PrepRedzoneWI Players of the Game: Hudson vs. River Falls

If you read the PrepRedzoneWI recap of Saturday afternoons Hudson vs. River Falls matchup, you already know that Saturday’s contest of one of Wisconsin’s oldest rivalries was a back-and-forth and thrilling high school football game that was not shy on standout offensive and defensive performances. Both teams came to play, and the effort on both sides was unquestioned, so these awardees certainly earned their respective PrepRedzoneWI offensive, defensive, and special teams Players of the Game selections. Check out who won below, and thanks for reading. Player of the Game: [player_tooltip player_id="30745" first="Matteo" last="Bonnin"] (Hudson) 6’2, 200 lbs. RB/WR. Recorded 28 carries for 227 yards and 2 TDs + 2 receptions for 42 yards and a TD. Was an absolutely spectacular offensive weapon who was electric with the ball in his hands either as a runner or a receiver. He’s a special combination of speed and size, and the way he exploded into the open field had me on the edge of my seat every time he touched the football. Defenders never knew what he was going to do to shake them in space as well, and there were several times one of his runs included him juking and cutting so aggressively that the entire River Falls defense was on their heels by the end of the play. He’s got a couple Missouri Valley offers, and for good reason, as he’s a Midwest D1 FCS talent if I’ve ever seen one. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EUpqG">vs. River Falls</a> Offensive Players of the Game Hudson’s OL of [player_tooltip player_id="31105" first="Riley" last="Hess"], Blake Anderson, Andrew Coffey, Hank Wettleson, and Ben Steltzner. I’m not positive if I have all of the names right of the OL of the Raiders, but they know who are they are they went to bed last night knowing that they moved the River Falls defenders from point A to point B all afternoon long and played an integral part in helping their team earn a victory. The group played cohesively and aggressively, and were violent in pass-pro and run-blocking enough to make it seem like every single play had multiple Wildcat defenders being squished into the turn with white jerseys on top of them. Bonnin’s success would not have been possible if not for their effort and dominance. [player_tooltip player_id="30912" first="Michael" last="Krueger"] (River Falls) RB. 5’10, 180 lbs. I came into the game not having my eye on Krueger, but man that was a mistake. The 180 lber. is a tough, hard-nosed, and fun to watch RB who runs behind his pads and has good vision and a mean stiff-arm. He made a ton of positive rushes happen out of plays that seemed like they were going to be TFLs, and he was excellent in finishing his runs and made sure to find contact and put a hurting on defenders to end every rush. I loved watching him run the ball and he’s a real tough kid and a great looking RB prospect. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EUv8e">vs. Hudson</a> Vito Massa (River Falls) QB. 6’1, 175 lbs. 2022. The River Falls offense was struggling until the coaches called Massa’s number, and he made the offense look brand new and reignited as his presence in the pocket and accurate arm opened up new dimensions for the Wildcats. He’s mobile and possesses good footwork and a smooth release, and made a ton of different throws throughout the ball game to keep moving the chains. I hope River Falls sticks with him going forward and he’s got some good football in front of him. Defensive Players of the Game Owen Marnell (Hudson) LB. 6’1, 175 lbs. 2022. Showed great range and closing speed in pursuit and heard his name called many times throughout the game sticking his face into tackles and contact. He was a quicker backer who has a good frame and moves well laterally, and possesses good speed at the top end too. Good looking prospect to keep an eye on going forward. [player_tooltip player_id="31273" first="Evan" last="Tyler"] (Hudson) DL. 6’3, 220 lbs. 2022. A gigantic DL prospect with a really high ceiling for a 2022 prospect, he looked incredibly dominant at times rushing the passer and used violent hands and good leverage to beat OL one-on-one as well as to beat double teams in the run game. He’s a D1 prospect no doubt and left me impressed after the game was over. Sam Cleveland (River Falls) DB. 6’1, 165 lbs. Recorded two interceptions to turn the tide of the game back in favor of River Falls in the each half. His ball skills were impressive and his instincts led him to be around the football and in position to record the pick. Can’t teach being a ballhawk! Tanner Zepczyk (River Fall) DL. 5’10, 225 lbs. 2022. A tough kid who I was banged up by the end of the game but continued to play through the pain and help try to contain the potent Hudson playmakers. He was very mobile for a DLineman and was a strong tackler with high-effort. Special Teams Player of the Game Jaden Schwantz (River Falls) KR/WR. 5’10, 170 lbs. Schwantz returned several kicks and punts throughout the game, and each and every time I was trilled to watch him cut, juke, and accelerate up the field for 10, 15, and 20 yard returns every chance he got. I really liked his ability in the open field to make people miss, but I was also really impressed with how he didn’t waste any time in going forward and made sure not to hesitate and hit a chosen hole hard when returning the football. No dancing or dilly dallying with him, and I want to see that in a returner. He made some big plays on offense too, and is overall dangerous with the ball in his hands. Hudson’s Kicker. I unfortunately was not able to catch the name or number of the Raiders kicker, and I couldn’t find a player on the roster that matched his name, so I’m sad to report he will go unnamed. However, the kid had a strong leg and hit a nice field goal and was perfect on PATs. In high school you can’t ask for much more than that, and I know college teams that are missing the ability to consistently hit extra points and shorter FGs, so props to this kid.