D6 State Final: Colby vs St. Mary’s Springs Recap & Top Prospects

Game two of the State Finals on November 18th at Camp Randall Stadium was a showdown between powerhouses Colby High School (12-1) and St. Mary’s Springs (11-2)! It was very apparent coming into the matchup that this was going to be an old fashioned Wisconsin high school football game featuring two very effective rushing attacks, and two dominant defenses. To give a glimpse into the dominance of the units, both rushing attacks surpassed 3,000 rushing yards on the season coming into the game, and the two defenses combined for seven shutouts in the combined 26 games! I couldn’t wait for these heavy hitters to square off. Let’s get into how it went with a quick recap, and then look at the top college talent from the matchup! <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Game Recap</strong></span> The game started off hot with Colby ATH <strong>Caden Healy</strong> getting things going with a 60+ yard return on the opening kickoff, and then a jet sweep around the left tackle. From there, Colby’s star senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="118247" first="Brent" last="Jeske"]</strong> finished the drive with <a href="https://twitter.com/MJ_NFLDraft/status/1461412090275586049">a 4 yard score</a> around right tackle. That was just the beginning of a dominant opening quarter for Colby. Healy continued to make plays early and often as he sniffed out a third down screen pass forcing a punt. After the punt, Jeske led the Colby offense down the field to the 1 yard line where he fought his <a href="https://twitter.com/MJ_NFLDraft/status/1461415034681241601">way into the endzone</a> for the 14-0 lead. The second quarter quarter started with more Colby big plays. Once again it was the star Winona State commit, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="118247" first="Brent" last="Jeske"]</strong>, but this time it was on defense. He was able to scoop up a fumble and sprint untouched for the 63 yard score. With the 20-0 lead it seemed like this game was going to get out of hand. However, after a couple of punts St. Mary’s Springs finally was able to get a big spark. RB <strong>Levi Huempfner </strong>demonstrated his power and long speed on a 53 yard TD where he broke through the tackle attempt of three Colby defenders before taking off for the score. It was an impressive display of power and speed by the 6’1" 195 lbs junior. That 20-7 score is where we went into the half. The second half was much different than the first. The defenses came out in the second half and completely shut down the high powered rushing attacks. There wasn’t a single offensive point scored in the second half of this matchup. The lone points came from the state’s second leading sack machine, Colby’s DE<strong> Andrew Jeske</strong>. His 17th sack on the year resulted in a safety late in the 4th quarter. Jeske did a great job of rushing around the edge, and delivering a huge shot on the QB for the two points. The top performers in the strong defensive effort were a lot of the same athletes that played well on offense in the first half. The Jeske brothers, Brent and Andrew, Caden Healy, [player_tooltip player_id="118556" first="Isaac" last="Hyland"], and Levi Huempfner all had big moments in the second half. In the end, Colby secured the win 22-7 for the D6 State Championship! Let’s check out who the top prospects of the game were! <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Top Prospects</strong></span> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="118247" first="Brent" last="Jeske"], ’22 QB/DE- Colby</strong> <em>Stat Line: 3/9, 40 Yards, 27 Carries, 128 Yards, 2 TDs, 4 Tackles, 1 FR, 1 FR TD</em> The 6’1" 215 lbs senior had the biggest impact on the game by far! He dominated on both sides of the ball from his QB and LB position. On offense, it was all about his threat as a runner. His blend of speed, power, and instincts was one of the best I saw this season. He was definitely an aggressive runner who had no issue lowering his shoulder and generating yards after contact. On defense, Jeske’s first step off the line made him a huge mismatch for OTs in pass rushing situations. He used his hands well also, and against the run was able to set a strong edge or use that first step to get to the heels of the OT to make the tackle. Brent was around the ball all day long. Winona State has a very talented, versatile athlete joining them! <strong>Andrew Jeske, ’22 DL/OL- Colby</strong> <em>Stat Line: 1 Tackle, 2 Sacks, 1 Safety</em> The 6’2" 200 lbs senior has been the most consistent pass rusher in WI this season. He finished the season with the second most sacks in the state with 17 in 14 games. His high motor and solid first step out of his stance put him in position to make the plays that he did. His relentless effort allows him be very disruptive in the backfield. Andrew always stepped up to the plate in the big moments, and there was a great example of that as he got the 4th quarter safety to really put the game away. Because of his traits, and the production, I believe that Andrew could be utilized as a pass rushing specialist at the next level. He could be a menace on third downs at the next level. Check him out. He’s a steal. <strong>Caden Healy, ’23 RB/LB- Colby</strong> <em>Stat Line: 15 Carries, 40 Yards, 3 Receptions, 40 Yards, 4 Tackles</em> The biggest surprise for me was the 6’3" 180 lbs junior RB/LB out of Colby. He wasted no time making me learn who he was as he was the spark plug behind Colby’s hot start on offense. Caden is a natural playmaker with the athletic traits to be able to continue having that type of impact at the next level. His 4.59 40 speed, and 40" vertical translates to his play style. Colby utilized him out on the edge, on kickoff returns, and in space where he can use that speed and explosiveness. His feel and vision with the ball in his hands shined as he seemed to always know where the daylight was. Caden also finished his runs really well as he transitioned that speed into power. Healy also was a versatile defender who lined up at LB and safety throughout the game. You can bet I will be keeping a close eye on him next season. College coaches need to also! <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="118556" first="Isaac" last="Hyland"], ’22 RB/DB- St. Mary’s Springs</strong> <em>Stat Line: 15 Carries, 92 Yards, 10 Tackles</em> The 5’11" 175 lbs senior impressed me with his play. On the defensive side of the ball, Hyland was a very reliable tackler who was able to make tackles on the larger ball carriers of Colby. He used his range to go from his safety position to the line of scrimmage or to the sidelines to put himself around the ball. Hyland repeatedly demonstrated his ability to quickly diagnose plays and get to the ball. His closing speed was impressive to watch live as he didn’t allow ball carriers to make a move on him because he didn’t give them space to do so. On offense, Isaac was a slippery runner who also was able to finish runs with surprising power for his size. Isaac also has an innate ability to find his way to space and daylight. I’ve said it multiple times, but Isaac looks like a solid steal candidate for a program. <strong>Levi Huempfner, ’23 RB/LB- St. Mary’s Springs</strong> <em>Stat Line: 9 Carries, 62 Yrds, 1 TD, 8 Tackles</em> The 6’1" 195 lbs junior RB/LB had the best highlight of the day. His TD run highlighted his long speed and power. The play started with him breaking free of the tackle attempt from three Colby defenders, and once he did Levi didn’t lose a step as he sprinted in for the 50+ yard score. The big man has a great frame for either side of the ball, and he has the athleticism and strength for both sides as well. On defense, Levi is a rangy LB who can deliver some impressive hits. His ability to quickly get through the trash and close on the ball has made him very difficult to get a hat on. Levi does a great job of reading the linemen and the flow of the play allowing him to always be in position to make a play. Save this kid under Names to Know. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="31198" first="Billy" last="Schrauth"] ’22 OL/DL- St. Mary’s Springs</strong> <em>Stat Line: 9 Tackles</em> The 6’6" 280 lbs two way lineman proved why he is the best player in WI. Schrauth checks off every box you look for at this level. He has elite size, strength, and athleticism while also having the body control and flexibility to be able to move with ease in every direction. No matter the side of the ball, Billy does a great job with his hand placement and usage. His base is always wide and strong, and his footwork was very clean. In pass protection, he uses his length and that easy movement skills to easily keep himself in position to protect his QB. In the run game, Billy does a great job keeping a wide base and active feet as he walks DL off the ball. Schrauth also did an impressive job of getting to the second level. I can’t wait to see where our #1 recruit in the state commits to continue his athletic and academic careers! <strong>Tom Koffman, ’23 LB- St. Mary’s Springs</strong> <em>Stat Line: 14 Tackles</em> The 6’4" 170 lbs LB is going to be an intriguing prospect this offseason. I can’t wait to see how he continues to grow and fill out. Right now, Tom is a long and lean LB prospect with next level range that allows him to make sideline to sideline plays against the run, and makes him an effective blitzer and edge rusher. Koffman also does a great job with his eyes. He didn’t overrun or lose the ball, and he was a reliable tackle. The production is there too as he led the team in tackles on Thursday. Make sure you have Tom on your radars for next season!