Brian’s Best – Eagan vs. White Bear Lake
It was an offensive explosion in the opening round of the 6A playoffs in Eagan – especially from the host Wildcats. Find out who I felt stood out during Eagan’s historic 45-27 victory. Tate Gage HEIGHT 6'0" POS RB CLASS…
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Continue ReadingIt was an offensive explosion in the opening round of the 6A playoffs in Eagan – especially from the host Wildcats. Find out who I felt stood out during Eagan’s historic 45-27 victory.
Tate Gage
Tate Gage
Gage dominated the entire game. He is more physical than he looks; he used that physical play early on a run up the middle to pick up a third and short. The junior scored his first touchdown on a six-yard touchdown run off the read option. Running behind Loes and Hendler, he picked up twenty yards. He has a great combination of speed, quick feet, patience, and more power than you would think based on his size. He showed two of those traits on his 44-yard touchdown run up the middle. He broke a tackle just past the line of scrimmage and used his speed for the rest of the yardage. He capped off his night with a 41-yard touchdown run.
Dominick Anderson
Dominick Anderson
Early in the game, Anderson faced extreme pressure right in his face, and he hit a pass down the middle of the field for a 63-yard touchdown. He showed good accuracy and game management with a great two-minute drill working the sidelines. That drive concluded with a 15-yard touchdown pass down the middle of the field with no time left on the clock. Especially in the second half, he made many strong throws to the sidelines for a handful of ten-to-fifteen-yard completions. He did go deep once in the second half – resulting in his best throw of the game on a deep post for a forty-yard touchdown.
Ison stared on both sides of the ball. As a linebacker, he got inside to make a tackle for a short gain. Then, he tracked down a runner from behind for a short gain. On offense, he took a pitch and used his speed to the corner for a big gain. Then, he took the option pitch, broke multiple tackles, and powered his way for twenty yards. Back on defense, he filled the hole and made a tackle for a short gain. Then, he got after the quarterback for a ten-yard sack. He got into the backfield again on a two-point conversion and completely blew up the running back. The junior then came off the edge to blow up an inside run for a short gain. Finally, coming off the edge again, he sealed the game with a strip sack on fourth down.
Highlights
Eagan offensive line – Alex Loes Alex Loes LB Eagan | 2025 MN 6′ JR, Aidan Hendler 6’2 SR, Cole Meyer 6’2 SR, Cole Will 6′ JR, Jack Hansen 6’5 SR
This group was the most dominant group on the field. They only gave up two plays that went to negative yards – both on fumbled quarterback/center snaps.
“Jack Hanson and Cole Will on the right side,” Gage said, “they had the best push I have ever had tonight.”
The entire line looked solid to me. Gage was excellent between the tackles behind Hendler, Meyer, and Will. The Wildcats’ inside three were getting enough push to pick up three and four yards on non-tush push quarterback sneaks.
Vinny Villella
Vinny Villella
Villella kept his team in the game at the half when he caught a touchdown down the seam for fifteen yards on the last play of the first half. In the second half, with the Bears throwing nearly every play, he made a leaping catch near the sidelines for fifteen yards, making a move in the open field for extra yards. The senior caught a short pass while getting hit. After a short catch on the sidelines for five yards, Villella made another catch, broke a tackle, and got upfield. He caught a second touchdown on a 40-yard deep post. Finally, he moved the chains with a 10-yard catch.
Carson Schwamb
Carson Schwamb
Schwamb didn’t throw one official pass the entire game, but he was nearly perfect with his decision-making running the option. He has decent speed and is a more physical runner than his lean body suggests. The senior showed some quickness on a 40-yard run and then punched in a short touchdown run. On a third and short, he made an excellent read – keeping the ball on an option for eleven yards. The senior showed some power on an eight-yard run and then on a quarterback sneak for a one-yard touchdown.
Austin Gibson
Austin Gibson
Gibson was one of two Bears’ consistent offensive weapons. Early, he caught a deep ball down the middle of the field as he was hit. The senior even bobbled the ball but brought it in and sprinted the rest of the way for a 63-yard touchdown. He caught a slant for a first down and then caught another slant – this time for a fifteen-yard touchdown.
Jack Hansen
Jack Hansen
Part of the reason the Bears’ running game was largely ineffective was because of Hansen. In addition to helping to control the interior running game, he got a hit on the quarterback. He read a screen pass and knocked the ball down. Then, I believe he was the guy who deflected a second middle screen late in the game. To finish his night, he recovered a fumble, basically ending any chance the Bears had to get back into the game.
Kesean Lipscomb
Kesean Lipscomb
Lipscomb got few opportunities, but in the first half, he showed he could be a good in-between-the-tackles runner. His best run was right up the middle. He made a couple of quick cuts near the line of scrimmage and broke a tackle on the second level.
Brooklyn Evans
Brooklyn Evans
Evans got the corner for a six-yard touchdown run behind Will and Hansen. The junior has good speed and did most of his damage on the outside.