Neenah vs Appleton North Recap & Prospects of the Game
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In Week 6 I was able to take in an absolute battle between Fox Valley foes Neenah and Appleton North. The showdown took place at the Neenah campus, and what a campus it is. Beautiful field, massive stadium for a…
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Continue ReadingIn Week 6 I was able to take in an absolute battle between Fox Valley foes Neenah and Appleton North. The showdown took place at the Neenah campus, and what a campus it is. Beautiful field, massive stadium for a lot of fans. A huge weight room that overlooks the football field. The investment has definitely been made into the Neenah program. On the field we saw that investment pay dividends.
If you love defense this was the game of the year for you. It was two offenses running into brick walls, seeing who might finally break through first. Unfortunately for the offenses, these walls were fortified by multiple D1 level athletes. Appleton North’s defense is led by senior LB Brock Arndt Brock Arndt 6'3" | 235 lbs | LB Appleton North | 2024 State WI and position mate Ben Wenzel Ben Wenzel 6'3" | 215 lbs | LB Appleton North | 2026 State WI . Those two in the middle made it very hard for Neenah to find a footing for their run heavy offense. Those two exceptionally talented LBs and the North DL were stout, and flowed so well form sideline to sideline.
Neenah had talent at every level of their defense that caught my eyes. The leader was senior safety Grant Dean Grant Dean 6'0" | 180 lbs | ATH Neenah | 2025 State WI . We was all over the field making coverage plays or flying downhill to stuff the run. A hybrid safety/LB Luke Jung Luke Jung 6'2" | 190 lbs | DB Neenah | 2025 State WI was all over the front seven stuffing the hard-nosed North rushing attack. On the DL were a few athletes who made a name for themselves. The top one being senior Tawan Rich.
In the game, it was Appleton North who first broke through the brick wall of the Neenah defense. That was in the second quarter when QB Luke Kritzer Luke Kritzer 5'11" | 185 lbs | QB Appleton North | 2024 State WI was able to plunge his way in from the 1 on a QB sneak. The extra point was blocked, though, and that turned out to be a huge difference in the game. It wasn’t until the third quarter when Neenah finally found a way through the North defense. RB Grant Dean Grant Dean 6'0" | 180 lbs | ATH Neenah | 2025 State WI and QB Evan Vanevenhoven Evan Vanevenhoven 5'11" | 165 lbs | ATH Neenah | 2025 WI teamed up to work their way down the field until Dean was able to break loose off the left side of the line and score from 16 yards out. That duo took the field their next drive and again found room on the ground. They nearly killed the entire clock. Appleton North did have the ball, though, with time for one drive. QB Luke Kritzer found multiple targets downfield, moved his team into range with mere seconds left. Unfortunately, the field goal attempt was wide right, and Neenah left with the insanely hard fought 7-6 victory!
Top Prospects of the Game
Stats: 13 Carries, 64 Yards, 1 TD, 7 Receptions, 46 YardsrnThose stats only tell half the story. Grant was a playmaker in all three phases of the game. On offense, Grant was the engine that moved the ball up and down the field consistently. They utilized his speed with jet sweeps or getting him out on short passing routes so he could get separation, catch it, and then use his agility or power to gain yards. On defense, Dean was from sideline to sideline. His football IQ was on display all night. It seemed like anywhere the ball was, there was #8. He played man coverage and showed the loose hips to run through breaks with receivers. He was a great tackler, and closed quickly on the ball. I believe it may have even been Grant who blocked the extra point that was the difference in the game. It was an elite performance by a D1 quality athlete.
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Stats: 9/13, 65 Yards, 21 Carries, 72 YardsrnI was hoping that Evan would be back on the field this week, and we got what we wanted. The junior QB is definitely a next level athlete. It may not be at QB, but he can definitely play. Evan was at his best on the ground Friday night. His instincts with the ball in his hands are natural. He reads and reacts to lanes, blocks, and defenders in an instant and makes them miss with his explosive agility and burst. The 5’11” 165 lbs QB did a surprisingly good job of playing physical too. He bounced off some big time hits, and kept moving forward. As the game went on Evan got better and better. He nearly ended the game with a drive that consumed almost the entire 4th quarter because he just kept grinding out yards and first downs. Definitely have this explosive junior on your radars.
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Luke was a leader in the front seven Friday night. He is a hybrid safety/LB chess piece that plays around the front seven or out in the slot. He is a long athlete, but Luke brings the strength to be able to take on blocks, shed, and make run stuffing tackles in short yardage scenarios. Jung is a solid athlete laterally too. When out in space he can match up well with ball carriers and not get shaken or forced to miss tackles. The junior was definitely needed at his best last night because Appleton North fielded a talented OL and wanted to establish the run with their physical QB/RB combo. He was up for the challenge.
An athlete who had his name called a lot throughout the night was senior Connor Briones Connor Briones 6’3″ | 195 lbs | DL Neenah | 2024 State WI . The senior put together a great game out on the edge. We saw him prove to be a well rounded athlete, and next level OLB prospect. Connor dropped into coverage and was a reliable tackler out in space. He was able to fly off the edge and be disruptive in the backfield. The senior also stepped up and was stout against the outside run. The 6’3″ 195+ lbs senior is built for the next level also. Don’t miss out on this kid.
The best overall prospect on the field was the senior LB from Appleton North. Brock is undoubtedly an FBS level talent at MLB. He has the prototypical build at 6’3″ 235 lbs. The strength is off the charts, showing it while running through block attempts on his way to hard, wrap up tackles that stopped ball carriers in their tracks. His instincts for the position jumped out all night. He was able to read and react so quickly, giving the feeling that he already knew where the ball was going. His stoutness between the tackles should be highly coveted at the next level. Plus he has the athleticism to be an impact from sideline to sideline. Brock chased down plays all over the field Friday night and made a lot of clutch stops to keep his team in the game, and forcing Neenah to earn every single yard. This is a special talent.
Right next to Brock is the next up and coming LB in WI. Ben checks in with a frame that looks like it will also fill out to be the prototypical LB size. He is currently 6’3″ 205 lbs, and that frame has all the room in the world to continue to fill out. Even now though, Wenzel was a stout defender in the middle of the defense. His burst and closing speed stood out multiple times as he would fly into a gap for the stop or flow across the field to maintain his gap and stuff the outside rush attempts. Ben used his length well to keep himself clean and moved through the chaotic front seven with ease to get to the ball. It was a great night for the quickly rising LB. He looks like a future D1 talent.
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Stats: 13/25, 136 Yards, 15 Carries, 84 Yards, 1 TDrnLuke had a great performance against the excellent Neenah defense. He did everything he could to lead his team to the tough yards. As a passer, the senior QB showed the poise in the pocket that you get from a lot of experience. Even when pressured, Luke was able to buy time, keep his eyes downfield, and deliver the ball. Kritzer showed some clutch gene on the final drive. It was his best drive as a passer despite it being the biggest moment. He stepped into passes to hit tight windows, put the ball in safe places, and delivered passes while off platform. On the ground, Kritzer played like an RB. He ran behind his pads, has good contact balance, and was able to push the pile. The senior is proving to definitely be worth a look.
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The Appleton North OL had a strong effort Friday night. The leader of the group was the senior center Jackson Modder Jackson Modder 6’1″ | 285 lbs | OL Appleton North | 2024 State WI . It was great watching Modder in person. I was able to watch and listen to him make the calls at the line for blocking adjustments and assignments. The play after the snap was just as solid too. In pass protection Jackson showed off a strong anchor to set a sound, protected point of the pocket. In the run game, Jackson showed power to move DL, range to reach or get to the second level, and he finished a lot of his blocks with that nasty mentality as he put kids in the dirt. This is a senior IOL to have on your radars.
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A senior who has made a strong jump from his junior season is senior OT Collin Salzman Collin Salzman 6’4″ | 260 lbs | OL Appleton North | 2024 State WI . He has a budding frame that has developed a noteworthy blend of power and athleticism. In pass protection, Collin’s feet allowed him to either quick set or get deep in a pass set. He was able to easily mirror DL too. In the run game, Salzman was able to quickly get in position to have the leverage to his advantage. From there he had the strength to get positive movement in the trenches. Collin is an under the radar prospect that more coaches need to know about. Give him a look.
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Other Athletes to Know
- Tawan Rich, DL- Neenah: 6′ 245 lbs, 2024
- Caleb Schaefer Caleb Schaefer 6'3" | 180 lbs | WR Neenah | 2025 State WI , WR/LB- Neenah: 6’3″ 190 lbs, 2025
- Owen Grotenhuis, OL- Neenah: 6’4″ 250 lbs, 2024
- Bobby Salm, LB- Appleton North: 5’11” 200 lbs, 2025
- Abraham Tomori Abraham Tomori 6'3" | 185 lbs | WR Appleton North | 2025 State WI , WR- Appleton North: 6’2″ 210 lbs, 2025
- Jack Robinson, RB- Appleton North: 5’10” 205 lbs, 2024