St. Dominic 7 on 7 Tournament: Lafayette takes title
The Lafayette football team has been battle-tested this summer during 7 on 7 work against the likes of CBC, Lutheran North and Kirkwood. So when the Lancers faced off against two of the state’s better squads in Rockwood Summit and…
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Continue ReadingThe Lafayette football team has been battle-tested this summer during 7 on 7 work against the likes of CBC, Lutheran North and Kirkwood. So when the Lancers faced off against two of the state’s better squads in Rockwood Summit and Troy Buchanan on Friday at the St. Dominic 7 on 7 Tournament, they didn’t flinch.
Lafayette knocked off Summit in the semifinals and then topped Troy in the title game to take home the St. Dominic Tournament championship.
“I was really proud of our kids today and their effort and their ability to compete,” Lafayette coach Boyd Manne said. “The summer is all about developing individually as players and developing collectively as a a team. They are building confidence every day.”
Manne, who is going into his 23rd year as a head coach, was proud of how his players competed and kept their composure when things didn’t go their way.
“They made some really nice stops on defense,” Manne said.
It was that defensive effort that was key in getting past two strong offenses in Summit and Troy. The Lancers clinched the championship game victory with a clutch interception by 2023 safety Caleb Lochmann Caleb Lochmann 6'2" | 180 lbs | DB Lafayette | 2023 State MO , who was just one of the Lafayette players who had a strong day.
Here’s a quick look at some of the Lancers who made an impact in the championship run on Friday:
2023s
WR Baylor Adamovsky Baylor Adamovsky 5'10" | 190 lbs | WR Lafayette | 2023 MO
“He made some good catches for us today,” Manne said. “… He’s had a good summer for us.”
Also a lacrosse player, Adamovsky was the Lancers’ fourth leading receiver a year ago with 12 catches for 157 yards and a touchdown. Two of the players who had more catches than Adamovsky have graduated, which should mean more opportunities this fall. Manne said he could also see some time on defense.
WR-S Caleb Lochmann Caleb Lochmann 6'2" | 180 lbs | DB Lafayette | 2023 State MO
Lochmann, who stands 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, was one of the better 2023 wide receiver performers at the Elite Football Combine in March. He recorded a broad jump of 9 feet 10 inches, a vertical leap of 31 inches, a powerball toss of 38 feet 8 inches, a pro-agility time of 4.31 seconds and a 40 time of 4.81 seconds. He may be a better prospect as a safety with his size, length and overall strong athletic profile.
“Caleb’s a senior and he’s steady,” Manne said. “He’s really good. He’s really strong. He’s strong with the ball in the air. He made some great catches in traffic. Defensively during the summer he’s getting better making checks at the back end and getting our guys in the right coverage. … He’s been totally committed to the offseason strength and conditioning. He’s lived in the weight room since the end of last season. He’s just a tough, competitive young man.”
After seeing him on Friday, he could be one of the better 2023 sleepers in Missouri who deserves more recruiting attention.
TE-DL Logan Minton Logan Minton 6'8" | 200 lbs | TE Lafayette | 2023 State MO
Minton, who measured in at 6-7 1/2 at the Elite Combine in March, has had a good offseason and has received scholarship offers from Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Southern Illinois and Drake for football and has offers from Webster University and Illinois College for basketball. He’s got a big frame and while he will need to add weight to play football in college he looks like that shouldn’t be a problem.
Minton played for the Lancers early on Friday but then missed games later in the day because he had a basketball tournament.
“We’re expecting Logan to have a big year on offense and defense,” Manne said. “He’s got a great frame and he’s getting better every day. I’m really excited to see how h competes and how he grows as a player this fall. I loved watching him compete in basketball this winter.”
CB Ethan Riney
Manne cited Riney as a player who has had a great summer for the Lancers.
“He’s playing cornerback for us and he’s in good position,” the coach said. “He’s just a solid defensive player for us. We’re expecting him to have a big year.”
2024
ATH Zae Jones Zae Jones 5'8" | 165 lbs | ATH Lafayette | 2024 State MO
Jones did a little bit of everything for the Lancers last fall during his breakout sophomore season when he led the squad in rushing, receiving and touchdowns. That dynamic ability was on display again Friday as he was a handful for defenses to deal with.
Jones could end up playing wide receiver, running back or defensive back at the next level and has the ability to return kicks and punts. He’s not the biggest player out there but he’s one of the most talented every time he takes the field.
2025s
One of the more impressive aspects of Lafayette’s title run at St. Dominic was that it was the youngster Behl leading the offense at the quarterback spot.
“Obviously he’s a sophomore and at times he’s making some really good decisions and making some good reads,” Manne said. “He’s really a student of the game. He sees the field well. We’ve had moments this summer in 7 on 7s when he’ll say ‘let’s run this’ and he’s successful with it. … He’s making some good decisions and obviously there’s a lot of room for growth and development and I think he would say the same.”
WR-LB Robby Preckel Robby Preckel 6'3" | 230 lbs | ATH Lafayette | 2025 State MO
Preckel was a player on our radar as a linebacker, but he also plays wide receiver and it will be interesting to see where he ultimately ends up. (He even kicked off for the Lancers’ varsity squad as a freshman a year ago.)
“He’s got great hands,” Manne said. “He runs his routes hard. He’s just a tough competitor too. He is a throwback football player.”
Manne said Preckel will probably play some outside linebacker but may also get a look at weak side inside linebacker.
“He’s totally committed to the weight room and making himself better,” Manne said. “He plays basketball. He runs track. He’s a competitor.”