OFF/DEF Standouts: Menomonie vs Chippewa Falls
As a way to wrap up my live coverage of Friday’s matchup between Menomonie and Chippewa Falls I want to go through the offensive and defensive sides of the ball for both teams and identify players that stood out and…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingAs a way to wrap up my live coverage of Friday’s matchup between Menomonie and Chippewa Falls I want to go through the offensive and defensive sides of the ball for both teams and identify players that stood out and carried a large chunk of responsibility for how the two teams performed. This actually felt like a very clear cut list after going through my notes and memories and then also going through the final stats from the night. Neither team tried to be sneaky. They came out with a gameplan and certain players that they needed to get involved to have success on both sides of the ball and they came out and did it. Menomonie’s ability to finish drives and step up on defense and create turnovers was the difference that led to the 18 point victory, but the big time players stepped up and make big time impacts. Let’s check out who they are and what they did! Offense first.
Offense
Will Ockler Will Ockler 5'11" | 195 lbs | LB Menomonie | 2021 State WI , Senior RB/LB- Menomonie
Will had a strong night on offense with and without the ball in his hand. With the ball, he ran his way to 60 yards on 14 carries and a TD. There isn’t a lot of extra stuff when Ockler takes the handoff. Partly because of his alignment at fullback, but also because he is so strong. He runs well behind his pads and keeps his legs pumping for extra yards. Then add in the fact that he is a track star too and you get a player who doesn’t need to dance around to make big plays. Will also proved to be an effective lead blocker. He did well to get to the second level and consistently hit his target and maintain his block through the whistle.
DeVauntaye Parker DeVauntaye Parker 6'1" | 200 lbs | DB Menomonie | 2021 State WI , Senior RB- Menomonie
DeVauntaye looks like a special athlete. I am confident in saying that he could play RB or DB at the college level and he would find success. He is a long and lean athlete who has the speed to turn every touch into a big play. He isn’t just a straight line athlete though. He is shifty in tight spaces and he isn’t afraid to get physical at the end of his runs. Parker also has a some nice contact balance. He had to grind out a lot of tough yards on Friday night as he finished with 50 yards and the first score of the game. He also took the second half opening kickoff to the house to fully display his playmaking ability.
Brayden Warwick, Junior QB- Chippewa Falls
Brayden offers a nice set of tools. He has the frame you look for at the position. His arm talent is intriguing as well. He doesn’t have a cannon, but he can make the majority of throws and his accuracy on short to intermediate passes is really good. Warwick is a rhythm passer. When he could go through his drop, and then throw he was able to carve up the defense. As his field vision continues to develop as he gets more experience, Brayden will become an exceptional high school QB. On Friday, he ended the night 20/33, 223 yards, and 1 TD. His interest from the next level should pick up after this season if he continues to play how he has so far.
Isaac Frenette, Senior WR- Chippewa Falls
This might have been my favorite performance of the night. Isaac took over for the Chippewa Falls offense. Menomonie knew they were going to pass and they knew they were going to target Isaac. They still couldn’t stop him. Isaac’s hand eye coordination was wild on a few catches that he made. He has the speed and route running to create separation, and when he gets the ball in his hands he can either make you miss or he will use his physicality to get past you. On the night, Isaac posted an amazing stat line of 11 receptions, 169 yards, and 1 TD. He ended the night with over half of his team’s receptions. It was so fun to watch him dominate when they went to him.
Bryant Petska, Junior OL- Chippewa Falls
Bryant was a hidden talent for me. Heading into the game I had talked with fellow scout Oliver West about who I was looking forward to seeing. He mentioned Petska and he was right. Petska has an elite frame at 6’6″ 280 lbs as a junior. The most impressive part of his game is his body control. Usually when a kid that age is that size they don’t look like they move easily as they are still adjusting to their size. That isn’t an issue for Bryant. He looks very athletic in his movements. He doesn’t get caught overextending or reaching for defenders. Petska gets to the second level and hits his aiming point consistently. Add in the strength he has and you get a special looking guard prospect for the next level. He played like it on Friday too. Bryant vs Menomonie
Defense
Will Ockler Will Ockler 5'11" | 195 lbs | LB Menomonie | 2021 State WI , Senior RB/LB- Menomonie
I try to bring in as many names as I can in these articles, but I couldn’t go through the defensive standouts without including the best defender on the field even though he has already appeared once in this article. For how good Will is on offense, he is even better on defense. That play speed that looks good at FB looks even more great flying around at the LB position. The way he shoots gaps before linemen can react was impressive. His read and reaction was also off the charts because he was diagnosing plays at the same speed he was flying around at. He can do it all at the position. He can blitz, fill against the run, and drop into coverage successfully. Ockler is a true three down linebacker.
Ryan Kahl, Senior DB/QB- Menomonie
Kahl surprised me with his defensive performance. I was looking forward to watching him on offense, but where he really shined was at his safety position. He proved to me that he was a 3 level safety prospect. He showed that he could cover deep, he could come up and play man on a slot receiver, and he did a great job coming downhill and making tackles against the run. Ryan actually delivered some of the hardest hits of the night and left me believing that he was one of the most sure tacklers on the field all night. I believe Kahl could be a college DB. He has the range. He has the physicality. He checked off a lot of boxes on Friday night.
Domenic Stellino, Junior DB- Menomonie
Domenic had a key role in the victory as Chippewa Falls went with a consistent passing game attack for most of the night. Domenic had success in man and zone coverage. Just before halftime he made a key interception to kill the first big momentum swing that Chippewa Falls had all night. He spent the rest of the night proving that he has the speed to run with receivers and also the speed and vision to read and react while in zone coverage. He is also a reliable tackler. I think he could develop into a solid DB prospect for college programs as he continues to gather experience and build up more and more confidence. He has the tools. Domenic vs Chippewa Falls
Owen Krista, Junior DL- Chippewa Falls
Owen had a really nice game. He played a key role in keeping the Menomonie run game from breaking off any huge chunk plays and he also created a ton of pressure on the QB. Owen got 2 sacks to go with a bunch of tackles near the line of scrimmage. He would have to be a stand up Edge defender at the next level, but he showed off some impressive quickness and hand usage. Owen used that quickness to get both of his sacks. Both times he came through completely untouched and closed on the QB before he could react and scramble away. Against the run he did a very good job of holding the edge while diagnosing the play and then disengaging to make the tackle. Owen vs Menomonie
Chippewa Falls Defensive Backfield
This unit had one of the best performances as a whole. They flew around and created incompletion after incompletion. On the night, Menomonie only had 2 completed passes on 11 attempts by two combined QBs. It was so impressive to watch. They never quit during a play. Even when it looked like the receiver won the rep and was going to make the catch the defender did a great job of delivering a hit that separated the ball from the receiver. The hard part is that I couldn’t confidently get the names of the defenders that were involved because my source for names and jersey numbers didn’t seem too accurate. The numbers/defenders that did stand out were #6, #28, #8, #4, #23, #11. All of them at some points made plays that caught my attention and helped lead the way to the 2/11 night against them in the passing game.