LPI Game Recap: #10 Maine South @ #1 Loyola
Here is my game recap of #10 Maine South vs #1 Loyola including who stood out in this game.
I’m constantly making changes to this article so please let me know on Twitter @lemminginsider if you guys like this format or if I should change it up for next time. I really appreciate any thoughts.
Maine South
This is easily one of the best games I’ve seen in a while. Both teams played exceptionally well and it came down to QB Nick Leongas leading the Hawks down the field for a touchdown in a two minute offense. Maine South could have tied the game at 44 with an extra point, but elected to go for 2 and the win. Leongas was flushed out of the pocket and forced a throw to RB Fotis Kokosioulis for the win, but the ball fell incomplete. After the game I heard a lot of fans complaining about the coach’s call to go for 2 and that Maine South should have kicked the extra point to tie the game then tried for overtime. To be honest, I love the call to go for 2. Loyola is the #1 team in the state, have not lost since 2014 and have their backs up against the wall. Taking all this into account, I wholeheartedly agree with Maine South’s decision to go for the knockout punch against the Ramblers. Sure, it didn’t work out, but if it did and Maine South won then everyone would be praising the Hawk’s play call for years to come.
Players That Stood Out
Fotis Kokosioulis: If I had one word to describe this kid’s day it would be this: Wow. I don’t have the stats handy, but I can tell you without seeing them that this RB is very talented and is a very interesting recruit. He isn’t a very big RB (5’9″ 165 lbs) and will likely end up playing a different position in college, but is fast (outran the Loyola defense for a 65 yard TD run), has soft hands (made an excellent over the shoulder catch for a big gain) and is excellent at making people miss. Between the tackles or on outside runs, this kid was tough to bring down. On numerous occasions the Hawks would get Fotis out in space against a DB or LB one-on-one. Fotis would routinely stick his foot in the ground, cut harder and faster than many D1 RB prospects I’ve seen, and blow past the defender. It was really a thing of beauty to watch. He’s only a junior so I’d love to see him put on some more weight to give him a shot at sticking at the running back position in college.
Nick Leongas: Leongas is another intriguing kid to me. He isn’t the biggest QB (5’11” 185 lbs), but being a former RB/SB, he is very athletic and can make plays on his own. While he isn’t as dynamic in open space as Fotis, the Hawks still ran designed runs with Leongas with some success. When he had time to step up and throw he made a few very nice throws for 30+ yards. His go to guy was the big Luke Hinkamp this game. On a few occasions he threw into double or triple coverage trying to fit the ball into a narrow window with no avail. He was intercepted once while doing so and so he’s going to have to stop forcing throws. Otherwise he led this Maine South offense and played well overall this game.
Kevin Jarvis: This “kid” is just a beast and I cannot stop raving about him. Jarvis (LPI #1 OL) opened up holes all day for Fotis to run through. One thing I mentioned about Jarvis in my PREVIEW article was that he “… dominates the point of attack”. He did exactly that today having his way with Loyola DL on a regular basis. He also played a little DT this game as well.
Luke Hinkamp: Hinkamp is a big 6’6″ 205 lb WR for the Hawks and, along with Fotis, was Leongas’ go to guy this game. On a few plays he used his great size to out-jump the DB and come down with the catch. He had a nice game and caught a perfectly thrown Leongas pass for a 31 yard TD.
Mike Pusateri: Pusateri didn’t really separate himself from other Hawk defenders until really turning it on in the 4th quarter. With Maine South leading 37-34 in the 4th quarter, Loyola threatened inside the Hawk’s red zone. Pusateri made a nice tackle on 2nd down to stop Loyola then tracked down Loyola QB Tommy Herion for an impressive sack on 3rd down. Those stops led to a Loyola field goal, but kept the Ramblers out of the endzone.
Loyola
This was my first game at Loyola and it certainly didn’t disappoint. The atmosphere inside the stadium was unlike most games I have been to and resembled that of a college game. The place was overflowing with fans so much that there was barely any room to walk in the main entry way to the stadium. There was just an aura inside the stadium that I don’t feel at most high school football games. As for the team, they lived up to the hype and then some. Big play after big play the Ramblers showed why they are still the best team in the state. Yes, they did give up 43 points, but the best teams step up in the most critical of situations. The Ramblers did exactly that when they stopped Maine South on the game winning 2 point conversion.
Players That Stood Out
Tom Herion: This kid really surprised me this game. I knew that Herion (LPI #17 QB) was a pretty good player, but he really stood out this game. Again, I don’t know the stats, and its only 1 game, but I believe that Herion has what it takes to play at the next level. One play stood out to me in particular when Loyola was threatening inside the Maine South red zone. TE/WR Jake Marwede had 1 on 1 coverage on the outside against a much smaller DB. It looked like Herion recognized the mismatch and called an audible to take advantage of Marwede’s favorable matchup. Herion then took a 3 step drop, looked off the safety who crashed to help defend the middle of the field, then lofted a lob pass to Marwede for a TD. While I can’t say with 100% certainty that was in fact the audible that was called, given the circumstances and the outcome, it certainly looked like that was the case. Audible or not, Herion still did a great job looking off the safety then throwing Marwede a nice pass for a TD. The OL gave Herion a lot of time to throw this game and when he set his feet he connected with WRs on some deep passes. Compared to other QBs, Herion does not stand out as exceptional in any category. However, he’s a good QB that does just about everything well.
Jake Marwede: Duke commit and LPI #2 TE Jake Marwede was spectacular this game as well. #14 shielded off defenders with his large frame and outleaped them for the catch on a handful of occasions. When the Ramblers got into the redzone Marwede was the go to target. Given his size (6’5″ 240 lbs) and speed alone he’s a human mismatch and is nearly unguardable in one on one situations. There was one catch that was ruled out of bounds, but was a prime example of just how good Marwede’s hands are. Herion threw a dart to Marwede near the Maine South sideline that looked to be going out of bounds before Marwede, full extension, threw up his right hand and snatched the ball out of the air. He was ruled out of bounds, but it was an exceptionally athletic play nonetheless. He also threw a long TD pass to WR David Terrell. It was just another day at the office for Mr. Marwede. Teammate and fellow big bodies TE/WR Charlie Gilroy also made a few catches and is someone to keep an eye on in recruiting.
Jack Badovinac/John Brekke/Charlie Gross: Going across the line of scrimmage the Ramblers starters height/weight are as follows: 6’3″ 270, 6’2″ 270, 6’2″ 250, 6’4″ 255, 6’5″ 265. Not only is the entire line very big, but they were also very productive this game not giving the Maine South DL fits. Badovinac (LPI #11 OL) and Brekke are the big names here and neither disappointed giving Herion a nice pocket and plenty of time to throw while also opening holes in the run game. Junior Charlie Gross is a kid that I had not heard of until this game, but he really stood out physically at 6’5″ 265 lbs. He looks much bigger than that in person. Keep an eye on him this year.
David Terrell: As stated above, Terrell was on the receiving end of a long TD pass from Marwede. He finished the day well, getting into the endzone and using his good hands to pluck balls out of the air. He isn’t the biggest WR at 5’11” 175 lbs, but he is a good route runner with a high football IQ and sure hands.
Hamid Bullie/Kyle Rock: Junior RB Hamid Bullie shouldered much of the load on the ground for the Ramblers in the first half while fellow senior Kyle Rock mixed in more in the 2nd half. Both ran well today behind a very good offensive line consistently opening holes for them to run through. Both are very similar in size (5’10” 175 for Rock and 5’10” 180 for Bullie) and ran with fairly similar downhill styles in this game. Bullie looked a little more shifty while Rock looked to be a slightly more physical between the tackles back.
Ian Swenson: Yes, Maine South put up 43 points on this defense and yes Swenson (LPI #4 DB) did get beat a few times. However, he did make a few big plays and showed that he has the tools to be an impact player for UConn. Swenson also stepped up to play the run on a few occasions and made some nice tackles in doing so. On one play in particular, the Maine South receiver made a catch by the Maine South sideline, Swenson squared him up and laid a punishing blow that you could hear all the way in the parking lot. He’s big (6’1″ 180 lbs) and can lay hits on ball carriers/receivers like a safety. Connecticut is getting a quality recruit in Swenson.