WIAA Level 2: Lodi vs Lake Mills Recap & Prospects of the Game
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Level 2 is where it things get serious in playoff football. You won’t find many lopsided matchups. This is where the teams that have put in the work, trusted the process, and did their jobs the most consistently take over.…
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Continue ReadingLevel 2 is where it things get serious in playoff football. You won’t find many lopsided matchups. This is where the teams that have put in the work, trusted the process, and did their jobs the most consistently take over. For Level Two I made my way to Lodi, WI for a playoff matchup that faced a pair of conference foes off against each other, Lodi and Lake Mills had played each other earlier in the season when Lake Mills beat Lodi on Lake Mills’ homecoming night. With Lodi the home team, and the stakes much higher, I couldn’t wait to see how things were going to play out.
Things started off fast for Lake Mills. They drove down the field with a mix of run and pass. It looked like they were ready to stroll into the endzone when things took a turn. Lake Mills may have gotten too fancy too early when they called a halfback pass. It was picked off by CB Keegan Fleischman. That was just the start of the defensive highlights in this game. On the next drive, Lodi lost the ball due to a fumble. Lake Mills gave it back again shortly after with a fumble of their own. Finally, after the three first drives ended in turnovers, Lodi’s offense found their groove. Lodi used a balanced attack to get into the redzone. There, QB/DB Mason Lane Mason Lane 6'1" | 195 lbs | ATH Lodi | 2024 State WI found FB Crew Clemons for a 12 yard score. Just like the defenses fed off each other, it seemed liked the offenses fed off each other. Two plays into Lake Mills’ next drive QB Caden Belling found WR Trysten Thiede for a 65 yard TD pass.
The second quarter began with Lodi FB Brady Puls coming in and moving the offense with some hard running. He capped off the drive with an 8 yard rushing TD. That is where things began to slow down. The two teams ended the half with drives that took up time, but couldn’t result in points. So, we went into the half with Lodi leading 14-7.
The defenses continued to be dominant to stat the second half. OLB Matthew Stenbroten Matthew Stenbroten 6'4" | 235 lbs | LB Lake Mills | 2024 State WI forced an intentional grounding with his pressure leading to a punt. Lake Mills went 3 & out to follow. Then Lodi got things going again on offense. Lane went deep and found Fleischman deep. One play later, Brady Puls again broke into the endzone from 8 yards out. Once again, this sparked a good Lake Mills drive. It was the passing game that moved them down the field, and it was the passing game that put the points on the board. Belling found WR Liam Carrigan in the back of the endzone to bring it to a one possession Lodi lead, 20-13.
In the 4th quarter Lodi took over the game. Mason Lane Mason Lane 6'1" | 195 lbs | ATH Lodi | 2024 State WI picked up a big chunk with his legs. Then Brady Puls had a big run of his own, then finished the drive with his third TD of the game. This one from 37 yards out. Lake Mills did their best to get back into the game. They drove into the redzone, but CB Keegan Fleischman grabbed his second INT of the game to dash all hopes of a comeback. If there were any hopes lingering, Mason Lane Mason Lane 6'1" | 195 lbs | ATH Lodi | 2024 State WI ensured victory when he broke off an 80 yard TD run on the next play. It was a dominant showing from Lodi as they won the game 34-13. They move on to face Catholic Memorial in Level Three.
Prospects of the Game
Stats: 7/9, 85 Yards, 1 TD, 13 Carries, 133 Yards, 1 TD, 1 Tackle, 1 PBUrnThe 6’2” 190 lbs junior is a gifted athlete. Mason has the ability to make everything look easy. I project him as a DB at the next level, but his natural athleticism shows up in his passing as much as anywhere else. His throwing motion is so smooth and easy. The footwork is quick, and stays connected to his eyes. When he decides to take off he instantly transitions into a serious threat on the ground. That is where he made his biggest plays. Using his vision to find lanes to slip through and then use his net level speed to create big plays. On defense, that same speed gives him the range to go from his safety spot to the sideline. Lodi also needed him to play single coverage, and he stepped into that role smoothly. Definitely an athlete to continue watching over the next year.
Stats: 6 Tackles, 1 FF, Starting OGrnKlann is going to debut high in the rankings after this season. The junior is a massive 6’7″ 245 lbs with room on that frame to fill out into a special specimen at the next level. Josh projects as a DE at the next level. He has all the length in the world, and used it Friday night. Klann also demonstrated a devastating club move that easily shoved OTs out of his rush path. For his size, Josh also has solid athleticism, and change of direction. It allowed him to get around the edge and create pressure as well as plays against the run in the backfield. That skill set also allowed him to be effective as a pulling guard on offense. It was a great showing for the breakout junior. I believe he is going to play at a high level.
Keegan Fleischman
Keegan Fleischman
Stats: 6 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 Reception, 30 YardsrnIt seemed like every time Lodi’s defense needed a big play or a big stop it was the senior making the play. The 5’11” CB was all over the field Friday night. He was not afraid to play downhill and make tackles on the outside run game, as well as when the QB scrambled. Where he was best was in coverage, though. Keegan was aggressive at the catch point. He attacked the ball in the air. Going and getting it at the highest point. His explosiveness allowed him to go get it over receivers. Natural hands made it easy to turn those opportunities into turnovers. Keegan was one of, if not the most, clutch athletes in the game.
Brady Puls
Brady Puls
Stats: 12 Carries, 131 Yards, 3 TDs, 6 Tackles, 1 PBUrnBrady was my biggest breakout of the night. He impressed me with his play on both sides of the ball. First of all, the junior has great size at 6’3″ 210 lbs. His frame can definitely handle more size to be added onto it. On offense, Brady was a physical runner. He ran upright, but when he approached contact he was able to run behind his pads, keep his feet running, and power through tackle attempts. He set the tone with that power between the tackles, and then he was able to slip out into space late in the game, and show off his speed. On defense, Brady was a rangy LB that roamed the middle of the field making it hard to pass over the middle. He filled his gap well against the run too. Brady proved to have traits that could make him a three down LB at the nest level. Name to monitor over the next year.
The 6’4″ 215 lbs junior lived up to my hype coming into the game. He has the frame of a D1 LB, and his play matched. Matthew plays both ways, but his biggest impact was on defense. His play on the edge was fun to watch. He is active with his hands, showed off some bend around the edge, and you could see the speed to track down the athletic dual threat QB in the backfield. Against the run, Matthew read and felt blocking schemes well. He squeezed down the line when he should have, and was stout when they went his way. The junior holds one FCS offer already. He is in for a big offseason, and senior year.
Ben Buchholtz
Ben Buchholtz
The senior RB played his game Friday night. That game is to attack north-south, and set the tone in the trenches and second level of the defense with his power. Ben has a natural low center of gravity because of his compact frame, and with 195 lbs packed onto it he is able to generate a lot of power. Many of his drives ended with him falling forward or pushing the pile downfield. The game flow ended up taking him out of the game late, but teams looking for a powerful, short yardage option check him out. I don’t believe he has any offers. Could garner D3 attention.
Trysten Thiede
Trysten Thiede
Trysten was electric with his opportunities. The 5’10” senior had game breaking speed that Lake Mills used to take the top off the defense. Thiede was able to beat his man deep on multiple occasions with that pure speed. Once he got behind the DBs there was no chasing him down. Thiede was the spark that got the offense going on multiple scoring drives. Soft hands turned the separation into more separation as eh was able to easily pluck the ball out of the air and keep on his track to the endzone.
This was the grittiest performer of the night. Early in the game, JP injured his knee on a downfield tackle. I thought he was done for the night, but he came back with that knee heavily wrapped up. His toughness to play through what obviously was a painful injury stood out. He was hobbled between snaps, but would go full speed during the play. The slot receiver also impressed me with his skill set. He is a quick twitch, shifty receiver who can change direction instantly. Everything he does is with a suddenness. The senior deserves more attention for his talent and toughness.