Players Who Ended the Season on a High Note: Offense

Before we dive into coverage of the 2021 Playoffs here in Wisconsin, I want to look back on the standout performances of athletes who wrapped up their season in Week 9 with strong performances. Each one of these athletes enter the offseason with momentum. Some enter the offseason poised to develop into breakout candidates for next fall, while others enter the offseason as seniors set to make the decision of where they are going to continue their playing careers at the next level. I highly recommend checking out, and remembering each of these athletes going forward. Let’s dive in! Trey Carothers, ’23 ATH- Racine Park Stat Line: 4/5, 61 Yards, 1 TD, 29 Carries, 174 Yards, 2 TDs The 5’9" 160 lbs junior playmaker plays QB for Racine Park, but fits more as an ATH. The versatile athlete makes his biggest impact as a ball carrier in the run game. In his matchup with Kenosha Indian Trail on Friday night, I was most impressed with his lateral agility and ability to make people miss in very tight spaces. Several of his carries looked stopped for minimal gain, but Trey would make a juke or jump cut and the defender would be left grasping at air. Another trait that stuck out from Carothers’ Friday night was his vision. He didn’t just attack straight ahead. He constantly was looking for blocks to utilize and cut back lanes. His rushing ability also made him very dangerous while at the QB position because once the play broke down he was able to pick up big chunks of yards if the defense didn’t have a defender accounting for him. Check out the highlights, and keep an eye on Trey over the next year. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13081804/616a63f9041d8a0da04e5f0c">Trey vs Indian Trail</a> Justice Lovelace, ’23 RB- Kenosha Indian Trail Stat Line: 16 Carries, 131 Yards, 2 TDs, 2 Receptions, 8 Yards Justice is a long and lean 6’2" 180 lbs junior RB. He is a long strider when he gets into the open field, but tightens it up when he is about to meet contact, and that ability to adjust allows him to not only absorb body shots, but also run through the contact and pick up YAC. Justice is also a versatile athlete that Indian Trail uses all over the offensive formation. He will take snaps at QB, RB, and WR, and he will be used in the run game from each of those positions. Lovelace ends the 2021 season with nearly 1,000 total yards of offense and 9 TDs. Check out his highlights and don’t miss him with the camp invites this coming summer! <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/15316121/616d96545cb40305c84e489f">Justice vs Racine Park</a> Anthony Hall, ’23 RB/LB- Wilmot Stat Line: 18 Carries, 91 Yards, 1 TD, 3 Receptions, 58 Yards, 1 TD, 1/1 4 Yards, 1 TD The 6’ 200 lbs junior, two-way athlete is well suited for either side of the ball. I want to focus on his work at RB today. Anthony has prototypical size for the running back position, and he has a well balanced game to go with that frame. This past Friday, Hall found success with his speed to the outside as he was able to quickly attack the edge and break contain and then make his way down the sideline putting the test to defenders’ pursuit angles. I was also impressed with the bigger back’s quick twitch reaction in the backfield when a defender would break through the line. Anthony used a mix of lateral agility and a strong stiff arm to keep defenders at bay. When he attacked between the tackles Anthony proved to be a patient runner that could quickly scan and find the seams to pick up yards. A big senior year could be on the way if he continues to develop this offseason. He’s a name to know. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/10007098/616dfc675cb40305c84ea303">Anthony vs Westosha Central</a> [player_tooltip player_id="118301" first="Sam" last="Dodd"], ’22 QB- Hortonville Stat Line: 21/42, 251 Yards, 3 TDs The 6’3" 200 lbs senior signal caller has long been one of my favorite QBs in the state. The first thing that caught my eye when I first watched him was him arm strength, and it has continued to show up right through his final game as a high school QB. Where he has shown his most development is in his touch. Week 9 really shows it off as he does a great job of lofting balls into high spots that only his WR can go and get or dropping it right over an LB in underneath coverage. The film also shows off that strong right arm too. It wouldn’t be a Dodd highlight reel if he wasn’t firing the ball between multiple defenders perfectly to his receiver. Add in his effective athleticism that can buy him time or pick up a first down when the pocket collapses and that is how Sam has become a top QB in the ’22 Class. I’m looking forward to seeing what his plans are going forward. He holds multiple D2 offers. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11285615/616c9019f55fc907585658ec">Sam vs Wausau West</a> [player_tooltip player_id="105019" first="David" last="Fischer"], ’24 RB- Greenfield Stat Line: 17 Carries, 109 Yards, 1 TD I watched some of David’s film from earlier in the season, and based off his Week 9 film it looks like he has made solid strides in his development over the season. The 5’10" 170 lbs sophomore RB is much more decisive with his carries, and it has made him look like a faster player than he was just 8 weeks ago. The one cut runner transitions his acceleration out of his cut into solid power for a kid his size and possesses a low center of gravity that helps him run through shoulder tackles. I’m looking forward to seeing how he grows and changes over the offseason. He should have a good size workload headed his way next season. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/15716310/616aecc432ddb90898266bae">David vs Greendale</a> [player_tooltip player_id="105005" first="Preston" last="Nelson III"], ’24 QB- Janesville Parker Stat Line: 17/27, 273 Yards, 3 TDs, 7 Carries, 78 Yards Back in July, I had identified Preston as an underclassmen that I expected to make a varsity impact this fall. Safe to say he definitely had an impact. Parker went from a 2-4 team that put up 13 points per game to a 3-6 team that put up 23 points per game. His 12:4 TD:INT ratio and 63.2% comp. pct. played a big part in what could be the beginning of a turnaround for the Janesville Parker program. Week 9 is a great look into the potential of Preston Nelson. The 6’ 180 lbs sophomore has smooth footwork and an over the top throwing motion that not only prevents batted balls, but also really allows him to whip it when he needs to put extra velocity on it. Nelson also already has great control over his passes and can put them in pinpoint spots where only his guy can get the ball. Preston also proved to be an elusive runner outside of the pocket. Preston looks poised to develop into an impressive QB prospect over the next two years. I’m very excited to follow his career. Check out the highlights of the gunslinger! <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/14788665/616aef6f8cd3b709d0bb966f">Preston vs DeForest</a> J.J. Douglas, ’24 WR- Janesville Parker Stat Line: 7 Receptions, 152 Yards, 2 TDs We go right back to Janesville Parker for our next impressive performance. I didn’t know about this athlete until now, but you can bet he has my full attention for the next couple of years. The 6’4" 205 lbs sophomore WR is an impressive prospect, and he has quite a bit of time to further develop his game. I have a feeling Douglas is going to be a popular prospect in a few years. J.J. doesn’t just make plays on offense. He is an unselfish player who made several plays on special teams. On offense, Douglas made plays from the slot and out wide. He already has solid body control that he uses to make separation-generating breaks in his routes. The big man also possesses next level speed that allows him to be dangerous after the catch, and be a weapon in the screen game. J.J. also does a good job of using that size downfield to box out DBs so they can’t make plays on the ball. Janesville Parker has some exciting, young pieces coming through the program. J.J. is definitely near the top of that list. Check out the highlights. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/16282952/616b0b29f55fc90758544f55">J.J. vs DeForest</a> Sean Fogel, ’23 QB- Turner Stat Line: 14/21, 196 Yards, 1 TD The 6’1" 185 junior QB is a rhythmic passer who does the majority of his damage in the short to intermediate range. When Sean can go through his quick drop, find his target, and let it rip he and the Turner offense are tough to slow down. Fogel is able to get the ball out quick, and hit his receivers in stride so they can do more damage after the catch. This week Sean’s film shows him attacking the short area with success and when the defense committed to stopping the short game he hit a post pattern down the middle of the field for 6 points over the top of the defense. The Turner offense used that strategy multiple times throughout the night, and Sean kept delivering the clutch deep passes. Have a look at his Week 9 highlights. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/16236773/616d6cde5eedac072825ce8f">Sean vs Big Foot</a> Other Notable Performances Samuel Gumz, ’22 RB/LB- Rib Lake/ Prentice Stat Line: 20 Carries, 179 Yards, 3 TDs, 7 Total Tackles [player_tooltip player_id="118437" first="Keegan" last="Ofstie"], ’22 RB/LB- Baldwin- Woodville Stat Line: 13 Carries, 127 Yards, 1 TD, 8 Tackles [player_tooltip player_id="118528" first="Darrick" last="Hill"], ’22 RB- Stoughton Stat Line: 18 Carries, 118 Yards, 1 TD, 2 Receptions, 24 Yards Tyler Rittenhouse, ’24 ATH- Howards Grove Stat Line: 18 Carries, 136 Yards, 3 TDs Ryan Thompson, ’23 QB- Eau Claire Memorial Stat Line: 17/28, 181 Yards, 4 TDs, 5 Carries, 23 Yards