Scouting Reports: Titans of the Class A Title Game

Get 30% off your first billing cycle with code: howe30 in the coupon code area   After spending around 40 hours in three days covering last week's state semifinals, I'm taking in the championship games from my couch. I actually prefer watching them on the screen as opposed to obstructed views from the UNI-Dome sidelines.   The Class A title contest pitted No. 1 MMCRU and No. 2 Saint Ansgar against each other on Thursday afternoon. MMCRU captured the championship with a 30-17 victory.   Here's a closer look at guys that stood out in the game:    Better late than never was the case for Prep Redzone Iowa and Harpenau. We just added him to our data base last week after seeing him in the state semifinals against West Sioux. We certainly will be monitoring him more closely moving forward. He reminds me a little of former Liberty quarterback Graham Beckman, now at Iowa Western. Harpenau is solidly built with the athleticism and speed to keep plays alive off of schedule or tuck it and go. The arm strength looked solid during the semis and again in the championship matchup with Saint Ansgar. Harpenau would do well in accepting camp invites from school's smart enough to bring him in this offseason.     An accomplished performer on the club basketball circuit, Schnepf brings that agility and athleticism to the gridiron. A long-limbed left tackle, Schnepf moves his feet well and can stay in front of speed off of the edge. He utilizes his long arms well and gets the defensive lineman from getting into his body. Schnepf's frame is projectable with plenty of room to add good weight and strength. With more work on the technical side of his game and natural physical development, Schnepf has the potential to help a lot of college programs needing an offensive tackle with upside.     Tentinger impressed me with his two-way performance during a state semifinal win against West Sioux. The Royals senior was at it again in the title contest against Saint Ansgar. Tentinger shows a nice feel for the center position. He handles the responsibilities of the position with ease, operating in traffic and helping the outfit move successfully. Tentinger stays low through early engagement before exploding through the opponent when he obtains control. While I think it's probably his best route on the next level, he also shows burst and athleticism on the defensive front that could portend a future there.     I liked what I saw from Johanns during the state semifinals against Wapsie Valley, and the sophomore was doing work in the championship matchup with MMCRU, too. He's displayed ability on offense, catching four passes for 61 yards entering the season's final contest. Johanns' work on defense provides the clearest path to the next level, at least to this point, however. With long limbs, he can eat up a lot of real estate in pursuit or when sticking in coverage. His long arms help him tighten up throwing windows for opposing quarterbacks and allows for breaking up would-be attempts. Johanns packs a punch upon arrival at the football already and a projectable frame capable of adding good weight provides him with more potential in that area, too.     Haugen has been a disruptive force on one of the state's top Class A defenses all season. He entered the championship game against MMCRU with 35.5 tackles (25 solo, 17.5 TFL) and 7.0 sacks with a forced fumble. He produced 8.0 tackles with a tackle for loss and a sack in a semifinal win against Wapsie Valley, and was back at it in the title contest against top-ranked MMCRU. Haugen is tough to handle coming off of the edge, using long limbs and speed to beat offensive tackles. He's also shown potential as a tight end, catching four balls for 80 yards and a pair of touchdowns in 2025.     Football is a big person's game. Michels is not a big person. Sometimes, the mold is broken. Michels consistently stands out as one of the best players on the field despite is diminutive stature. He maximizes his physical limitations relative to the sport by packing power and oozing toughness. While Michels holds up well as a defender in Iowa Class A football, that would be a tougher path on the next level. I think Michels would be best utilized as a running back and a returner. He provided evidence for the latter assignment with a 78-yard kick return touchdown in the state championship game. As a back, Michels does well of getting lost in the traffic, picking his way through it with good vision, sharp cuts and a burst. He does well at following blocks and finishing runs, and is a threat as a receiver.

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