Lutheran (St. Charles) vs St Mary’s Top Performers
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As the 2022 football regular season is in full force, I had the pleasure of spending another Friday night watching two very talented football teams in the state of Missouri. This past Friday, I went to Lutheran High School to…
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Continue ReadingAs the 2022 football regular season is in full force, I had the pleasure of spending another Friday night watching two very talented football teams in the state of Missouri. This past Friday, I went to Lutheran High School to see them face off against St. Mary’s. While both teams showed a ton of talent and the game was very close for about full quarters, St. Mary’s pulled away in the end with a 56-20 victory. As I already stated, there was an abundance of talent on the field for both teams but here are the players that stood out to me this past Friday.
While there was a lot of great talent on the field, no one had the type of night that Roberts had for St. Mary’s. The Missouri commit showed that he is a true SEC level talent, rushing for 238 yards and scoring five total touchdowns, one of them coming on a kickoff return. He showed the ability to burst through the hole and not break stride, running through tackles with ease. Once he hit the open field, Roberts showed that he has the second gear to run away from a defense, which was on full display on his 99-yard touchdown run that broke the game open in the second half. As I mentioned, he is committed to Missouri and I can see him becoming a key player for them once he gets there.
Highlights
Most of St. Mary’s offensive success this past Friday revolved around two players, Roberts and Chase Hendricks Chase Hendricks 5’11” | 185 lbs | WR St. Mary’s | 2023 State MO . Hendricks was a route running technician on Friday, using his quickness to create separation in his breaks. He also showed the ability to go up and catch jump balls at their highest point, even through contact. After the catch, he showed the elusiveness to make defenders miss and the speed to run away from a defense. He was also used as a ball carrier on jet sweeps and was a very dangerous returner on special teams. Hendricks holds multiple Power 5 offers and definitely has the talent to be a special player at the next level.
Highlights
On the other side of the ball, Donovan McIntosh Donovan McIntosh 6’3″ | 170 lbs | DB St. Mary’s | 2023 State MO stood out to me from the very beginning of the game on Friday. He started off the game with an interception on the very first play from scrimmage. McIntosh is a big, athletic corner that does a great job of opening up his hips and running with receivers in man coverage. He has the ability to stay in the receiver’s hip pocket, no matter what type of route they are running. McIntosh also has the ability to read route concepts and break on the ball at the perfect timing to make a play. Donovan is committed to Kansas State and has the potential to develop into a key piece of their defense once he gets there.
Highlights
Staying on the defensive side of the ball, Gabe Booker Gabe Booker 6’2″ | 225 lbs | DL St. Mary’s | 2023 State MO was a force on the defensive line for St. Mary’s. Booker plays in a stand up defensive end/outside linebacker role and is very disruptive off the edge. As a pass rusher, he explodes out of his stance and uses his speed to blow by opposing offensive tackles. He also has the strength to run right through blocks when needed. I also liked the motor that Booker plays with as he was always working to get to the ball. While Gabe doesn’t currently hold any official offers, he is definitely worthy of receiving one soon as he has the skill set to play at the next level.
Highlights
Another defensive lineman for St. Mary’s that impressed on Friday was junior defensive end Zamier Collins Zamier Collins 6’0″ | 235 lbs | DL St. Mary’s | 2024 State MO . Collins lived in the backfield on Friday night, using his speed at strength to blow by opposing offensive linemen put pressure on the quarterback. He showed the ability to come off the edge and shoot the inside gap, making him a very difficult assignment in pass protection. Collins also showed great awareness as a pass rusher as he batted down a pass on his way to the quarterback. Against the run, Collins showed the ability to read plays and get to the ball. Once he got to the ball carrier, he showed that he is a very physical tackler, forcing a tackle in this game. While he doesn’t currently hold any offers, Collins is definitely a name to watch over the next two seasons.
Moving over to Lutheran, they have a very gifted play maker in junior Kaleb Mays Kaleb Mays 5’8″ | 160 lbs | DB Lutheran-St. Charles | 2024 State MO . He was a huge factor on both sides of the ball on Friday. On offense, Mays lined up at receiver and used his speed to run by defensive backs and pose as a very dangerous deep threat on the outside as he scored on an impressive long touchdown pass. He also was impressive on defense at corner, showing the ability to mirror receivers in man coverage. Mays also showed great reaction skills, timing passes to break on them at the right timing to break up the pass. Kaleb doesn’t hold any offers at the moment but he is a player to watch as he as the potential to be a difference maker at the next level.
Highlights
Another impressive play maker for Lutheran this past Friday was senior wide receiver, Michael Parr Jr Michael Parr Jr 6’0″ | 175 lbs | WR Lutheran-St. Charles | 2023 State MO . The main thing that stood out with Parr is his blazing speed which he used to blow by defensive backs in the deep passing game. He also showed impressive elusiveness in the open field with the ability to make defenders miss. Parr made a huge impact on special teams, using his speed to catch the ball in stride and run right through the coverage team. He had three impressive kickoff returns with one of them going for a touchdown. Michael currently holds offers from Western Illinois, Lindenwood, and Southeast Missouri State, and I believe that he could pick up more before his senior year is over.
Highlights
Although they faced a tough task against Roberts in the run game, Lutheran has an impressive defensive line, led by John McCaleb III John McCaleb III 6’0″ | 240 lbs | LB St. Charles | 2023 MO in the middle. McCaleb is a strong, physical defensive tackle that plays with a very high motor. In the run game, he has the strength to hold his ground and plug up his gap, and does a great job of continuing to work to get to the ball. He also showed the ability to apply pressure on the quarterback as a pass rusher. McCaleb also play guard on offense and did a great job of driving his man and finishing blocks but I believe he shines the brightest on defense. While he doesn’t hold any official offers, McCaleb has been receiving some college interest and I believe that he definitely has the skill set to play at the college level.
Highlights
Another impressive member of the Lutheran defensive line was sophomore defensive end Keylan LaGrant Keylan LaGrant 6’3″ | 215 lbs | LB East St. Louis | 2025 IL . LaGrant is a long, athletic defensive end that uses his speed to wreak havoc off the edge as a pass rusher. He showed a quick first step out of his stance and the ability to burst off the line of scrimmage. LaGrant was in the quarterback’s face on multiple occasions on Friday and finished with a sack. Keylan currently holds offers from Arkansas, West Virginia, and Boston College, and I expect that list to expand over the next few seasons as he has the potential to develop into an even higher level defensive end prospect.
Highlights
Jamar Cross Jr
Jamar Cross Jr
A lesser-known player that impressed me for Lutheran was junior inside linebacker, Jamar Cross Jr. Jamar made plays all over the field for Lutheran’s defense on Friday. He did a great job of reading his keys and coming downhill in a hurry to fill his gap. Cross plays with a very high motor and was able to run sideline to sideline to make plays, finishing with multiple tackles and also coming away with a long fumble recovery return. He was also very effective as a pass rusher, timing his blitzes perfectly to shoot through his gap before opposing offensive linemen could react. Jamar doesn’t currently hold any offers but they should come soon for him as he has received a solid amount of college interest and has the skill set to play somewhere at the next level.
Dawson Tallent Dawson Tallent 6’3″ | 270 lbs | OL Lutheran-St. Charles | 2023 State MO is a player that impressed on both sides of the line for Lutheran on Friday but shined the brighest on offense. Tallent lined up at right tackle and did a great job creating movement in the run game. He had a quick first step off the ball and kept his feet running to drive his man down the field. In pass protection, Tallent showed solid footwork and the ability to mirror opposing pass rushers. When facing a bull rush, he showed the strength to hold his ground and not be pushed back into the pocket. Dawson currently holds offers from Missouri Baptist, Peru State, Upper Iowa, and Dayton, and I believe that more could come before the season is over as he has received quite a bit of college interest and has the skill set to play at the next level.