Top Performances: Playoffs Level Three

We are getting down to the best of the best here in Wisconsin! This past Friday and Saturday we watched 56 teams battle it out in pursuit of a state championship! Today, I have identified 12 athletes who stood out from the crowd with their impact on their respective games. With having only 28 games to choose from we will be doing offensive and defensive Top Performers all in one article this week. We have an elite collection of talent to go through. The most impressive part is how well balanced it is between the classes of '22, '23, and '24. Each one of these are names to know, especially the seniors. so, let's get into the best performances of Playoffs Level Three! [player_tooltip player_id="31232" first="Keaton" last="Arendt"], '22 WR- Franklin Stat Line: 6 Receptions, 164 Yards, 3 TDs The 6'2" 200 lbs senior torched the Bay Port defense on Friday night! Arendt was able to show off so much of his game in the quick highlights from the night. He demonstrated his long speed on a roughly 95 yard TD reception where he flew right past every level of coverage and then outran the pursuit for the score. I was also really impressed with Keaton's concentration and ability to make the catch in traffic. A few of his receptions were on the other side of tight windows, but despite the small windows he was able to maintain focus on the ball and easily pluck it out of the air. One of his scores saw Keaton use his strong hands to make the catch away from his body while taking a hit from the DB. The Franklin senior needs more recruiting attention! Check him out here! <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11306026/6185f4c3d45ebc0bb0d1c50d">Keaton's Level Three Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="104381" first="Wynn" last="Stang"], '23 RB- Mukwonago Stat Line: 9 Carries, 130 Yards, 2 TDs The 6'1" 180 lbs junior has become a special athlete for Mukwonago. Wynn is a legitimate playmaker who is able to turn average plays into explosive, game changing plays. It only took Stang 9 carries to completely take over their Level Three matchup with a tough Muskego team. His instincts and feel while carrying the ball shine as he quickly finds his blocks and running lanes. Once he has those lanes found Wynn can quickly accelerate to top speed and take off for big chunks of yards. Where I am really impressed is with how physical he can also be. This past Friday Stang ran through several arm tackles on his carries. Check out the highlights! <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13413686/6189d5ac5b3d390148cbf1ba">Wynn's Level Three Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="105056" first="Drew" last="Wagner"], '24 WR- Kettle Moraine Stat Line: 5 Receptions, 123 Yards, 1 TD, 2 Carries, 15 Yards Every time I watch the sophomore receiver out of Kettle Moraine I am more blown away than the previous time. Drew's development this season has been off the charts. He is already a savvy athlete who always seems to have himself in just the right position to win the rep. Wagner already has impressive physical traits for the position such as the play speed after the catch and out of his breaks allowing him to generate separation and pull away in the open field. His hand eye coordination are next-level ready as well as he is able to haul in passes in traffic. His body control also looks next level ready allowing him to make catches along the sideline and run very sharp routes. Drew's future is very bright and you can expect some great games in his future as the WR1 continues to grow and develop. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/14775368/6186afae478d6106b0a0fe94">Drew's Level Three Highlights</a> AJ Korth, '23 QB/ATH- Menasha Stat Line: 1/6, 6 Yards, 1 TD, 24 Carries, 239 Yards, 2 TDs This is the tape to watch to see how dynamic of an athlete the 5'11" 175 junior is. Korth was an impact player at the QB and DB position. On defense, AJ's awareness and ability to read and react to what is happening in front of him stands out on the screen. Seeing the play is only half the battle. Korth also has the range and acceleration out of his backpedal to be able to get himself in the right place at the right time. AJ is also a reliable tackler, and when he gets there before the ball does he is disruptive at the catch point. On offense, AJ is at his best on the ground as a ball carrier. He is a decisive runner that carries his acceleration from defense over to offense allowing him to shoot through gaps before they close. He is also a slippery runner that is hard for defenses to drag down. The two way athlete is a player to know the rest of this season and next year. [player_tooltip player_id="182719" first="Joseph" last="Gardner"], '22 RB- Campbellsport Stat Line: 27 Carries, 232 Yards, 1 TD The 5'10" 170 lbs senior is one of the few athletes on this list who wasn't able to pull off the victory, but his performance was far too great to not include! His vision and elusiveness shined on film. Joe was able to stretch the defense horizontally leading to open lanes, and once he saw those lanes he could stick his foot in the ground and be off to the races. He also proved that he could make defenders miss in those lanes. That vision also allowed Gardner to bounce carries to the outside on designed inside runs when the hole wasn't there. The final trait taht stood out was how well the senior runs his legs through contact. He broke through so many arm tackles on Friday night. Check him out. He is an under the radar prospect. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11346344/61896d0bff02490550bfdd9d">Joe's Level Three Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="118566" first="Simon" last="Bauer"], '22 RB- Durand Stat Line: 6/8, 59 Yards, 1 TD, 20 Carries, 181 Yards, 3 TDs The 5'7" 180 lbs senior has been a mainstay here in the top performers articles since the playoffs began. He is asked to carry a massive workload, and he has responded by posting some of the most impressive stat lines week after week. Bauer has the traits to be a serious weapon at the next level. He has 4.5 speed to go along with that compact frame making him very dangerous out in space. That speed really stands out on tape. It looks like everyone else is in slow motion around him. His acceleration from a standstill to top speed is lightning quick, so once he gets a seam he is going to be gone! Check out his exciting highlights here! <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11473848/6186a7d1a680d70b8431079e">Simon's Level Three Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="118556" first="Isaac" last="Hyland"], '22 RB- St. Mary's Springs Stat Line: 22 Carries, 121 Yards 2 TDs The offensive stat line is great, but the film really shows off Hyland's play on defense. The 5'11" 175 lbs OLB/nickel defender has a well rounded game. He has the range and body control to comfortably play out in space as he covers slot receivers and RBs in the short to intermediate levels of the field. That body control and agility allows him to mirror pass catchers and also make tackles in space. On the edge against the run, Isaac is able to take on blocks and force runs back inside or shed the block and make the tackle. These last couple weeks have proven Hyland can play on either side of the ball at the next level, but I believe defense would be his best from what I have seen. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11799779/618679e99a9c0e0f9cb4d0e7">Isaac's Level Three Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="104575" first="Tommy" last="Raemisch"], '23 LB- Waunakee Stat Line: 13 Tackles, 3 TFLs The 5'11" 205 lbs junior ILB did a great job of always having his eyes on the ball and knowing where its going this past Friday. He was able to use that ability to make several of his tackles right at the line of scrimmage or behind it. His ability to time his blitzes perfectly also led to some of those TFLs listed above. Not only is the compact LB a productive tackler, he is also reliable. Once he gets the ball carrier wrapped up that's it. Play is over. Tommy also made several plays after maneuvering his way through the trash of DL and OL. I also was impressed with his short area explosiveness, which allowed him to quickly fill against the inside run making it very hard for Menomonie to get the ground game going between the tackles. Check him out! <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12686871/61885a5a0dcaab066024be15">Tommy's Level Three Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="31285" first="Max" last="Sheridan"], '22 LB- Pewaukee Stat Line: 13 Tackles, 2 TFLs The 6'2" 195 lbs senior LB was in the middle of the defense leading the way to a shutout performance. The long, lean LB does a great job playing downhill against the run as he shoots through gaps or slips off blocks to make the tackle. Sheridan's range really jumps out this week as was able to both move laterally with the play before making the tackle in the gap or chase down plays from behind. I'm a big fan of how aggressive Max is as a tackler. He swallows up ball carriers ensuring that the play ends where he makes contact. Check him out. He is going to be a massive steal for a team. D2 programs should be all over this dude! <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11289442/61868788b018960750931183">Max's Level Three Highlights</a> Owen Vogelsberg, '22 LB- Potosi/Cassville Stat Line: 22 Tackles, 1 TFL, 1 Sack, 1 FF Potosi/Cassville wasn't able to get the victory, but Owen put together a very impressive night of film! The 6'1" 200 lbs senior LB was a tackling machine! His ability to quickly and effectively fill his gap was a major factor in his team's ability to slow down Cashton's highly effective rushing attack. Owen was strong at the point of attack, and relied on that strength to be able to consistently disengage with blocks before making the tackle. Vogelsberg also put out a few reps showing off his range as he was able to chase down plays from behind. Owen is an under the radar prospect. It looks like he currently holds one offer from Loras College. Check him out! <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13236819/618884fa23477f031c5b9886">Owen's Level Three Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="105025" first="Sam" last="Ostrenga"], '24 DB- Sun Prairie Stat Line: 6 Tackles, 1 INT The first trait that jumps out from the 5'10" 165 lbs sophomore DB's film is his range. Ostrenga can line up at a deep safety position, and get to any spot on the field by the end of the play. Sam already has a strong feel for the game and reads and reacts very quickly for an athlete who is still earning more and more playing time. That range and awareness allowed Sam to put himself in position to make several plays against the run and the pass. Against the run, Sam is an aggressive downhill filler who can bring down RBs on the edge or in the trash between the tackles. Against the pass, Ostrenga has proven to be gifted at baiting and reading the QB and then making a play on the ball once it's in the air. Kind of a cherry on top, Sam is also a very dangerous return man. This is an athlete to have high on recruiting boards for the next few years! <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/14613745/6186f278b0189607509365ac">Sam's Level Three Highlights</a> Talan Summers, '24 LB- Franklin Stat Line: 10 Tackles, 1 TFL The 6'3" 205 lbs sophomore has an elite frame for the LB position with a few years still ahead of him to build on it! It's a quick film cutup this week, but I'm very impressed with what it shows. Talan shows a high level of football intelligence. Over and over in this week's film it appears as if Summers knew where the ball was going to be before the snap even occurred. That presnap ability allowed him to make plays and put himself in position to be extremely difficult to block because he was able to get leverage on the OL. Talan also has proven to be a stout run defender as he stops blockers in their tracks, disengages, and then makes the tackle for little to no gain. Check him out! <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/15003637/618812d09a9c4d09487a8852">Talan's Level Three Highlights</a> Other Notable Performances Colton Brunell, '24 RB- Columbus Stat Line: 10 Carries, 249 Yards, 3 TDs, 1 Reception, 27 Yards [player_tooltip player_id="118317" first="Joe" last="Ollman"], '22 RB- Homestead Stat Line: 29 Carries, 217 Yards, 3 TDs Christian Lindow, '22 RB- Rice Lake Stat Line: 24 Carries, 156 Yards, 1 TD [player_tooltip player_id="31215" first="Max" last="Grand"], '22 RB- Ellsworth Stat Line: 18 Carries, 209 Yards, 2 TDs [player_tooltip player_id="118346" first="Jack" last="Janke"], '22 ATH- Ellsworth Stat Line: 3/4, 48 Yards, 5 Carries, 73 Yards, 4 TDs Carter Kriewaldt, '23 RB- Freedom Stat Line: 30 Carries, 133 Yards, 4 TDs Calvin Hargrove, '23 RB- Aquinas Stat Line: 25 Carries, 153 Yards, 3 TDs Quinn Miskowski, '22 WR- Aquinas Stat Line: 4 Receptions, 136 Yards, 2 TDs [player_tooltip player_id="223711" first="Trevor" last="Syse"], '22 QB/ATH- Belleville Stat Line: 14/24, 261 Yards, 3 TDs, 23 Carries, 75 Yards, 2 TDs, 6 Tackles, 1 INT Blake Schraufnagel, '22 RB- Mayville Stat Line: 23 Carries, 237 Yards, 3 TDs Alex Hernandez, '23 RB- Monroe Stat Line: 29 Carries, 214 Yards,2 TDs Rory Fox, '22 QB- Catholic Memorial Stat Line: 10/12, 178 Yards, 4 TDs Ryan Taddy, '23 DE- Reedsville Stat Line: 7 Tackles, 4 TFLs, 3 Sacks [player_tooltip player_id="31350" first="Carson" last="Walkowiak"], '22 LB- Franklin Stat Line: 14 Tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 INT Aidan Keyes, '22- Belleville Stat Line: 9 Tackles, 1 TFL, 1 Sack Mason Davis, '23 DL- Darlington Stat Line: 4 Tackles, 3 TFLs, 1.5 Sacks Tom Koffman, '23 LB- St. Mary's Springs Stat Line: 6 Tackles, 4 Sacks, 1 FF Brayden Edge, '23 DL- PotosiCassville Stat Line: 9 Tackles, 2 Sacks