Hayden's Hotshots: Standouts and Risers from Waconia v Chaska (O)

Chaska was a short hour's drive from my college campus and conveniently halfway back to my house. The Chaska Hawks were hosting the Waconia Wildcats, both teams were 2-1 heading into this week 4 matchup. Both teams are top 20 5A teams in my opinion, and each is led by a D1 commit. Let's check out the Hotshots, Risers, and Sleepers from this rainy and cold Friday night game!   Hotshots:   [player_tooltip player_id='19002' first='Max' last='McEnelly']: Waconia 2023 RB 5'10" 200 lbs   The Gopher's wrestling commit was an absolute offensive weapon last Friday night. Taking snaps from the wildcat, and running from your typical single and double back formations, McEnelly had over 200 yards and 2 touchdowns. He boasts an incredible blend of insane speed and agility, as well as crazy strength. Both of which he uses to break multiple tackles by way of jump cuts and Derrick Henry-style stiff arms. Easily a top 5 RB in the state of Minnesota. McEnelly could probably go play for the Gophers in both sports if we're being honest.   [player_tooltip player_id='313317' first='Alex' last='Riley']: Waconia 2023 RB 5'11" 200 lbs   This kid needs more hype. Running aside McEnelly, he was a nasty and crucial part of the Wildcat's offense. Physically, he is incredibly similar to McEnelly in every category and the two of them in the same offense adds a whole new dimension that many teams are unprepared for. I would argue he may be a little less slippery than his counterpart, but that's the tradeoff you get when you choose to run through everyone. Riley had over 100 yards and 1 touchdown on Friday night, and he shouldn't be overlooked by anyone.   [player_tooltip player_id='120007' first='Kaleb' last='Rector']: Chaska 2023 OL 6'3" 285 lbs   The Tommies commit was a BRICK WALL on Friday night. Lineman are typically hard to grade, they don't have stats and they aren't noticed unless they mess up or send someone flying. Matched up with a variety of good Waconia DEs, Rector didn't allow one sack and hardly any pressure. He didn't get beat across his face once and had great footwork. The freezing rain seemed to have no impact on the big man as he was consistently the best offensive player on the field for the Hawks.   Risers:   Leo Smalley: Chaska 2023 OL 6'3" 260 lbs   Smalley played right next to Rector, and the two were a force to be reckoned with. The pair were significantly bigger, faster, and stronger, than the opposing two defensive linemen and formed an armada to run behind. There was a hole wherever they were all night long and when Smalley got to the second level you could almost see the fear in the linebacker's eyes. Smalley recently committed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth.   Alex Mansager: Waconia 2024 OL 6'3" 240 lbs   Mansager, the junior left tackle, was a key part of the Wildcat's successful run game. He was phenomenal run-blocking and excelled at reach-blocking edge rushers who were lined up further outside. He didn't have enough reps in the passing game to really cement any strong notions but during the reps, he did have he looked very good. He doesn't currently hold any offers.   Reese Turner: Chaska 2023 RB 6' 200 lbs   Turner had an outstanding week 1 and capped off the first half of the season with a good performance against the Wildcats on Friday. Turner had a slow first half, but he picked it up after the second quarter. He finished with 89 yards and a TD. Turner was incredibly explosive and carried some serious weight when he rocked defenders. He currently holds no offers but has interest from several colleges including MSUM!   Sleepers:   [player_tooltip player_id='112192' first='Jamarrius' last='Courtney']: Chaska 2023 QB 6'2" 215 lbs   Courtney, hot off a great passing performance last week, was looking to recreate his success against the Wildcats. The weather significantly limited Courtney's passing ability, but he looked near unstoppable when he started running the ball in the second half. Courtney has great vision for a QB and is surprisingly nimble for his size. Strong enough to bounce off defenders, Courtney has shown he's a dual threat up to this point in the season.   [player_tooltip player_id='241908' first='Austin' last='Randall']: Waconia 2024 QB 6' 180 lbs   Randall showed out in the 4th quarter of the game. He didn't attempt many passes, but he came in clutch in some crazy situations. He had some fantastic pocket awareness and even ran the ball a few times. In need of bigger sample size, but Randall looked good when he had the chance to shine.   [player_tooltip player_id='368540' first='Mitchel' last='Rieckhoff']: Waconia 2024 6'2" 180 lbs   Rieckhoff has great size, and great speed, caught all of Randall's passes last Friday. His long wingspan gives him an ideal catch radius and he continued to run great routes even when the field was basically a slip and slide during the 3rd quarter. He's the Wildcat's leader in yards and receptions and was a sneaky good part of their offense.

Chaska was a short hour's drive from my college campus and conveniently halfway back to my house. The Chaska Hawks were hosting the Waconia Wildcats, both teams were 2-1 heading into this week 4 matchup. Both teams are top 20 5A teams in my opinion, and each is led by a D1 commit. Let's check out the Hotshots, Risers, and Sleepers from this rainy and cold Friday night game!