Volume 3 • Number 2 • Issue 12 Let’s Play Football Football PROUD PARTNER OF THE FOR GRABS Who are the top teams in each class? We ask the coaches... page 5 INSIDE • Ain’t in it for the money...page 6 • The High Ankle Sprain...page 7 • Vikings Prep Spotlight...page 10 • Waseca coach honored by Vikings..page 11 • College recaps...page 16-17 • The Heart of a Hall of Famer...page 20
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Lots to cover in Let’s Play Football
by BRYAN ZOLLMAN Co-Publisher, Let’s Play Football
The first two weeks of the football season brought plenty of excitement on the field.
Unfortunately, it produced some high-tension moments on the sidelines as well.
Waseca head coach Brad Wendland collapsed on the sidelines near the end of their season-opening win over St. Peter. Wendland said he felt dizzy, took a knee and that’s the last thing he remembers about the incident.
Fortunately for Coach Wendland, the quick action of a pair of Mayo Sports Medicine athletic trainers and a nurse who rushed down from the stands helped save his life.
It goes to show how important athletic trainers are in the sport of football...or any sport for that matter. Their instincts and ability to stay calm under pressure and do the work needed to be done kept a coach, teacher, father, husband, son, brother, and friend to many alive.
Their work should be heralded and recognized. Doctors told Wendland his chances of surviving cardiac arrest were less than one percent. A true miracle he is still with us. He will take some time off from teaching and hopes to return to the sidelines soon to be with his No. 6-ranked
Bluejays in Class 3A. We hope for a speedy recovery.
Speaking of rankings, we have polled coaches to weigh in on who the best teams are in each respective class. We have received good response and have developed a new ranking system based on the coaches poll.
This is the same way we conduct rankings for high school hockey in our other publication Let’s Play Hockey. Coaches usually know and understand who the best teams are and who are the teams to beat each and every Friday night.
Is it a perfect system? No, there is no such thing as a perfect ranking system, whether it is the FBS rankings or high school football.
Our hope is to shine a light on the top teams in each class. Because there are more than 350 high school football teams, that leaves a lot of teams out of the mix. But we will cover as many teams and stories as we can, whether they are ranked or not.
In this issue we talk about those ranked teams and some strong match ups for Week 3. We are at the point of the season where the stronger teams begin to emerge. Friday nights have brought us some beautiful weather, and as the season progresses, the leaves will change and the temperatures will dip. But is there anything better than sitting in the stands under a blanket with a cup of hot chocolate
watching your favorite team take the field?
It is one of the rites of fall here in Minnesota.
One of those match ups is between Class 5A powers Cretin-Derham Hall and St. Thomas Academy. The Minnesota Vikings have done an outstanding job with their Prep Spotlight games. They are now in year three highlighting teams from all over the state at TCO Stadium, giving these kids such a great opportunity to play at such a great facility.
As we have seen already, there are many unpredictables every fall. Which makes the season so much fun to witness.
So grab a blanket and some hot chocolate and settle in for our second issue of the season. We hope you enjoy reading our stories and we always enjoy receiving feedback or story ideas. If you have a story idea for us, please email editor@letsplayfootballmn.com.
Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook. And check out our slowly evolving website at www.letsplayfootballmn.com. And stay tuned for our upcoming podcast series with Tim McNiff.
Our goal is to provide coverage of football at all levels, the players who play it, the coaches who coach it, the officials who officiate it, and the parents and fans who love to watch it.
We hope you enjoy it.
Bleeding Vikings purple every fall
by MIKE SONNTAG
Co-Publisher, Let’s Play Football
This past weekend marked the return of NFL football into our homes, bars & restaurants, and most importantly packed stadiums for the 20212022 season. As a lifelong Minnesota Vikings fan, I woke up Sunday morning and planned my morning to make sure I was on my couch in my mancave for the noon kickoff. After last year’s strange Covid season with empty stadiums followed by an unusual pre-season that left more questions about our beloved purple team than answers, I was optimistic about their chances of victory in Cincinnati against the Bengals.
Following the awesome 9/11 tribute and opening kickoff, it took all of five minutes for my aforementioned optimism to change to an attitude of frustration and anger. The Vikings took the opening kickoff and proceeded to have four penalties, three of them being offsides, before they punted the ball away. Following the opening series, I received text messages ranging from a friend who just booked a mid-afternoon tee time to golf because he refused to continue to watch, to complaints about the offense’s penalties from a friend sitting in the stands watching the game live in Cincinnati. I personally was watching with members of my family and following that frustrating opening series and quickly asked the question “why do I care.”
As the game wore on the Vikings were on the short end of not one, but two official reviews on whether or not a Vikings’ player’s butt was down prior to crossing the goal line and fumbling in overtime respectively. My biased opinion is the officials got it wrong both times. However, as I waited in nervous anticipation of the replay ruling on the crucial fumble in overtime I once again asked “why do I care.” Upon the game ending I decided to reflect and answer my own question.
To paint a better picture, I was five
years old the last time the Minnesota Vikings played in a Super Bowl. To say I have any memory of that game would be a lie. My dad had season tickets until the team moved from Met Stadium to the Metrodome in 1982. I remember him getting so mad at times watching the games, that we once bought him a purple foam brick to throw at the television to let his frustration out.
In the 1990’s I was as close to a diehard as one could be, except I did not have season tickets. During this time my dad claimed to no longer care to watch the Vikings, yet my mom would not keep his secret safe and admit he still sat and watched their games.
In 1998 the Vikings were awesome! Led by Randall Cunningham, Randy Moss and others the Vikings were 15-1 and Super Bowl bound. I was a new father and dressed my firstborn son in Vikings attire every Sunday morning. In heartbreaking fashion, they lost the NFC Championship game to the Atlanta Falcons in overtime. I recall being so far down in the dumps after that game that when I snapped out of my funk I asked myself why I would ever let an outcome that I had absolutely no control over bring me down so low.
Following that 1998 game I started to act like my father in trying to convince myself and others that it really didn’t bother me if they won or lost, yet I still watched every game. By 2009 my kids were now well into elementary school while Brett Favre led the Vikings on a magical season all the way to an NFC Championship game. Had the Vikings not been called for twelve men in the huddle when already in field goal range I remain convinced they were going to win that game. Instead, the old Gunslinger Favre threw an interception on the next play and the Vikings lost another heartbreaker in overtime to the New Orleans Saints by a field goal.
In 2016 I bought two season tickets when the Vikings moved into the awesome US Bank Stadium. My boys were in their late teens and I figured at the
very least I could have some memories with them in the coming years. In 2017 I chose to sell my tickets to the NFC Divisional Playoff game for no other reason than anything short of the Super Bowl did not matter to me. Of course, that game later became the historic Minneapolis Miracle game. Forgive me for that lousy mistake, as I am not sure I will ever forgive myself.
Which brings me back to Sunday’s game and answering the question of “why do I care”. Well for the many of you who watched the outcome of the 27-24 loss in overtime, I am sure many water cooler conversations have been had with friends, co-workers, family, etc., about whether Dalvin Cook’s butt was down before he fumbled? With all the resources and technology available to the NFL, it is truly hard to comprehend how they got that call wrong. What seemed like a sure Viking’s victory waiting to happen after Kirk Cousins hit Justin Jefferson on a slant route into field goal range, suddenly turned on a butt cheek.
When the game concluded on a 33yard field goal for the Bengals, instead of being devastated or indifferent about the Vikings’ fortunes gone bad, I came to the conclusion that despite the loss I was still happy to watch the three-and-ahalf-hour NFL game played by the Minnesota Vikings. Like any fan, I hated that the Vikings lost, but I found perspective in that things seemed normal after some abnormal times these last couple years. I remain eternally hopeful that someday in my lifetime I will witness the Vikings raising the Vince Lombardi Trophy on the podium following a Super Bowl victory. Regardless I am heartened to consider there will be heartbreaking losses and miraculous wins in the future, because it comes with the territory of being a Minnesota Vikings fan. When they win we all feel a sense of common pride, and when they lose we are left frustrated and bleeding our purple blood. “Why do I care?”, because I wouldn’t have it any other way!
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NIGHT SPOTLIGHT
by BRYAN ZOLLMAN Co-Publisher, Let’s Play Football
RANKINGS
9-MAN Hancock top team heading into Week 3
Hancock, a 9-man powerhouse, showed they are still the team to beat as they head into Week 3 as the top team as voted on by coaches in our Let’s Play Football poll.
The Owls defeated Hillcrest Lutheran 58-26 last week after beating Brandon-Evansville 30-6 in the season opener. This week they will travel to Rothsay, who is coming off a lopsided loss to another 9-man powerhouse in Verndale.
Verndale, ranked No. 3 in the LPF poll, has put up 120 points in their first two games.
If 120 points is impressive, No. 2-ranked Mountain Iron-Buhl has outscored opponents 126-12 in two games. It is not uncommon to see lopsided scores in 9-man football, but the Rang-
ers have proven they don’t just put points on the board, but also keep them off.
Hills-Beaver Creek comes in this week ranked No. 4 and is coming off a 51-0 shutout over Madelia. They have yet to allow a point after winning 56-0 in their season opener.
Rounding out the top five is Leroy-Ostrander who opened the season with a 57-26 win over Southland and followed up with a 38-8 victory over Mabel-Canton.
In one of the big match ups in any class so far this season, Leroy-Ostrander will take on No.6ranked Lanesboro on Saturday.
Lanesboro had a convincing 28-0 win over grand Meadow in the opener and followed up by beating Southland 40-20 last week.
Win-E-Mac, Mountain Lake, Wheaton-Herman-Norcross and Fertile-Beltrami are all teams to watch this week and down the stretch as teams who could jump into the top five. But for now, it appears the top three teams may not be moving much with the scores they have posted thus far.
Match-Up of the week: No. 5 Leroy-Ostrander vs. No. 6 Lanesboro
RANKINGS
CLASS A
Lots of parity in Class A
You could probably throw the top five teams in a hat and anyone of them could become the top-ranked team at year’s end. But for now that team is Minneota, who started their season with two convincing wins, a 35-0 blanking of Adrian and a 43-6 win over Yellow Medicine East.
Minneota’s defensive line has done the job in those two games, allowing just 85 yards rushing and getting nine tackles for loss.
BOLD, always in the mix for a Prep Bowl, are off to a 2-0 start with wins over very good teams from Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City and Upsala/ Swanville. The Warriors will have their hands plenty full this week when they
travel to No. 9-ranked Browerville/Eagle Valley.
No. 3-ranked Mahnomen Waubun is off to a great start with two wins as is No. 4 Murray County Central.
Mahnomen Waubun has outscored opponents 68-8 through two weeks and Murray County Central has outscored their opponents 62-16. Both teams should pose problems for opponents throughout the 2021 campaign.
Dawson-Boyd at No. 5 is also 2-0 with a 66-8 margin in points scored. Brayden and Braxton Hahn have proven to be a tough duo for opponents to deal with.
Randolph could be a sneaky sleeper in Class A having shut out both their early opponents and outscoring them 99-0. Senior QB Jacob Weckup has already thrown for 564 yards and 11 touchdowns in two games. At 6’2”-180, he has been a force on the field. His big hookup has been brother Nathan Weckup, who has caught three TD passes and has 215 yards receiving. They will face No. 7 Rushford-Peterson in Week 6, which should prove to be a great match up.
Rushford-Peterson, meanwhile, is also 2-0 with a couple early wins over Medford and Fillmore Central. Led by the quarterbacking and running ability of Malachi Bunke, the Trojans could be a contender down the stretch.
Pine River-Backus, Browerville/ Eagle Valley and Ada Borup West round out the top 10 in Class A. Match-Up of the week: No. 2 BOLD at No. 9 Browerville/Eagle Valley
RANKINGS
Class 2A
1. Blue Earth Area
2. Eden Valley-Watkins
3. Redwood Valley
4. West Central Area/Ashby
5. Blooming Prairie
6. Minneapolis North
7. Moose Lake-Willow River
8. Caledonia
9. Kimball Area
10. Maple River
CLASS 2A
Blue Earth Area
Blue Earth Area comes in atop the Class 2A field thanks to two convincing road wins to start the season. They defeated Windom 59-0 in the season opener and followed up with a 43-13 win at Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial.
They have made great strides the past few years, ending last season 7-0 and continuing their win streak into this year. With 18 seniors and 19 juniors and plenty of size with several guys over 250 pounds, the Buccaneers appear to be the team to beat early on in Class 2A.
But it won’t be easy as they will sooner or later have to face some formidable foes such as No. 2 Eden Valley-Watkins. The Eagles have soared past both opponents so far this year after finishing 5-1 last year. The Eagles are always a strong contender in Class 2A.
FRIDAY NIGHT SPOTLIGHT
continued on page 11
Let’s Play Football www.letsplayfootballmn.com September 16, 2021 5
FRIDAY
PHOTO BTY CRAIG JOIHNSON Winona senior quarterback Jacob Heftman rolls out against Kasson-Mantorville. The senior QB threw for 139 yards and a touchdown.
PHOTO BTY CRAIG JOHNSON Rushford-Peterson has ran over their first two opponents and is currently ranked No. 7 in Class A.
9-Man 1. Hancock 2. Mountain Iron-Buhl 3. Verndale 4.
6.
8.
9.
10.
Hills-Beaver Creek 5. Leroy-Ostrander
Lanesboro 7. Win-E-Mac
Mountain Lake
Wheaton-Herman-Norcross
Fertile-Beltrami
1. Minneota 2. BOLD 3. Mahnomen-Waubun 4. Murray County Central 5. Dawson-Boyd 6. Randolph 7. Rushford-Peterson 8. Pine River-Backus 9. Browerville/Eagle
10. Ada
Class A
Valley
Borup-West
A rundown of High School Football *Rankings conducted through high school coaches poll
Ain’t in it for the money
by RYAN JOHNSON
Let’s Play Football Columnist
Growing up in a small rural community it was a rarity for a local athlete to compete at the collegiate level beyond high school.
My hometown sent a couple of kids to local colleges in a handful of sports but was by no means a feeder program. I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that we were such a small town that no one had the time to commit to one sport full time. We were kind of all expected to do our share and change our gear for the next season.
At the end of our senior year in high school that was kind of that, athletic career over and done with and time to go to school and get on with the rest of our life. I was able to play four years of college football and honestly, I think I am one of only a handful of kids from my community to do so. I played community college ball and then went to a small Division III liberal arts college. Along the way, I met some amazing people, including my wife, and made contacts that assisted me in where I am today. If I had to claim a win or loss in life I would say I have won this game for sure.
The school I am now in is bigger than my hometown and the next two towns down the highway from it as well. Growing up, if anyone had the ambition to play college athletics they were thought of very highly for taking on the challenge to commit to a child-
hood passion. Many of the athletes, and the parents, I am now working with seem to have a very different focus on participating at the next level of athletics than what I knew.
I am saddened to see and hear about football players whose focus seems to be on scholarships, not following team and or community dreams. I have seen situations that kids would rather walk on at the Division I level than take a full ride to a Division 1 FCS or D2 or D3 level. I can’t believe people would turn down all of that money! More often than not I see kids that walk on end up walking off almost as quickly and end up giving up on the game as a result.
This desire to make it to the top of the top trickles down into not only the athletes playing but also their training. All of a sudden the parents and athletes are now not necessarily training to win a state title but maybe to win a scholarship. This isn’t always the case. Don’t get me wrong I am not growing old and bitter here but let’s just say that I have been seeing a lot more of this in recent years. I know of a young man who won a state title for his football team on Friday night and was at a combine the next morning trying to showcase his talents to potential
recruiters. I encourage coaches to tell their athletes to train hard, compete hard, and as their teams progress they will gain more exposure along the way. We tell them this because this is what we hear from the recruiters themselves.
For smaller programs in smaller locations these kids may need to gain some exposure through these types of camps etc. but for a kid to wake up the day after hoisting the trophy blows me away. But for kids and parents to focus on forty times over hard work, discipline, commitment, and life success it makes me think that we may have to keep our priorities in check. I would rather have a higher overall number of athletes that play and train for the love of the game as opposed to a small number of all-stars.
I have no problems with kids having dreams and working hard to achieve them, what makes it hard for me is when the parents have dreams for their kids. Parents organizing training and coaching outside of what we trainers and coaches are already doing presents a dangerous overtraining situation. More is not always better and if athletes aren’t getting enough rest and recovery it could be devastating to the kid. In my 20+
years of coaching, I have learned of so many situations of athletes simply doing too much, and are overtrained. I tell coaches to have conversations with the parents of their athletes and tell them that they are doing too much and need to back off. Usually, parents have been receptive to us and the common response from them is that they just want their kids to achieve success. At times I feel that society has created a monster from the standpoint that the focus of athletics is to obtain a scholarship and are willing to do anything to help them get it. Hopefully, we can support our athletes, help build them up, provide a road map to their dreams and not damage them along the way.
Ryan Johnson – “RJ” played football for Normandale Community College and Augsburg University. He now teaches physical education at Wayzata High School and is the Strength and Conditioning Coordinator for Wayzata Public Schools, a position he began in 2000. Wayzata Athletics have captured 64 team state titles in his tenure and Johnson works directly with the threetime state champion football program as Director of Operations and Player Development. Johnson was named the NSCA 2017 National High School Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year. He is the Regional Director / Secretary for the National High School Strength Coaches Association (NHSSCA).
Officiating: Communication key component for on field
by TOM RIITTERS
I have been blessed to be part of a high school officiating crew that strives to be the best it can be on every given play. In this week’s edition of The 3rd Team, I’d like to share with you the importance of communication amongst an officiating crew before, during and after a game. As I highlighted last week, communication is a key component in the overall success of an officiating crew. For this article, I will focus on the communication practices of successful crews that I have both been part of, and had the opportunity to observe.
Successful crews do not just get together on a Friday night, get dressed and hit the field. Communication between the crew members the night prior to the game prepares us to officiate the night of the game. During the week, effective crews are researching teams, reading articles from local newspapers about the teams they are working with that week, and even reaching out to coaches to gather information about their players and team. All these practices lead to a level of preparedness
that can only serve to help the crew.
On game day, whenever possible, our crew drives to our game together. This gives us ample opportunity to discuss the aforementioned items, and gives us a decent baseline heading into the game. Our intra-squad “car prep sessions” are used to discuss anything we have learned about the teams, and to be sure we are all on the same page with any obscure or unusual situations that we may potentially encounter during the course of a game. If a crew does not travel to a site together, these types of discussions often happen in the locker room prior to the crew taking the field.
Once on the field, that is where the art and practice of communication between the members of the crew is paramount to a crews overall success. Our crew spends this pregame time observing the teams as they warm-up looking for formation keys, defensive alignment, and a host of other items that serve to give us an edge come game time. Our crew gets together toward the end of pregame to go over any unusual things that were noticed during this time. Having this time to give us a “heads-up” for potential pit-
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falls is very beneficial.
Once the game begins, our communication is mainly handled through our O2O system (Official 2 Official). These are the earpieces that you see many officials, even in the high school ranks, using now. Use of the O2O system streamlines our communication practices during the game. As an umpire, it is very helpful for me in penalty enforcement, ball spotting, and time clock management. Granted, there are still situations where you will see officials “huddle” when discussing something, but with the use of the O2O systems, game flow is so much better from a communication aspect.
Lastly, successful crews utilize both the halftime intermission and their postgame locker room time to reflect on the actions of the half/game. As officials, we don’t have to make halftime adjustments; we just have to communicate with each other on what it is that went well, and what we need to improve on as a crew. Our crew has always felt comfortable with each other when things go askew. Yes, we are critical of each other when we need to be, because we want to be successful, but it is always done in a respectful
success
manner.
Bottom line is that the officials you are watching, and hopefully supporting, rely on many aspects of effective communication as they prepare for, work and reflect on the game. Just like communication is vital between coaches and players, it to is just as vital for The 3rd Team as well!
Good luck to your team this week. And, as always, please remember that the officials are out there working as hard as they can to ensure that your athletes are safe and play within the rules of the game. Please keep that in mind as you head to the game this week!
If anyone would like any information about becoming a high school official or would like a topic covered in future articles, please feel free to contact Tom at tomriitters@yahoo. com.
Tom Riitters is a graduate of Little Falls Community High School and of Saint John’s University. He is currently an elementary teacher in the Upsala School District. Tom has been officiating football at the youth, high school and college level for over 20 years.
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Let’s
“I am saddened to see and hear about football players whose focus seems to be on scholarships, not following team and or community dreams.”
The High Ankle Sprain
by ERIC KOHN
The running back hits the open hole with a burst of speed. His left ankle is planted and he readies himself to perform another jump cut to get into the secondary when he is hit from the outside by a linebacker that is pursuing down the line. He feels immediate pain in the outside of his ankle and is unable to put full weight on it. He limps off the field and seeks out the training staff for assessment.
IF this athlete’s ankle is not correctly diagnosed and treated appropriately a long journey of chronic pain, instability and inability to return to high level performance will be in his future. There are 3 main types of ankle sprains, the high ankle, medial and most common lateral ankle sprain. What is a high ankle sprain? How does it happen and what steps can be taken to help the athlete return from the injury?
A high ankle sprain or syndesmosis injury, differs from a common lateral ankle sprain in many ways. The mechanism of injury with the common lateral ankle sprain is a “rolled down and in” movement of the foot and ankle and the pain is usually felt below the lateral ankle bone or malleolus. The opposite is true with a high ankle sprain with a mechanism of the foot rotating out. Another mechanism of injury occurs with a planted foot and the athlete falling forward. The pain is localized in the front or above the outside ankle bone (lateral malleolus).
The high ankle sprain occurs when the tibia and fibula are stressed and pushed apart. This can create stretching of the ligament that holds the bones together at the ankle (anterior distal tibiofibular ligament). The syndesmosis membrane between the two bones which helps to create stability can also be stressed apart.
This anatomy difference is one of the reasons the high ankle takes longer to recover from. Walking on a high ankle injury will limit healing due to more stress being placed on the injured ligament which creates more separation of the tibia and fibula.
The latest research shows that the frequency of high ankle sprains occurs one out of every 10 ankle injuries. The first step is
to seek medical attention from your sports medicine provider on the field. They will quickly assess you and determine severity of injury. The use of x-ray radiographs is commonly performed to help rule out any fractures that may have occurred in the ankle bones and to determine if there is increased space between the tibia and fibula. If a high ankle sprain is diagnosed,
begin by following the recommended treatment plan provided by your sports medicine provider. The use of crutches and a protective boot will provide initial immobilization and help to decrease pain. The use of RICE (rest, ice, compression and elevation) are to be followed to start the healing process. After 4-6 weeks the use of the boot is usually replaced with a more functional sports brace as you begin the rehabilitation process. It is imperative to immobilize initially and allow the ligament to heal before stressing it again.
At the 4-6 week mark your sports medicine provider will begin the process of returning strength, balance, and endurance back to your ankle and lower extremity. This process of gradually adding more stress to the ankle is done only without increased pain or swelling. If either occur, the process is slowed to allow adequate healing before progressing. Pain is the guide with returning back to activities. The rehab process must include many balance exercises. This is the key to avoiding chronic injury. The injured ankle has many receptors in the joint that become damaged and need to be addressed during recovery. Balance exercises from simple, one legged stance holds to more complex, single leg hopping will help get you on the path back to the field.
Early assessment, correct diagnosis, immobilization and gradual progression of stress to the healing ankle will lead to the successful return to sports after a high ankle sprain.
Eric is a Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist, Doctor of Physical Therapy and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. He practices at St Cloud Orthopedics in Central Minnesota and is an adjunct professor at The College of St. Benedict/St John’s University.
Let’s Play Football www.letsplayfootballmn.com September 16, 2021 7
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PREP GAME OF THE WEEK: CLASS 5A
Sauk Rapids-Rice could be a team to be reckoned with
SAUK RAPIDS-RICE 42, ST. CLOUD TECH 21
by TOM FENTON Sauk Rapids Herald/Star Publications
The second play of the game and the last play of the first half told the story, and it was an easy read for the Sauk Rapids-Rice football team. Put it this way – it was more like Dr. Seuss than Stephen King.
The Storm did whatever they wanted early and often in their Sept. 10 contest against Tech. They threw
the ball, ran the ball and played the same stingy defense they did in their season-opener in a 42-21 victory over Tech at Sauk Rapids-Rice Middle School Stadium.
“We’re not anything special yet, but I think our goals are bigger than our current state,” SRR coach Phillip Klaphake said. “The kids are hungry, so we’ll dangle those carrots out in front of them.”
The Storm led 36-0 at halftime,
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leaving most of the second half the opportunity for many players to make their varsity debuts.
Senior quarterback Dom Mathies had time to throw on every attempt, and with athletic receivers on his side, the result was a record-setting performance. Mathies threw five touchdowns – all in the first half – to break the school record for touchdown passes.
On the game’s second play,
Mathies threw what looked to be a relatively harmless sideline pass that Alex Harren turned into a 69-yard touchdown on the game’s second play. Jayce Walrath intercepted a Tech pass on the Tigers ensuing drive and moments later caught a Mathies pass and
PREP GAME OF THE WEEK
continued on page 9
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Let’s Play Football 8 September 16, 2021 www.letsplayfootballmn.com
PODCAST
Every Thursday beginning soon! Join Host Tim McNiff for all that is going on in Minnesota football at every level, as he talks football with special guests, discusses current high school team rankings and previews the upcoming Friday Night slate of games and top match ups. Special Guests to include coaches, former and current players at all levels, and stewards of the game. Access to the podcast is available on Twitter @LetsPlayFB_MN or at www.letsplayfootballmn.com
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The Sauk Rapids-Rice football team gets pumped up before kickoff of their game against St. Cloud Tech Sept. 10 at Sauk Rapids -Rice Middle School Stadium. The Storm took a 36-0 halftime lead on their way to a 42-21 victory. PHOTOS BY TOM FENTON
PREP GAME OF THE WEEK
continued from page 8
turned it into an 11-yard touchdown.
Mathies added a 41yard scoring strike to Alex Harren and a 6-yard connection to his brother, Andrew Harren, on the first play of the second quarter for a 29-0 lead. When SRR turned over Tech on downs with less than 10 seconds left in the first half, Mathies hit Andrew Harren for a 21-yard touchdown on the next play, sending the large home crowd into a frenzy.
“We have a lot of respect for Zimmerman and their staff and they were extremely well prepared for us.”
lowed Klaphake to give several players their varsity debut.
“The second half was a lot of kids getting some learning experiences,” Klaphake said. “Everbody’s first experience in varsity football isn’t that good. We know that’s going to happen. There were some frustrating moments, but there’s a lot of talent there. That’s why we throw them out there. We let them take their lumps so next time they’re not so new.”
Sauk Rapids-Rice senior tight end Jayce Walrath gets around the end on his way to an 11-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter of the Storm’s 42-21 victory over St. Cloud Tech Sept. 10 at Sauk Rapids-Rice Middle School Stadium. Walrath set up the touchdown by intercepting a pass from his linebacker position a few plays earlier.
“Our offense is clicking,” said Andrew Harren, who caught four passes for 73 yards. “We all know each other and hang around outside of football. We’re just having fun. We knew we wanted to be really physical against them and they played a lot of man-toman defense, so we threw the ball a lot. Our game plan worked.”
The five touchdown passes for Mathies broke a school record previously held by John Cloeter, Tyler Bjork and Cade Milton-Baumgardner.
“I had no idea that was possible,” said Mathies, who completed 13 of 18 passes for 268 yards. “I didn’t see that coming at all. It felt great. We’ve got so many people that play well together. I distributed the ball and everybody caught it. I can count every one of these guys. We just have that connection. We all know each other so well and that makes it so fun.”
The Storm were coming off a momentum-building win over rival Sartell but did not let over-confidence become a factor against a Tech team that entered the game 0-2 after losses to Sartell and Moorhead.
The first-team defense for SRR has yet to give up a point.
“We’ve got a lot of two- and three year-starters, so we’ve got great chemistry,” said junior Travis Biery, who had five tackles. “We communicate at a high level and we do whatever we can to get ready.”
The Storm finished with 425 yards of total offense while giving up 244.
Austin Horn added a 13-yard touchdown run on SRR’s first drive of the second half. The large lead al-
The Storm put their unbeaten record on the line at 7 p.m. Sept. 18 when they took on 1-1 Alexandria. The Cardinals opened the season with a 36-20 loss to state powerhouse Hutchinson before beating Bemidji Sept. 11.
Sauk Rapids-Rice 42, Tech 21
First quarter: SRR – Alex Harren 69 pass from Dom Mathies (Walker Loesch 2-point conversion). SRR –Jayce Walrath 11 pass from Mathies (Owen Arndt kick). SRR – Alex Harren 41 pass from Mathies (Arndt kick).
Second quarter: SRR – Andrew Harren 5 pass from Mathies (Arndt kick). SRR – Andrew Harren 21 pass from Mathies (Arndt kick). Third quarter: Tech – 2-yard run (kick good). SRR – Austin Horn 13 run (kick blocked). Fourth quarter: Tech – 10 pass. Tech – 12 run.
SRR rushing: Horn 5-47, Alex Harren 4-32, Mathies 4-14, Zach Kosloske 6-10, Broden Flakne 3-8. SRR passing: Mathies 13-18-276 0, Jack Klein 3-6 48 0. SRR receiving: Alex Harren 3-124, Andrew Harren
4-73, Carter Loesch 2-36, Walrath
3-29, Mason Welch 1-26, Bryce Lund
1-16, Cole Paulson 1-10, Ethan Anderson 1-25. SRR tackles (solo-assists): Max Loesch 5-1, Matthew Golembeski 4-0, Cole Ackerman 3-4, Alex Harren 2-0, Walker Loesch 2-0, Travis Biery 2-3, Chayce Laroque 2-2, Graham Doherty 2-1, Kosloske 1-2, Flakne 1-1, Carter Loesch 1-5, Will White 1-4.
Let’s Play Football www.letsplayfootballmn.com September 16, 2021 9
PHOTOS BY TOM FENTON
Sauk Rapids-Rice senior quarterback Dom Mathies rushes for a gain during the Storm’s 42-21 over St. Cloud Tech Sept. 10 at Sauk Rapids-Rice Middle School Stadium. Mathies threw for five touchdowns – all in the first half – to break the school record for touchdown passes in a game.
Sauk Rapids-Rice senior defensive end Carter Loesch – a Minnesota-Duluth recruit – chases St. Cloud Tech quarterback Murray Garrison in the first quarter of the Sept. 10 clash at Sauk Rapids-Rice Middle School Stadium. The Storm improved to 2-0 with their 42-21 victory while dropping the Tigers to 0-3.
0 0 7 14 – 21 SRR 22 14 6 0 – 42
Tech
Mike Kleinschmidt
Albany Head Coach
So, you want to play D1 Football. Now what?
by PAUL REPPENHAGEN
This article is first in a series by Paul Reppenhagen, father of current Texas Christian University player Ben Reppenhagen. His articles will discuss the recruiting process for those wanting to play Division I football.
Nothing beats Friday Night Lights. No matter where you live, high school football is awesome! The only problem with it is, when you’re a senior, it ends. If you’re good though, you likely have the dream of playing Saturdays, on TV, with huge crowds, great bands, cool SWAG, and all the pageantry that goes along with it. That means you’re dreaming of playing D1. Fantastic! But how do you go from high school standout to D1 commit or walk-on? Read on.
I played DIII football and baseball in Michigan. But it has been 30 years since I last put on the football pads. I was recruited to play at D1 schools –Army, Air Force, WMU, EMU — but had no idea how to go about the process. Things have changed a lot in recruiting since then but most parents and players still have no idea how to go about it. It’s full of land mines, potholes, and dead ends. I learned the hard way; by going through it.
My son, Ben, was a top linebacker in MN for St. Thomas Academy. Sometime between his sophomore and junior year, he came to us and said he wanted to play football at Michigan (I’m a Michigan fan since I grew up watching them). Whoa! Ok. That’s certainly an audacious goal. So, I went to work trying to figure out how to make it happen. Long story short, he’s now playing at TCU and had offers at Wake Forest, San Diego, UPenn and Stanford. But it was a roller coaster ride and I wish I had known then what I know now.
First, know the numbers. There are 255 D1 Schools (130 FBS, 125 FCS) and approximately 29,000 rostered D1 football players. That’s about 5800 new D1 players each year. There are approximately 500,000 high school seniors in the US playing football. So, that means about 1.2% of high school senior football players are going to play D1 each year. The reality is, no matter how much you may want to play D1, it’s hard to make it. It’s even harder if you don’t have an organized approach or don’t have someone that can help guide you – what to do, when to do it, how to go about it, etc.
The first question to ask yourself is “Do I really want to play D1 football?” A lot of kids think they want to play D1 because of what they see on TV. They think it will be an extension of their high school experience. It isn’t. College football is a business. It’s a huge commitment and it’s hard. Yes, it’s fun, you meet a lot of great guys and have great experiences. But make no mistake, you sacrifice a lot of the traditional college experience to play in college. You must really, truly want to play the game at that level. You need to love it because if you don’t, it will show up on the practice field. Coaches at that level have no time for players that don’t love playing football. Simply put, their jobs and livelihoods are on the line.
The next question to ask yourself is “Do I have the necessary combination of size and skill?” Just about everyone playing D1 was a stud on their high school team. Everyone is going to be big, fast, or big and fast. All programs are looking for fast guys. If you run a legit 4.4 or faster, you will find a place to play. Schools will find you if you go to camps. Coaches never feel they have enough speed. If you are big – 6’6” or taller, 275 or heavier, you will find a place to play. Schools will find you if you go to camps. Coaches never feel they have enough size on the OL and DL. If you’re not really fast or really big, then you better have some compelling combination of the two. You should also know that you have your work cut out for you. You’re going to have to do
a lot of networking, go to a lot of camps, send out a lot of correspondence to get coaches interested in you. It’s not impossible. It just takes more work.
The third question you need to ask yourself is “What am I really willing to give up to play D1?” If you’re dead set on playing only a certain position, only at certain schools, you’ll narrow your chances. If you really want to play at that high level, you may need to switch positions, choose a school with lower academic standards, or look at schools in different geographic areas. Those choices aren’t inconsequential. You need to be honest with yourself on what you are willing to do to play D1 ball.
Now here’s the deal. You kind of want to have all that figured out by your sophomore year of high school. What? That seems crazy. Yes, it does seem crazy but you can’t wait until your senior year to get going on the recruiting process. It’s too late by then. You’ll be relying on hope which is never a good strategy. You want enough games to be able to generate good film content. You need time to cultivate conversations with coaches. You need to go to enough camps to get a good look. You need time to visit colleges to check out the vibe and see if you’ll like the campus and people. Sometimes, you don’t know if you’ll like a school until you physically walk the campus, see the stadium, check out the surrounding city, etc. All of that takes time. To get my son recruited, we visited 16 different D1 programs the summers of his sophomore and junior
year. That means eight weekends of each of those two summers we spent on the road going to camps/colleges. As I said, all of that takes time.
Does everyone that plays D1 have to do that? No. As mentioned, if you’re really fast, really big, or have some compelling combination of the two, college coaches will likely find you. Those are the three-, four-, and five-star recruits. If you’re not one of those, then yes, you do need to do quite a bit of work or be willing to live with what you get. If that isn’t enough to motivate you into action, consider this fact. There are 86 D1 FBS players rostered from MN high schools. That’s only 0.6 percent of all the FBS players rostered. The point is, while we have some great talent here in the state, we aren’t necessarily a recruiting hot bed. D1 college coaches aren’t constantly canvasing MN looking for talent. If you want to get noticed coming out of MN, you have to work at it.
What does that mean – work at it?
It means you have to approach your recruiting like a communications or ad campaign. You must establish your message, outline who’s likely to be interested in you and why, script out how you’re going to differentiate yourself and get attention. You have to plot out when and where you’ll attend camps, who you’ll talk to when you’re there, how to send out teaser communication before the camp so you’re top of mind with coaches. You need to prioritize and rank your school preferences; investigate the type of players they recruit and the offense and defensive schemes they run. Find out where their coaches are from and where they played ball so you can make some connection and stand out from others. Send follow up notes to coaches and update them on your progress. As I said, you have work at it.
In my next article I will get into more specifics about the recruiting process – things to do, things to avoid, tips to consider. While the process seems daunting, it’s also very exciting and fun. You may send out dozens of letters and hear nothing and then, one day, boom, you get some interest from a coach. They key take away here is if you want to increase your chances for playing D1 ball coming out of MN, you must drive the process yourself. Don’t leave it up to your coach. Don’t leave it up to your parents. You have to drive the recruiting bus yourself.
Let’s Play Football 10 September 16, 2021 www.letsplayfootballmn.com
Wanting to play major college football is no easy task. Paul Reppenhagen says hard work can open up opportunities, but waiting for those opportunities isn’t enough. Photo by Jason Barum
No. 3-ranked Redwood Valley are also off to a 2-0 start, but will play No. 10 Maple River this week in what will be a great match up.
Senior quarterback Alex Lang and senior WR/S Drew Lundeen are both top-notch players leading the Cardinals.
West Central Area/Ashby comes in at No. 4 after a hard fought opening win over Barnesville who was ranked No. 4 in our pre-season rankings but this week dropped out of the top 10 just barely. West Central followed up with a nice 48-12 win over Staples-Motley.
Blooming Prairie might be the Awesome Blossoms, but they’re also a pretty awesome football team. They extended their win streak to 20 games with two wins to start the season. But they are now in a different section, which could mean different results after winning the Prep Bowl in 2019.
That’s because they will have to deal with teams like Minneapolis North, ranked No. 2 in our pre-season coaches poll, but who fell to No. 6 this week after a 28-21 loss to Fridley, albeit Fridley is a Class 4A school who was also ranked high coming into the season. There is no doubt North will be there at the end of the season having played a tougher schedule than most, if not all 2A schools.
Moose Lake-Willow River is at No. 7 after a gritty 28-21 won over Hermantown and then a 55-0 slaughtering over International Falls last week.
And falling from No. 1 to No. 8 after seeing their 71-game win streak come to an end is the 5-time current state champion Caledonia Warriors.
The Warriors dropped their opener against Lake City. After being tied 13-13 at the half, Lake City ran away with it in the second half to win 30-13. Of course, Caledonia rebounded with a win last week, and maintain a top-10 position in the rankings. But it will be interesting to see how the Warriors fare
in 2021.
Kimball Area and Maple River round out the top 10 in what looks like will be a very competitive class this fall. Match-Up of The Week: No. 10 Maple River at No. 3 Redwood Valley
RANKINGS
Class 3A
1. Cannon Falls
2. Annandale
3. Litchfield
4. Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton
5. Pierz
6. Waseca
7. Fairmont
8. Albany
9. Dassel-Cokato
10. Breck
CLASS 3A
Bombers cannon their way to the top
The Cannon Falls Bears are 17-2 in their last three seasons, including a 7-0 run last year in the COVID-shortened campaign.
They are off to a 2-0 start this season thanks to a 17-14 win over Rochester Lourdes last week. The Bombers use a “T” offense that has proven difficult to defend, and they have a strong defense to boot, making them, so far, the team to beat in Class 3A.
Annandale senior quarterback Carson Gagnon threw six touchdown passes in the first half alone against Glencoe-Silver Lake last week. Three of them went to fellow senior Bryce Fobbe. Gagnon has eight TD passes already as the No. 2-ranked Cardinals look to be one of the top teams to compete in Class 3A.
Litchfield at No. 3 is another stal-
wart in this class. They trounced Milaca 32-8 in the opener, and Milaca turned around and defeated previously top-ranked Albany. That is why Albany drops to No. 8 and Litchfield ups to No. 3.
Litchfield’s ground attack has been stellar with six rushing touchdowns in a 48-7 win over Holy Family School and four more against Milaca. Lukas Kuehl is the main back and had 242 yards and three scores in the Milaca win.
Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton, better known as D-G-F, comes in at No. 4 this week after posting two quick wins to start the season, a 16-0 win over Thief River Falls and a 20-18 nail biter over Pequot Lakes.
Pierz, a perennial power, is in the middle of the pack for the top 10. They have yet to give up a point after two shutouts against Holdingford (20-0) and Minnewaska (41-0). Chances are the Pioneers will be competing for a section title when that time comes.
No. 6 Waseca got a huge scare last week when head coach Brad Wendland collapsed on the sideline during the end of their 21-13 win over St. Peter.
The good news is Wendland was revived and is currently recovering. More good news is that his Bluejays are off to a 2-0 start after beating St. Peter and Marshall to start the 2021 campaign.
The Bluejays finished last season 6-1 with their only loss coming to topranked Rocori. This season should be a strong one for Waseca, with hopes Coach Wendland can return to the sidelines soon.
Fairmont is right there with Waseca, having also beat St. Peter and Marshall in their first two contests, even by better margins.
Led by senior 6’4” quarterback Zach Jorgensen, the Cardinals could be a contender down the stretch.
Albany, the pre-season top-ranked squad, fell to Milaca in their second game of the season, albeit a close one
30-28.
The Huskies are a traditionally strong program, however, and despite losing quality seniors off last year’s squad, could very well win out the rest of their regular season schedule and remain a one-loss team.
Dassel-Cokato and Breck round out the top 10 in Class 3A with still six games to go. Like most classes, it’s anybody’s guess who will rise to the top come section playoff time.
Match-Up of The Week: No. 2 Annandale at No. 9 Dassel-Cokato
RANKINGS
Class 4A
1. Hutchinson
2. Becker
3. Kasson-Mantorville
4. Stewartville
5. SMB
6. Fridley
7. Rocori
8. Orono
9. Simley
10. Mound Westonka
CLASS 4A
Hutchinson claims top spot
The Tigers from Hutchinson have already played three games this season and have made mincemeat out of each of their opponents, including Class 5A school Alexandria.
In addition, they also defeated St. Cloud Apollo and Willmar and have done so largely by running the ball. With a strong offensive line and three
FRIDAY NIGHT SPOTLIGHT
continued on page 14
Let’s Play Football www.letsplayfootballmn.com September 16, 2021 11
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PREP SPOTLIGHT: Waconia 20, Robbinsdale Cooper 14
Waconia outlasts Robbinsdale Cooper at TCO Stadium
by BRYAN ZOLLMAN Co-Publisher,
Max McEnelly had more than 230 all-purpose yards as Waconia outlasted Robbinsdale Cooper in front of a large crowd in the Minnesota Vikings Prep Spotlight game held at TCO Stadium Sept. 10.
McEnelly scored two touchdowns to help lead the Wildcats over the Hawks 20-14.
After a scoreless first quarter, Robbinsdale Cooper scored first when senior quarterback Joe Russell connected with senior wide receiver David Connors. An extra point by senior placekicker Leo Garcia made it 7-0
But the Wildcats rallied for two scores before the end of the half for a 14-7 lead. At the 7:04 mark sophomore QB Austin Randall hit senior wideout Sam Koppi for a 38-yard score. Tanner Micke drilled the extra point for a 7-7 tie.
Then, with Cooper driving, Waconia came up with a huge turnover when Koppi picked off a Russell pass at the Cooper 44-yard line. McEnelly carried the ball several times eventually scoring on a 15-yard run with 1:27 left. Another Micke extra point gave the Wildcats a 14-7 lead.
Waconia also received the ball at half time and didn’t waste much time as McEnelly raced in from 47 yards out for his second score of the game
and a 20-7 lead with 11:36 to play in the third quarter.
Both defenses held each other at bay the rest of the quarter until Cooper broke a big play at the 10:35 mark of the fourth quarter. Russel connected once again with Connors, this time on a 79-yard score. Garcia’s kick brought the Hawks to within a touchdown.
The Hawks had a chance to tie the game or take the lead midway through the quarter when they put together a strong drive from their 25-yard line all the way to Waconia’s 8-yard line. They were first and goal when a holding call brought them back to the 18-yard line. After two incomplete passes they connected on a 10-yard gain to set up a 4th and 8 from the 8-yard line. But Gage Mueller and Jorge Toledo sacked Russel for a loss and change of downs. Waconia suc-
cessfully ran out the clock to seal the 20-14 win.
McEnelly finished with 174 yards rushing on 24 carries. The 200-pounder has 303 yards on the season and four touchdowns. Koppi led Waconia receivers with four catches for 69
yards, including the one touchdown. He also had the big interception that led to a score.
Cooper’s Russell threw for 294 yards on 16-for-27 passing. Connors
continued on page
Let’s Play Football 12 September 16, 2021 www.letsplayfootballmn.com
Robbinsdale Cooper senior QB Joe Russell, one of the better QBs in the metro, rolls out against Waconia. Russell threw for 294 yards and two scores in the game. He has tossed for 546 yards on the season and five touchdowns.
VIKINGS
Let’s Play Football
Waconia’s Sam Koppi snares a one hander in the Wildcats 20-14 win over Robbinsdale Cooper in front of Cooper’s Jaxon Howard. Koppi had a touchdown catch and an interception in the game.
PREP SPOTLIGHT
13
Thankfukl to be alive, Waseca’s coach honored by Vikings
Waseca head coach Brad Wendland started to feel dizzy towards the end of their season opener against St. Peter. The Bluejays were on their way to a victory when Coach Wendland took a knee in the final seconds.
“It happened over the course of a few seconds,” Wendland told KEYC News. “I thought this doesn’t feel very good. I’m just gonna take a knee here for a second, and then when it passes, I’ll come back up and go on with whatever. That’s the last thing I remember.”
Wendland, 48, collapsed.
Team trainers and medical personnel rushed to his aid.
Two Mayo Clinic Athletic Trainers and a nurse who was in the stands sprung into action. After chest compressions on Wendland were unsuccessful, they used an AED device which shocks the heart back into action.
According to a report from KSTP. com, restarting a heart using the AED is rare. But it worked for Wendland, who became conscious and started breathing again.
He was rushed to the hospital for further treatment and is expected to recover.
Wendland has since returned home, but will take a month off from teaching. He hopes to return to coach-
ing soon. When speaking with doctors, he found out just how lucky he is to be alive.
“I kind of complained when they told me I couldn’t go home,” Wendland said in an interview witht he Mankato Free Press. “The doctors said, ‘Do you realize how many people survive cardiac arrest if they’re not in the hospital?’ I said, ‘Half?’ They said it was less than 1 percent.”
Waseca Schools posted the following on their Twitter account after the incident: “The community of Waseca has always been strong and supportive - and when people are in need, you will always find a sea of blue standing together ready to help. We appreciate our families and staff and everything you do for each other, our schools and our children. Waseca always has strength in numbers! So please continue to pray for Coach Wendland and his family, and thank you for your support already towards his recovery. We’re rooting for you, Coach! You are #wasecastrong.”
The Minnesota Vikings, who honor a high school coach of the week each week, bestowed that honor to Wendland. The school will receive a $1,000 from the Vikings/NFL in his name as the Vikings Coach of the Week.
PREP SPOTLIGHT continued from page 12_________
led all receivers with seven catches for 171 yards.
The Wildcats improved to 1-1 on the season while the Hawks fell to 1-1. The Wildcats had lost to Robbinsdale Armstrong 23-17 in the season opener. Cooper had defeated Orono 43-27 in the opener. Waconia will play Orono Friday, Sept. 17 while Cooper will host Robbinsdale Armstrong.
This week’s Prep Spotlight game at TCO Stadium is Class 5A match-up between St. Thomas Academy (2-0) and Cretin-Derham Hall (0-2).
Up Next: Vikings Prep Spotlight
Friday, Sept. 17 Cretin-Derham Hall vs. St. Thomas Academy
7 p.m. TCO Stadium
Waconia players celebrate with their fellow students at TCO Stadium after winning the Minnesota Vikings Prep Spotlight game 20-14 over Robbinsdale Cooper. This week St. Thomas Academy will take on Cretin-Derham Hall at TCO Stadium as the second installment of the Prep Spotlight Game. The Vikings are in their third season of hosting high school games at their training facility. The game is co-sponsored by Twin Cities Orthopedic.
Let’s Play Football www.letsplayfootballmn.com September 16, 2021 13
Brad Wendland
strong backs who have scored four touchdowns each through three games, the Tigers appear to be the team to beat in 4A.
Those backs include Levi Teetzel, Alex Elliot and Mitchell Piehl. All three backs have more than 30 carries on the season and have combined for 850 yards.
Becker, a mainstay in 4A for years, comes in at No. 2 with a pair of wins to start the season, including a convincing 28-0 shutout over rival Rocori.
In that game Carter Callahan rushed for 100 yards and two scores. Callahan followed up with three more TDs in a 47-0 win over Delano in Week 2.
Kasson-Mantorville is the No. 3 team heading into Week 3.
They had a 42-16 win over previously ranked Winona thanks to six rushing touchdowns, including four by junior quarterback Matt Donovan.
Stewartville cracks the top five at No. 4 after wins over Mankato East and Albert Lea, and outscoring them 10320.
SMB is ranked No. 5 after a 15-12 season-opening win over highly-touted Fridley on a 4th quarter score by Sanjay Redd, his second of the game. They followed up with a 48-20 win over North St. Paul and will try to stay unbeaten against DeLaSalle in Week 3.
Fridley falls right behind SMB after that tough season-opening loss. But they bounced back in Week 2 with a 2821 win over Minneapolis North. North, albeit a Class 2A school, is a great Class 2A program and plays mostly a 4A schedule.
Fridley’s MJ Newton ran for 240 yards and three touchdowns in that game.
Rocori, Orono, Simley and Mound Westonka round out the top 10, which is likely to change and see some teams drop out and new teams enter in the coming weeks.
Match-Up of the Week
No. 1 Hutchinson vs. No. 2 Becker (This game is Sept. 24 after Hutchinson gets a bye this week)
RANKINGS
Class 5A
1. Moorhead
2. Andover
3. St. Thomas Academy
4. Mankato West
5. Mahtomedi
6. Rogers
7. Elk River
8. Spring Lake Park
9. Chaska
10. Alexandria
CLASS 5A
Spuds are no duds
Moorhead lost some talent off last year’s squad that went undefeated, but started right where they left off with two wins to start the 2021 campaign. The Spuds defeated both Bemidji and St. Cloud Tech.
They may have lost Trey Feeney, an all-state quarterback, but they are relying on junior QB Gavin Quade, who has already thrown for nine touchdowns in two contests.
The Spuds will get a good test this week with Bemidji.
Andover is ranked No. 2 after two impressive wins to start the season, a 49-14 win over Brainerd and a 28-13 win over No. 7-ranked Elk River.
Junior wide receiver Sam Musungu is averaging 107 yards a game receiving and quarterback Connor Develice has hit five different receivers for touchdowns and has tossed for 374 yards in the first two games.
St. Thomas Academy is a power in 5A and this year is no different.
They throttled Two Rivers last week 55-0. Savion Lopez, a sophomore running back, already has six touchdowns on the season.
The St. Thomas Academy defense is nearly impenetrable, having allowed just 269 yards of total offense through the first two games.
Mankato West is making noise down south and comes in at No. 4 heading into Week 3.
They defeated Rochester John Marshall 61-0 to open the season and followed up with a 41-7 win over New Prague last week. They will get a bit tougher test when they host Owatonna in Week 3.
Mahtomedi is a top five team in 5A thanks to a couple early season wins and a nice come-from-behind 2320 win over Cretin-Derham Hall last week. They should slide past Hill-Murray in Week 3 to remain unbeaten.
Rogers started with a couple nice road victories over Bemidji and Monticello, but will have a tough test at home in Week 3 when they host Andover.
No. 7 Elk River lost to Andover, but is a formidable foe in 5A and should get a win over Coon Rapids in Week 3.
No. 8 Spring Lake Park should maybe be ranked higher after defeating Cretin-Derham Hall and Benilde-St. Margaret’s in their first two contests. They have Chanhassen in Week 3 with a chance to go 3-0 and climb the ladder further.
Chanhassen, meanwhile, was a pre-season top 10 squad, but fell out of the top 10 after losing a defensive battle against No. 9 Chaska 6-2, moving Chaska into the top 10.
Alexandria rounds out the top 10 thanks to a nice win over Bemidji after a tough loss to the top team in 4A, Hutchinson.
Match-Up of the Week No. 2 Andover at No. 6 Rogers
RANKINGS
a 56-18 win over Totino-Grace. They also showed off their firepower against Osseo in the opener, winning 49-7.
Senior running back Derrick Jameson has ran for 123 and 149 yards in his first two games while scoring six touchdowns.
10. (T) Farmington and Prior Lake
CLASS 6A
Eagles continue to soar, but Cougars lurking
It’s already looking like a Clash of the Titans in 6A football.
Eden Prairie maintains the top spot, but of course that could change when they play No. 2 Lakeville South in the marquee match up of the season so far.
The Eagles had no problem with East Ridge in the opener, but had to fight hard to get past a very good Farmington squad in Week 2, 37-29.
Junior quarterback Nick Fazi was almost perfect against Farmington going 10-for-13 with three TDs and no picks.
But they will have to battle a tough and equally strong team from Lakeville South. The Cougars will have the home field advantage and are coming off a 12-0 win over neighborhood rival Lakeville North. The Cougars are going to pound the ball on the ground and use their stingy defense to try and keep Eden Prairie’s offense at bay. Eden Prairie will have to ficus on stopping the Cougar backfield and push through their strong offensive line to get to the likes of junior Carson Hansen, who is averaging 150 yards rushing through the first two games.
No. 3 Maple Grove isn’t to be counted out either as a contender for a trip to the Prep Bowl. The Crimson are off to a 2-0 start and are coming off
Shakopee is No. 4 in the coach’s poll and is coming off a convincing win over No. 10 Prior Lake, 49-27. Junior running back Jadon Hellerud has more than 300 yards rushing and is averaging 7.1 yards per carry and has scored four touchdowns so far. They will play No. 9 Minnetonka in Week 3.
There’s no surprise seeing St. Michael-Albertville in the top five in the state.
After defeating Forest Lake handily, they needed a fourth quarter touchdown to squeeze past Centennial 19-16 in Week 2.
The Knights can attack on offense in a number of ways with a strong running and passing game, which could wreak havoc on defenses.
It’s also no surprise to see Wayzata in the top 10. At No. 6 the Trojans have yet to give up a point. They shut out Roseville 42-0 and followed up with a 23-0 blanking of Champlin Park. Rosemount, a year removed from Mr. Football Jake Ratzlaff, is still a contender thanks to a strong slew of returning players. They trounced Eagan 47-7 in the opener and then beat Edina 31-19.
Their next game, however, will be against No. 8-ranked Lakeville North. North lost to South last week, and looks to rebound past the Irish in Week 3. Their one victory came against Eastview in the season opener, 21-0. Minnetonka, Farmington and Prior Lake round out the top 10 in what looks like another year of great football for the state’s biggest schools.
Every Friday and Saturday for the next six weeks will determine a lot of where teams are ranked and where they sit come section playoff time.
Match-Up of the Week No. 1 Eden Prairie at No. 2 Lakeville South
Let’s Play Football 14 September 16, 2021 www.letsplayfootballmn.com
6A 1. Eden Prairie 2. Lakeville South 3. Maple Grove 4. Shakopee 5. St. Michael-Albertville 6. Wayzata 7. Rosemount 8. Lakeville North 9. Minnetonka
Kasson-Mantorville is off to a good start, most recently with a win over Winona to move to No. 3 in Class 4A.
Class
FRIDAY NIGHT SPOTLIGHT continued from page 11____________________________________________________ Follow us on Twitter @LetsPlayFB_MN and Facebook Let’s Play Football www.letsplayfootballmn.com
Let’s Play Football www.letsplayfootballmn.com September 16, 2021 15
MIAC ROUNDUP
No. 17 Bethel off to good start
Will battle No. 7
St. John’s Sept. 25
ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – The Bethel Royals used a huge fourth quarter to pull away from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in a 28-7 victory in the first game at the newly remodeled Royal Stadium. The Royals scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to break a 7-7 tie since late in the first quarter. BU had a pair of turnovers inside the Pioneers red zone in the second quarter before eventually wearing down the WIAC opponent, running for 87 yards and three touchdowns on 13 fourth quarter carries. Senior quarterback Jaran Roste ran for 53 of those 87 fourth quarter yards and two touchdowns to go along with a 4-4 performance through the air for 69 more yards in the final stanza.
The Royals defense was stout all game long, holding the high-powered aerial attack of UWP quiet, allowing just 176 yards passing and 234 yards of total offense. BU amassed 461 yards of total offense. Safeties Nate Farm and Matt Feldick were the Royals leading tacklers with eight and seven tackles respectively. UWP senior quarterback Colin Schuetz threw for 341 yards and four touchdowns in their season opener and has averaged over 273 yards per game through his first two + years as a starter. Against BU he was just 20-36
for 157 yards and an interception with no touchdowns.
The Royals wasted little time in taking an early lead as Sid Boros made an incredible run after a catch on the first possession, juking a pair of defenders and then outrunning another across the field to the end zone. The 42-yard connection put BU up 7-0 just
Johnnies’ Collin Franz earns defensive honor
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. –Saint John’s University senior defensive lineman Collin Franz (Otsego, Minn./Rogers) was named the MIAC Football Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday, Sept. 7.
In the closing seconds of last Saturday’s (Sept. 4) season opener, Franz stripped the ball from then-No. 23 Aurora’s All-American quarterback Gavin Zimbelman on 4th-andgoal from the 1-yard line and SJU recovered to seal the 39-33 win.
He totaled three tackles (two solo), including the tackle for loss and forced fumble that clinched the victory. He also added three quarterback hurries and blocked an extra point late in the second quarter.
Collin Franz
The sixth-ranked Johnnies return following their bye week with a 1 p.m. kickoff against Martin Luther on Saturday, Sept. 18, in Clemens Stadium.
four minutes into the game. UWP went three-and-out on their first possession before putting together a 10-play, 80yard drive on their second possession to even the score at 7-7. Early in the second quarter the Royals were able to drive down to the UWP five-yard line before a loss of three on a run was followed by an interception in the end zone on a broken route. Bethel threatened again late in the second quarter after being setup with great field position by a partially blocked punt by freshman Jacob Holmen. On the first play, Roste found Joey Kidder for 17 yards to the UWP 13-yard line but a fumble on the next play with 26 seconds remaining in the half kept the Royals off the scoreboard.
The third quarter saw both teams end drives with a pair of punts each before the Royals completely took over in the fourth quarter. A four-play, 41yard drive to open the fourth saw the Royals finally regain the lead as Roste ran it up the gut from three yards out. The next BU possession saw Bryce Kunkle power his way through the interior of the Pioneers defense, pulling defenders with him over the eight
yards into the endzone with just 3:11 remaining in the game. The Royals weren’t done yet though as the defense forced a pair of incompletions followed by an interception on a deflected pass at the UWP 38-yard line. Roste capped off the game with a highlight reel run, high stepping out of tacklers grasps and outrunning the secondary to the pylon from 33-yards out. Freshman kicker Jack Hanson, who doubles as a forward on the Bethel soccer team and scored a pair of goals in their 4-0 victory on Friday afternoon, added the extra point for the 28-7 final score.
The Royals will now take next weekend off for their bye week before traveling up to Collegeville to take on the Saint John’s University Johnnies on September 25th. The No. 6-ranked Johnnies and No. 17-ranked Royals will tangle at 1 p.m. from Clemens Stadium.
MIAC WEEK 2: TOP PERFORMERS
Let’s Play Football 16 September 19, 2019 www.letsplayfootballmn.com
Bethel’s Sid Boros tries to evade defenders in Bethel’s recent win. The Royals are ranked No. 17 in Division III and will take on No. 7-ranked St. John’s Sept. 25.
Tanner Dubois, QB Concordia-Moorhead 36-for-49 319 YDS, 4 TDS
Aresenio Black, DB St. Olaf INT, Forced Fumble
Damien Silus, K/P Concordia-Moorhead 47.7 YDS AVG
Michael Veldman, QB Gustavus Became all-time passing leader
One team campaign shows unity across
all levels of Minnesota
As the 2021 football season prepares to kick off for Minnesota high schools, colleges and the NFL, the difficulties of the 2020 season makes players, coaches, parents and fans appreciative of a normal return to the field. As a way to commemorate how far we have come as a community, the Minnesota State High School League, Minnesota Football Coaches Association and the Minnesota Vikings collaborated to create a helmet sticker that can be worn by football players, at every level, throughout the state.
The logo features an outline of the state of Minnesota, the “One Team” slogan and the laces of a football that connect the two. Decals have been sent to every high school team in the state as well as all college teams, a total of 366 high schools and 32 collegiate teams. The Vikings will wear the helmet decals in the August 14 preseason game vs. Denver at U.S. Bank Stadium. Lapel pins for coaches and staff have also been distributed.
Teams are invited to share photos and other content displaying their involvement in the One Team program throughout the year by using the hashtag #OneTeamMN on all personal and team social media platforms. Posts using this hashtag will be randomly selected throughout the season to receive a contribution to the school’s football program.
Let’s Play Football www.letsplayfootballmn.com September 16, 2021 17 FLOORING TO FIT YOUR CARPET • HARDWOOD • LAMINATE • TILE & STONE (651) 779-0365 • 3598 LINDEN AVE • WHITE BEAR LAKE WHITEBEARLAKE.BUYABBEY.COM Suburban Floor Covering Lifestyle
Individual Defensive Records
SOLO/UNASSISTED TACKLES
GAME (15 MINIMUM)
No. Player School Year Opponent
22 Brian Sauer White Bear Lake 1996 Coon Rapids
21 Andy Dimmel Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton 1995 Waterville-Elysian-Morristown
19 Nathan Snider Minnewaska 2012 Paynesville
18 Jeff Adams Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton 1996 Martin County West
18 Matt Jarland Harmony 1984 Glyndon-Felton
18 Ben Passeri Deer River 1978 Pine River
17 Gabe Amore DeLaSalle 2018 Simley
17 Marc Sonnen Tartan High School 2008 Mahtomedi
17 Rich Gauthier Blaine 1988 Park Center
17 Dana Melius Winthrop 1974 Fairfax
16 Bill Barnett Stillwater 1973 Park
16 Mark Kosek Delano 1987 ??
16 Jeremiah Kalland Spring Lake Park 1992 Centennial
16 Bryan Kuempel Spring Lake Park 1994 Columbia Heights
16 Tyler Decker Maple Lake 1999 St. Croix Lutheran
15 Charles Webb Minnetonka 2011 Eden Prairie
15 Kyle Risinger Minnetonka 2007 Eden Prairie
15 John Shevlin Eastview 2002 Eden Prairie
15 Scott Anderson Le Sueur 1987 Sibley East
SEASON (125 MINIMUM)
No. Player School Year Games
181 Mike Weiske Westbrook 1982 14
140 Todd Simonette Mankato Loyola 1992 14
133 Mike Schull Motley 1977 9
130 Bill Kehoe Chokio-Alberta 1993 14
128 Happy Chakolis Mpls. North 1991 9
CAREER (240 MINIMUM)
No. Player School Years
344 Jake Meixl Mankato Loyola 1997-01
275 Nathan Snider Minnewaska 2009-12
272 Ted Greely Kimball 1984-87
271 Reed Olander Crosby-Ironton 2007-10
260 Jamie Steffensmeier Mankato East 1998-01
247 Adam Rasley Deer River 1990-93
244 Brandon Novak Becker 1993-95
243 Eric Stenzel Mankato West 1996-99
ASSISTED TACKLES
GAME (21 MINIMUM)
No. Player School Year Opponent
24 Dave Oswald Southland 1974 Goodhue
24 Brian Sauer White Bear Lake 1996 Coon Rapids
22 Josh Grover Le Sueur-Henderson 1999 LeCenter
21 Billy Peterson Spring Lake Park 1987 Coon Rapids
21 Joel Staats Winona 1987 Moorhead
SEASON (145 MINIMUM)
No. Player School Year Games 195 Scott Nyegaard Hallock
146 Dan Nelson Redwood Falls 1991
CAREER No. Player School Years
364 Jamie Steffensmeier Mankato East 1998-01
332 Eric Stenzel Mankato West 1996-99
321 Tom Gaughan Sartell 1976-78
311 Jake Meixl Mankato Loyola 1997-01
307 Dan Seymour New Prague 1987-89
TOTAL TACKLES: ASSISTED AND UNASSISTED
GAME No. Player School Year Opp
39 Chuck Woolhouse Big Lake 1973 Isle
35 Chuck Woolhouse Big Lake 1973 St. Michael
33 Eric Brust Montevideo 1978 Litchfield
32 Brian Hennen Burnsville 1985 Bloomington Jefferson
32 Matt Gwash Cook County 2000 Deer River
SEASON No. Player School Year Games
258 Mike Weiske Westbrook 1982 14
257 Jamie Steffensmeier Mankato East 2001 13
232 Brett Lindamen Westbrook 1985 14
225 Luke DePestel Minneota 1993 14
222 Jeremiah Kalland Spring Lake Park 1992
CAREER No. Player School Years
655 Jake Meixl Mankato Loyola 1997-01
624 Jamie Steffensmeier Mankato East 1998-01
587 Eric Stenzel Mankato West 1996-99
579 Tim DeVlaeminck Minneota 1986-89
553 Ted Greely Kimball 1984-87
TACKLES FOR A LOSS/SACK
Note: Many schools do not differentiate between sacks and tackles for lost yardage. GAME (4 MINIMUM) No. Player School Year Opp 10 Adam Brown Pillager 2000 New York Mills
9 John Nash Orono 1990 Brooklyn Center
6 Scott Hesse Stillwater 1976 North St. Paul
6 Butch Goergen Southland 1981 Byron
6 John
INTERCEPTIONS
1993-95
GAME Int Player School Year Opponent
5 Jamie Fields Mpls. Washburn 2009 Blue Earth
5 Josh Stougard International Falls 2006 Virginia
5 Jay Loven Swanville-Grey Eagle 1987 Upsala
5 Harold Stevens New Prague 1973 Farmington
5 Harold Stevens New Prague 1973 Kenyon
5 Dana Melius Winthrop 1974 Sleepy Eye
4 Joe Kneip New Prague 2011 Chaska
4 Terrance Alm Lakeview 2005 Cedar Mountain-Morgan
4 Tyler Isaackson Lakeview 2003 Westbrook WG
4 Steve Esselink Hills/Beaver Creek/Ellsworth 1998 Edgerton
4 John Treptau Becker 1997 Big Lake
4 Andrew Hale Anoka 1996 White Bear Lake
4 Tom Schoenfeld Lester Prairie 1994 ??
4 Robby Ott Deer River 1989 Blackduck
4 Eric Norskog Adrian 1987 ??
4 Jim Bell Simley 1987 Hastings
4 Blaine Schnaible Adrian 1984 ??
4 Ed Bahr Int. Falls 1983 Greenway
4 Harry Johnson Big Lake 1971 Ogilvie
4 Curt Billehus Starbuck 1959 Long Prairie
4 Ray Bratsch Le Sueur 1950 Belle Plaine
SEASON Int Player School Year
17 Harold Stevens New Prague 1973
15 Adam Carlson St. Clair
Let’s Play Football 18 September 16, 2021 www.letsplayfootballmn.com
1988 14
1977
1971 9
1988 14 153 Brett Natthajer Morris
150 Tom Gaughan Sartell
147 Dale Messer Sartell
Shevlin Eastview 2002 Eden Prairie SEASON No. Name School Year 32 Regis Eller Breck 1996 32 Mike Spindler Park Center 1997 31 Joe Peterson Anoka 1985 31 Ken Larkin Rosemount 1993 30 Tony Cudo Rosemount 1994 CAREER No. Name School Year 65 Jeff Amundson Waterville-Elysian-Morristown 2009-11 51 Nate Dwyer Stillwater 1993-96 49 Steve Stauff Cleveland 1995-97 47 Andrew Muer Perham 2007-09 45 Grant Pope Waterville-Elysian-Morristown 2009-11 39 Mike Hara Totino Grace 2001-02 35 Stephan Olson, Jr. Burnsville 2014-16 34 Jerid Schoeck Hancock 1990-91 34 Matt Garin Eastview 2005-08 33 Todd Ratzlaff Rosemount 1988-89 33 Ryan Hartwig LeCenter 1991-93 33 Brad O’Keefe LeCenter
1989 15 Mark Mokoff Northfield 1996 15 Adam Platt Lakeville 1992 14 Todd DeBates Stewartville 1981 14 Tony Kley Lester Prairie 2002 13 Steve Myren Cambridge 1983 13 Robby Ott Deer River 1989 12 Josh Strougard International Falls 2006 12 Dana Melius Winthrop 1974 12 Harold Stevens New Prague 1974 CAREER Int Player School Years 37 Eric Vollbrecht STMA 1991-94 34 Harold Stevens New Prague 1972-74 27 Tony Kley Lester Prairie 2000-02 27 Dana Melius Winthrop 1970-74 25 Austin Pfisthner Cromwell 2011-14 25 Barry Wohler Bird Island-LL 1977-79 24 Cody Hendrickson Cromwell 2004-07 22 Scott Anderson Verndale 1985-88 20 Mark Hustad Battle Lake 1973-75 20 Dave Wrightman Trimont 1979-81 20 Robby Ott Deer River 1988-89 20 Kirk Midthun Triton 1992-93 Minnesota State Records Source: Minnesota High School Football Coaches Association Get the greatest on the gridiron delivered directly to your door SUBSCRIPTION SPECIAL! Let’s Play Football Let’s Play Football covers the great game of football from all corners of the state Let’s Play Football NAME ADDRESS CITY STATE _____ ZIP ________ EMAIL Checks can be mailed to: Let’s Play Football 6453 Clearwater Creek Drive, Lino Lakes MN 55038 Contact us with questions at advertising@letsplayfootballmn.com, or call 651-260-5032 YES! Start my subscription! 6 ISSUES $18.00 Subscribe to Let’s Play Football! Only 6 issues left... get the rest of the season delivered to your door for just $3.00 per issue! • High school team rankings • Player and coach features • Feature stories on high school, college and pro • Training and development articles from industry experts • Inspirational stories from the gridiron
Vikings mourn the loss of Mick Tingelhoff
The Vikings are mourning the loss of a man who never missed a moment during a storied 17-season career.
Mick Tingelhoff passed away Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, at the age of 81.
Tingelhoff started an incredible 240 games for the Vikings, the most in a row by any NFL center and second-most of any player in franchise history behind Jim Marshall’s 270 at defensive end. He also handled long-snapping duties in an era that predated such specialization.
The Wilf family ownership group of the Vikings described Tingelhoff as the “anchor” of the team through some of the best seasons in NFL history.
“Mick Tingelhoff was the anchor of the great Vikings teams during an amazing era that included four Super Bowls,” the Wilf family said in a statement. “A humble but strong leader, he defined toughness. Mick’s legacy will live on as a Hall of Famer, on the field and off the field. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
Tingelhoff’s career began as an undrafted free agent linebacker in 1962. He shifted to center in Minnesota’s second preseason game and went on to start all 14 games at the position — the only Vikings rookie center to open every game until Garrett Bradbury did so for all 16 of the 2019 season.
A run of six consecutive Pro Bowls for Tingelhoff began in 1964. He also earned the first of his five selections to the All-Pro First Team for his role in helping Minnesota record the first winning season in franchise history (8-5-1).
Tingelhoff was instrumental in Minnesota’s transformation from a fledgling franchise into a divisional dynasty. Minnesota won the NFL or NFC Central 10 times in Tingelhoff’s final 11 seasons and advanced to Super Bowls IV, VIII, IX and XI.
Grant, who coached Tingelhoff from 1967-78, described the center as a “pillar” that supported the success of the team.
“When we came to the Vikings, Mick was the pillar of what we built our team around, he and Jim Marshall. Mick led by example,” Grant said. “His toughness and his durability and intelligence, he was a great football player and one of the greatest Vikings of all-time. I loved Mick Tingelhoff.”
Tingelhoff’s No. 53 jersey was retired by the Vikings on Nov. 25, 2001, the same day that he was inducted to the Vikings Ring of Honor. He had to wait another decade-and-a-half, however, for his enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (Aug. 8, 2015).
A member of the Minnesota Vikings 25th and 40th Anniversary Teams, Tingelhoff also was named one of the 50 Greatest Vikings in 2010.
Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton proudly presented his “best friend” for enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.
“I came to the Vikings a year before Mick, but we left at the same time. He was my guy,” Tarkenton said Saturday after learning the news. “He played 17 years, never missed a game, never missed a practice. Mick was my best friend by far.”
A little more than six years earlier, Tarkenton and Tingelhoff stood shoulder-to-shoulder in Canton, Ohio.
“Mick’s a man of little words, but a lot of action,” Tarkenton told a crowd of more than 22,000 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. “He’s so proud to be in this Class of 2015.”
Tarkenton choked up when he said Tingelhoff “waited 37 years,” before adding, “but Mick’s in the Hall of Fame.”2
Mick Tingelhoff is second only to Jim Marshall in games played in a Vikings uniform. Undrafted, he signed as a linebacker and eventually moved to center where he earned a trip to six consecutive pro bowls. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015. Above he is shown during the 1974 season.
GAMES PLAYED
TRIVIA QUESTION #1
Viking legend Mick Tingelhoff passed away recently at age 81. He is one of only five players in franchise history to play in 200 games. Can you name the other four?
TRIVIA QUESTION #2 TRIVIA QUESTION #3
Which Minnesota Vikings tight end played more games than Matt Blair, Fran Tarkenton, Chris Doleman, and John Randle?
This active Vikings leader in games played has played in more games than Tommy Kramer, Sammy White, Randy Moss, Gary Zimmerman and Todd Steussie.
Who is he?
Answers to Minnesota Vikings Trivia can be found on page 22
Let’s Play Football www.letsplayfootballmn.com September 16, 2021 19
Hall of Fame Head Coach Bud
The Heart of a Hall of Famer
by CRAIG PETERS
CANTON, Ohio — Steve Hutchinson’s Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement speech blended humor and heart the way the guard combined technique, power and determination during his 12 NFL seasons.
Intense authenticity joined every word of gratitude he extended toward people who helped him punch his ticket to football immortality.
The native of South Florida who became an All-American at Michigan opened by noting the intense rivalry between the Wolverines and Ohio State Buckeyes.
“If you would have told me prior to my graduation from the University of Michigan that I would be excited about standing in the middle of Ohio in August, I would have said you were crazy, but that is exactly the case. My college coach Lloyd Carr used to ask us, ‘Where would you rather be?’
“Well, Coach, my answer is ‘nowhere’ because as far as I’m concerned, there’s not a better place on Earth than Canton, Ohio.”
Hutchinson has had his sights on Canton since watching enshrinement ceremonies as a child and wondering “if I could ever make it there too.”
He became a first-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks in 2001 and backed it up before joining the Minnesota Vikings in 2006 as a highly sought free agent who proved to be a team-changing leader.
Teammates, coaches and opponents knew it wasn’t a matter of if but when.
The moment became official Saturday night in front of 18,383 fans as he stood in his custom-fit Gold Jacket and saw his bronze bust for the first time, moments after former Seahawks center Robbie Tobeck presented him for en-
shrinement.
Hutchinson was elected in February 2020 on the eve of Super Bowl LIV. He was in a hotel near his hometown when he got “The Knock” from Pro Football Hall of Fame President and CEO David Baker.
His wife Landyn captured the emotional reaction from inside the room — more palpable than many things in an ever-increasing digital world. Hugs between the couple and their daughter, Lily, and son, Luke, followed.
They were there for “The Knock” in Hutchinson’s third year of eligibility as he became the 335th inductee and learned the news at 3:35 p.m. (ET). They also know what “the call” had meant in previous years.
And although the enshrinement for the Centennial Class of 2020 was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the family was able to celebrate together.
“Lily and Luke, I thought the days you were born were going to be the best two of my life,” Hutchinson said from the stage, choking up. “That was just the start.
“Lily, when I look at you, I see so much of myself. You are strong, brave and beautiful,” he continued. “That little girl who stole my heart has grown into a young woman I am extremely proud of. Always maintain that passion, that fire and that great personality, no matter what path you choose.
“Luke, watching you grow up is like rewinding my life. It’s crazy to see the amount of similarities we shared at that age,” Hutchinson said. “I always
wish I could go back and tell myself something to help myself in the future. If I could go back now, I’d tell myself not to fear failure, but to fear not giving it your all. You are everything I could have asked for in a son, and watching you grow up warms my heart. Have as much confidence in you as I do. It’s going to be fun watching you figure yourself out in these next few years. I need both of you to figure out how incredibly proud I am to be your dad. This might look like my biggest accomplishment, but being your dad always has and will be my greatest honor.”
He then thanked Landyn for being by his side since eighth grade and forming a great team that enabled him to focus on his career to reach his goals.
“You always found a way to lift my spirits after a bad game, bring me countless bags of ice after numerous surgeries, raise two great kids and somehow find a way to have dinner made, errands run and handle the bills all while having that unmistakable smile on your face,” Hutchinson said. “I could talk for days about how much you mean to me, but you already know that. I’m incredibly proud to be your husband, and I love you.”
Baker described the opportunity to welcome Hutchinson to one of the most exclusive clubs ever created. Hutchinson realized Friday during a Gold Jacket luncheon that he was no longer an admirer but a member.
“People talk about how great it is to deliver ‘The Knock’ on the door of these guys, but I also have to call the guys who don’t make it,” Baker said. “There were several years where I called Hutch and said, ‘I hope to have better news.’ When I finally knocked on his door, he was — you’ve probably seen the video of him pacing back and forth — he was elated. It was special. He was crying, big ol’ Hutch.
“When that happens, they’re not thinking about how much money they made or how many Super Bowl rings or Pro Bowls they had,” Baker added. “I’m sure he was thinking about his mom or dad, or the coach that inspired him or his teammates. That’s what I love capturing for a guy like Hutch. When we put that Gold Jacket on him [Friday], it was like the whole history of the league, from the first time they laced up a pigskin to the last time [Commissioner Roger Goodell] presented a Lombardi Trophy. I think Steve Hutchinson — I’ve got a predic-
tion for all of you Minnesota Vikings fans — is going to be a great Hall of Famer.”
Hutchinson started all 169 regular-season games he played, helped Shaun Alexander and Adrian Peterson lead the NFL in rushing in separate seasons, and garnered seven Pro Bowls and five First-Team All-Pro selections. He went entire seasons without committing a penalty twice for a life of anonymity in the eyes of many fans and delivering a technical excellence backed by brute force.
“There’s different types of players, but he would be considered a mauler,” Tobeck said in a video introduction before helping Hutchinson unveil his bust. “It’s not always good enough to just block a guy. Steve wanted to finish a guy.
“Getting into the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a dream for some and a goal for others,” Tobeck added. “Steve came in from day one, ‘I want to be the best in the league. I want to be a Hall of Famer.’ Those are stated goals. You really have to admire a guy like that who is willing to come out and have the courage to put himself out there and have the courage to do the work that it takes to be there.”
Word was out and validated by the time Hutchinson arrived in Minnesota in 2006.
Guard Randall McDaniel, who was enshrined in 2009, didn’t get to play with Hutchinson, but he did watch him.
“I liked the way he played when the Vikings brought him in, the nastiness to go after guys,” McDaniel said. “That’s what you’ve got to be to be a good lineman. We’re the hammer, and everybody else is the nail. That’s why I loved the way Steve finished the blocks.
“He’s being rewarded for what he did on the field,” McDaniel added. “No one knows what we’re doing out there unless we’re doing something wrong, but in the end your teammates know, and he’s right where he should be. He’s on that team now. The joke is you can never be cut from this team, even after you die.”
Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman, who joined Minnesota’s personnel department in 2005, said Hutchinson led by example.
“He went with the approach every week that he was going to beat his man, and to see him physically dominate … until the whistle blew, to show his presence on the field, that’s why he’s in the Hall of Fame,” said Spielman,
HEART OF A HALL OF FAMER
continued on page 21
Let’s Play Football 20 September 16, 2021 www.letsplayfootballmn.com
Hutchinson made a commitment early in his career, wanting to be the best, and working every day to one day being a Hall of Famer.
“To the kids out there who are dreaming of playing in those stadiums or wondering if you could one day be up here as well, never give up on your dreams.”
Steve Hutchinson
Steve Hutchinson
Steve Hutchinson unveils his Hall of Fame bust in Canton, Ohio, becoming the latest Viking enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
HEART OF A HALL OF FAMER
continued from page 20
who grew up in Canton and Massillon, Ohio, and bought Christmas presents for his brother Chris at the Hall of Fame gift shop.
Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway was picked in the same spot (17th overall) in 2006, five years after Hutchinson was drafted. The rookie quickly looked to the incoming veteran for on-field and off-field lessons that resonated.
“I was a better 17th overall pick,” Greenway joked. “I think he would tell you the same thing. He would be honest about it.
“I think when you’re a linebacker going against an offensive lineman, you understand that you’re going against something different,” Greenway said. “There’s a lot of players that I could beat and beat repeatedly and get my way, and there’s guys that played across the league — Brian Waters with the Chiefs was different, and Steve was that guy. To get to play against him in practice and really sharpen your iron against the best in the world, Steve was certainly that. He was so strong and built unlike anybody else, and I think the way that Steve separated himself to me was his ability with his mind — a very smart guy, always had his body in
the right position. So he had the physical ability that he was born with and worked for but also the mental capability to be ahead of you.”
Greenway is forever grateful for a locker placement next to Hutchinson’s at Winter Park, the Vikings former headquarters.
“I learned a lot from him, by watching him, by taking it all in,” Greenway said. “Steve is not the most talkative guy, but you know when you get on his good side and when you become one of the clan.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Steve and how he played the game and what he stood for and his family,” Greenway added. “I emulated what he did with his family and how he interacted. Just a great dude, rough around the edges, but I always respected the way he approached the game.”
Hutchinson thanked his parents for their “selflessness and unwavering support” and for teaching him the value of hard work, as well as other family members.
He also credited coaches and teammates at all levels of football, ownerships and support staff members with the Seahawks, Vikings and Titans for
whom he played, fans, the Hall of Fame and its volunteers that make enshrinement weekend an incredible destination.
Lastly, he encouraged others to set goals, pursue them and turn dreams into realities.
“To the kids out there who are dreaming of playing in those stadiums or wondering if you could one day be up here as well, never give up on your dreams,” Hutchinson said. “Hard work and dedication are two necessary ingre-
dients for success, but you can’t do it alone. Lean on that parent, that grandparent, friend, coach or teammate.
“Success isn’t always comfortable or easy. It requires sacrifice,” he added. “I remember back to my freshman year of high school, walking out to the first of two practices in South Florida heat while many of my friends were hanging out at the beach or the pool. I had made a choice then that I wanted to be great, and I never looked back.”
Let’s Play Football www.letsplayfootballmn.com September 16, 2021 21
“Success isn’t always comfortable or easy. It requires sacrifice.”
-Steve Hutchinson
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Hutchinson paved the way for many Vikings runners, none better than the great Adrian Peterson. Hutchinson became the 335th inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Let’s Play Football
Q: Viking legend Mick Tingelhoff passed away recently at age 81. He is one of only five players in franchise history to play in 200 games. Can you name the other four?
A: Jim Marshall played in 270 games and started all 270. He is the franchise leader. Tinglehoff was second with 240 games (he started every one), followed by Fred Cox at 210, Carl Eller at 209 and Scott Studwell at 202. Ron Yary fell one game short at 199.
Q: Which Minnesota Vikings tight end played more games than Matt Blair, Fran Tarkenton, Chris Doleman, amnd John Randle?
A: You were probably thinking Steve Jordan. But the answer is Jim Kleinsasser. Kleinsasser played in 181 games for the Purple, starting 130 of them. He also played some fullback and half back. The Carrington, North Dakota native who played college ball at the University of North Dakota (at the time a Division II school), played 13 seasons for the Vikings before retiring in 2011. Steve Jordan, by the way, played in 178 games for the Vikings.
Q: This active Vikings leader in games played has played in more games than Tommy Kramer, Sammy White, Randy Moss, Gary Zimmerman and Todd Steussie. Who is he?
A: That would be safety Harrison Smith. Since 2012 Smith has played in 129 games, starting 128 of them. A first round pick out of Notre Dame, Smith recently signed a 4-year contract extension with the team for $64 million. Smith was born in August, Georgia, home of the famed Masters Golf Tournament. He played high school football in Knoxville, TN.
Let’s Play Football 22 September 16, 2021 www.letsplayfootballmn.com
Check out our website! www.letsplayfootballmn.com Regular Season Games Played/Started entering 2021 Player Pos. Years Played/Started Jim Marshall DE 1961-79 270/270 Mick Tingelhoff C 1962-78 240/240 Fred Cox K 1963-77 210/0 Carl Eller DE 1964-78 209/201 Scott Studwell LB 1977-90 202/160 Ron Yary T 1968-81 199/180 Grady Alderman T 1961-74 194/178 Randall McDaniel G 1988-99 190/188 Roy Winston LB 1962-76 190/160 Tim Irwin T 1981-93 188/181 Cris Carter WR 1990-01 188/177 Jim Kleinsasser TE 1999-11 181/130 Bill Brown RB 1962-74 180/111 Steve Jordan TE 1982-94 178/149 Fran Tarkenton QB 1961-66, ‘72-78 177/171 John Randle DT 1990-00 176/150 Brian Robison DE 2007-17 173/103 Kevin Williams DT 2003-13 171/171 Paul Krause S 1968-79 171/150 Cullen Loeffler LS 2004-14 171/0 Carl Lee CB 1983-93 169/144 Alan Page DT 1967-78 160/157 Matt Blair LB 1974-85 160/130 Bobby Bryant CB 1968-80 160/128 Fred McNeill LB 1974-85 157/121 Wally Hilgenberg LB 1968-79 157/116 Jeff Siemon LB 1972-82 156/149 Chad Greenway LB 2007-16 156/144 Chris Doleman DE 1985-93, ‘99 154/142 David Dixon G 1994-04 152/134 Mark Mullaney DE 1975-87 151/97 Everson Griffen DE 2010-19 147/88 Matt Birk C 1998-08 146/123 Milt Sunde G 1964-74 146/113 Mike Morris LS 1991-99 144/0 Ed Sharockman CB 1961-72 141/126 Leo Lewis WR 1981-91 140/50 Kyle Rudolph TE 2011-20 140/132 Dennis Swilley C 1977-83, ‘85-87 139/101 Steve Riley T 1974-84 138/128 Joey Browner S 1983-91 138/115 Greg Coleman P 1978-87 138/0 Doug Sutherland DT 1971-80 136/90 Gary Larsen DT 1965-74 135/115 Dave Osborn RB 1965-75 135/69 Jake Reed WR 1991-99, ‘01 134/83 Chris Walsh WR 1994-02 134/4 Anthony Carter WR 1985-93 133/126 Bryant McKinnie T 2002-10 132/131 Karl Kassulke S 1963-72 131/117 Stu Voigt TE 1970-80 131/80 Darrin Nelson RB 1982-89, ‘91-92 129/67 Harrison Smith S 2012- 129/128 Paul Dickson DT 1961-70 128/83 David Huffman OL 1979-83, ‘85-90 128/22 Sammy White WR 1976-86 127/117 Tommy Kramer QB 1977-89 127/110 Chris Kluwe P 2005-12 127/0 Doug Martin DE 1980-89 126/94 Nate Wright CB 1971-80 126/89 Ed McDaniel LB 1992-01 125/110 E.J. Henderson LB 2003-11 125/105 Marcus Sherels CB 2010-19 123/6 Adrian Peterson RB 2007-16 123/116 Ed White G 1969-77 122/95 Antoine Winfield CB 2004-12 119/115 Wes Hamilton G 1976-85 119/93 Robert Griffith S 1994-01 119/88 Henry Thomas DT 1987-94 118/117 Tommy Hannon S 1977-84 117/103 Moe Williams RB 1996-00, ‘02-05 117/10 James White DT 1976-83 116/77 Kirk Lowdermilk C 1985-92 114/86 Randy Moss WR 1998-04, ‘10 113/108 Todd Steussie T 1994-00 111/111 Jim Hough G 1978-86 111/78 John Sullivan C 2008-15 109/93 Gary Zimmerman T 1986-92 108/108 Alfred Anderson RB 1984-91 108/71 Joe Berger C/G 2011-17 107/64 Xavier Rhodes CB 2013-19 104/97 Everett Lindsay OL 1993-98, ‘01-03 104/31 Ted Brown RB 1979-86 104/75 Adam Thielen WR 2014- 104/70 Randy Holloway DE 1978-84 103/31 John Turner DB 1978-83, ‘85, ‘87101/70 Jeff Christy C 1993-99 101/92 Hassan Jones WR 1986-92 100/55
The Minnesota Vikings will host two high school football games for the third season of Vikings Prep Spotlight presented by Twin Cities Orthopedics during the 2021 season at Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center.
TCO Performance Center and TCO Stadium will be utilized to continue the club’s commitment to youth football programming to showcase and grow the game at the high school level. The facility will give high school players a unique opportunity to compete on the same fields as their NFL counterparts.
The events will include three regular-season games. Ticketed student fans will receive discounted admission to the Minnesota Vikings Museum ($10). Parking is free and fans can access lots via Vikings Parkway or Ames Crossing, using the 2600 Vikings Circle address.
Fans can tune into the game on School Space Media. Tickets will be sold at participating schools and a limited number of walkup tickets will be available.
“High school football is one of our greatest traditions in America,” Minnesota Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman said. “The values and lessons our game teaches young people are foundations they carry on for the rest of their lives. We are proud to share our field with the next generation of football players and hope they make memories for a lifetime.”
Let’s Play Football www.letsplayfootballmn.com September 16, 2021 23 2021 Prep Spotlight Schedule Friday, September 17 St. Thomas Academy vs. Cretin-Derham Hall at TCO Stadium Kickoff at 7:00pm (gates open at 5:30pm) Past Prep Spotlight results: Sept. 10 Waconia 20, Robbinsdale Cooper 14
VIKINGS
PREP SPOTLIGHT GAMES are PRESENTED BY Minnesota Vikings and Twin Cities Orthopedics
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