Kirkwood vs. Marquette: Offensive Top Performers

As we get deeper into the month of October, we have had a very exciting season of high school football in Missouri so far. This past Friday, I had the opportunity to head out to Kirkwood High School for their matchup against Marquette. While both teams showed promise, Kirkwood was able to pull away in the end for an impressive 52-21 win. Although there was a ton of talent on display on both teams, some players stood out above the rest. With that being said, here are my offensive top performers from Friday's game.    [player_tooltip player_id='1124886' first='Owen' last='Nesslage'] was very impressive in Kirkwood's victory on Friday night. The lefty quarterback completed 25/37 passes for 262 yards and five touchdowns. He has a strong arm which he was able to use to stretch the field in the deep passing game. Nesslage also showed good pocket mobility, showing the ability to maneuver in the pocket to avoid pressure while keeping his eyes down the field to find the open receiver. Owen is committed to play baseball at Maryville University but he should still be a player to keep an eye on as he finishes his football career.     [player_tooltip player_id='285181' first='Larry' last='Robinson'] was Nesslage's top target on Friday. Robinson finished the game with five receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown. He showed explosive speed which he used to create separation in the deep passing game and to pick up yards after the catch. Larry also showed impressive athleticism which he used to go up and catch passes at their highest point in contested jump ball situations. Robinson is committed to Indiana State where I can see him making an early impact once he gets there.     [player_tooltip player_id='1130114' first='Jacob' last='Eberhart'] is another Kirkwood receiver who stood out on Friday. He finished the game with five catches for 48 yards and two touchdowns. Eberhart was at his best in the red zone where he was able to use his length and athleticism to pose as an un-guardable jump ball threat. Jacob also made a huge impact on defense as an outside linebacker/strong safety, finishing the game with 10 tackles. Eberhart currently holds multiple Division I/Power 4 offers and I expect more to come his way as he is a high-caliber prospect.     My final offensive top performer from Kirkwood from Friday's game is Collin Griffin. Griffin had a very strong performance on the ground, running the ball 18 times for 150 yards and two touchdowns. He has explosive speed which he used to burst downhill through the running lane in a hurry then run away from the defense on long runs. When defenders were able to catch up to him, he showed the elusiveness to make them miss. He also finished the game with two receptions for 17 yards. Collin doesn't currently hold any offers but he should be a player to keep an eye on over the next two seasons.     Despite the loss, Devin Hollins was very impressive this past Friday. Devin finished the game with 25 carries for 113 yards and a touchdown. He is a physical downhill runner, using his vision to find the running lane and hit it with a sense of urgency. Hollins showed the ability to keep his feet churning through contact and keep his balance to break tackles with ease without losing stride. Devin doesn't currently hold any offers but he should be a player to continue to keep an eye on.       Caden Throneberry is another offensive player from Marquette who stood out on Friday. He completed 7/22 passes for 116 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. Throneberry displayed a very strong arm which he was able to use to lead his receivers down the field in the deep passing game. He also showed impressive mobility, using his speed and athleticism to escape the pocket , and either tuck the ball and run or make a throw on the run. Caden is committed to play baseball at Missouri but he should still be a player to watch on the gridiron over the next couple seasons.     My final offensive top performer from Friday's game is Ayden Lemons. Lemons finished the game with two receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown. He is a very dangerous deep threat, using his speed to blow by opposing defensive backs to create separation. Lemons also showed the ability to use his speed and elusiveness after the catch to pick up extra yards. Ayden doesn't currently hold any offers but he should be a player to continue to watch as he continues to develop.

As we get deeper into the month of October, we have had a very exciting season of high school football in Missouri so far. This past Friday, I had the opportunity to head out to Kirkwood High School for their matchup against Marquette. While both teams showed promise, Kirkwood was able to pull away in the end for an impressive 52-21 win. Although there was a ton of talent on display on both teams, some players stood out above the rest. With that being said, here are my offensive top performers from Friday's game.