Game Report: Waconia vs. Mankato West (O)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When I was beginning to determine which games I should go to this year, time and time again I was told that I needed to see Waconia vs. Mankato West in Week 3. So I headed to Waconia to watch a battle of two top dogs slug it out. West entered 2-0, and they were widely regarded as the best team in all of 5A. Waconia was 1-1 and considered a perennial state contender. West dominated the entire game however, they had an elite offense and a stifling defense. They won 35-6 and look to play a 1-2 Chaska team next week. Waconia is now 1-2 and will play an undefeated Chanhassen team next Friday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OL: Alex Mansager 6'4" 260 lbs Waconia 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mansager was by far the top dog for Waconia. He was matched up against a variety of tough defensive linemen throughout the night and held his own. Mansager could move dudes downfield and did a great job of always finding work. If he locks onto a defender's pads, they could find themselves in serious trouble. Mansager put dudes on skates multiple times throughout the night and provided a solid anchor for the Wildcats. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>WR: [player_tooltip player_id='368532' first='Jalen' last='Smith'] 6'1" 190 lbs Mankato West 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gophers commit [player_tooltip player_id='368532' first='Jalen' last='Smith'] had a crazy bounce-back in Week 3. I believe he bagged two touchdowns, both of which were on big gain plays as well. He was open nearly every play and reverted right back to the dominance that we've come to expect from Smith. His trademark speed and athleticism were on full display and he rightfully reminded us that he's one of the best players in the state. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>QB: [player_tooltip player_id='246028' first='Bart' last='McAninch'] 6'1" 205 lbs Mankato West 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you want to talk about underrated, we can talk about [player_tooltip player_id='246028' first='Bart' last='McAninch']. I counted 4 total touchdowns for Bart, 1 on the ground and 3 in the air. It's rare to find someone with his frame that mobile, but he's not scared to tuck it when nothing is available and is always willing to run the ball on designed plays. He could sling the ball all over the field and was simply put a playmaker. BSU snagged a dog. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>RB: Carter Bersaw 5'11" 185 lbs Mankato West 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Everyone knows that Mankato West has a lethal passing attack, but they could run the ball well last night. Bersaw could lower his shoulder and power through hard tackles, but he was also able to make quick cuts and squeeze through tight gaps. He was the RB1 and while he didn't have any breakaway runs, he was able to grind down a good Waconia defense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OL: [player_tooltip player_id='368595' first='Gage' last='Schmidt'] 6'4" 290 lbs Mankato West 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Although he can play high at times, Schmidt's powerful frame allows him to drive people clear out of the play. He's versatile can line up nearly anywhere on the OL, and is dominant in the run game. He seems to always find a way to get leverage on his opponents and puts them on skates fast. When they decide to pass, Schmidt does a nice job of keeping his opponent in front of him and rarely allows pressure. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OL: [player_tooltip player_id='242491' first='Greg' last='Meidl'] 6'4" 270 lbs Mankato West 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Army West-Point Commit did not disappoint. Greg was my favorite player to watch last night. He had some tough battles with a few dogs from Waconia, and everyone will lose some, but more often than not the play ended with him driving a kid 7 yards downfield and pancaking them. I cannot tell you the number of plays that I saw Meidl driving someone into the dirt as a big play was broken loose. Meidl is an absolute unit and he punishes kids once he locks his hands on them. A prospect with a very high ceiling. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->