Brian’s Best – Hutchinson vs. Totino-Grace

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When I walked into Lakeville South's football stadium Thursday night, I hoped for a competitive game between perennial Minnesota high school football powers Hutchinson and Totino-Grace. Unfortunately, I could see where the game was going by the end of the first quarter. It took a few quarters, but it was apparent early that The Hutchinson Tigers would win going away. Check out who stood out during Hutch's 44-12 AAAA state quarter-final victory.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hutch o-line </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Connor Wilde</strong> 6' SR, [player_tooltip player_id='242403' first='Anton' last='Kadlec'] 6'3 SR, [player_tooltip player_id='647332' first='Bennet' last='Neppl'] 6' SR, <strong>Luke Radke</strong> 6'3 JR, <strong>Jakob Mezera</strong> 5'8 JR</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you are a regular on prepredzonemn.com and read my game breakdowns, it will be no surprise I will focus on the guys in the trenches. Why? Because the Tigers' big men dominated. All five offensive linemen played well, but two guys stood out.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["242403"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"The best player on the field was Kadlec. The Tigers' offense often ran behind the senior in the first quarter. He opened a big hole on the first play of the game and, in fact, most of the holes on the first scoring drive – including runs for 30, 43, and a seven-yard touchdown run. The Tigers didn't throw much, but the pocket was perfect when they did. Kadlec and right guard Neppl blew open a hole to pick up fifteen yards on a fourth and one. Later, on a trap play off the right side, the running back ran untouched on a 31-yard touchdown run. Towards the end of the game, the right side opened another huge hole. The back wasn't touched until he was fifteen yards down the field. On defense, Kadlec – a brick house causing havoc between the offensive tackles – was a puzzle the Eagles' offense never figured out. Early on, he made a tackle on the inside for a short gain. Then, the senior got off his block and didn't make the tackle, but he got into the backfield and slowed the back down for his teammates to make the tackle for no gain. He fought off double teams and got loose for two more tackles for short gains. On third and long, late in the game, he put a quarterback sack on the stat sheet.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["647332"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Neppl showed a lot of athletic ability, both opening holes at the point of attack and when he would get downfield to make a block on the second level to spring a run.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"Marquel Keten","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"5'9u0022","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"2410","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"Totino-Grace","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_2_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Keten took an inside handoff for a nice gain. Running an end around, he cut up off tackle and, although not a big guy, showed power driving through tacklers. On fourth and short, he not only picked up a first down but scored from 31 yards out. He showed great concentration and some power on a catch in the flat. He broke an immediate tackle and drove forward for five yards when the play should have gained one yard.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_3_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1204346' first='Nathan' last='Thode']","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_3_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_3_player_details_height":"6'2u0022","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_3_player_details_position":"2408","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_3_player_details_school":"Hutchinson","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_3_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_3_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"One of the guys who most benefited from the Hutch offensive line was Thode. He picked up 30 yards on the first play of the game. Then, he ripped off a 43-yard run behind Kadlec and Neppl. Again, off the right side, he picked up eight yards and a first down. He would end with over two hundred yards and four touchdowns. His night included a seven-yard touchdown run off the right side, a five-yard touchdown run off the right side, a 31-yard touchdown run off the right side, a 15-yard run off the left side, and a 15-yard walk-in touchdown. All that was impressive, but what most caught my eye were two plays where he didn't score. He made a catch in the flat for fifteen yards and had the awareness to get out of bounds to stop the clock late in the first half. Thode showed good speed on those touchdown runs, but later in the game, although he had a huge hole off the left side, he showed his power by driving through tacklers for the last ten yards for a 25-yard run.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"Carter Verhasselt","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"5'9u0022","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"2408","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"Hutchinson","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_4_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"If Thode is the speed guy, Verhasselt is the power guy. While the senior's stats weren't as eye-popping as his teammates – he still rushed for over 100 yards – in some ways, they were more impressive. The senior ran up the middle early for twelve yards while blowing through a tackle for an extra five yards. Then, he picked up three yards on his own, powering his way through tacklers. He then showed his agility – again running up the middle – but he added a spin move, broke a tackle, and bounced off a final tackler near the sidelines to stay in bounds for 20 yards. He showed good feet at the second level, breaking the run for a first and goal behind Wilde and Radke. Later, Verhasselt was hit in the hole but spun off the hit, and at the second level, he drove the linebacker back for a total of seven yards. He picked up fifteen yards on fourth and one – bouncing off multiple tacklers in the process. 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On defense, he had an early fumble recovery. Later, the junior came up from the outside to make a tackle for a loss. On offense, he made a catch on a crossing route for fifteen yards on fourth and short.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_player":["704474"],"_player_evaluations_6_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"Lipke played the run well all night. He was in on many plays between the tackles – stuffing at least two runs at the line of scrimmage.","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_7_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_7_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_7_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_7_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1581562' first='Michael' last='Strong']","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_7_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_7_player_details_height":"6'0u0022","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_7_player_details_position":"2496","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_7_player_details_school":"Totino-Grace","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_7_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_7_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_7_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_7_evaluation":"Strong shot a gap and made a tackle for a short gain. Later, he stopped a sweep by keeping leverage and forcing the back inside where his teammates could make the tackle. 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He prevented a first down and maybe a touchdown with an open-field tackle on the outside. Bick was the only defender in the area. His show-stopping play came late when he came up with an interception while rushing the passer. He showed great hands and reactions when he snared a looping pass into the flat.","_player_evaluations_8_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_9_player":["707505"],"_player_evaluations_9_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_9_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_9_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_9_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_9_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_9_evaluation":"Brands had his hands in both Eagles' forced turnovers. He caused an early fumble. 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