Class 3A Underclassman Stats and Analysis: Pass Catchers
The Iowa High School season is underway and a majority of teams are three weeks in, whereas some teams have had to take a week or two off because of COVID-19 concerns. I am taking a look at the statistics…
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Continue ReadingThe Iowa High School season is underway and a majority of teams are three weeks in, whereas some teams have had to take a week or two off because of COVID-19 concerns. I am taking a look at the statistics provided by ia.varsitybound.com and watched film on the highest producing underclassman signal callers, running backs, and receivers and broken them down. Here are the pass catcher’s that have impressed so far this season:
Sophomore WR, Aidan Hall, Harlan High School – 6’2, 190 lbs.
Stat line: 10 receptions, 346 receiving yards, 4 receiving TD’s, 34.6 yards per catch
Breakdown: Another highlighted sophomore on the Harlan offense is Aidan Hall who has big play ability. Exemplified by his 34.6 yards per catch, Hall is able to get behind defenses with his speed and physicality. Hall is a playmaker when the ball is in the air and has the ability to make a play on the ball. Hall is a nice wide receiver who has the physical build to be a good receiver going forward, and the physical attributes (speed, strength, etc.) to have continued success moving forward over the next 3 years of high school career.
Junior WR, Caeden da Silva, Nevada High School – 6’3, 188 lbs.
Stat line: 14 receptions, 271 receiving yards, 2 receiving TD’s, 19.4 yards per catch
Breakdown: Nevada has one of the best offenses in Class 3A combining a good running game, and an efficient passing game. Caeden da Silva is a speedy receiver is good at all levels routes. He uses his speed to gain separation from the defense and gets out of his breaks quickly. He has a good body frame who will translate to the next level. He catches the ball well away from his body, and runs sharp routes in order to get separation. As long as da Silva and the Cub offense is clicking on all cylinders the rest of the season, they could be a tough out in the end.
Junior WR, Joseph Bockman, Decorah High School – 6’3, 183 lbs.
Stat line: 15 receptions, 212 receiving yards, 3 receiving TD’s, 14.1 yards per catch, 2 rushing attempts, 18 rushing yards, 9 yards per carry
Breakdown: Decorah is off to a fast start early on in the season with a 3-0 record. Joseph Bockman is a reason why, as he can get behind the defense and make plays for his team. He has the ability to make acrobatic catches with one hand, or in different ways by adjusting to the thrown ball. He has sticky, strong hands that catches the ball away from his body and on highly thrown balls he is able to high point the ball at a good rate. Bockman is agile and can make a man miss in the open field after the catch. Bockman is a complete WR at this level and can be a threat at all three levels to catch the ball, which should be something to build upon moving forward.
Junior WR, Matt Dufoe, Adel-DeSoto-Minburn High School – 6’3, 190 lbs.
Stat line: 14 receptions, 207 receiving yards, 1 receiving TD’s, 14.8 yards per catch, 10 rushing attempts, 43 rushing yards, 4.3 yards per carry
Breakdown: Matt Dufoe is a jack of all traits for the Tigers in the early season playing WR, RB, and a little QB even. Dufoe has the potential to be a talented WR in the long-term, in my opinion. He has a big bodied frame, who gets behind the defense as an option for his QB to take shots downfield. Dufoe is a WR you can take chances with because he’s able to go up and grab the ball in a jump ball specialist. In possession, he’s a patient runner who looks for creases to breakthrough to keep the offense moving. Dufoe’s development is going to be one to watch over the next 2 years.
Junior WR, Harrison Rosenberg, Clear Creek-Amana High School – 6’2, 170 lbs.
Stat line: 11 receptions, 204 receiving yards, 3 receiving TD’s, 18.5 yards per catch
Breakdown: Clear Creek-Amana hasn’t quite hit it stride yet in the early going this season, but they have plenty of talent. Rosenborg is one of those talents at WR. Rosenborg is a fast receiver who gets out of breaks quickly and well. He has good low center of gravity that helps when he needs to change directions or fight off defenders to get position. One of his best attributes is the way he adjusts to the ball in the air. When the ball is in the air he is able to get his head turned around and see where the ball is going and get around the defender to grab it. Rosenberg is someone I turned the film on and was impressed with.
Junior WR, Connor Frame, Harlan High School – 6’2, 190 lbs.
Stat line: 8 receptions, 184 receiving yards, 2 receiving TD’s, 23 yards per catch
Breakdown: Another weapon in the Harlan offense is Connor Frame. Frame is another big bodied receiver for the Cyclones to utilize on the outside. He’s good at high pointing the ball and making a play. He adjusts to even badly thrown balls that maybe shouldn’t be caught. When Frame is running routes he uses good body fakes to fool defenders and get to his spot. He’s at his best when he’s running behind the defense downfield where he can use his body and long arms to make receptions, highlighted by his 23 yards per catch.
Junior WR, William Schultz, Oskaloosa High School – 5’9, 160 lbs.
Stat line: 11 receptions, 183 receiving yards, 2 receiving TD’s, 16.6 yards per catch
Breakdown: Shorter in stature compared to the other WR’s on this list, Schultz still holds his own though doing it differently than the others. Schultz is a good moderate/short route WR who uses good speed to get open. He is able to find open spaces for his QB and does a nice job of making plays on the ball whether that’s coming back to the ball or using his body to shield off defenders. Oskaloosa will need the offense to click better going forward, but Schultz is a bright spot who should be able to help with that.
Junior TE/FB/WR, Landyn Van Kekerix, Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley High School – 5’10, 158 lbs.
Stat line: 12 receptions, 167 receiving yards, 2 receiving TD’s, 13.9 yards per catch
Breakdown: Landyn Van Kekerix plays a modern day position called an H-back for the Nighthawks. He lines up directly behind the offensive lineman or on the end of the offensive line which would move him to the TE position. Van Kekerix is effective after the catch as he mainly lives in the middle of the field, down the center of the defense. Van Kekerix is kind of old school in the fact that he doesn’t seem to use receivers glove but catches the ball well with his hands away from his body and high pointing the ball when it’s a higher throw. Landyn is a player who is effective on play action, and blocking in the run game who can sneak up on defenses if they aren’t paying attention.
Junior TE, Jacob Imming Jacob Imming 6'2" | 200 lbs | LB Sergeant Bluff-Luton | 2022 State IA , Sergeant Bluff-Luton High School – 6’2, 205 lbs.
Stat line: 8 receptions, 143 receiving yards, 1 receiving TD’s, 17.9 yards per catch, 4 rushing attempts, 31 rushing yards, 7.8 yards per carry
Breakdown: Imming is a valuable LB in the class of 2022 and holds DI offers to play that position at the next level, but he’s also solid on the offensive side as a TE. He’s a good blocker who plays with a mean streak. He is utilized on play action passes a lot when running routes and is hard to keep up with for opposing LB/Safeties. He has good concentration when it comes to catching the ball in traffic, and runs good routes to get to the spot he needs to be in or finding open space for his QB to throw him the ball. Though Imming’s future is going to be on defense, he makes a strong case for one of the better TE’s in the state right now.
Junior WR, Brayden Loftin, Lewis Central High School – 6’5, 200 lbs.
Stat line: 11 receptions, 136 receiving yards, 12.4 yards per catch
Breakdown: Brayden Loftin is obviously a physical specimen lining up as WR for the Titans. Loftin has a good frame and big body in order to play the position. He’s a good downfield receiver who is good at shielding the defender off when going up for passes in traffic. He has good concentration and speed in order to get to a good spot for his QB to deliver him the ball. Another thing that helps Loftin to have a big frame is the way he can adjust to balls thrown. Lewis Central has quite the group of receivers, the more he grows into his body and develops his receiver skills the higher Loftin’s ceiling could be.