Game Recap and Top Recruits: Madison West vs Janesville Craig

The regular season is coming to its end. Two weeks remained including this past Friday night. The time is now for teams on the fringe of a playoff berth to secure one more win or two to solidify their resume. The Big Eight brought together two 4-3 teams, Madison West and Janesville Craig. Winner was going to secure a winning record for the regular season and a winning record in conference play. Two great pieces to building out those playoff resumes and earning points towards earning a playoff spot. These two teams also were going to field several impressive talent that college recruiters should be trying to steal. Along with the senior steals we also got to watch several juniors and sophomores stand out and even an impressive freshman to know. Let's dive into it all from how the game played out and who dominated most!   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Game Recap</h2>   The showdown between the two teams began with defensive force. Both teams held the other to multiple punts as the clock ticked away in the first quarter. It felt like yards were going to be hard to come by and would need to be earned with some physical play. But finally, with 5:18 to play in the opening quarter, Madison West QB [player_tooltip player_id='1196149' first='Michael' last='Suominen'] rolled left and fired the ball into his WR right at the goal line. The ref ruled that the receiver did break the line with the catch, and with not an inch to spare because the defender was right there to drive him back. But the score counted at the Regents had a 7-0 lead. The defensive battle continued following that TD drive. West safety Malachi Gavins would jump a route and make a great return to set up the offense in scoring position. Then Craig would fly into the backfield for the sack fumble that they would recover. Even when field position was in the offenses' favors neither could seem to find that footing as the 2nd quarter would roll on.   It would be Janesville Craig's offense who would get some footing and find the endzone next. Freshman RB [player_tooltip player_id='1594804' first='Zekodi' last='Allen'] would go off left tackle, weave through the defense, and score. Unfortunately, the extra point would fail and West would hold onto that 7-6 lead. With time ticking down, Madison West and QB [player_tooltip player_id='1196149' first='Michael' last='Suominen'] would quickly drive down the field. With :19 seconds the offense had the field goal unit set up for an attempt to widen their lead, and the field goal unit would deliver. That brought us to our 10-6 halftime score with West leading the way. The first half was no doubt a defensive driven half. It was clear that whoever could go into the half, make adjustments, and find a way to string together 2-3 drives would come away with the victory.   The 2nd half started no different than the first. Fast defense, stout defense. Athletes were flying around, making tackles for little to no gain, and making it very difficult to complete passes. It wasn't until :51 left in the 3rd quarter that the scoreboard would finally change. That is when Janesville Craig QB [player_tooltip player_id='1870508' first='Ethan' last='Forrett'] dropped back and hit sophomore WR [player_tooltip player_id='1627985' first='Malachi' last='Schoonover'] on the quick slant at the goal line. That would give Craig their first lead of the game following the 2 point conversion, 14-10. It looked like Craig was going to take control from there as they would force a West punt, but that is when chaos hit. The return man would muff the punt and the coverage unit would jump on the ball. That spark gave West new life, and a great scoring chance. A chance they wouldn't pass up. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1196149' first='Michael' last='Suominen'] would sneak it in himself on the goal line to rip the lead back from Janesville Craig, 17-14.   More of the same chaos would happen a couple drives later on another punt that Craig's return man would again muff. West was right there on the spot to jump on the loose ball and keep things rolling on offense. West did a fantastic job turning those turnover opportunities into points. Just like on the last opportunity, it was [player_tooltip player_id='1196149' first='Michael' last='Suominen'] who would sneak it in from the one again and stretch that lead to 24-14. From there Janesville Craig would attempt a few quick drives, but neither would result in points, and 24-14 would be our final from the back and forth battle.   This game was a great example of score not telling the whole story. This was a tough, back and forth battle with lead changes and big momentum swings provided by two physical defenses. In the end it was Madison West who capitalized on their opportunities best and would get the win. Congratulations to the 5-3 Regents!   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Recruits of the Game</h2>    Stats: 15/30, 209 Yards, 1 Passing TD, 2 Rushing TDs   Michael played above and beyond my expectations. He came into the night having a strong senior season and carried it through Week 8. The senior QB was accurate and a smart decision maker. He picks apart a defense with ball placement, and every once in awhile we got to see him go deep to his bigger targets for big plays. Michael also did really well with his mobility and athleticism in the pocket, keeping plays alive and his eyes downfield. The senior did a great job stepping up and the big scenarios too like 2 minute drives and turning turnovers into points. Don't overlook the senior QB.     Stats: 5 Receptions, 59 Yards   The 6'3" 200 lbs senior put on a show with his 5 receptions. The best coming on the opening drive for West when he ripped the top off the defense, and made a great catch at the high point. Jack has a strong frame that can win those body positioning battles for the catch. He separates himself from other receivers by having the athleticism to beat defenses on top of his size. Equally as impressive is how fluid Jack is when hit comes to quick movements. So much so that the senior also played some cornerback for West. This is one of the best uncommitted WRs in WI for the Class of 2026 according to the rankings and Jack played like it.     It was a special night at center for [player_tooltip player_id='1801788' first='Josh' last='Douglas'] of Madison West. The big man was mauling and tossing IDL around the front seven in the run game. Right from the point of contact Josh was able to get defenders off balance. We saw the leg drive move DL into level two, and we saw his initial punch put defenders on the ground. The 300 lbs frame has plenty of college level power packed into it. Josh also moves well on the interior, sliding or getting up to level two. Josh looked great in person and should be looked at as a serious steal.      Stats: 21 Carries, 82 Rushing Yards   One of the most impressive athletes from the night was junior RB Kamaria Carter. The 5'10" 205 lbs back has a very well filled out frame that is loaded up with power. That power is the focal point of his game. Kamaria runs behind his pads and doesn't hesitate to punish tacklers. Running through arm tackles was easy for him throughout the night and I loved the tone setting way he finished runs. The junior seemed to get stronger as the game went on too, finding more and more room the later we got into the game. Kamaria is a back that can handle a large workload and handle running both inside and outside. He did a great job of keeping the offense balanced.     Stats: 2 Receptions, 44 Yards, 1 FR, 1 INT, 3 PBUs   Jack personifies the athlete label. He was all over the field on offense and defense. He set up one of the QB sneaks on a reception where he made a strong catch in traffic and then drug defenders to the goal line. His INT came on a play where he dropped deep down the middle of the field. The senior was also all over the front seven making tackles against the run game. It was a great display of Jack's versatility, athleticism, ball skills, and natural instincts when he was on the field. Jack is on the rise for me following that performance and should be a piece that every D3 and potentially some D2 programs want to add to their rosters.     Stats: 4 Receptions, 39 Yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs   This was a breakout performance for the senior S/WR Malachi Gavins. His two interceptions came from him dropping in coverage, reading the QB from his over the top position and then showing off his range to get to spots to easily grab the INTs. The rangy athlete used those natural ball skills to put the first points on the board. Malachi was the one to make the goal line catch and break the plane while getting hit. The senior is a long, lean athlete who is so versatile. On top of WR and S he also was the returner and handled kicking duties.     I was sleeping on Henry. He made his presence felt, especially on defense, right from the start. The 5'10" 280+ lbs senior was a tough matchup. The leverage he utilized and quickness that instantly turned to power allowed him to muscle his way into the backfield and throw off timing or make tackles for loss. The disruptive athlete is also a multi-year All Conference OL and is a heavyweight State Qualifying wrestler in the offseason. That background shows up on Friday nights as he uses leverage and body control to his advantage. Give this kid a look. Especially on defense.     Lawton is a name well-worth knowing when it comes to 2026 DBs. The cornerback had a tough matchup and was more than up to the challenge. His best play of the night came on 3rd and goal when the offense went at him with a fade route. Alex quickly closed on the receiver with his burst of speed, perfectly placed him hands to disrupt the catch and then drove through the receiver to force him out while he bobbled the ball. That bobble led to an incomplete rule, and a 4th down field goal attempt that was missed. A massive swing in momentum thanks to Alex's coverage abilities. The senior is blessed with speed and agility to be a viable man to man CB. I love the way he plays at the catch point too. Alex is a steal who has been proving it week after week this season.     Malachi didn't have a crazy stat line, but he still managed to find the endzone on a quick slant route. A route that is just a couple steps was able to open up so much space I didn't even get the defender on the screen while recording the play. Malachi is a special athlete, and just a sophomore so there is so much development ahead of him. A couple times we saw him flash his speed and second gear in the open field, and in those moments it was clear the electric playmaker can play at a different speed than the rest of the field. Ball skills, nimble, agile, explosive, and simply fast are all ways to describe how the 2028 plays out wide.     As the game went on we saw Keyon'Dre get targeted more and more. It was primarily screen/quick passing game. That fit his skill set perfectly. While Thornton is very undersized, he proved to be a nightmare to contain when he had the ball in his hands. The junior showed off lightning quick reflexes and agility to make defenders miss over and over. His elusive running after the catch made him a tough target to wrap up. I can very easily see him finishing this season strong and then gaining attention during next summer's camp circuit.     Stats: 18 Carries, 96 Yards, 132 AP Yards, 1 TD   It was great to see Zekodi in action. The freshman manned the RB1 role for Janesville Craig for the first time in his career and delivered a strong showing. The freshman really impressed me with his natural instincts as a runner. He was patient, attacked the hole as soon as he saw things open up, and was quick to find blocks or holes to cut back through. I loved that Zekodi was always moving forward too. No wasted movement or hesitation to his game. The '29 RB finished his runs too, forcing gang tackles and pushing the pile. Zekodi is showing great early signs. He has also grown up to 5'10" 175 lbs now. The arrow is pointing straight up for the rising freshman.      The big man out of Janesville Craig looked the part of a college OL recruit. He has a massive frame at 6'6" 300 lbs. I always preach this when talking about Nolan, but seeing it in person again just reaffirmed it. The big man is one of the most nimble big men in the state. He made it look easy getting across the formation and then flipping the switch and bulldozing edge defenders. Even in tight spaces Nolan impressed with how quickly he can move his body so that he has the positioning advantage. Nolan also did really well getting hands on and showing off the power in them to control the IDL he was up against. Get on this kid while you can.     Ethan is going to be an athlete I keep a close eye on. He has an elite frame at 6'4" 220 lbs. The junior is also a plus athlete who does a lot of damage on a week to week basis with his legs. Ethan is very raw when it comes to his passing skill set, but that will continue to develop over this next year and beyond. But I'm excited and intrigued because between his frame and athleticism and the way he will finish runs we could see multiple positions be his potential home if he is looking to play at the next level. I recommend you keep an eye on Ethan.

The regular season is coming to its end. Two weeks remained including this past Friday night. The time is now for teams on the fringe of a playoff berth to secure one more win or two to solidify their resume. The Big Eight brought together two 4-3 teams, Madison West and Janesville Craig. Winner was going to secure a winning record for the regular season and a winning record in conference play. Two great pieces to building out those playoff resumes and earning points towards earning a playoff spot. These two teams also were going to field several impressive talent that college recruiters should be trying to steal. Along with the senior steals we also got to watch several juniors and sophomores stand out and even an impressive freshman to know. Let's dive into it all from how the game played out and who dominated most!