in. Also showed a solid pad level when connecting with the defender. Broc Barwald | RB | 2023 Barwald had a solid twitch in his footwork from what I glanced from Thursday morning. He also showed a burst that was strong and was even better when he used it in space. Preston Schaefer | OL | 2024/Drew Weigel | OL | 2024 The strong punch of Schaefer and Weigel was some of the best offensive linemen action I saw from the JV group. On multiple occasions, these two were driving the bus at a  high level to the next level of the field. Both had good measurables for their age and hopefully, they can grow bigger and stronger over the next few years. Easton Seuss | ATH | 2024 Seuss has a strong family pedigree of college athletics and is already 6’3 175 pounds as just a sophomore and showed a solid drive in his footwork from what I glanced from Thursday morning in Kasson. 2021 Komets Schedule Fri, September 3rd: Home vs. Byron Fri, September 10th: Away @ Winona Sat, September 18th: Home vs. Mankato East Fri, September 24th: Away @ Albert Lea Fri, October 1st: Home vs.Fairbault Fri, October 8th: Away @ Stewartville Fri, October 15th: Home vs. Red Wing Wed, October 20th: Away @ Owatonna