Mankato West vs. Waconia: Recap and Top Performers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Friday Night marked senior night for the Mankato West Scarlets (1-1), and they had a big matchup hosting the Waconia Wildcats (2-0). The Wildcats came in looking to spoil the big night, and got off to a strong start, taking a 14-0 lead at halftime. However, the Scarlets generated strong momentum when they came back out on the field for the second half, scoring 17 unanswered points. The Scarlets took the lead with over 4 minutes left on a 35 yard field goal by sophomore Kicker Jakobe Tosch, and the Scarlets held off Waconia to win by 3. With the win, Mankato West improves to second place in the Northstar-South-Gold division just behind Chanhassen. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here were the top performers from Friday night's game!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>ATH [player_tooltip player_id='743256' first='Eleazar' last='Staley'] - Mankato West: 6'2", 200 lbs</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The MVP of this game goes to [player_tooltip player_id='743256' first='Eleazar' last='Staley'], as he dominated the 4th quarter and was the primary catalyst in the Scarlets' comeback. His first big play came on a 72 yard punt return touchdown with 10 minutes left in the game to tie the game. On the Scarlets' second to last drive, Staley recorded a brilliant 30 yard reception through double-coverage which helped set up the game-leading field goal. And lastly, on Waconia's final play, Staley would be the recipient of the third interception on Waconia that night to seal the comeback. Staley showed great speed and quick agility as a returner, and his stock should certainly skyrocket after his clutch all-around performance on Friday. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>LB Cooper Jahnke - Waconia: 6'3", 210 lbs</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cooper Jahnke continues to make a big name for himself as a spectacular leader of the Wildcats' defense. Jahnke was all over the field as he helped shut down Mankato West's strong run-attack. Jahnke had a productive night, finishing with 2 sacks and a forced fumble, and also recorded a 30 yard reception during the 3rd quarter at TE. Jahnke is a tough, physical tackler and did a great job in reading the direction of the plays throughout the night. Jahnke's leadership will remain vital for the Wildcats' moving forward this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>LB [player_tooltip player_id='551349' first='Frankie' last='Mcaninch'] - Mankato West: 6'0", 210 lbs</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The younger brother of former starting QB Bart Mcaninch, Frankie has been an effective leader this season in the middle of the Scarlets' defense. Mcaninch played a key role in Mankato West's comeback win on Friday night. He had an interception in the first quarter where he read the QB well and forced him to throw it into his zone. Mcaninch also scored a rushing TD in the 3rd quarter, which would eventually onset the comeback. Mcaninch will remain effective this season both as the leader of the Scarlets' defense, as well as a powerful goal-line runner. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>RB Wil Goldschmidt - Waconia: 5'7", 180 lbs</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Waconia's offense had their fair share of ups and downs on Friday Night, but Wil Goldschmidt had another great night pounding the ball on the ground. Goldschmidt finished the game with 96 yards on 20 carries. Goldschmidt helped Waconia make a strong effort on their final drive, stringing together a couple of long carries for first downs that helped drive the ball deep into Mankato West territory. For his size, Goldschmidt plays with tenacity and shows great speed running outside the box. Goldschmidt will remain as a steady workhorse in the Wildcats' backfield this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>OL [player_tooltip player_id='245762' first='Axel' last='Lorenz'] - Mankato West: 6'3", 295 lbs</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The centerpiece of the Scarlets' Offensive Line, [player_tooltip player_id='245762' first='Axel' last='Lorenz'] holds great frame and a low center-of-gravity, and he was a sure blocker on Friday Night going against a tough Wildcats' defense. The run game had to churn on the ground with power and grit, and especially on their touchdown drive in the 3rd quarter, Lorenz did a great job playing low and showing good hand placement as he paved the way for a [player_tooltip player_id='551349' first='Frankie' last='Mcaninch'] touchdown which helped spell the comeback. Lorenz should garner more attention from prospecting college teams heading into the offseason. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>LB Tyler Ess - Waconia: 6'1", 200 lbs</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Waconia boasts a strong LB group, and alongside teammate Cooper Jahnke, Tyler Ess was very effective on Friday night in slowing down the run-game. Ess was particularly strong in the first half, showing great form with his tackling, wrapping around the legs. There was a particular special-teams tackle that jolted me when I saw it for how well-timed and how hard of a hit he made on the punt returner. Ess also scored Waconia's first touchdown on a 41 yard touchdown run, his first of the season. Ess is one of the most underrated defenders in the Northstar division. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>RB Lyntavius Graves - Mankato West: 5'9", 190 lbs</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mankato West ran a lot out of the T-formation on Friday night, and Lyntavius Graves had the most success in churning solid carries through the Wildcats' defense. Graves did a great job running through the middle, showing solid vision in finding open lanes and making quick cuts through tight gaps that allowed him to churn for extra yardage. Graves has been a very strong workhorse for a loaded backfield. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>K/P Jakobe Tosch - Mankato West: 6'0", 180 lbs</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jakobe Tosch, the primary kicking specialist for Mankato West deserves his credit for his clutch kicking in the 4th quarter. Tosch finished the game 2/2 on extra point attempts and made the game-leading 35 yard field goal late in the 4th quarter. When Waconia forced a 3-&amp;-out with 11 seconds left, Tosch nailed a 47 yard punt down the sideline to put Waconia out of range for even a hail-mary attempt. Tosch will be a specialist to watch out in Minnesota.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>K Elijah Seim - Waconia: 5'10", 160 lbs</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Kickers on both teams had great showings on Friday night, and freshman Elijah Seim is quickly turning into a name to look out for moving forward. Seim made both of his extra point attempts, showing a long arc and distance in his kicks. What impressed me the most was his kickoffs, showing great depth and impressive lateral trajectory in his kicks. The fact that Seim is only a freshman and has made a strong impact on special teams already will give a lot to be excited about moving forward with him. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->