The Louisville Leopards lost the D-II final, but had several outstanding individual performances. Cincinnati Anderson jumped ahead early and rode off with a 31-25 victory to win their first state title.
Louisville junior quarterback Neal Seaman set a D-II record with four scoring passes in the game. Seaman threw for 283 yards and also ran for 113 yards. Seaman is a player who got better each week, and might have turned himself into a D-1 college prospect in the process. He has a strong arm and settled down after throwing two early interceptions to nearly lead the Leopards to victory.
Louisville junior wide receiver Brandon Mathie also set D-II records with 11 catches and three going for touchdowns. I'm not sure Mathie is a top college prospect, but he was very good against Anderson. He ran great routes and caught everything near him. This duo will put up great numbers next year.
Louisville senior Matt Schooley closed his brilliant career with a great game. Schooley is being looked at by MAC schools and appears to have a future playing on Saturday's. Schooley was named the D-II player of the year and it's easy to see why. He rushed the passer relentlessly and stuffed the run.
Anderson senior wide receiver Nick Truesdell stole the show even though he only had five catches. Those catches were spectacular and accounted for 125 yards and two touchdowns. The 6' 7" Truesdell used height to go over the Louisville defenders and showed great hands catching the football. Truesdell probably will have a lot of college coaches calling the school on Monday looking for film. He can add 25 pounds and become a dominant tight end at the next level.
Anderson sophomore Andrew Norwell was the best offensive lineman I saw all day. Norwell is listed at 6' 6" and weighs 260 pounds and showed great feet and a nasty attitude. His older brother plays at Illinois and Andrew will be a major D-1 college recruit as well. He might be the top sophomore offensive lineman I've seen this year.
Anderson running back Elijah Storey rushed for 154 yards and sealed the game with a 67-yard touchdown run. Storey might only be a 1-AA running back at the next level, but today he was a stud. Storey showed great balance and ran tough inside. Storey is listed at 195 pounds, but ran like a player much bigger. Storey ran hard and blocked well for his quarterback.