Muskego vs Sussex Hamilton: Game Recap & Players of the Game

I spent Level Two of the WIAA Playoffs in Muskego, WI for the showdown between Muskego High School (9-1) and Sussex Hamilton High School (9-1). It was a massive collection of college level talent, and two teams that execute their gameplans to perfection on a weekly basis. The two teams were going to need to be perfect as they took the field under wet, and very windy weather conditions. Ball security and ball control were going to be key to a win and the right to move on to Level 3 against Mukwonago High School. Check out how the game played out below, and don’t forget to see which players earned spots as Players of the Game! Game Recap It didn’t take long for the big plays to start happening. On Muskego’s first defensive series DB Alec Tewes was able to collect an INT after the ball bounced off the hands of the intended receiver giving Muskego the early momentum swing and great field position at the Hamilton 39. Just a couple plays later, RB [player_tooltip player_id="118499" first="Carson" last="Holman"] took the handoff around the left edge and in for the <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneWI/status/1454239475597463558">12 yard score</a>. The Muskego defense continued it’s strong showing during their second time on the field. Led by DL [player_tooltip player_id="31372" first="Steven" last="Wauer"], the Muskego DL made it nearly impossible for any sort of Hamilton run game to be established leaving them to have to pass directly into that stiff breeze. After a Hamilton punt, Muskego stayed on the ground controlling the time of possession while also moving down the field. The quarter came to an end with Muskego getting inside the 10 yard line after a pair of strong Sam Steuber carries. The Hamilton defense was able to dig in their heels and hold Muskego out of the endzone. However, with the ball inside the 10 they were well in range for Muskego K Nikita Gladkov. Gladkov sailed the 24 yard attempt through the uprights for the 10-0 lead early in the second quarter. Hamilton’s next drive looked like a huge one as they needed points so they could stay in this game. That wasn’t in the cards, though, as Muskego DB Adam Balcerak was able to step right in front of a third down pass for the defense’s second interception of the game. Balcerak was able to give Muskego great field position at the Hamilton 15 after a good return. From there, it didn’t take long for the hard running of RB Sam Steuber to get Muskego into the endzone for the 17-0 lead with 9:58 remaining in the first half. The Muskego defense was just getting started with their nose for the ball. On the very next drive, Alec Tewes was able to grab his second INT of the night and the third overall for the defense! This time it was RB Hunter Logan who turned the turnover into points as he was able to break contain and race down the sideline for 6 points. At this point it seemed like the Muskego DBs were well on their way to setting single game INT records as DB Adam Balcerak was able to grab his second pick of the night and #4 for the defense overall! This turnover didn’t result in any points, though, as Muskego was held to a three and out. That stop didn’t have much of a long term impact because on the next series LB Hunter Scafe of Muskego was able to jump in front of a pass for the defense’s <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneWI/status/1454250337330765830">5th INT of the half</a>! It seemed like Hamilton was starting to figure things out on defense at this point. They were able to once again force a Muskego three and out punt. Hamilton’s offense started clicking too. QB [player_tooltip player_id="104371" first="Nate" last="Kollath"] was able to find WR [player_tooltip player_id="118342" first="Alex" last="Eichmann"] on a 4th down scramble drill for the first down, and then Kollath found WR Isaiah Gibson for Hamilton’s <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneWI/status/1454252727027081217">first score of the game</a>! That put us at 24-7 going into the half. The third quarter started with more Muskego ground game dominance. RB [player_tooltip player_id="118499" first="Carson" last="Holman"] once again found his way outside of containment and weaved his way down the offense’s left sideline for the early third quarter score putting Muskego up 31-7. The rest of the quarter, and game, was a back and forth defensive battle. Muskego DB Logan Lawonn made an impressive pass breakup with a perfectly timed hit as the ball arrived to the receiver. After a couple three and outs, the third quarter came to a close with Muskego still holding to their 31-7 lead. The defenses continued to shine in the 4th quarter. Neither team was able to establish themselves. So, Muskego settled for slowly running out the clock and playing stout defense. That Muskego defense never gave in. Besides the one TD drive they gave up the Hamilton offense couldn’t get in a groove. The Hamilton ground game was completely nonexistent partially because of gameflow, but also because of the Muskego DL. Those players definitely earned spots in the Players of the Game below! The clock eventually ran out and Muskego took the 31-7 victory over Hamilton and will be playing Mukwonago in Level Three of the playoffs. A showdown that will put the #1 and #2 seeds against each other. Don’t miss that one! Players of the Game [player_tooltip player_id="118499" first="Carson" last="Holman"], ’22 RB- Muskego Stat Line: 21 Carries, 169 Yards, 2 TDs Carson was the Player of the Game in my eyes. He shouldered a big part of the workload, and turned that load into impressive production. The 5’10" 180 lbs senior displayed what he has to offer the next level. He has the speed to be able to break contain and the vision/patience combination downfield to be able to not only see blocks and cutbacks lanes, but also set up and wait for blocks to be made. There is a saying I’ve heard when it comes to ball carriers. "Be quick, but don’t be in a hurry." That is how Holman totes the rock. It allowed him to generate big plays all night long. He’s a senior to have on your radar. Sam Steuber, ’23 RB- Muskego Stat Line: 24 Carries, 151 Yards, 1 TD Steuber was the tone setter last night. The 6’ 175 lbs FB plays much bigger than that listed size. His contact balance shined during last night’s game. Multiple times it seemed like Sam was about to be knocked down, but he would somehow be able to keep his footing and keep plowing forward. There were some carries where he looked like a weeble wobble because it didn’t seem humanly possible the angles his body would be at, yet he would be able to maintain his balance. Sam’s power was also impressive on the night. He broke through several arm tackles and when he could run behind his pads it took several defenders to drag him down. Steuber handled the dirty work between the tackles and thrived last night. Hunter Logan, ’22 RB- Muskego Stat Line: 12 Carries, 56 Yards, 1 TD Hunter doesn’t have the wildest stat line, but he kept showing up. It wasn’t just as an RB either. He popped up on kickoff return as well. The 6’ 190 lbs senior has the best frame of the three headed Muskego backfield, and he proved to have the speed to be a threat to the Hamilton contain/edge defenders. His TD run saw him use that speed to break loose down the sideline before diving in for the score. Hunter is a senior to know going forward. [player_tooltip player_id="31372" first="Steven" last="Wauer"], ’22 DL- Muskego Stat Line: 5 Tackles, 1 Sack I was very impressed with the play of the 6’3" 220 lbs senior DE. He used his length well to get separation, and then flashed quick hands to disengage. He also proved to have the burst to close quickly on the QB. Steven piled up the QB pressures last night. One of which led to a forced pass and INT. It was only a matter of time before Wauer’s high motor got him to the QB and in the second half he finally was able to bring down the mobile Hamilton QB for a sack. Steven also was stout against the few runs they saw last night. I’ve been impressed with the play of Steven this season. Make sure he is on your radars, coaches! Tristan Mick, ’23 DL- Muskego Stat Line: N/A Tristan already possesses a very solid frame at 6’3" 250 lbs with a year of growing and development still to go at the high school level. He didn’t put up crazy numbers last night, but he was right there with teammate Wauer creating havoc and pressure in the Hamilton backfield all night long. Mick is a strong DE who does a good job of using leverage to hold strong in the trenches. Last night, he showed active hands and a high motor that allowed Muskego to get pressure on the QB with only 3-4 pass rushers. This dude needs to be on the radars of college coaches. He has the tools to succeed at the next level. Alec Tewes, ’22 DB- Muskego Stat Line: 6 Tackles, 2 INTs The 5’8" 160 lbs senior DB proved to have a nose for the ball, good hands, and the awareness allowing him to be in the right place at the right time. His first pick of the night came on a tipped pass where he was able to dive under the ball before it hit the ground. The second came when he was tight on his man in coverage allowing him to become the receiver and grab the ball. Tewes isn’t the biggest athlete, but his quick twitch and fast reactive athleticism allowed him to stick tight coverage that made it very hard to complete passes against him. He was a playmaker last night. Adam Balcerak, ’22 LB/DB- Muskego Stat Line: 7 Tackles, 2 INTs The 6’ 180 lbs OLB had to play more of a DB role this week with all the 3-4 WR sets fielded by Hamilton. He responded to the large amount of coverage assignments by getting his hands on the ball and generating turnovers for his offense. Adam has the range to comfortably be able to run with receivers and does a good job of reading the QB and the flow of the play allowing him to keep himself in position to make plays. Balcerak has reliable hands and is able to use his size to be physical with receivers. I left impressed with the play of the senior. [player_tooltip player_id="118342" first="Alex" last="Eichmann"], ’22 WR/DB- Hamilton Stat Line: 6 Receptions, 100 Yards, 11 Tackles Alex was one of the most gifted athletes on the field last night. The 6’3" 200 lbs senior did it on both sides of the ball for Hamilton. On defense, Alex proved he was a reliable tackler out in space. He also did a good job of disengaging with blockers on several of those tackle attempts. He uses his length well there. On offense, Alex is an impressive receiver. His body control is what leaped out at me last night. Eichmann was able to make several catches along the sideline while keeping his feet inbounds. He stepped up in the big moments too, hauling in receptions on 4th down on a couple occassions. Eichmann is a D1 level playmaker in my eyes. Don’t miss out on the stud! Isaiah Gibson, ’22 WR- Hamilton Stat Line: 4 Receptions, 74 Yards, 1 TD He only ended the night with four receptions, but Isaiah was peppered with targets all night. He was definitely the go to guy on a large chunk of the plays. The 5’10" WR is a twitched up weapon with the burst and long speed to be able to create separation from DBs on a consistent basis. That burst is huge when he comes out of his breaks, and when he attacks down the field the opposing DBs had a hard time turning and running with him. His TD reception did a great job showing off his quick reflexes as the ball got to him very fast giving his little time to flash his hands up to make the catch. Gibson has the tools to be a weapon out of the slot at the next level. Give him a look! [player_tooltip player_id="118299" first="Colby" last="Horn"], ’22 DL- Hamilton Stat Line: 10 Tackles, 3 TFLs The 6’6" 230 lbs DE is very lean and can handle even more weight than he already carries. When focusing on the star DE last night, I was impressed with the combination of strength and his use of leverage. Despite being 6’6", Colby plays low to the ground and when the length and strength pair together he can generate a ton of penetration by walking OL back into the backfield. That penetration was able to generate havoc in the second half and made it hard for Muskego to put together drives. It was easy to see why Horn has a lot of attention from the next level. The upside is evident.