Mankato West vs. St. Thomas Academy – Defensive standouts

Before their AAAAA state quarterfinal game, Saturday afternoon, the Mankato West Scarlets and the St. Thomas Academy Cadets were routinely scoring north of thirty points a game. That is until they met each other. In one of the hardest-hitting games I had seen all season, the Scarlets advanced with<a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/11/traditional-state-powers-put-on-a-show-in-the-quarterfinals/"> a 21-14 victory</a>. The Scarlets’ and the Cadets’ defenses put on a show ending – fittingly - with an interception on the game’s last play. Here are some of the many individuals who helped keep these high-scoring offenses in check. [player_tooltip player_id="49868" first="Ryan" last="Haley"] <strong>Mankato State LB</strong> Haley was all over the field on Saturday. Playing against the run-heavy Cadets, it seemed like his name was being called by the public address announcer every other play. He is a sideline to sideline linebacker who can stuff the run coming right at him, but more impressive is his ability to chase down plays that are not in his area. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="237319" first="Jackson" last="Cercioglu"] St Thomas Academy LB</strong> Like Haley, Cercioglu was a tackling machine. He got credit for a whopping sixteen tackles. Those stops included his pass-rushing ability with a sack and his speed when he ran down a screen pass from behind. He lined up as an inside linebacker, but he made plays from sideline to sideline. <strong>Cael Friesen Mankato West DB</strong> Friesen made plays in the passing and running game. He came up strong in run support to make a tackle on the outside. Then, late in the game, his tackle on the outside resulted in a short loss and forced a fourth down. In the passing game, he intercepted an underthrown pass. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="237907" first="Jake" last="Borman"] St Thomas Academy DB</strong> Borman came across the field from his safety spot to deflect a pass early on. Later, he showed good range coming across the field to intercept an over-thrown ball. He is not just a cover safety either; he is not afraid to make a big hit. Although the receiver caught the ball, the junior laid a huge hit on a deep route. Borman then turned back a West scoring chance with his second interception of the game - right on the goal line. Late in the game, he got involved in the running game to make a tackle for a short gain. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="246051" first="Damian" last="Riewe"] Mankato West DB</strong> Rieve plays defensive back, but he was so involved in stopping the run, you might have thought he played linebacker. Most of his eleven tackles were not in the secondary; they were near the line of scrimmage with the corner supporting the run. He also made an impact in the passing game with a deflected pass. [player_tooltip player_id="116271" first="Leo" last="Bluhm"] <strong>St Thomas Academy DL</strong> Bluhm held down the middle for the Cadets and kept blockers off his linebackers. He consistently got off blocks and kept the inside running game contained. Bluhm is not just a space-eater in the middle, either. He made at least five tackles on the inside for little or no gain. <strong>Brady Haugum Mankato West LB</strong> Three of his seven tackles resulted in short or no gain. His best moment was when he made an open-field tackle for a loss. He helped keep the Cadets’ backs inside by doing a solid job holding the edge. Twice, he kept his leverage and fought off blockers to make tackles on the edge. <strong>Peyton Goettlicher Mankato West DB</strong> Goettlicher made an impact on both sides of the ball. In addition to a touchdown catch and leading the team in receiving yards, the defensive back made a tackle for a short loss supporting the run. He made a possible game-saving interception on a deep post in the end zone – keeping West in the lead. His second interception – off a desperation heave - actually ended the game. [player_tooltip player_id="49958" first="Gannon" last="Rosenfeld"] <strong>Mankato West DE</strong> Rosenfeld got into the backfield more than once during the game. He made one of the biggest defensive plays of the game. Late in the game and protecting a one-score lead, Rosenfeld got immediate penetration and dropped the running back for a loss on fourth and short. <strong>Quick hits</strong> <strong>Gibson Blackstad Mankato West DE</strong> - stuffed a run up the middle <strong>Bennett Kotok St Thomas Academy LB</strong> - strung a run out to the outside, allowing his teammates to make a tackle for a short gain <strong>Tanner Shumski Mankato West DL</strong> - read a screen pass, tipped the pass, and almost made the interception <strong>Brian Larsen Mankato West DL</strong> - tackle for loss <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="235707" first="Mark" last="Rogalski"] St Thomas Academy LB</strong> - fumble recovery <strong>Blake Fritz St Thomas Academy DB</strong> - tackle for a short loss <strong>Elijah Bollman Mankato West LB</strong> - open-field tackle on punt coverage <strong>Nick Bartlett St Thomas Academy LB</strong> - tackle on an off-tackle run forcing third and long, stuffed an inside run