ADVERTISEMENT

So which players would make the Team of the Decade?

The ones I’m adamant upon presenting - may seem homerish - but they are as follows:

WR - Jeff Thomas
WR - Westercamp

Both for on field production and sheer dominance, each in their unique ways. No other receivers set themselves apart as much.

DT - AJ Epenesa
DT - Terry Beckner Jr.

Both were a man-child - unfairly almost. And each was top three position-wise nationally coming out - not just for potential but production. You HAD TO put two or three bodies on each one.

Austin Siebert - P and K - thick-legged country boy from Millstadt - averaged a tick under 40 yards a punt from the time he was 13-17 playing varsity ball. That’s a field flipper, Dropping an insane percentage into the 20. Scored 210 points in 40 games - with many 40+ Field goals and a 51. So even with crap West teams, he’d bail them out one way or another, especially since they always started D possessions at the 20.

Antonio Johnson - DB - an island of his own. Stats hard to show when you are avoided like the plague. Has the body - 6/3 190 - that few Dbs have even in college. Certainly had to take a beating from Thomas as a youngster and it’s clear he learned lessons.


For consideration but won’t happen because of big school, norther bias - Tight End, Sam Laporta. Played small ball - Mater Dei - but he was a 6/4 230 Tight End in high school. Now at Iowa and producing as a true freshman at 243.

Iowa says:
Earned first-team all-state honors on offense as a junior and senior . . . all-area defensive back as a junior and senior . . . first-team all-conference on defense as a sophomore and also all-area on offense . . . honorable mention all-conference as a receiver as a freshman . . . Career - - Four-year football letterman as wide receiver and defensive back . . . helped prep team post four-year record of 40-6, including just two losses in final two seasons combined . . . prep team reached state semifinals as a junior . . . ranks second in Illinois high school history in receiving touchdowns (50) and third in receiving yards (3,793) . . . recorded 68 receptions for 1,457 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior, along with 53 tackles and seven interceptions on defense . . . as a junior recorded 67 receptions for 1,387 yards and 20 touchdowns, while also collecting seven interceptions . . . three-year team captain . . . also earned four letters in basketball and two in track.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gene K.
Wanted to get this going earlier....so who would make your Team of the Decade from the years 2010 thru 2019 by position? Feel free to play around with the positions a bit (different formations etc) I'll add mine sometime later this week/early next week.

QB
RB
RB
TE
WR
WR
OL
OL
OL
OL
OL

DL
DL
DL
DL
LB
LB
LB
DB
DB
DB
DB

KR/PR
K/P

QB - Evans
RB - Broadner
RB - Jackson
WR - Westerkamp
WR - Treadwell
TE - Marwede
OL - Ruhland
OL - Pocic
OL - Allen - Pick one they’re all good
OL - Schofield
OL - Swenson

DL - Singleton
DL - Beckner
DL - Epenesa
DL - Panasuik
LB - Sanborn
LB - Urweiler
LB - Armani from Phillips
DB - Love
DB - Johnson
DB -
DB -
K/P - Elliot
 
  • Like
Reactions: Googertys Dog
From MC the only player I can think of for player of the decade honor would be DL Steve Richardson. Best player on two of the better defenses in the decade. Solid college career at Minnesota followed. Argument can be possibly made for Enoch Smith as well but Richardson was just a special player you are lucky to get once a decade or so.
My MC All-Decade Defensive Line is Jalen Grant, Richardson at Nose and Enoch Smith. Richardson is in my top 3 MC defensive players I have seen along with Schumacher and Simeon Rice.
 
Better question who is the coach of the decade?

Racki ?
Leonard?
Z ?
Holecek?
Inserra?
 
Ty Isaac? Numbers are crazy. Could score every time he touched the ball.

He’s probably Player of the Decade IMO. Would have liked to see him at College where he could have been the featured back. He got caught in a log jam at SC and Michigan
 
Antonio Johnson - DB - an island of his own. Stats hard to show when you are avoided like the plague. Has the body - 6/3 190 - that few Dbs have even in college. Certainly had to take a beating from Thomas as a youngster and it’s clear he learned lessons.
1/3/2020:

The All-American Bowl now has its two biggest practice days out of the way. Tuesday saw a number of Texas A&M signees make the top performers list and Day 2 saw a couple again make it.

For the second day in a row, East St. Louis, Ill., four-star safety Antonio Johnson was included as one of the top defensive backs in attendance. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound defender had a big day on Tuesday, drawing rave reviews from all observers, and it continued to Wednesday. In fact, he was one of only three total defensive backs, regardless of position or team, to be named a top performer.

"For a long defensive back, Johnson is really fluid and shows a lot of range. He had at least two interceptions on the day, with one coming off a tipped pass, and he’s one of the safeties most comfortable in space against a really talented group of receivers. (CRU NOTE: No doubt he was pushed his entire career during practice!)

Johnson will arrive in Aggieland later this month and go through spring ball with the team. He is the lone safety that A&M signed and was the biggest target of the Aggies at the position. They have him pegged to play free safety while also potentially working at nickel.
 
If we must go with a Big School coach, Holecek would have to be in consideration.

Derek's resume is just too impressive. Over the decade, here is what he's done:
124-12
Seven State Titles

When he's not won titles, his teams played 13, 12 and 13 games a year.
I think the best way to do these (coaches & players) is Big School / Small School split. There’s probably some 1A - 4A players that were amazing and accomplished a lot but would get lost in the shuffle when looking at all 8 classes.
 
Nic Weisher is the TE from Marist. Very solid in high school. I think he got lost in the shuffle at ND. Probably would have excelled at another school that didn’t have so many options at that position.

Kenny Golladay has had a fine NFL career, and was decent at Rita, but don’t think he would be in discussion for one of the best of the decade at the WR position.

Agree on Kenny Golladay. Did not have the High School stats as an Ahmad Merritt or Tony Simmons who both had NFL careers after playing at the University of Wisconsin and St. Rita. Kenny was a much more physical receiver. Did not have the number of receptions as the other two. But Kenny was good as gold on 3rd downs. He was very tough on the square out route on corner backs. Just throw the ball high and he would out muscle the DB for the ball which plays well in the NFL.
 
Any name other than Leonard is a homer pick. 7 Championships regardless of class is the best accomplishment.
Agreed he’s been outstanding but I don’t think you can call Holecek and what he’s done this decade in 8A a homer pick.
 
Agree on Kenny Golladay. Did not have the High School stats as an Ahmad Merritt or Tony Simmons who both had NFL careers after playing at the University of Wisconsin and St. Rita. Kenny was a much more physical receiver. Did not have the number of receptions as the other two. But Kenny was good as gold on 3rd downs. He was very tough on the square out route on corner backs. Just throw the ball high and he would out muscle the DB for the ball which plays well in the NFL.
I never thought of SR as a passing school. I always thought of RB's when I think of them. Like with MC you always think of an option QB with McNabb as the proto type. And then some public suburban schools as an air circus. Most schools seem to find a niche.
 
Last edited:
Westerkamp, Treadwell are locks. AJ Henning...only problem is where do you place him ATH? AJ was under utilized if you can believe that in the Lincoln-Way East program...which is a nice problem to have as a coach. Some fantastic players being presented here by the voters. Kicker at LT Elliott was awful good and I believe better than Dom at LWE...who was also underused.
 
Last edited:
He’s probably Player of the Decade IMO. Would have liked to see him at College where he could have been the featured back. He got caught in a log jam at SC and Michigan
I would have liked to have seen him play in college 20-25 years ago. I don't think he was as suited for the spread offenses as he would have been in more traditional offenses.
 
  • Like
Reactions: McCaravan
WR has to be the most difficult to pick 2 in this spread day and age....pick only 2 out of

Westercamp
Boykin
Treadwell
Thomas (Jeff)
Smallings
Nagle
 
AJ was under utilized if you can believe that in the Lincoln-Way East program.
This almost cost them in the championship games of 2017 and to a certain extent this year. Against Loyola in the former, he finally became involved late in Q3 eventually squirting loose for 2 long TDs. This year vs Warren, they went to him early, but not productively either motioning into the backfield for the jet sweep or lining up at wildcat QB. However, when he got aligned in the backfield with the shotgun QB, it seemed to turn the offensive tide in East's favor.
 
AJ Henning missed most of 2018 due to injury and that was the only year of his three when LWE had a pass heavy attack with Jack Baltz throwing the darts. AJ was hurt during the Edwardsville game (ankle) and really should not have been on the field for Loyola. A talented player that most only saw a small portion of his potential.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Videosurfer
Matt Harris from Lyons would have to be up there for consideration as a DB. 3 year starter at Lyons all over the field and a 4 year starter at Northwestern. Would be playing on Sunday's if not for injuries
 
It does beg the question though. If he was that underrated by college scouts, why? Size? Speed? Football IQ? Just based on pedigree I would have thought Power 5 and I saw him play 3-4 times so I cannot figure it out.
That topic is best for off the board.

I forget who responded to me originally but this question is about HS impact so even if no college in the country wanted him it’s pretty meaningless. That said he did start as a freshman.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gene K.
You have no idea what you’re talking about.
Well all the other players on the list went to power 5 schools based on how good they were in high school. Also often colleges recruit the younger siblings of their current players and even given them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe you are overrating him compared to the others that made the list. Or edgy is going to have an athlete position and he will be listed there. He is a great player but so are all those guys on that list.
 
ADVERTISEMENT