Monona Grove vs Stoughton: Recap & Best Prospects of the Game
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For Week 3 I headed south to cover the conference matchup between the Monona Grove Silver Eagles and Stoughton Vikings. Going through all the matchups during the week, I was quickly drawn to this one because of the high amount…
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Continue ReadingFor Week 3 I headed south to cover the conference matchup between the Monona Grove Silver Eagles and Stoughton Vikings. Going through all the matchups during the week, I was quickly drawn to this one because of the high amount of college prospects on both teams in the Classes of 2024 and 2025. Those kids came to paly too.
We had excitement early as Monona Grove took the opening drive down the field for a score. Sophomore QB Cal Moreau found WR Joseph Otto Morton for the 14 yard TD pass. After that the points were tough to come by. The trenches were battling it out, and neither team could gain ground on the other long enough to put together a scoring drive. It wasn’t until the start of the 2nd quarter that the scoreboard was lit up with more points. Once again it was MG’s sophomore standout QB Cal Moreau going deep to Joseph Otto Morton for the 14-0 lead. As the half started drawing to a close Stoughton found their footing on offense. QB Drew Viney Drew Viney 6'3" | 195 lbs | QB Stoughton | 2025 State WI dropped back and found WR Chris Cooksey for the TD connection. That is where we entered the half. 14-7 with both teams looking very evenly matched and ready to battle it out in the second half.
The second half started like the first half. With Monona Grove QB Cal Moreau leading the offense down the field. The only difference was that this time he did it with his legs, punching it in for the 21-7 lead. Stoughton went back to their connection that got it done in the 2nd quarter. QB Drew Viney Drew Viney 6'3" | 195 lbs | QB Stoughton | 2025 State WI again hit WR Chris Cooksey for a TD to bring Stoughton back within one possession. Unfortunately, that is where the flood gates opened. Monona Grove’s defense played out of their minds the rest of the game. At one point they went four straight drives creating turnvoers. They went turnover on downs, strip fumble of a WR, tipped pass INT, and then another INT. On offense, Monona Grove leaned on their explosive senior RB Gavin Hablewitz to put the game away. Gavin responded with multiple rushing TDs in the second half and a receiving TD. When the dust settled, Monona Grove had come away with a 49-14 victory over Stoughton.
Prospects of the Game
I mentioned above that the battle in the trenches was a fun one to watch. The top prospect in the bunch was senior Sam Hawker Sam Hawker 6’9″ | 295 lbs | OL Monona Grove | 2024 State WI out of Monona Grove. Sam is Prep Redzone WI’s #1 uncommitted senior OL, and he looked the part Friday night. He looked every bit of his list 6’9″ 295 lbs, but his frame was able to carry it well. Watching him on a snap to snap basis was great to experience. I was able to see how consistent his technique was. He used his length to make first contact, showed heavy hands and used his wide base to plow DL off the line in the run game. Hawker also is a good athlete. He was able to get to the second level to block LBs whenever assigned to do so. He also showed off the agility and balance to be able to change direction, or slide himself into position while engaged so that he was between the ball and the defender. It was a great night for the senior. No question, he is the top prospect among available OL.
Highlights
Cal Moreau
Cal Moreau
An underclassman who is sure to work his way onto the radars of college coaches over the next few years is Monona Grove’s 6’3″ 175 lbs Cal Moreau. Cal put together a strong night. He showed off the arm talent and used his legs to create plays out of structure. The young signal caller already plays like a poised veteran. He accurately attacked downfield with a solid arm that has been developed further through his baseball experience. It was impressive watching him move around the pocket and buy time outside the pocket. Stoughton fielded a talented front seven that Cal had to avoid. Cal is a poised leader with a good arm, and the athleticism to fit into today’s demands for a QB. Keep an eye on him.
Gavin Hablewitz
Gavin Hablewitz
Gavin fits the mold of the athletic, mismatch out in space type back. He is 5’7″ 160 lbs, so to thrive on the field he has had to develop the traits that help him be elusive. Gavin has certainly done that. He demonstrated quick twitch agility to make DL/LBs miss in the hole and DBs miss out in space. He has explosive acceleration when he locates the lane he wants to attack. Hablewitz’s vision impressed me as well. At his size it is hard for him to see beyond the OL, but he was able to find lanes and use blocks effectively all night, especially in the second half. Gavin also showed off some soft hands too. Don’t overlook the senior. I believe he should be on the radar of the D3 level.
Joseph Otto Morton
Joseph Otto Morton
An athlete who was new to my radar, but forced his way onto it with standout plays was senior WR Joseph Otto Morton. The 6’1″ 165 lbs athlete saw a lot of targets from Cal Moreau including two TD receptions. Morton did well tracking the ball downfield and securing catches through contact and against some talented DBs from Stoughton. The senior was able to get open because of sudden route running. He made catches away from his body with soft hands, and finished strong after the catch. I recommend giving him a look. Could be a potential hidden gem.
A WR that I had marked down as a player I wanted to watch live was junior Cal Woerth Cal Woerth 6’1″ | 160 lbs | WR Monona Grove | 2025 State WI . The 6’1″ 155 lbs junior looked the part of an up and coming WR prospect. He consistently showed off the ability to get open with sudden route running. He tracked the ball in the air very well, and adjusted to it with ease. After the catch he plays with good agility to make DBs miss. It also stood out coming into the game how well he does against zone coverage. His awareness in those scenarios allows him to find the soft spots for easy targets. It was a solid night for the junior. The Cal-Cal connection between QB-WR should be a fun one to watch the next couple seasons.
Highlights
I have been a big fan of the junior DB for awhile now. He isn’t the biggest prospect at 5’9″ 170 lbs, but he finds ways to effect the game from the safety or slot positions. The junior has consistently shown off fluid, loose hips that allow him to change direction quickly thanks to his explosive athleticism. Stoughton went to the air the majority of the time of offense, so we got to see Yinko in coverage a ton. He showed off good awareness, the speed to cover ground or run with receivers in man coverage. He also didn’t just make tackles. Yinko attacked the ball too and it led to big plays for the MG defense. I think he can be an impact slot corner at the college level. Keep an eye on him and his development over the next year.
Highlights
A must see prospect in the Class of 2025 is Stoughton’s left tackle, Griffin Rousseau Griffin Rousseau 6’7″ | 305 lbs | OL Stoughton | 2025 State WI . I have watched Griffin since he was in 8th grade. The development he has made over the past three years has been off the charts. He has filled out his 6’7″ 305 lbs frame with good, clean weight. Griffin is strong from base to hands, allowing him to clamp onto DL and remove them from the trenches in the run game. Griffin has made huge strides in his flexibility, showing consistently good knee and ankle flexion. He is a dancing bear in pass coverage, getting good depth in his pass set, and changing directions well to mirror pass rushers. Rousseau looked the part of an FBS level OL. He holds one offer from Illinois, more are sure to follow.
Maybe my most anticipated athlete that I wanted to watch this year was Stoughton’s Ben Harman. The 6’5″ 240 lbs DE is built for the college game. Benjamin uses his exceptional length to his advantage to maintain separation. He uses his hands to disengage and clear OL. The big man has a strong first step and overall speed to run the loop in obvious passing situations. Benjamin also proved to be a stout run defender when they tried to run at him. He was able to take on kick out blocks or stand up the OT over him while maintaining contain. It was clear to see what has the next level excited about him.
Another senior on the Stoughton defense who caught my eyes was LB Joe Wahlin Joe Wahlin 6’4″ | 200 lbs | ATH Stoughton | 2024 WI . Joe has a great frame to mold in the weight room at the next level. There is plenty of room to add on to that 6’4″ 200 lbs. Wahlin impressed me with his talents Friday night. He played predominantly MLB and had to use his sideline to sideline range to make a lot of plays. He has the speed to be reliable mirroring RBs and meeting them in the hole or out on the edge. It was clear that Wahlin was the QB of the defense too. He was constantly calling things out, pointing, getting people lined up. That is great to see in a recruit at the LB position. Joe was a hard hitter too. Every chance he had to deliver a big pop he capitalized on. Wahlin also has experience rushing the edge, and with the length his frame provides could do the same in passing situations at the next level. Don’t miss out on this kid. He needs far more attention.
Beckett Spilde
Beckett Spilde
The biggest surprise of the night for me was senior DL Beckett Spilde. I had a lot of names highlighted coming into this game, but I had overlooked the senior. Beckett didn’t let me forget his name with his performance Friday night. The 6’3″ 267 lbs DT made an impact in every way. He made two sacks thanks to a solid get off, and good hand use. He batted down passes at the line of scrimmage. He also proved to be rather stout against the interior run game. Beckett has good size, and a knack for getting himself around the ball. he is also an accomplished wrestler, something coaches love to see from DL. Get this kid on your board. Could be a nice steal for the D3, maybe D2 levels.