D5 State Finals: Aquinas vs Mayville Game Recap & Top Prospects
My most anticipated matchup on the first day of the WIAA State Championships was the battle between Aquinas (13-0) and Mayville (11-2) high schools. It was a matchup of differing offensive styles and opportunistic defenses! Aquinas wanted to put the…
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Continue ReadingMy most anticipated matchup on the first day of the WIAA State Championships was the battle between Aquinas (13-0) and Mayville (11-2) high schools. It was a matchup of differing offensive styles and opportunistic defenses! Aquinas wanted to put the ball in the hands of their very talented junior QB, while Mayville wanted to pound the rock with their outstandingly productive RB1. My anticipation was warranted as the two teams battled to the closest score of the seven state championship games in a game that featured scoring streaks, momentum shifts, clutch plays, and college talent. Let’s get into how it played out!
Game Recap
The game started off with a bang as Aquinas’ offense took the field and instantly went to a trick play for a huge gain. QB Jackson Flottmeyer Jackson Flottmeyer 6'5" | 220 lbs | QB Aquinas | 2023 State WI completed a 37 pass to WR Jackson Christenson after Flottmeyer received the pitch from the reverse man on a jet sweep reverse. Aquinas went to the hurry up offense looking to capitalize on the early momentum and eventually the drive ended with a Flottmeyer 7 yard TD pass to WR Quinn Miskowski. The two point conversion made it a quick 8-0 lead for Aquinas. The Aquinas defense followed suit as they came out on their first drive and recovered a Mayville fumble at the Aquinas 27 killing a promising Mayville drive. Mayville’s defense was able to redeem themselves forcing a turnover on downs with their backs against the wall. The defenses continued playing strong in the first quarter as Aquinas’ LB/playmaker Calvin Hargrove reeled in an INT off a tipped pass. Hargrove had himself one of the best performances on the day as he stepped up in every big moment. The second quarter started with Aquinas driving down into the redzone after the INT. RB Joe Penchi was able to add to the Aquinas lead with a 5 yard score. Another successful two point conversion gave Aquinas a commanding 16-0 lead. This is where Mayville flipped a switch. They came out and ground and pound the ball down the field on the back of RB Blake Schraufnagel. Schraufnagel finished the drive with a 21 yard rushing TD to finally put Mayville on the board. They weren’t done there, though. QB/DB Adison Mittlestadt jumped a Flottmeyer pass for a key INT. With barely a minute to play in the half, Mayville was able to use their rushing attack to get to the Aquinas 2 where Blake Schraufnagel was able to finish off the drive with :04 left putting us at Aquinas: 16 Mayville: 14 at the half.
The second half kicked off with back to back three & outs, but once Mayville got the ball back for the second time of the half the Mayville backfield went to work. Schraufnagel carried a majority of the load on the drive as he got the offense to the Aquinas 1. From there, LB/RB Ty Hockers was able to power his way in for the 1 yard score, Mayville’s first lead at 20-16. Flottmeyer and Aquinas weren’t going to be outdone, though. They came out and finally put together another strong drive highlighted by a 56 yard TD pass from Flottmeyer to WR Quinn Miskowski. The two point conversion was no good leaving us at Aquinas 22 Mayville 20. After forcing a Mayville punt, Aquinas’ offense went to work again. Flottmeyer again found Miskowski deep as the third quarter expired. The 4th started with Aquinas down at the Mayville goal line. RB/LB Calvin Hargrove stepped up for the offense and punched in the 1 yard score, but a failed 2 point conversion kept the game within one score at 28-20. Aquinas looked like they were about to put the game away on the next defensive drive. OLB Damien Lee was able to put Mayville in trouble with a sack on second down, and then DB Michael Lium grabbed the INT on third down. The momentum was swinging back and forth like crazy at this point, and as it swung back towards Mayville they capitalized with a clutch play from DB/QB Adison Mittlestadt. Mittlestadt was originally beat deep, but he flashed the recovery speed as he quickly closed on the WR and punched the ball out. His teammates were right there to recover the ball and put Mayville back on offense late in the 4th! Mayville’s ground game took over on the drive. Ty Hockers showed off the power as he drug defenders for yards after contact. Hockers eventually was able to finish the drive with a key 3 yard TD run. This put everything on the 2 point conversion. It looked like Blake Schraufnagel was going to power his way in when LB Calvin Hargrove again stepped up in the biggest moment delivering a big hit on the ball carrier stopping him just short of the goal line! Aquinas was able to recover the ensuing kick and run out the clock finalizing the 28-26 victory and locking up the 14-0 season!
Top Prospects
Jackson Flottmeyer Jackson Flottmeyer 6'5" | 220 lbs | QB Aquinas | 2023 State WI , ’23 QB- Aquinas
Stat Line: 16/24, 282 Yards, 2 TDs, 5 Carries, 17 Yards
The 6’5’’ 210 lbs junior QB continued his push towards becoming QB1 in the WI Class of 2023 rankings with a strong performance in the state championship game! The signal caller checks off so many boxes. He has an elite frame that can continue to fill out. He has the athleticism and mobility to be able to be a threat on the ground, and be able to buy time in the pocket with subtle slides and adjustments. His feet stay connected to his eyes allowing him to always be ready to get rid of the ball quickly when he finds his target. My favorite trait of Jackson’s skill set is his spot on accuracy and touch. Flottmeyer can put the ball on a dime to any level of the field, and he is able to drop the ball perfectly over the shoulder of his receiver or right over the reach of defenders in underneath coverage. Jackson’s control over the ball is impressive already, and with another year of high school football to go I expect even more impressive play next season! Check him out! Jackson’s State Highlights
Quinn Miskowski, ’22 WR- Aquinas
Stat Line: 3 Receptions, 99 Yards, 2 TDs
The 6’ 165 lbs senior pass catcher was a big play waiting to happen at Camp Randall! It was clear when Aquinas wanted to stretch the field they looked to Quinn to make the play. Quinn was always there to reel in the passes with reliable hands, and before the catch Quinn showed he could be strong at the line as he battled through press coverage. Quinn uses his speed to generate the majority of his separation, and used that speed to create his yards after the catch. Miskowski is also a talented basketball player. Solid all around senior athlete to know. Quinn’s State Highlights
Calvin Hargrove, ’23 RB/LB- Aquinas
Stat Line: 9 Carries, 23 Yards, 1 TD, 1 Reception, 6 Yards, 9 Tackles, 1 INT
The 5’8″ 160 lbs junior was a walking playmaker on Thursday, and really all season! Despite being undersized, the playmaker was a key member in the middle of the Aquinas offense and defense. The clutch gene is evident. He made the stop on the two point conversion, and helped put Aquinas on top early with his INT in the first quarter. The junior won’t be able to play MLB at the next level at his size, but he could be an intriguing nickel defender who comes in and uses his range, closing speed, and surprising hit power to make plays out in space. Calvin also has strong lateral, and short area agility allowing him to keep himself from being blocked as he makes tackles against the inside run game. D3 programs should put this athlete on their radars. Calvin’s State Highlights
Jackson Christenson, ’22 WR- Aquinas
Stat Line: 4 Receptions, 90 Yards, 1 Tackle
The 5’9″ 165 lbs senior WR stepped up in both Aquinas games that I attended live this fall. The senior showed off the ability to make catches in traffic, including right out of the gate on Aquinas’ trick play that he hauled in for 37 yards. On the night, Jackson looked to be the go to option, and he responded by averaging 22.5 yards per reception. Christenson was able to pile up solid portion of those yards after the catch because of how shifty, and slippery he was with the ball in his hands. Jackson’s State Highlights
Damien Lee, ’23 OLB- Aquinas
Stat Line: 7 Tackles, 1 Sack
The 6’3″ 205 lbs junior edge rusher is going to be a prospect to know going forward! Against the run heavy Mayville offense I was able to get a great look at Damien’s ability to set a strong edge. He was up to the task. His highlights are full of examples of him using his length and leverage to stand the OT up on the edge, and then disengage and make the tackle for no gain. A few times, Lee was able to use his quickness to slip past the lineman and make the tackle behind the line of scrimmage instead of setting the edge. His closing speed allowed hi to take those chances. Damien also has a lot of experience droppin into coverage and playing in space. He looks comfortable out there as he easily changes directions and reads the play. Lastly, Damien has an impressive first step in pass rush situations and flashes quick hands that allow him to keep the OL’s hands down as he runs the loop past them. His sack was a great example of that. Check this guy out and have him on your recruiting boards! Damien’s State Highlights
Preston Horihan, ’22 OL/DL- Aquinas
Stat Line: Blocked for 400+ Yards, 4 TDs
The 6’3″ 295 lbs two way trench monster was very disruptive on the defensive side of the ball last Thursday! His highlights are full of examples as he was able to drive his lineman into the backfield throwing off the rhythm of run plays. Even when he didn’t make the tackle Preston was able to effect plays. Those disruptive plays highlight his ability to quickly get uot of his stance and into the IOL’s chest plate, and then use leverage to move and control them. On offense, Preston used that same effective hand placement and leverage to be able to open up big running lanes as he washed DL off the ball or down the line. Check out the senior! He’s still available! Preston’s State Highlights
Adison Mittlestadt, ’23 QB/DB- Mayville
Stat Line: 5/7, 47 Yards, 5 Carries, 24 Yards, 2 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 INT
The 6’2″ 170 lbs junior made his biggest impact with his defensive efforts. His two biggest plays both were launching pads to Mayville getting points on the board, and climbing back into the game. His first big play came when he did a great job of reading his receiver’s route and jumping it for the INT. His biggest play of the night came in the 4th quarter when he used his long speed and closing speed to recover on a deep pass. When he got to the receiver, Adison did a great job of getting his hands on the ball and punching it out for another turnover. Mittlestadt is a long, lean athlete who is going to be someone to watch as Mayville looks to make another run next year!
Blake Schraufnagel, ’23 RB/LB- Mayville
Stat Line: 38 Carries, 205 Yards, 2 TDs, 3 Tackles
The 6’1″ 180 lbs RB finished the game as the second leading rusher in the state of WI, and will be the #1 returning rusher for next season. Blake has been a very consistent producer who is able to handle the wear and tear that comes with a massive workload. The first time I watched Blake he handled 40+ carries, and a week later in the state finals he handled 38 more. The part I love about his game is it seems like he gets better as the carries increase. He relies on his power once he breaks through the line, and his tone setting run style is not something defenders want to hit 30+ times a game. Schraufnagel has a great frame to match his play style, and I’m excited to see how he builds on it in the offseason. Name to know for 23’s.
Ty Hockers, ’22 RB/LB- Mayville
Stat Line: 13 Carries, 55 Yards, 2 TDs, 5 Tackles
The 6’2″ 245 lbs senior is an under the radar name to know for the D3 and NAIA levels. I’ve watched Hockers back to back weeks, and in both games he made it nearly impossible for the two teams they faced to get any sort of run game going between the tackles. He uses his huge frame and strength to easily slip off blocks, and stop RBs in their tracks. At the next level he may be more of a first and second down option with a focus on stopping the run, but another option could be to allow him to get into a college workout program and continue to fill out and move up to the DL where he does have experience playing. There’s a few ways to maximize Ty’s use. He just needs a staff that believes they know where he fits best! Check him out!
Two OL To Know
@mayvillefbl is home to two OL to have on college radars
‘22 6’3” 245 lbs Jackson Wade
– easy mover who excels at getting to the second level‘23 6’6” 315 lbs Hewsten Steger
– raw prospect, but has the length, strength, and sufficient athleticism to build onGuys to know!
— Mark Johnson (@MJ_NFLDraft) November 18, 2021