SW Scouting Report: Minnesota Valley Lutheran vs. #3 Pipestone
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PIPESTONE– We took a virtual route on Saturday to Pipestone, Minnesota to watch the #3 ranked team in 2AA go up against Minnesota Valley Lutheran in their playoff game. Find out who was a key contributor from the Chargers and the Arrows.
Austin Johnson | Punter | Pipestone Area (2022)
Austin was really key flipping the field possession on Saturday afternoon for the Arrows. One of his punts went for 63 yards which is an unheard-of distance in high school football. On both of the punts I witnessed, he did a solid job pinning the Chargers inside the 20-yard line and did it with good range and getting what I call the shooter’s roll in hoops, getting the ball to spin deep beyond inside the Chargers 20 yard line. This caused MVL to never really get momentum in the game and sent the 10-0.
Luke Thompson | Quarterback | Minnesota Valley Lutheran | 2022
Luke was not your stereotypical passing QB on Saturday afternoon, but with his running ability, he was certainly a top performer for the Chargers. Despite not being the most sizeable prospect, he showed really good mobility to extend plays. He looked from my eyes to be an elusive runner that had just enough space to make some noise on certain key plays for the Chargers.
Ryan Woodbury Ryan Woodbury 6'1" | 170 lbs | DB Pipestone Area | 2022 State MN | Wide Receiver/Defensive Back | Pipestone Area | 2022
Ryan looked to be the best defensive back on the field across the board from both teams on Saturday afternoon. I like how he turns with his footwork in both directions. He was very reactive on his jump when the football came in his direction and got in front of the football quickly. Ryan showed terrific pep in his step when he used his vision to track the ball when it came in his direction especially on deeper routes. Solid performance by this young man.
Maddox Biever
Maddox
Biever
6'1" | 170 lbs | DB
Pipestone Area | 2022
State
MN
| Athlete | Pipestone Area | 2022
Maddox’s outside running game is one of the best skillsets he has in his arsenal. When he can get to those outside lanes, look out because his game turns it up a notch around the corners. You see his downhill speed come out and the twitch in his footwork put the defenders to the test. Biever has a lot of versatility on all three levels of the football field. He makes good contact from the eyes can see on defense, and can lineup in the slot and be an asset there as well along with the return game. He logged 1600 all-purpose yards and 22 touchdowns this season. This young man is well-deserving of a college football opportunity.
Malachi Kohls | Defensive Line/Offensive Line | Minnesota Valley Lutheran | 2023
Kohls from my eyes gets the nod for the best player on both sides of the trenches from the Minnesota Valley Lutheran Chargers. He logged multiple key tackles in the game and showed great instincts to get to the second level in front of the play and make a key block for his teammate. Once he gets some film out there, I think he’ll have an even brighter upcoming senior season for the Chargers as he has a sound frame at 6’2 220.
Kellen Johnson | Quarterback | Pipestone Area | 2023
Johnson had a solid game of football minus a few interceptions that I’m sure he wishes he could take back. Watching Kellen’s tape, when he can capitalize on his first read that is when he’s at his best. When he needs to figure out his second or third read that is what got him into trouble on Saturday afternoon. He has solid arm strength and needs to develop better poise using that arm strength instead of putting less zip and arch on the football on shorter throws. He shows good mobility for 6’5 195 pounds to extend plays with his legs. Johnson certainly has some raw skills but with more reps to go in the playoffs and work in the offseason leading into his senior season, he has an opportunity to have a college football future as a small-school prospect.
Playoffs. Good start boys. @UNDfootball @DakSt8Football @CoachChapin @CoachSchrenk @coachscholten @BoumanTodd @Coach_Prosser @CoachLujan @CoachRyanOlson @CoachBolte @CoachSchlafke @CoachBouman @CoachCorySauter @CoachBull16 @OGMacDC @jschwenzfeier @CoachChaseKing @CooDC_CoachFORD pic.x.com/ASRmKOOBJy
— Kellen Johnson '23 (@KellenJohnsonQB) October 31, 2021
Cole Thompson | Wide Receiver | Minnesota Valley Lutheran | 2023
I thought Thompson looked a lot more fluid on tape than some of the targets he had on Saturday afternoon. His film shows a solid balance in high traffic areas to make a play to grab the football. He also shows good body turns when adjusting to where the football was. Thompson shows good off-line speed that will get even better with work this offseason into his senior season. He is a kid that has a motor that just keeps running as I love watching kids like Cole on film that will be on their horse trying to run down long play before they hit the end zone. He also plays with patience on his routes, as he uses his vertical on cue when he needs to. I am excited to see Thompson’s senior season and what it brings without brother Luke at quarterback.
Caden Miller Caden Miller 6'3" | 300 lbs | DB Elkton-Lake Benton | 2023 MN | Defensive Line/Offensive Line | Pipestone Area | 2023
Miller was a clinger to the football on Saturday afternoon for the Arrows. He showed a physical presence for the duration of the game logging multiple hits of the Chargers quarterback and stuffed the run just as well. As a two-way player in the trenches, Miller gets solid pad level and usually a significant push right off the line as one of the bigger linemen in 2AA at 6’3 280 pounds. Watching his tape, I like how active his hand fighting is on multiple plays as well. I also always love an offensive line prospect that once he puts his defender in the place where he wants him he’ll move on to the next victim, which is what Miller does on tape. Miller is another 2023 prospect that I think with some work on his technique, could see some college programs show interest in the coming year.
The MVPs
These two were my MVPs of the game from Saturday afternoon in Pipestone.
Rogen Smidt | Linebacker | Pipestone Area | 2023
Smidt got the nod for my defensive MVP on Saturday for the Arrows. Talk about a ballhawk, when I lose track of how many tackles a kid has, that is usually a sign they are having a pretty strong day. He did a great job of identifying closing the gaps early and usually making a tackle on little to short-yardage situations. This kid also had a really high physicality level throughout the duration of the game on close to every tackle he made. No film available, but Smidt is for sure a linebacker I will continue to track this offseason as I loved the way his motor worked for the Pipestone Area Arrows.
Kaden Musch | Defensive Back/Wide Receiver | Pipestone Area | 2022
I was significantly impressed with how athletic this young man was on both sides of the football on Saturday. Musch showed a lot of physicality fighting for the extra yards for the Arrows and defensively was just as keyed in with his physicality level making big plays. Musch used his 6’4 195-pound frame to his full advantage when he got the football, as he was elusive powering thru contact to get where he wanted to go with the football. Based on his athletic skillset I certainly thought this young man had some film, but just so the college coaches know, Pipestone Area has two really under the radar prospects that were listed as MVPs of the game that you are going to want to get on Highway 23 to check out before the season ends!
