Game Recap: Lakota East versus Saint Xavier

You'd be hard pressed to find a better Ohio weather night in November for the second round of the OHSAA football playoffs. There was a great collection of high school football talent on the football field at RDI stadium on the campus of Saint Xavier High school. East was able to keep the game close for a quarter or so. At that point Saint X was able to begin to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball on their way to a 42-7 win. So, let's take a look at some of the players who showed out on the evening.    Riley, who's committed to Clemson, is an uber athletic linebacker who can be a playmaker in either the run or the pass games. When you watch him on defense you see a player who covers a ton of ground. He has fluid hips and is smooth in his change of direction and is able to get depth and cover in space. In the run game he's rangy and a strong tackler tackler. Reilly possess the size, length, and athleticism that Power 4's so desperately need at the linebacker position in the passing game because he has the quickness and athleticism to match up against receivers in the pass game while having the size and strength to matchup versus tight ends an strong player versus the run.     The Notre Dame commit was around the ball all night long as he finished with 12 tackles 1.5 sacks and 3 tackles for a loss. Jakobe is explosive in his movements and is always playing downhill. He is physical at the point of attack. In the run game he's always playing fast, under control, and with good pad level. He did a great job blitzing the interior of the offensive line and creating pressure on the Quarterback.     Lyons lined up along the defensive line for the Bombers. I believe he projects to the edge or linebacker position at the next level. Regardless of where he lined up, he was wreaking havoc in the Thunderhawks backfield. Lyons has an excellent get off he can use to win with speed. He has quick and violent hands. You rarely saw offensive linemen get clean hands on him. He also has the athleticism to dip and spin. You don't really see players at his age that have so many tools in their pass rushing tool bag. Griffin is one who could really burst onto the D1 recruiting scene this offseason.     Reeder, who recently committed to Michigan is a long and well put together athlete. He is a versatile player who could line up at either Linebacker or EDGE. He finished the night with 8 tackles (6 solo) 3 tackles for loss, and a sack that pinned Lakota East back near their own goal line. Aden really excels off the edge where he can use his burst, length, and athleticism to put offensive tackles in a blender. In the run game Reeder does a great job of both setting the edge and stringing out runs to the outside. He's a natural fit for the edge rushing position for the Wolverines.     Newdigate was a player I was very excited to see. The former quarterback now turned tight end did not disappoint. He was used as an H-Back and was moved across the formation. He was an effective blocker in the run game. In the pass game he showed off really fluid route running skills. He has loose hips he uses to effortlessly get in and out of breaks. He's a player who can be a versatile mismatch player at the next level. He has good frame and carries his weight well with room to add more. I definitely think Aiden is a D1 FBS caliber player.     Walker has good length and a great build dor a cornerback. He combines that size with top end movement skills. He's a fluid runner who's able to stay in the hip pocket of receivers. He has the size and strength to reroute receivers and breakup timing passes. He has the speed to run with the vertical routes. Walker is just a very well rounded and technically sound cornerback. I really like his demeanor on the field you can just see a quiet confidence in him that he expects to make every play that comes his way. Walker currently has offers from Miami (OH) and Buffalo. As coaches evaluate his junior film, I'd be surprised if that that list didn't grow and he start to get some Power 4 interests and possibly offers.     Bareswilt led all tacklers with 14 and also tallied a sack as well as a tackle for loss. He's a long and athletic linebacker. He's comfortable in space as he takes good routes to the ball. When he gets to the play he's a strong tackler. Bareswilt could definitely be a player at the next level. I think he's a good fit for a WIL linebacker role in a 3-4 where his range and ability to play in space will shine.     Sweeney played Center for Saint X. I thought he had a really strong game. When the bombers needed a tough yard, they ran behind the senior lineman. He played with good pad level and had the necessary hands to play the Center position. William also showed the ability to get out and block in space when he mad eon a tunnel screen where he had a key block to spring the receiver for the touchdown. Really like what I saw from the senior lineman on the evening.     Vollmer was the key cog in the Bomber offense. He's just a hard-nosed football player. He used his combination of size and athleticism to dart in and out of the defense and find the holes and running lanes. Not only does his athleticism pop he's a violent runner with the ball in his hands. He finished the night with 83 yards on 13 carries with 3 touchdowns. Daniel is committed to Vanderbilt University.     While Fasbender didn't really rack up much in the way of stats, but he did a good job of eating blocks and freeing up their linebackers to make plays. He has the size and strength to play the running game. As a pass rusher he has some sneaky athleticism where you can see him dip and bend and win the gaps.     I was really impressed with the sophomore quarterback for the Thunderhawks . Knutson was in command of the offense all night long. I don't remember any delay of game or pre-snap penalties for the East offense. When the ball was snapped, he did a good job of getting through his reads and making the correct throws. He was unafraid to attack the defense and throw into small windows. Nile made throws to all three levels. The arm talent is also really impressive. He has a very live arm and is able to throw from different arm slots as needed. He can make the throw from the pocket, but he also used his legs to extend plays and make throws on the run. Pretty high-level stuff for a young quarterback in his first season starting varsity. I'm very excited see how Knutson continues to grow and develop as a passer.     Hooks finished the night with 104 yards on 22 carries. Pretty impressive considering it looked as if St. X had their defensive game plan set up to contain Hooks. Ryder showed his trademark explosive running style and vision that helped him set rushing records at East. Ryder will now head to the college game where he has offers from Eastern Kentucky as well as a handful of MAC offers.

You'd be hard pressed to find a better Ohio weather night in November for the second round of the OHSAA football playoffs. There was a great collection of high school football talent on the football field at RDI stadium on the campus of Saint Xavier High school. East was able to keep the game close for a quarter or so. At that point Saint X was able to begin to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball on their way to a 42-7 win. So, let's take a look at some of the players who showed out on the evening.