Let's Play Football Issue No. 5

Let’s Play

Volume I • Number 5 • Issue 5

Football

t’s Play Football

October 10, 2019

THE UNDEFEATED

The chase is on as several teams in each class remain unbeaten...page 5

INSIDE Overcoming adversity................page 4 Cousin Connection...................... page 7 The passing game inside the 10.............................. page 9 Prep Scoreboard.........................page 12 Friday Night Spotlight........ page 14-15

College roundup...............................page 16-20 Vikings Trivia................................page 21 The brotherhood of the O-line.............................page 25

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Let’s Play Football Let’s Play Football 13 7th St S Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Phone: 320-333-3279 Email: editor@letsplayfootballmn.com Email articles and photos to Bryan Zollman editor@letsplayfootballmn.com Founded in 2019 by Mike Sonntag and Bryan Zollman Pioneer9192 Media Publishers Bryan Zollman (320-333-3279) Mike Sonntag (651-260-5032) Managing Editor Bryan Zollman Advertising Mike Sonntag Graphic Design Laura Bromenshenkel Contributors Vince Conway, Ryan Dutton, Ryan Johnson, Bobby Lawrence Matt Kane

Photography Nick Wosika, Jason Barum Let’s Play Football is a newspaper devoted to covering all levels of football in the state of Minnesota.

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Overcoming adversity in football and it’s relationship to success in life

by RYAN DUTTON

Let’s Play Football Columnist

Football players have to be resilient and show perseverance during a heated battle on the gridiron. Life has a way of testing you where nothing happens at all or everything happens at once. Everybody is good when things are good; that’s life.

When you get hit in the face and get knocked flat on your butt, that’s when you find out who champions are. I am a firm believer that champions show up when things get tough, and that can be related to anything in life, not just football. True champions look inward to find toughness and push through adversity, and do not point fingers at anyone!

The adversity we go through in football, we are going to go through in life.

It’s a tough sport, tough on the coaches, tough on the kids and tough on the town. But you know what? Years from now when we are sitting back looking at this, we are going to say, “We made it through.” On the football field, lessons are learned at the speed of the game. The clock is ticking, your opponent is sizing you up and your team is depending on you to do your part.

The survival and success of an entrepreneur has more in common with athletes than one might think. Potential pitfalls and speed bumps make it critical for growing companies to think on their feet. Entrepreneurs can learn a few things from athletes who have tri-

umphed through trials on the field. Here are those lessons I feel are so important: 1. Be Flexible One of the first things you learn in athletics is that the unpredictable will always happen. Whether it’s injury, weather conditions or something else, you really only have two options. You can get flustered and lose your composure, or you can adapt. Great athletes are able to adjust to whatever comes at them. Even when things are not going as planned, they find a way to work with it and turn the situation around into an advantageous one.

2. Persistence In athletics, quarters, periods and innings create a sense of urgency. Time limits allow you to know where you stand. If you’re down and there is only 10 minutes left on the clock, it’s time to push hard and start implementing the steps you need to reach your goal. There is no time clock in business. There’s no countdown on a scoreboard that makes it clear when it’s the right time to sell or go all in. You cannot make it as an entrepreneur without a sense of urgency!

3. Have humility.

You can’t be part of a championship team or run a successful business without being confident in your own abilities.

No matter how good you are, sometimes things will be hard. In many instances, it’s simply because you weren’t good enough. As an athlete, there were plen-

ty of times things didn’t go my way.

Instead of getting down when I things went amuck, I pushed and worked harder. Part of the reason I wasn’t getting the outcome I wanted was because I needed to get better, faster and stronger. In the real world, when I lose my job or don’t get the sale I was expecting, it would be easy to get down about it. Instead of passing the blame, I look at the opportunity. I try to pinpoint what we could have done different, and use that to get better at my job or craft!

Remember, every season you will face tough times. It’s up to the athlete whether or not to get going and move forward. Understand you are capable of handling it and that adversity is temporary, not long term. Use adversity in your past to give you the confidence and support that you can overcome what you are going through currently and become even stronger! Stay confident in your team when times are tough knowing things will turn for the better. Look for and praise the small signs that the team and their game is recovering.

I’ll leave you all with one last piece.

It’s not mine, but I love it, and that’s believing that tough times never last, but tough people do!

Ryan Dutton played college football at Minnesota State University-Mankato and was a punter in the National Football League. He is now a principal at Tioga High School in California.

Game day lifting

by RYAN JOHNSON

Let’s Play Football Columnist

There is nothing quite like a high school on a Friday during the football season. The players all dressed in their jerseys acting the part of “Kings of the Hall” per Kenny Chesney’s line in his song “Boys of Fall.” The players have practiced and trained all week leading up to this game and you can honestly feel the energy in the hallways. The momentum builds throughout the day and when the final bell rings the building floods pure energy into the parking lot. Super fans decked out in their fan gear and glitter scream out and the players congregate and begin game preparations. One of my favorite game day preparations is to work the players out.

There is ample research that shows training on game day activates the central nervous system (CNS) and provides a boost to athletes come game time. This may come as a surprise to many as a common thought process is to “conserve energy” prior to competitions.

A great analogy I use with our athletes is to describe running out to start your car on a cold day. Most drivers like to warm the car up prior to jumping in on a winter day and drive off in a cold car. The same goes for an athlete’s body, and with proper training on game day the athletes can benefit.

Another analogy I like to use is to think about lying around the house on a rainy Saturday. Think of lying around all day watching TV. Have you ever done this and found yourself very sluggish and tired? You probably ask, “Why am

I so tired, I haven’t done anything today but lie around?” Well, your central nervous system is in a vegetative state, it hasn’t been activated or stimulated and thus you are a slow moving vehicle. The same goes for athletes if they just sit around trying to conserve energy. Athletes that “take it easy” on game day may be setting themselves up for less than a stellar performance later that evening.

Game day workouts are modified versions of normal workouts. The goal is not to work to exhaustion or actually work to get a training effect. The goal of game day workouts is to stimulate the CNS and start the athlete’s engines to prepare them for competition.

Recently, I have been seeing a lot of college football teams get exposure for showing athletes lifting weights just hours before competition. In fact, just a couple of weeks ago I saw a Division 1 college football team lifting weights on the sidelines three hours prior to kick off. Many high schools are also following this trend in some fashion. Some programs choose to bring the team in before school to do a quick, light weight, explosive training session. Others bring the team into the weight room right after school to do the same. Whether the teams train before school or after doesn’t matter too much (I prefer before school) but it comes down to what works best for the program.

The goal of this workout is the same, we want the athletes firing on all cylinders and not sluggish and slow. These workouts are 20 to 30 minutes and focus on speed and power, not heavy loads moved slow and methodical. You want

this workout to be similar to an opera singer hitting the high notes backstage before taking the stage to perform. They aren’t going to sing every song and go through the whole performance backstage. The same goes for the lift – get them peaked and then get them out.

The legendary strength coach from the University of Oregon, Jimmy Radcliffe, explains the theory of game day training by using the analogy of a super ball and a tomato. He uses the two to illustrate this point. Do you want your athletes to be like a super ball or a tomato on game day? When you drop a super ball it bounces and reacts explosively.

The tomato goes splat. I think this really gets the point across and helps people to understand the importance of being ready to compete and explode come kickoff on these magical Friday Night Lights.

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).

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FRIDAY NIGHT SPOTLIGHT

THE UNDEFEATED

40 teams head into this week without a loss

by BRYAN ZOLLMAN Co-Publisher, Let’s Play Football

As we head into Week 7 of high school football there are 40 teams statewide who have yet to suffer a defeat.

We will call them “The Undefeateds.”

Last season the state crowned six state champions. Of those six, not one had suffered a loss all season long. If that is considered a trend, one would bet that six of the remaining 40 undefeated teams will end up hoisting the state championship trophy at US Bank Stadium in late November.

Let’s take a look class by class at just who these teams are.

9-MAN

Last season Spring Grove ended their remarkable run of state titles with a 14-0 mark. But this season they have already suffered two losses as other teams have emerged as contenders to unseat the Lions as 9-Man champions.

Those teams include Hancock, Leroy-Ostrander, North Central, Win-E-Mac, Brandon/ Evansville. Renville County West, Ogilvie and Mountain Lake Area.

Renville County West (RCW) shares Section 2 with Ogilvie. Both programs have experienced turnaround seasons and are looking to make a push in the final weeks of play and will likely end up in the section finals against each other, although Nicollet is 65-1 and narrowly lost to RCW 22-20 on Sept. 13.

Leroy-Ostrander has the in-

side track in Section 1 but have Grand Meadow and Southland, both 5-1, to deal with. Leroy-Ostrander defeated Grand Meadow 30-19 earlier this season, but a lot can happen in the course of the weeks that go by.

Section 3 has Mountain Lake Area atop the list. They are also the top of the list statewide and are averaging more than 50 points a game. They defeated section foe Hills-Beaver Creek (5-1) 40-20 on Sept, 20.

Hancock and Brandon/ Evansville will punch it out for the Section 4 title. Both teams have dominated opponents, and Hancock had a nice win over longtime rival and perennial power Verndale on Sept. 20. Fans won’t want to miss when Hancock travels to Brandon/Evansville Wednesday, Oct. 16 for their regular season finales.

Win-E-Mac leads Section 6 with a 6-0 mark but has Fertile-Beltrami (5-1) and Blackduck (5-1) right behind them. They defeated Fertile-Beltrami 16-8 Sept.

20 and will play at Blackduck Wed. Oct. 16.

The final undefeated from 9-Man is North Central in Section 8. They seem to have a firm grasp on their section and have allowed less than six points per game this season.

Section 5 and Section 7 do not have an undefeated team, but have some strong 5-1 squads.

South Ridge leads Section 5 and will play North Central on Oct. 16, which will be a good test for both squads.

South Ridge is also a contender because their only loss came at the hands of Carlton/Wrenshall by the score of 7-6 in the first game

UNDEFEATED TEAMS

9-MAN Hancock Leroy-Ostrander North Central Win-E-Mac Brandon/Evansville Renville County West Ogilvie Mountain Lake Area

CLASS A BOLD Blooming prairie Minneota Springfield United South Central Carlton/Wrenshall

CLASS AAAA Hutchinson Simley Benilde-St. Margaret’s Detroit Lakes Fridley Marshall Winona SMB

of the season. Carlton/Wrenshall is 6-0 in Class A. Section 7 has two 5-1 teams battling it out. Mountain IronBuhl and Silver Bay will look to meet each other in the section finals.

With the MEA weekend and final regular season games coming up next week, playoffs are right around the corner. And if history tells us anything, one of the undefeateds will stand alone at the end.

CLASS A

They are big, they’re bad and they’re BOLD. The BOLD Warriors finished second in Class A last season, losing a heartbreaker 22-21 to Mahnomen/Waubun for the Class A state title.

They are also back. BOLD has stomped opponents so far this season in their quest to get back to the state finals. They are one of six undefeateds in Class A join-

BOLD wide receiver Gavin Vosika heads upfield as teammate Matthew Morse looks on. BOLD has been dominant in Class A so far this season.

CLASS AA Minneapolis North Concordia Academy Caledonia Barnesville Lewiston-Altura

CLASS AAAAA Robbinsdale Armstrong Bemidji Owatonna St. Thomas Academy Elk River Tartan

ing Blooming Prairie, Minneota, Springfield, United South Central, and Carlton/Wrenshall.

BOLD leads Section 5 along with Minneota. The Warriors have outscored opponents 29949 while Minneota has been no slouch themselves by outscoring their opponents 217-57. If those two teams match up in the section playoffs, it will no doubt be a good one and will be interesting to see if either defense can slow down their potent offenses.

Blooming Prairie leads Section 1 and has only been held under 46 points once. That was by Goodhue 27-6. They finished 12-1 last season before losing to BOLD 37-7 in the state semifinals. They will be looking for revenge come playoff time.

United South Central leads Section 2 at 6-0. They too will be looking for revenge as they were defeated by Blooming Prairie in the state quarterfinals last season.

It was their only loss as they are now 16-1 in their past 17 games.

Springfield has the inside track in Section 3 and already has three shutouts on the season. In their six games they have allowed just five touchdowns, an impressive showing for their defensive crew. They are coming off a state tournament berth last season despite four regular season losses.

They lost to eventual state champions Mahnomen/Waubun in the state semis, but hope to get back to defend their Section 3 title, which they won dramatically 15-14 over Murray County Central, who is lurking with a 5-1 mark going into this week.

Carlton/Wrenshall is 6-0 in Section 7A but play primarily a 9-Man schedule. Two other teams, Deer River and Braham, are 5-1 and could contend for the section title. Braham beat Deer River and Braham lost to International Falls, a Class AA team.

Sections 4, 6 and 8 do not have an undefeated team but are housed with some strong teams

CLASS AAA Albany Pierz Annandal Stewartville Jackson County Central Cannon Falls

CLASS AAAAAA Wayzata

who are 5-1 on the campaign trail.

Section 4 has Browerville/Eagle Valley, Upsala/Swanville Area and Mayer Lutheran vying for the top spot. In Section 6, Underwood and Walker-Hackensack-Akeley are both 5-1, and in Section 8 defending state champion Mahnomen/Waubun is 5-1 along with Ada-Borup.

Mahnomen/Waubun’s only loss was to Ada-Borup by a lopsided 47-12 score.

CLASS AA

The Class AA field only has five undefeated squads heading into the seventh week of play.

Minneapolis North leads the field as they have coasted through their first six games by not allowing more than a touchdown in any game and shutting out their opponent twice. But they share a section with Concordia Academy who is also 6-0 and has only allowed six touchdowns in six games.

Caledonia out of Section 1AA has to be the favorite, however, after winning the Class AA title last year over Barnesville 21-0. But Lewis-Altura is also unbeaten in Section 1AA so there could be a clash in the section final between these two counterparts. Last season, Caledonia defeated Lewis-Altura 44-19 in the section quarterfinals.

Barnesville made it to the finals last season and hope to get back there this year. They are off to a good start at 6-0 as well, including a 35-22 win over AdaBorup.

There are also several 5-1 teams in the mix, including Redwood Valley, Paynesville, Staples-Motley, and Moose Lake-Willow River.

THE UNDEFEATED

continued on page 10

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Vikings Prep Spotlight at TCO Stadium Saturday, Sept. 28: Mankato West 58, Rochester Mayo 21

Mankato West scored 29 second-half points on their way to a 58-21 route of Rochester Mayo at TCO Stadium Sept. 28 as part of the Minnesota Vikings Prep Spotlight games.

Mankato West quarterback Jack Foster threw for five touchdowns and 277 yards in the win. Jon Sikel caught seven passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns and Mehki Collins hauled in three catches for 79 yards and two scores. Spencer Spaude also had a touchdown grab. Foster also ran for a touchdown.

Mankato West also ran back two kickoffs for touchdowns. Sikel broke free for an 8-yard TD return and Wyatt Block scored on a 70-yard jaunt.

Rochester Mayo quarterback Cade Sheehan passed for 258 yards and two touchdowns. He connected 15 times to Cayden Holcomb for 229 yards and two

touchdowns. Asa Cummings also had a great night running the ball with 143 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown.

Both teams are 4-2 as they head into action this week.

The game was one of three high school football games played at Twin Cities Orthopedic Performance Center as part of the Minnesota Vikings support of youth and high school football. The facility gives high school players the unique opportunity to compete on the same field as NFL players.

“High School football is one of our greatest traditions in America,” said Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman.

“The values and lessons our game teaches young people are foundations that carry on for the rest of their lives. We are proud to share out field with the next generation of football players and hope they make memories for a lifetime.”

Mankato West head coach JJ Helget

Governor Walz takes part in the coin toss in Saturday’s game.

PHOTOS BY JASON BARUM

#11 Mekhi Collins goes over the top of the defender for another TD

by Mankato West. #12 Cayden Holcomb makes an amazing over the shoulder catch for a TD.

Rochester Mayo HC Donny Holcomb

Big catch for #3 Jon Sikel

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Cousin

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October 10, 2019

7

connection

Hallin and Larson help turn Bronco program around in record-breaking style

by BRYAN ZOLLMAN Co-Publisher, Let’s Play Football When Riley Larson moved to International Falls in second grade, it not only brought him closer to his cousin, Jace Hallin, it started what would one day would become known as the “Cousin Connection.”

Almost 10 years later, the dynamic duo is leading the International Falls Broncos into a new era. They are doing so in record-breaking fashion.

On Sept. 27, Hallin set the school record for completions and passing yards in a game, and Larson, his main connection, came two yards short of the record for receiving yards.

“Every day we were outside in Jace’s backyard playing football,” said Larson, a junior on this year’s 4-2 Broncos team. “We would throw the ball back and forth for hours.”

Hallin is a senior and remembers those backyard games.

“It was funny because we would always try to set it up to where we were on the same team,” Hallin said.

“We were always outside doing something, but we played football more than anything.”

The connection they made as youngsters continues as they head into the final two weeks of the regular season. While their 4-2 record may seem somewhat modest to some, it’s been a long time coming for Broncos players, coaches and fans.

From 2014-2017 they didn’t win a single game.

“For the past two years we have been in the rebuilding phase,” said assistant coach Jakob Ettestad. “Jace and Riley have been a huge part of this along with the other team leaders and captains.”

In an era where football programs are losing kids for a variety of reasons, the Broncos coaching staff and its players stuck together through thick and thin. Having one winless season puts pressure on a program.

The Broncos suffered four straight.

“Our players faced a lot of adversity and criticism yet they persevered, stuck with it and never quit,” said Ettestad.

The Broncos went 3-6 last season and then started off this season with a double overtime 20-12 win over North Woods. They followed with a 34-14 win over Deer River before losing their next two to Moose Lake-Willow River (32-0) and Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin (56-14).

They got back on the winning track against Mesabi East. That’s when the Cousin Connection was at its best.

Hallin broke the school record for

Let’s Play

most passing yards in a game with 361, most passing attempts with 49, and most completions with 29. Of those 29 completions, 16 went to Larson, who finished the night just two yards shy of the school record for receiving yards in a game, finishing with 220.

“The Mesabi game was so fun to be a part of,” said Larson. “I was able to get open with good route running and beating the corner to deep balls. I give a lot of credit to Jace for placing those balls perfectly.”

Hallin said he could see early on in the game that Larson would be open a lot.

“I knew he would be able to get open and I just tried to put the ball where I knew only Riley would be able to get it,” said Hallin. “He’s really good at going up and getting the PHOTO SUBMITTED ball and has good hands.”

Jace hallin (left) and Riley Larson are cousins who have been playing football toWhile the duo has shown tremengether since they were young kids. The QB/WR combination recently set several dous ability on the field, Coach Ettesschool records in their win over Mesabi East and have led the International Falls tad said they are just as special off the Broncos to a respectable 4-2 record. field.

“They bring an energy with them Hallin and Larson both said it felt every time they step into the locker good to learn their names would be in room or on the field, whether it’s the school’s record book. a practice or a Friday But it’s a differnight game,” ent record they Ettestad said. are more “I love the brotherhood “They both concerned Team records broken: in football…the football family just have about. The •Most passing yards in a game: we create and the life lessons you that knack team is 361 (previous 275) for footlearn from playing the game.” currently •Most passing attempts in a ball and 4-2 with game: 49 (40) have that two regular Riley Larson switch that •Most offensive plays in a season games to they just turn on game: 83 (81) play. when they step on the “My goal is to win •Most first downs in a game: field.” out the rest of the games and finish 25 (23) Ettestad said both players have 6-2 and then make it to the section Also, there were three the “It” factor that coaches look for championship game and hopefully to individual records broken: in players. state,” said Hallin.

“They play with such pride and •Most pass completions in a They are currently in position to passion and that energy rubs off on game: 29 (19) by Jace Hallin do just that. They will travel to Evthe rest of the players,” he said. “They eleth-Gilbert (2-4) this Friday before •Most passing yards in a game: are constantly leading by example hosting Virginia (0-6) in their regular 361 (275) by Jace Hallin and are a great representation of our season finale on Oct. 16.

•Most receptions in a game: team’s culture on and off the field and They are currently in second 16 (9) by Riley Larson in the classroom as well.” place in Section 7AA, a six-team field •Larson was also two yards away When asked what he loves most led by Moose Lake-Willow River. from breaking the record for about the game of football, Hallin, Crosby-Ironton is also 4-2. most receiving yards in a who said he hopes to play college The road to state is never an easy game (221). football next fall, said the camaradeone, but for Hallin, Larson and the rie and the atmosphere.

Broncos, the road they have traveled “Just the feeling of being underhas come a long way from where they our program is the result of their and neath the lights,” he said. “You can’t were just a few short years ago. everyone’s hard work and the will to get a better feeling than that…to be “As a coaching staff we preach never quit.” with your team and your coaches. We positivity and the will to never quit,” Of course, Hallin will graduate all have such a good connection as a said Coach Ettestad. “Our seniors after this season, ending the cousin team. They are all a big part of why I will graduate having stayed positive connection for the Broncos. But it love the sport.” and knowing they never quit.” turns out that Larson’s younger brothLarson echoed his older cousin’s Hallin and Larson are two of er, Alex, happens to be the backup sentiments. those players who have bought into quarterback.

“I love the brotherhood in footthe Bronco way.

Is there a brother connection on ball…the football family we create “They have been a huge contrithe horizon? and the life lessons you learn from bution to this team,” Coach Ettestad playing the game,” he said. said. “The success and turnaround of

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The passing game inside the 10 yard line

by VINNY CONWAY

Let’s Play Football Columnist

When you are inside the 10 yard line everything is condensed in the run game and in the passing game. I had three favorite route combinations that I liked to run when we threw the ball down there.

The first one was play-action off of power. It seems everybody runs power down by the goal line and the defense really sells out to stop it. The counter is power pass. I like to stretch the defense horizontally inside the 20 because vertical routes are limited by the end line or back of the end zone. Stretching the defense horizontally creates seams in the defense for both the running and passing game. When running the power, we will be in 21 personnel, two backs and one tight end. I like running the play-action to the right because we ran mostly to our right, and I wanted to make it look as close to our run play as possible. The tight end would be lined up next to the right tackle and step inside to simulate a double team block with the tackle and then he would run a corner route to the right back pylon. We moved the fullback around a lot, when running power we would offset him to the right of the formation, or put him in the I in front of the tailback. I liked to have twin receivers opposite the tight end, and they would either start out left or I would motion one of the receivers the left from the right. The inside twin would run a shallow crossing route, and the outside receiver would run a post. The fullback would have the same aiming point as when he was running power, the inside hip of the defensive end. On the power play the fullback’s path would be right at that inside hip but he would run right by the defensive end and go straight to the front right pylon. The QB would reverse pivot and fake a handoff to the tailback, the tailback would run straight at the defensive end and block him. QB read progression is fullback, to tight end to the shallow cross. When we ran the play we never went past the tight end, we threw either to the fullback or tight end.

The second play I liked to run was a rub play. We could run it with three wide receivers, or two wide receivers and a tight end, or two wide receivers and the running back. We had multiple formations to choose from to run the play. Before we go into the specifics of the play, I would like to address the concept of rub routes. Defensive gurus call them pick plays. When we ran these plays we did not teach physical contact with the defensive back, we just want to alter their route to the outside receiver. As long as the defensive back covering the flat receiver had to alter his path, we felt good about getting a reception and getting into the end zone.

Let’s also talk about announcers and picks. Two examples bothered me when I watched the telecasts. In the 2016 national championship game, played in January 2017, Clemson played Alabama.

Clemson had the ball inside the 5 with under 10 seconds left in the game. Ala-

bama was playing man to man. The defensive back covering the outside Clemson wide receiver (Cain) jammed him at the line of scrimmage. The inside receiver coming in motion (Renfro) ran an arrow into the front pylon. The defensive back covering Renfro had to run around the defensive back covering Cain, giving Renfro a free release and easy winning touchdown in the front of the end zone.

The announcing crew was screaming that it was a classic pick play and that Clemson should be penalized and the touchdown should be called back. I disagree. You can’t jam a receiver to keep him from getting out into his pattern and then claim that same receiver is setting a pick. That’s ridiculous.

The second play came in the Super Bowl between Seattle and New England.

In a twins set, Seattle’s receiver (Lockett) was supposed to release to the back of the end zone but was jammed by the New England defensive back. By outside releasing he would have rubbed the defensive back covering the outside receiver coming inside along the line of scrimmage. The defensive back covering this outside receiver was able to get around the inside receiver and jump the inside receiver’s route, who was his man. This defensive back’s name became nationally known – Malcolm Butler. He intercepted and New England won the Super Bowl. There was never a mention of a pick play, which I loved. New England’s preparation for that play gave them the opportunity to win the Super Bowl, and the defensive back’s execution made that a reality.

When we run the rub play, we want our outside receivers to run at the inside defensive back, we want the inside defensive back to change his path and our inside receiver will win the race to the end zone and all we need is the QB to deliver him the ball.

The last play I like to run inside the 10 is out of a three receiver set. I only ran it with either three receivers or one tight end and two receivers. We ran this mostly against teams that played zone for goal line defense. The inside receiver ran a seam route attacking the safety’s inside shoulder. The middle receiver ran a short out route to the front pylon, and the outside receiver ran a slant. I don’t ever recall the middle receiver getting a target, let alone a catch. The ball usually went to the inside or outside receiver. I really liked running this play with a tight end and he would get the ball, beating the safety inside. If the safety covered the tight end, the middle defender usually ran with the middle receiver to the front pylon and the outside receiver just had to beat his defender to the inside and it was an easy throw and touchdown for the QB. I really liked running these plays inside the 10. I believe that you have to have a counter for when the defense stacks up to stop the run, and these plays were very successful for us in doing that.

Vinny Conway is a retired school teacher who coached high school football for 36 years, 13 as a head coach.

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October 10, 2019

THE UNDEFEATED continued from page 5

CLASS AAA

There are just five remaining unbeaten in Class AA, led by the Albany Huskies and Pierz Pioneers. Two perennial powers are stuck in the same section together and are currently both 6-0 and at the top of the state rankings.

Albany has made relatively easy work of their opponents. Pierz played a close game with Paynesville Area 35-28, but otherwise have recorded four shutouts, including a 69-0 win last week over Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted.

For central Minnesota football fans, if these two teams are lucky enough to meet in the section finals, it will be a barnburner of a contest to witness.

Pierz lost to eventual state champion Rochester Lourdes in the state semifinals

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last season.

Albany has had a bit of a turnaround campaign after going 7-3 last year and bowing out to New London-Spicer in the section playoffs.

Annandale is another team to look out for amongst the unbeaten. Coming off a 9-2 season in which they lost to Pierz in the state quarterfinals, the Cardinals have won six straight and have their sights set on getting back to state and to go deep.

Stewartville and Cannon falls both carry 5-0 marks into play this week. Cannon Falls will have a good test this week against defending champion Rochester Lourdes and Stewartville will travel to Cannon Falls on Oct. 16 for the regular season finale.

Jackson County Central is the other undefeated squad heading into play this week.

They have a potent offense that has scored over 70 points twice and is averaging 52 points per game.

Other 5-1 teams to watch in Class AAA are Breck, Fairmont, Waseca, Minnewaska Area, Mora, Dilworth-Glyndon-Fenton, and Perham.

Albany Offensive tackle Jeremy Wolbeck (78) helps bring down a defender for the undefeated Huskies in Class AAA.

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Sometimes it takes a village to bring down Fridley’s Michael Ude. Fridley is 6-0 on the season after beating Mound Westonka in a battle of undefeated squads.

Sophomore running back Camden Royal dive s into the end zone for undefeated Benilde-St. Margaret’s in their win over Robbinsdale Cooper. Cooper’s David Connors closes in.

CLASS AAAA

Defending champion SMB returns most of their starters from last season and are off to a predictable 6-0 start to the season. They are the heavy favorites in Class 4A, but there are plenty of other teams who may say otherwise.

Hutchinson, Benilde-St. Margaret’s, Fridley, Winona, Simley, Detroit Lakes and Marshall are all 6-0. Toss in perennial power Becker at 5-1 and Class AAAA is looking like a traffic jam.

Hutchinson has a hold on Section 1AAAA with a two game lead over Kasson-Mantorville, who they defeated 34-24 earlier this fall.

Hutchinson and Marshall will look to battle it out in Section 2AAAA. Marshall is averaging 52 points a game and only giving up seven. Hutchinson won’t have to deal with Waseca, who beat them the past two years in section playoffs since Waseca dropped to 3A. But they will likely have to go up against Marshall, which should be a good game for fans.

Fridley in Section 4AAAA is coming off a convincing win over Mound Westonka who was also undefeated heading into last week. Fridley’s defense has been outstanding with two shutouts and only four touchdowns allowed in six games.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s has put together a fine season thus far, winning its first six contests by sizable margins. With a strong front they are able to run the ball well against opponents. They will have to go through SMB to get to state, however, but they played them down to the wire last season, losing 16-14 in the section finals.

SMB meanwhile is poised to get back to state and keep the momentum moving forward after they took home the 4A trophy last season.

Perhaps a sleeper in Class4A is Detroit Lakes, who in Section 8 is coming off a 9-1 season and has won their first six in 2019.

A 15-1 run is nothing to blink at and they seem to have a potent offense and a stingy defense, which is a good recipe for competing in a tough field.

CLASS AAAAA

Six teams will enter play this week without a loss and it includes last year’s defending state champion Owatonna. The

Huskies are currently riding a 25-game winning streak and until someone knocks them off (Northfield was the last team to do it), they will remain the favorites.

But don’t count out the others, who include St. Thomas Academy, Bemidji, Robbinsdale Armstrong, Elk River and Tartan.

St. Thomas Academy reached the state finals last season and lost to Owatonna. Elk River lost to Owatonna two years ago in the state finals, so both programs will be eager to get back to US Bank Stadium for revenge.

Bemidji had an impressive win over Alexandria (5-1) earlier this season and has played well of late. Robbinsdale Armstrong and Elk River share the same section and will likely battle it out for a state berth. The Falcons are coming off a 4-5 season and are poised to make a run.

Elk River has given up a ton of points, but has outscored opponents every time on their way to a perfect mark. Their strategy is similar to what it was last season when they won a game 80-70 and allowed more than 20 points in each of their 12 contests and yet still made it to the state semifinals.

The sleeper here could be Tartan who returns as section winners who lost to St. Thomas Academy in the state quarterfinals last season.

CLASS AAAAAA

And then there was one. With six weeks gone by only one team is still standing undefeated in 6A. The Wayzata Trojans are the only one of the 31 Class 6A teams who haven’t lost but that doesn’t mean they will run the gamut either. Defending Champion Lakeville North was defeated by Lakeville South 3419 this season after the two met in the finals last season. Edina knocked off Eden Prairie who now has two losses, leaving Wayzata as the favorite if we go by the formula that an unbeaten team will go all the way.

Wayzata’s record is especially impressive because they have defeated Blaine (190), Edina (34-15), Prior Lake (14-10), St. Michael Albertville (28-18), Eden Prairie (17-7) and Minnetonka (38-3).

The Trojans are coming off a 5-5 season where they were eventually ousted by Woodbury.

They hope to turn the tables this season and be the one left standing at the end….still undefeated.

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October 10, 2019

Vikings Prep Spotlight at TCO Stadium Friday, Sept. 27: Chaska 21, Apple Valley 0 The Chaska defense held Apple Valley to just 76 yards of total offense in their game at TCO Stadium on Sept. 27 in a 21-0 win for the Hawks. Steve Klotz scored two touchdowns and Matthew Kuntz rushed for 98 yards and a touchdown to lead the offense. Nic Snuggerdu kicked all three extra points. Chaska is now 5-1 on the season. Apple Valley is 2-4. The game was one of three high school football games played at Twin Cities Orthopedic Performance Center as part of the Minnesota Vikings support of youth and high school football. The facility gives high school players the unique opportunity to compete on the same field as NFL players.

“High School football is one of our greatest traditions in America,” said Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman. “The values and lessons our game teaches young people are foundations that carry on for the rest of their lives. We are proud to share out field with the next generation of football players and hope they make memories for a lifetime.”

In the end zone, Chaska celebrates another TD. Apple Valley’s #4 Elias Regenscheid makes a crucial interception late in the first half against Chaska.

#8 Stevo Klotz from Chaska sprints towards the end zone for a TD. Chaska’s #19 Ethan Bachmann makes a nice catch early in the game.

PHOTOS BY JASON BARUM

Apple Valley and Chaska players fight for the ball late in Friday night’s contest.

Apple Valley DB #1 Bilhal Kone makes a nice play for the interception.

11

12

October 10, 2019

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Scoreboard

Standings and Results as of Oct. 6, 2019 9-Man

9-Man Section 1

Leroy-Ostrander 6-0 Southland 5-1 Grand Meadow 5-1 Spring Grove 4-2 Houston 4-2 Lanesboro 2-4 Kingsland 1-5 Mabel-Canton 0-6 Results Leroy-Ostrander 49, Heron Lake-Okebena/Fulda 12 Southland 12, Lanesboro 0 Houston 40, Mabel-Canton 7 Grand Meadow 21, Spring Grove 7 Kingsland 14, Lyle-Pacelli 6

9-Man Section 8

North Central 6-0 Stephen-Argyle 4-2 Kittson County Central 4-2 Badger/Greenbush-Middle River 3-3 Warren-Alvarado-Oslo 3-3 Goodridge/Grygla 3-3 Lake of the Woods 2-4 Northern Freeze 0-6 Results North Central 54, Lake of the Woods 6 Fertile-Beltrami 28, Stephen-Argyle 14 NCE/U-H 7, Badger/Greenbush-Middle River 6 Kittson County Central 48, Laporte 0 Goodridge/Grygla 26, Clearbrook-Gonvick 8 Blackduck 58, Northern Freeze 6 Win-E-Mac 28, Warren-Alvarado-Oslo 6

9-Man Section 2

Ogilvie 6-0 Renville County West 6-0 Nicollet 5-1 Sleepy Eye-St. Mary’s 3-3 Red Rock Central 3-3 Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart 2-4 Onamia 1-5 Cedar Mountain 0-6 Results Ogilvie 16, Cromwell-Wright 8 Renville County West 43, Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart 12 Nicollet 22, Madelia 6 Red Rock Central 43, Edgerton/Ellsworth 8 Carlton/Wrenshall 44, Onamia 0 Mountain Lake Area 62, Cedar Mountain 6 Hills-Beaver Creek 57, Sleepy Eye-St. Mary’s 20

Section 1A

CLAss A

Blooming Prairie 6-0 Randolph 5-1 Rushford-Peterson 4-2 Goodhue 4-2 Hayfield 3-3 Fillmore Central 2-4 Wabasha-Kellogg 0-6 Results Blooming Prairie 61, Kenyon-Wanamingo 6 Randolph 41, Medford 7 Rushford-Peterson 46, Wabasha-Kellogg 14 Goodhue 14, Bethlehem Academy 12 Fillmore Central 37, Hayfield 7

Section 2A

Mountain Lake Area 6-0 Hills-Beaver Creek 5-1 Madelia 2-4 Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda 2-4 Edgerton-Ellsworth 2-4 Granada-Huntley-EC/Truman 2-4 Lyle-Pacelli 1-4 Westbrook-Walnut Grove 0-6 Results Mountain Lake Area 62, Cedar Mountain 6 Hills-Beaver Creek 57, Sleepy Eye-St. Mary’s 20 Granada-Huntley-EC/Truman 38, Westbrook-Walnut Grove 20 Kingsland 14, Lyle-Pacelli 6 Nicollet 22, Madelia 6 Leroy-Ostrander 49, Heron Lake-Okebena/Fulda 12 Red Rock Central 43, Edgerton/Ellsworth 8

United South Central 6-0 Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop 5-1 Waterville-Elysian-Morristown 4-2 Bethlehem Academy 2-4 New Ulm Cathedral 1-5 Minnesota Valley Lutheran 1-5 Aiden-Conger/GE 0-5 Cleveland 0-5 Results Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop 63, LeSueur-Henderson 0 United South Central 26, Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton 6 Waterville-Elysian-Morristown 25, LesterPrairie/Holy Trinity 6 Goodhue 14, Bethlehem Academy 12 Adrian 34, New Ulm Cathedral 0 Cleveland 14, Aiden-Conger/GE 12 Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 44, Minnesota Valley Lutheran 21

9-Man Section 4

Section 3A

9-Man Section 3

Hancock 6-0 Brandon/Evansville 6-0 Verndale 5-1 Wheaton/Herman-Norcross 4-2 Ortonville 3-3 Bertha-Hewitt 2-4 Rothsay 1-5 Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley 1-5 Results Hancock 42, Bertha-Hewitt 14 Verndale 28, Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley 0 Brandon/Evansville 54, United North Central 8 Ortonville 37, Rothsay 24 Wheaton/Herman–Norcross 44, Hillcrest Lutheran Academy 6

9-Man Section 5

South Ridge 5-1 McGregor 3-3 Hill City/Northland 3-3 Isle 3-3 Cromwell-Wright 2-4 Floodwood 0-6 Results South Ridge 28, Cherry 0 Isle 58, McGregor 50 Ogilvie 16, Cromwell-Wright 8 Mountain Iron-Buhl 68, Hill City/Northland 38 Bigfork 48, Floodwood 0

9-Man Section 6

Win-E-Mac 6-0 Fertile-Beltrami 5-1 Blackduck 5-1 Park Christian 3-3 Nevis 4-2 NCE/U-H 2-4 Clearbrook-Gonvick 0-6 Laporte 0-6 Results Win-E-Mac 28, Warren-Alvarado-Oslo 6 Fertile-Beltrami 28, Stephen-Argyle 14 Blackduck 58, Northern Freeze 6 NCE/U-H 7, Badger/Greenbush-Middle River 6 Nevis 41, Park Christian 25 Goodridge/Grygla 26, Clearbrook-Gonvick 8 Kittson County Central 48, Laporte 0

9-Man Section 7

Mountain-Iron Buhl 5-1 Silver Bay 5-1 Cherry 3-3 Bigfork 2-4 Cook County 1-5 Ely 1-5 Northeast Range 0-6 Results Mountain Iron-Buhl 68, Hill City/Northland 38 Silver Bay 37, Cook County 0 South Ridge 28, Cherry 0 Bigfork 48, Floodwood 0 Ely 44, Northeast Range 6

Springfield 6-0 Murray County Central 5-1 Martin County West 4-2 Wabasso 4-2 Adrian 4-2 Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 3-3 Sleepy Eye 0-6 Results Springfield 34, Wabasso 0 Martin County West 38, Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial 0 Murray County Central 29, Sleepy Eye 8 Adrian 34, New Ulm Cathedral 0 Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 14, Lakeview 12

Section 6A

Underwood 5-1 Walker-Hackensack-Akeley 5-1 Otter Tail Central 3-3 Breckenridge 3-3 New York Mills 3-3 Pine River-Backus 3-3 Lake Park-Audobon 1-5 Hillcrest Lutheran Academy 0-6 Results Underwood 53, Wadena-Deer Creek 14 Walker-Hackensack-Akeley 43, Cass Lake-Bena 6 Breckenridge 41, Hawley 21 Otter Tail Central 20, New York Mills 12 Red Lake County 42, Lake Park Audobon 0 Warroad 38, Pine River-Backus 0 Wheaton/Herman-Norcross 44, Hillcrest Lutheran Academy 6

Section 7A

Carlton/Wrenshall 6-0 Braham 5-1 Deer River 5-1 Hinckley-Finlayson 3-3 East Central 2-4 North Woods 1-5 Barnum 1-5 Chisholm 0-4 Results Deer River 20, East Central 0 Braham 58, Barnum 0 Carlton/Wrenshall 44, Onamia 0 Hinckley-Finlayson36, North Woods 24

Section 8A

Ada-Borup 5-1 Mahnomen/Waubun 5-1 Polk County West 4-2 Red Lake County 4-2 Cass Lake-Bena 1-5 Red Lake 0-6 Fosston 0-6 Results Mahnomen/Waubun 12, Polk County West 6 Ada-Borup 48, Fosston 16 Red Lake County 42, Lake Park-Audubon 0 Walker-Hackensack-Akeley 43, Cass Lake-Bena 6 Bagley 67, Red Lake 0

CLAss AA

Section 1AA

Caledonia 6-0 Lewiston-Altura 6-0 St. Charles 4-2 Chatfield 4-2 Triton 3-3 Kenyon-Wanamingo 2-4 Dover-Eyota 0-6 Winona Cotter 0-6 Results Caledonia 46, Dover-Eyota 15 Chatfield 28, Lake City 6 Lewiston-Altura 1, Winona-Cotter 0 (Forfeit) Pine Island 28, Triton 7 St. Charles 40, Zumborta-Mazeppa 19 Blooming Prairie 61, Kenyon-Wanamingo 6

Section 2AA

Blue Earth Area 4-2 Maple River 4-2 Medford 3-3 Section 4A St. Clair/Loyola 3-3 Mayer Lutheran 5-1 Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton 3-3 Upsala/Swanville Area 5-1 New Richland-H-E-G 2-4 Browerville/Eagle Valley 5-1 LeSueur-Henderson 1-5 Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 3-3 Norwood-Young America 0-6 Parkers Prairie 3-3 Results Lester Prairie/Holy Trinity 1-5 Jackson County Central 20, Blue Earth Area 15 Benson 1-5 Randolph 41, Medford 7 Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 0-6 Mayer Lutheran 14, St. Clair/Loyola 7 Results Maple River 40, New Richland H-E-G 7 Mayer Lutheran 14, St. Clair/Loyola 7 Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop 63, LeSueur-Henderson 0 Browerville/Eagle Valley 30, Upsala/Swanville Area 18 United South Central 26, Benson 32, Kerkhoveb-Murdock-Sunberg 12 Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton 6 Waterville-Elysian-Morristown 25, Sibley East 6, Norwood-Young America 0 LesterPrairie/Holy Trinity 6 Parkers Prairie 47, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 0 Section 3AA Redwood Valley 5-1 Section 5A Pipestone Area 4-2 BOLD 6-0 Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 3-3 Minneota 6-0 Windom Area 2-4 Dawson-Boyd 4-2 Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial 1-5 Canby 4-2 St. James Area Lakeview 3-3 0-6 Lac qui Parle Valley 2-4 Results MACCRAY 1-5 Redwood Valley 34, Pipestone Area 6 Yelllow Medicine East 1-5 Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 44, Results Minnesota Valley Lutheran 21 BOLD 64, Kimball Area 13 Windom 22, St. James Area 20 (OT) Minneota 36, MACCRAY 8 Martin County West 38, Lac qui Parle Valley 19, Yellow Medicine East 18 Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial 0 Canby 6, Dawson Boyd 0 Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 14, Lakeview 12 Section 4AA Minneapolis North 6-0 Concordia Academy 6-0 St. Agnes 5-1 Maple Lake 5-1 Rush City 5-1 St. Paul Humboldt 3-3 Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 0-6 Results Minneapolis North 37, St. Paul Central 7 Concordia Academy 41, Brooklyn Center 0 St. Agnes 14, Breck 0 Minneapolis Roosevelt 12, St. Paul Humboldt 0 Maple Lake 23, Melrose 14 Rush City 46, East Central 24 Pierz 69, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 0

Section 5AA

Paynesville Area 5-1 Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 4-2 Eden Valley-Watkins 3-3 Holdingford 3-3 Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 3-3 Kimball Area 1-5 Results Paynesville 46, Eden-Valley Watkins 8 Holdingford 38, Rockford 22 Minnewaska 6, Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 0 Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 42, Montevideo 28 BOLD 64, Kimball Area 13

Section 6AA

Staples-Motley 5-1 West Central Area/Ashby 4-2 Osakis 4-2 Pillager 4-2 Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 2-4 Wadena-Deer Creek 0-6 Results Barnesville 30, West Central Area/Ashby 6 Pillager 22, Staples-Motley 6 Royalton 24, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 14 Osakis 47, Sauk Centre 6 Underwood 53, Wadena-Deer Creek 14

Section 7AA

Moose Lake-Willow River 5-1 Crosby-Ironton 4-2 International Falls 4-2 Eveleth-Gilbert 2-4 Mesabi East 2-4 Royalton 3-3 Results Moose Lake-Willow River 42, Mora 36 (OT) Aitkin 30, Crosby-Ironton 6 International Falls 20, Two Harbors 7 Mesabi East 42, Virginia 0 Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin 42, Eveleth-Gilbert 0 Royalton 24, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 14

Section 8AA

Barnesville 6-0 Pelican Rapids 4-2 Warroad 4-2 Frazee 2-4 United North Central 2-4 Crookston 2-4 Bagley 2-4 Hawley 0-6 Results Barnesville 30, West Central Area/Ashby 6 Crookston 16, Roseau 8 Pelican Rapids 45, Frazee 6 Warroad 38, Pine River-Backus 0 Bagley 67, Red Lake 0 Breckenridge 41, Hawley 21 Brandon/Evansville 54, United North Central 8

CLAss AAA

Section 1AAA

Stewartville 5-0 Waseca 5-1 Zumbrota-Mazeppa 1-5 Plainview-Elgin-Millville 1-5 Rochester Lourdes 2-4 Pine Island 2-3 Results Waseca 47, St. Peter 18 Cannon Falls 18, Plainview-Elgin-Millville 6 Rochester Lourdes 34, Red Wing 7 St. Charles 40, Zumbrota-Mazeppa 19 Pine Island 28, Triton 7

Section 2AAA

Dassel-Cokato 4-2 Glencoe-Silver Lake 4-2 Litchfield 3-3 Belle Plaine 2-4 Providence Academy 1-5 Rockford 2-2 Holy Family Catholic 0-6 Watertown-Mayer 0-6 Results Litchfield 29, Dassel-Cokato 28 Glencoe-Silver Lake 14, New London Spicer 6 Milaca 20, Holy Family Catholic 0 Bloomington Kennedy 29, Providence Academy 21 Holdingford 38, Rockford 22 Fairmont 41, Belle Plaine 22 Annandale 42, Watertown-Mayer 13

Section 3AAA

Jackson County Central 6-0 Fairmont 5-1 Luverne 4-2 Sibley East 2-4 Tri-City United 1-5 Worthington 0-6 Results Fairmont 41, Belle Plaine 22 Jackson County Central 20, Blue Earth Area 15 Luverne 47, Tri-City United 8 Sibley East 6, Norwood Young America 0 Marshall 56, Worthington 12

SECTION 4AAA

Breck 5-1 Cannon Falls 5-0 Lake City 3-3 Minneapolis Roosevelt 2-4 Richfield 1-5 St. Croix Lutheran 1-5 Results St. Agnes 14, Breck 0 Cannon Falls 18, Plainview-Elgin-Millville 6 Minneapolis Roosevelt 12, St. Paul Humboldt 0 Chatfiled 28, Lake City 6 SMB 48, Richfield 0 St. Anthony Village 27, St. Croix Lutheran 0

Section 5AAA

Annandale 6-0 Mora 5-1 Minneapolis Henry 4-2 Foley 3-3 Pine City 2-4 Milaca 2-4 Brooklyn Center 1-5 Spectrum 1-5 Results Annandale 42, Watertown-Mayer 13 Moose Lake-Willow-River 42, Mora 36 (OT) Minneapolis Henry 33, St. Paul Harding 0 Foley 12, Little Falls 0 Esko 22, Pine City 13 Concordia Academy 41, Brooklyn Center 0 Milaca 20, Holy Family Catholic 0 Columbia Heights 28, Spectrum 20

Section 6AAA

Albany 6-0 Pierz 6-0 Minnewaska 5-1 New London-Spicer 4-2 Melrose 3-3 Montevideo 1-5 St. Cloud Cathedral 1-5 Sauk Centre 0-6 Results Albany 50, Princeton 12 Pierz 69, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 0 Glencoe-Silver 14, New London-Spicer 6 Minnewaska 6, Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 0 Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 42, Montevideo 28 Maple Lake 23, Melrose 14 Zimmerman 40, St. Cloud Cathedral 0 Osakis 47, Sauk Centre 6

Section 7AAA

Two Harbors 3-3 Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin 4-2 Esko 4-2 Aitkin 4-2 Proctor 2-4 Virginia 0-6 Results Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin 42, Eveleth-Gilbert 0 International Falls 20, Two Harbors 7 Mesabi East 42, Virginia 0 Esko 22, Pine City 13 Proctor 14, Duluth Denfeld 0

Section 8AAA

Dilworth-Glyndon-Fenton 5-1 Perham 5-1 Pequot Lakes 4-2 Fergus Falls 3-3 East Grand Forks 2-4 Roseau 2-4 Thief River Falls 0-6 Park Rapids 0-6 Results Detroit Lakes 20, Dilworth-Glyndon-Fenton 14 Pequot Lakes 18, Thief River Falls 0 Perham 60, East Grand Forks 44 Fergus Falls 21, Park Rapids Area 6 Crookston 16, Roseau 8

CLAss AAAA Section 1AAAA

Winona 6-0 Kasson-Mantorville 4-2 Byron 3-3 Faribault 1-5 Albert Lea 1-5 Red Wing 0-5 Results Winona 31, Northfield 7 Kasson-Mantorville 38, Albert Lea 22 Byron 42, Austin 13 Mankato East 43, Faribault 12 Rochester Lourdes 34, Red Wing 7

Section 2AAAA

Hutchinson 6-0 Marshall 6-0 Jordan 5-1 Mankato East 4-2 New Ulm 3-3 St. Peter 1-5 Results Hutchinson 30, Delano 12 Marshall 56, Worthington 12 Mankato East 43, Faribault 12 Jordan 33, New Ulm 14 Waseca 47, St. Peter 18

Scoreboard results continued on page 13

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October 10, 2019

Let’s Play Football

13

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES Every week players go above and beyond and perform at the highest level.

This week we honor the following players who did just that.

Let’s Play Football

by BOBBY LAWRENCE V

QuarterBack

Nick Drinken – Sr. #3 (Randolph) Nick dominated this week against Medford leading his team to a crushing 41-7 win. He completed 19 of 31 for 378 yards and 4 TDs. This is the fourth game this season where he’s thrown at least 4 TDs and is now leading the state with 20 on the year. His ability to put the ball in the end zone week after week earned him the top QB on this list. On top of the 20 TDs and monster yards he’s thrown for thus far, he’s led his team to an undefeated record as they sit at 5-0 as the second half of the season commences.

Honorable Mentions: Kaden Thomas – Blooming Prarie (12-14, 85.7 comp%, 275 YDS, 3 TD) Cade Sheehan – Rochester Mayo (18-32, 56.2 comp%, 209 YDS, 2 TD, INT)

RUNNING BACK

Jonathan Kieran – Sr. #21 (St. Anthony) Woah. Kieran exploded this week carrying the ball 23 times for 237 yards and 4 TOUCHDOWNS! It was an absurd performance for Jonathan as he now leads the state in rushing by 400 yards with a grand total of 1496 yards on the season. He has continually put up big stats leading his team to a solid 4-1 record. His 10.3 YPC is his third-highest of the season (which is crazy to think about) and he has yet to

fumble the ball. Jonathan’s fantastic season continues as he earns his first nod as running back of the week.

Honorable Mentions: TK Marshall – Minneapolis Southwest (9 ATT, 210 YDS, 23.3 YPC, 4 TD) Josh Buri – Stewartville (16 ATT, 170 YDS, 10.6 YPC, 4 TD)

Wide receiver

Isaac Stoesz - Sr. #81 (Randolph) This guy might be the most unique player we’ve ever spotlighted on this publication. He’s listed as a linebacker, recorded 6 tackles, 3 tackles for loss and a sack to go along with 9 catches for 309 yards and 4 TDs. His stats look similar to a Patrick Mahomes passing game, and this guy is catching the passes.

Isaac was 28 yards away from the NFL record for receiving yards in a single game which is crazy to fathom. His great game shot him up in the rankings to rank third in receiving yards with a total of over 700.

Honorable Mentions: Michael Tweten – Buffalo (14 REC, 139 YDS, TD) Troy Feddema – St. Cloud Tech (10 REC, 106 YDS)

DEFENSE

Brevan Linder – Sr. #25 United South Central Linder just can’t get his name off of this list as he continues to be an absolute game wrecker every time

he steps onto the field. He collected 8 tackles along with 2 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks to add to his total, which now sits at 14.5 sacks. Linder has anchored the defensive unit who has allowed a grand total of 46 points in 5 games making them one of the best units in their class. Not only did he show up in last Friday’s game, but the entire team did, winning 26-6 improving to 5-0.

Honorable Mentions: Jacob Hendrickson – United South Central (13 Total tackles, 4.0 sacks) Grant Hermer – Mankato East (2 tackles, 3 INT)

GAME OF THE WEEK

Woodbury - 21 at East Ridge - 10 This game may have looked like it wasn’t close, but East Ridge jumped out to a 10-0 lead heading into the fourth quarter and it looked like Woodbury may be shutout. But, after a Woodbury touchdown, East Ridge quarterback Riley Larson threw a quick pass to the right, getting picked by junior linebacker, Jack Bungarden, who returned it for a touchdown. They never relinquished the lead, even adding another TD, before securing the 21-10 game. It was a heck of a game in one of the best rivalries the state has to offer, and a moment Bungarden will surely never forget.

Honorable Mentions: Minneapolis Edison - W 14-9 vs Academy Force Champlin Park - W 17-14 vs Rosemount

Scoreboard

Let’s Play Football

Standings and Results as of Oct. 6, 2019 (continued from page 12) Section 3AAAA

Section 7AAAA

Section 3AAAAA

Section 7AAAAA

Simley 6-0 St. Paul Johnson 4-2 South St. Paul 3-3 Hill-Murray 2-4 Academy Force 2-4 St. Paul Harding 0-6 Results Simley 17, Hastings 14 (OT) South St. Paul 29, Hill-Murray 18 St. Paul Johnson 55, Minneapolis South 6 Minneapolis Edison 14, Academy Force 9 Minneapolis Henry 33, St. Paul Harding 03

Cloquet 5-1 Hermantown 3-3 Chisago Lakes 2-4 North Branch 2-4 Duluth Denfeld 0-6 Hibbing 0-6 Results Duluth East 21, Hermantown 3 Proctor 14, Duluth Denfeld 0 Cloquet 42, Grand Rapids 18 Andover 30, Chisago Lakes 7 North Branch 40, Hibbing 13

St. Thomas Academy 6-0 Park Cottage Grove 3-3 Hastings 2-4 Apple Valley 2-4 Bloomington Kennedy 2-4 Henry Sibley 0-6 Results St. Thomas Academy 35, Park Cottage Grove 0 Apple Valley 26, Henry Sibley 17 Simley 17, Hastings 14 (OT) Bloomington Kennedy 29, Providence Academy 21

Coon Rapids 4-2 Duluth East 5-1 Andover 3-3 St. Francis 2-4 Cambridge-Isanti 1-5 Results Robbinsdale-Armstrong 35, Coon Rapids 21 Andover 30, Chisago Lakes Area 7 Duluth East 21, Hermantown 3 Elk River 61, Cambridge-Isanti 30 Rogers 40, St. Francis 7

Section 4AAAA

Section 8AAAA

Section 4AAAAA

Tartan 6-0 Minneapolis Washburn 4-2 Mahtomedi 2-4 St. Paul Highland Park 2-4 St. Paul Central 2-4 North St Paul 0-6 Results Tartan 41, Mahtomedi 14 Minneapolis Washburn 43, St. Paul Highland Park 0 Minneapolis North 37, St. Paul Central 7 Spring Lake Park 48, North St. Paul 0

SECTION 8AAAAA

Fridley 6-0 St. Anthony Village 5-1 Columbia Heights 2-4 Minneapolis Edison 2-4 DeLaSalle 1-5 St. Paul Como Park 0-6 Results St. Anthony Village 27, St. Croix Lutheran 0 Fridley 31, Mound Westonka 6 Columbia Heights 28, Spectrum 20 Minneapolis Edison 14, Academy Force 9 Orono 45, DeLaSalle 7 Minneapolis Southwest 49, St. Paul Como Park 0

Section 5AAAA

Benilde-St. Margarets 6-0 SMB 6-0 Mound Westonka 5-1 Holy Angels 3-3 Orono 2-4 Minneapolis South 1-5 Results Benilde-St. Margarets 55, Robbinsdale Cooper 0 Waconia 21, Holy Angels 7 Fridley 31, Mound Westonka 6 SMB 48, Richfield 0 St. Paul Johnson 55, Minneapolis South 6 Orono 45, DeLaSalle 7

Section 6AAAA

Becker 5-1 Zimmerman 5-1 Delano 3-3 Big Lake 2-4 Princeton 2-4 Results Hutchinson 30, Delano 12 Becker 14, Rocori 12 Bemidji 66, Big Lake 0 Zimmerman 40, St. Cloud Cathedral 0 Albany 50, Princeton 12

Detroit Lakes Rocori Grand Rapids Willmar Little Falls

6-0 4-2 4-2 2-4 1-5

Results Detroit Lakes 20, Dilworth-Glyndon-Fenton 14 Becker 14, Rocori 12 Cloquet 42, Grand Rapids 18 Willmar 16, St. Cloud Apollo 3 Foley 12, Little Falls 0

CLAss AAAAA

Section 1AAAAA

Owatonna 6-0 Rochester Century 4-2 Rochester Mayo 4-2 Austin 2-4 Rochester John Marshall 2-4 Northfield 0-6 Results Owatonna 24, Mankato West 20 Rochester Mayo 24, Rochester John Marshall 12 New Prague 26, Rochester Century 20 Byron 42, Austin 13 Winona 31, Northfield 7

Section 2AAAAA

Chaska 5-1 Mankato West 4-2 Chanhassen 3-3 Waconia 3-3 New Prague 2-4 Bloomington Jefferson 1-5 Results Chaska 56, Bloomington Jefferson 15 Waconia 21, Holy Angels 7 Owatonna 24, Mankato West 20 New Prague 26, Rochester Century 20 Chanhassen 40, St. Louis Park 24

Section 5AAAAA

Minneapolis Southwest 5-1 Spring Lake Park 4-2 Robbinsdale Cooper 4-2 St. Louis Park 2-4 Irondale 2-4 Park Center 0-6 Results Minneapolis Southwest 49, St. Paul Como Park 0 Benilde-St. Margarets 55, Robbinsdale Cooper 0 Spring Lake Park 48, North St. Paul 0 Chanhassan 40, St. Louis Park 24 Forest Lake 35, Irondale 3 Hopkins 35, Park Center 0

Section 6AAAAA

Robbinsdale Armstrong 6-0 Elk River 6-0 Rogers 5-1 St. Cloud Tech 3-3 Monticello 2-4 Sauk Rapids-Rice 1-5 Results Robbinsdale Armstrong 35, Coon Rapids 21 Elk River 61, Cambridge-Isanti 30 Rogers 40, St. Francis 7 Alexandria 50, St. Cloud Tech 34 Moorhead 34, Sauk Rapids-Rice 0 Monticello 41, Buffalo 26

Bemidji 6-0 Alexandria 5-1 Moorhead 4-2 Brainerd 2-4 St. Cloud Apollo 1-5 Sartell-St. Stephen 0-6 Results Bemidji 66, Big Lake 0 Alexandria 50, St. Cloud Tech 34 Moorhead 34, Sauk Rapids-Rice 0 Brainerd 30, Sartell-St. Stephen 26 Willmar 16, St. Cloud Apollo 3

CLAss AAAAAA

Section 3AAAAAA

Lakeville North 5-1 Lakeville South 5-1 Farmington 5-1 Rosemount 3-2 Prior Lake 3-3 Eastview 2-4 Burnsville 1-5 Eagan 0-6 Results Champlin Park 17, Rosemount 14 Farmington 35, Eastview 21 Lakeville South 34, Lakeville North 19 Burnsville 18, Eagan 8 St. Michael-Albertville 20, Prior Lake 16

Section 4AAAAAA

Totino Grace 5-1 Cretin-Derham Hall 4-2 Mounds View 5-1 East Ridge 3-3 Woodbury 3-3 White Bear Lake 3-3 Stillwater 2-4 Roseville 0-6 Results Mounds View 14, Cretin-Derham Hall 6 White Bear Lake 35, Roseville 13 Totino-Grace 41, Anoka 14 Woodbury 21, East Ridge 10 Shakopee 34, Stillwater 7

Section 5AAAAAA

Champlin Park 5-1 St. Michael-Albertville 5-1 Centennial 4-2 Maple Grove 3-3 Osseo 1-5 Blaine 1-5 Anoka 1-5 Forest Lake 2-4 Results St. Michael-Albertville 20, Prior Lake 16 Centennial 41, Blaine 7 Champlin Park 17, Rosemount 14 Maple Grove 47, Osseo 7 Forest Lake 35, Irondale 3 Totino-Grace 41, Anoka 14

Section 6AAAAAA

Wayzata 6-0 Eden Prairie 4-2 Hopkins 4-2 Buffalo 2-4 Shakopee 3-3 Edina 2-4 Minnetonka 0-6 Results Wayzata 38, Minnetonka 3 Edina 21, Eden Prairie 14 Shakopee 34, Stillwater 7 Hopkins 35, Park Center 0 Monticello 41, Buffalo 26

14

October 10, 2019

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Sideline snapshots: Let’s Play Football

– FRIDAY NIGHT SPOTLIGHT: CLASS 4A –

Simley tops Hastings in OT to stay unbeaten

by BRYAN ZOLLMAN Co-Publisher, Let’s Play Football

Last season Simley’s Shane Prifrel missed a field goal in overtime in a gut-wrenching loss to Hill-Murray.

But head coach Chris Mensen didn’t hesitate this year when his Spartans were in the same position. Driving down the field in a 14-14 tie in overtime, the Spartans took a shot on first down for the end zone. But the Hastings defense played it perfectly. That’s when Mensen opted to run the ball and line up a shot for Prifrel to get another chance at splitting the uprights, this time from 23 yards out.

“This year I wanted him to forget about the pressure,” said

Mensen, who is in his first year as head coach after spending eight seasons as the offensive coordinator. “I told him I trusted him and that if he did miss, well then we got to play more football.”

Prifrel didn’t miss and Simley stayed undefeated at 6-0 with a 17-14 win. The win was also significant because it came against a Class 5A team (Simley is a 4A school).

“This was a very big win for our team,” said Mensen. “I have a very high level of respect for Hastings and their program.

They fight hard every time we play them so it was huge for us to go in there and get a win.”

Simley took a 7-0 lead when running back Hope Adebayo broke free on a 45-yard run for the first touchdown of the game. Prifrel drilled the ex-

tra point for a 7-0 lead.

But Hastings tied the game just four minutes later on a 6-yard TD run by senior back Devon McSorley.

Adebayo scored again at the end of the half on a 1-yard run, and after another Prifrel kick, the Spartans led 14-7.

After a scoreless third quarter, Hastings tied the game when Dylan Wagner connected with Will Johnson on a 47-yard touchdown. Christian Brenny nailed his second extra point of the night for the Raiders for a 14-14 tie.

It would stay that way until overtime. Hasting won the coin flip and received the ball first.

Mensen’s message to his players was simple.

“I told them no matter the outcome I was proud of how hard they had fought,” he said.

“We just needed a stop and a score.”

They made the stop and then drove back down the field, setting up Prifrel’s game-winning kick.

“The key for us was not getting too high or too low with

our emotions,” Mensen said.

“We knew it was going to be a battle and that if we kept pushing, things would fall our way.”

The win improved the Spartans to 6-0, a stark turnaround from their 4-6 mark last season.

“The biggest key to our success has been how we approach each week,” said Mensen. “We go into each game with the goal of being 1-0 that week. Every Monday we reset to 0-0 and begin a new work week.”

Mensen has also instituted a team-first approach.

“We stress playing for each other,” he said. “Football is bigger than any one person and although we’ve had some amazing playmakers, our guys know they are playing for the guy next to him.”

Simley is now one of eight teams in Class 4A still unbeaten at 6-0 (SMB, Winona, Hutchinson, Marshall, Fridley, Benilde-St. Margaret’s, Detroit Lakes). Hastings fell to 2-4.

“I’m very happy with where we are at,” noted Mensen.

“This week we have a great op-

portunity to play a very talented Tartan (6-0) team. Playing 5A teams definitely helps us, but 4A is tough in its own right. We know that if we want to make a run we have to play some of the best teams in the state no matter what. And we can’t wait for that opportunity.”

Hope

Shane Prifrel gets under center as both

Hastings’ Will Johnson carries the football past a Simley defender in last Friday’s contest in Hastings.

Simley players celebrate after a big play in their 17-14 overtime win.

Simley’s Josh Painter zeroes in on a Hastings ru

Simley quarterback Shane Prifrel unleashes a pass in Friday’s win over Hastings.

Ruot Jioklow goes up for a grab for Simley as Hastings defender Joey Millner tries to make a play on the ball.

Jioklow had six catches for 113 yards on the night.

Simley’s Crist Pugh makes an acrobatic play on a Has defender as teammate Tomi Aduwaiye looks on.

www.letsplayfootballmn.com

e Adebayo scores one of his two touchdowns on the night.

Let’s Play Football

stings

15

PHOTOS BY JASON BARUM

h teams gear up for the snap of the ball.

unner.

October 10, 2019

Shane Prifrel booted the game winning field goal in overtime and also nailed two extra point kicks to make for a perfect night.

Simley’s Hope Adebayo follows his blockers in Simley’s 17-14 overtime win.

Hastings runner Devon McSorley breaks through the Simley defense. McSorely had one of Hastings’ two touchdowns.

Simley’s Nolan Wanzek looks for a lane past Hastings’ Joey Millner.

16

October 10, 2019

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GOPHERS FOOTBALL Golden Gophers crack top 25 Speaking of undefeated teams, which is sort of the theme for this week’s issue of Let’s Play Football…there is a certain college team that has yet to lose this season and has snuck into the Top 25 USA Today poll.

Yes, the Golden Gophers defeated Illinois 40-17 last Saturday to improve to 5-0 and are looking to continue their win streak this Saturday against Nebraska at TCF Stadium.

The Gophers have not been ranked in a coaches poll since November of 2014 when they were also ranked 25th.

They hope to climb the rankings this week with another stellar performance. Last week they did so on

the ground with 322 yards rushing led by Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks. Smith had 211 rushing yards and both he and Brooks found the end zone. It was Brooks only second game of the season.

Quarterback Tanner Morgan is now 9-2 as a starter and has the highest winning percentage of any Gophers quarterback with more than 10 starts.

The win over Illinois gives the Gophers a 5-0 mark but it is their seventh win in a row dating back to last season. The streak is the fifth longest in the country. They are 9-2 in their last 11 games and 17-13 during head coach P.J. Fleck’s tenure.

A big reason for their success

is their offensive output. With 40 points last week, the Gophers are now averaging 35.8 points per game.

They haven’t had that much output since 2005.

Last week’s win also had other significance. It was the 700th win in the program’s history. Minnesota is now one of 28 college universities to record 700 wins. They recorded their 600th win in 2003.

How long will it take to get to 701?

The Gophers hope they get it on Saturday. They lead the all-time series with Nebraska 35-22-2 and will be looking for win 36 against the Cornhuskers.

SCHEDULE SATURDAY, OCT. 19

at Rutgers Scarlet Knights SHI Stadium, Piscataway, NJ

SATURDAY, OCT. 26 Maryland Terrapins

TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN

SATURDAY, NOV. 2 OFF

SATURDAY, NOV. 9

15 Penn State Nittany Lions

TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN

SATURDAY, NOV. 16 at 20 Iowa Hawkeyes

Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, IA

SATURDAY, NOV. 23

at Northwestern Wildcats Ryan Field, Evanston, IL

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Follow us on Twitter @MnFootballNews and Facebook

SATURDAY, NOV. 30 19 Wisconsin Badgers

TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN

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SATURDAY, DEC. 7

Big Ten Championship

Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN

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October 10, 2019

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17

Top teams survive rainy, blustery Saturday Boros leads Bethel past Carleton

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – The No. 7 ranked Bethel University football team grinded out a Homecoming win over Carleton College by a 42-13 score on a wet, blustery day at Royal Stadium. Heavy rains overnight and in the morning where followed by a constant mist and steady south breeze during the game, but it didn’t stop the Bethel offense from racking up big numbers while the defense held strong against the Carleton aerial attack. The Royals totaled 591 yards of total offense, 299 on the ground and 292 through the air while Carleton was able to throw it for 320 yards on 61 attempts but finished with -18 yards rushing. Bethel scored

UPCOMING GAMES SATURDAY, OCT. 19

Hamline at Gustavus 1:00 PM

Augsburg at Carleton 1:00 PM

St. Olaf at Bethel 1:00 PM

Saint John’s at St. Thomas 1:10 PM

Sid Boros runs for one of his two touchdowns in Bethel’s 42-13 win over Carleton Saturday, Oct. 5.

14 points each in the first two quarters, leading 28-6 at halftime, and then added a single touchdown in each of the third and fourth quarters.

Bethel sophomore running back Sid Boroshad had a breakout performance on the day, starting with scoring the first Bethel touchdown on a 20 yard run 7:10 into the first quarter. The Royals two play, 29-yard scoring drive came after punter Dane Schumacher had pinned Carleton deep in their own territory and the defense backed the Knights up even more, forcing a punt from their one end zone that only traveled 28 yards into the wind. Bethel’s next offensive possession was a nine play, 81-yard drive that was capped off by Sam Gibas plowing in from four yards out. Boros provided the biggest play of that drive with a 23 yard reception.

The Royals built their lead to 21-0 with another TD drive on their next possession after the Bethel ‘D’ forced a three-and-out from the Knights. The seven play, 58-yard drive was finished with a Max Janes two yard touchdown run.

Carleton was able to get a big play on their following possession when freshman quarterback Jonathan Singleton found Emanual Williams behind the defense for a 61-yard touchdown pass. The extra point was missed. The score was the Knights first against Bethel since the first quarter of the 2016 game, snapping their 11 quarter scoreless streak against the Royals. Bethel and Boros responded though when the Becker, Minnesota native popped another swing pass into a 43-yard touchdown reception. Bjorn Charlesextra point provided the 28-6 score. Bethel was able to drive down into Carleton territory at the end of the

MIAC WEEK 5 SCOREBOARD

PHOTO BY NATHAN KLOK

MIAC STANDINGS

FINAL Carleton Bethel

1 2 3 4 0 6 7 0 14 14 7 7

T 13 42

Hamline St. Olaf

0 0 0 9 14 0

2 6

2 29

Augsburg Saint John’s

0 0 6 0 33 14 14 0

6 61

Concordia St. Thomas

0 0 0 6 0 23 21 7

6 51

half but Charles’ 35-yard field goal attempt was blocked to end the half.

The third quarter saw Bethel come out with another impressive drive to open things up with Janes capping things off again with another touchdown run, this one from four yards out. The 10 play, 63 yard drive started out with Sam Gibas ripping off a 63-yard run that was called back due to an illegal block.

Gibas would get a chunk of that yardage back later in the drive when he was able to spring for 22 yards on a fourth and one from the Carleton 36 yard line. Carleton was able to put together their most impressive drive of the day in their first second half possession. A 17 play, 65yard drive was capped off by a one yard touchdown run. On the drive, Carleton was able to execute once each on third and short and third and long and then twice on fourth and 10. The Knights were able to keep the Royals out of the endzone on their next possession as Bethel receivers were just unable to hold

Saint John’s St. Olaf Bethel St. Thomas Concordia Gustavus Augsburg Carleton Hamline

Conf. Overall 3-0 4-0 3-0 5-0 2-0 4-0 2-0 3-1 2-1 2-3 0-2 2-2 0-3 1-4 0-3 2-3 0-3 1-4

onto contested passes on third and fourth and goal from the three yard line.

Carleton was able to put together another long drive, thirteen plays and 88 yards, but the Royals came up with a big play to end the threat. Emmanuel Blackshear deflected a pass into the arms of Matt Feldick in the end zone for the Royals lone interception of the day. The ensuing Bethel drive stalled after one first down but Dane Schumacher was able to flip the field on the Knights with a 61-yard punt, downed at the four yard line. Carleton picked up two first downs before being forced to punt. Sid Boros capped his career day off with a 66-yard touchdown burst on the first play for the Royals, closing the scoring in the game.

Boros finished with 181 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns on just eight touches, five carries for 102 yards and three catches for 79 yards.

– MIAC ROUNDUP – continued on page 18

MIAC WEEK 5: TOP PERFORMERS

Sid Boros, Soph., RB, Bethel University (Becker HS) 5 Rushes, 102 YDS, 2TD 3 REC, 79 YDS, TD

Brandon Foster, LB, St. Olaf (Northfield HS) 4 Tackles, 1 Sack, 45-YD INT Return for TD

Gabe Green, WR, St. Thomas (Springfield, IL) 7 REC, 131 YDS, 2TD

Jonathan Singleton, QB, Carleton (San Martin, CA) 27-61, 320 YDS, TD

18

October 10, 2019

THOUGHTS

from The 3rd Team

www.letsplayfootballmn.com

Player safety rule change at the collegiate level: The Blindside Block

by TOM RIITTERS Last week I discussed the changes made at the high school level as it pertains to the numerous player safety rules modifications going into the 2019 season. Thank you to those who emailed me questions and comments regarding the article. I believe I got back to all of you, and if I did not, it was unintentional and I would love for you to reply to me again, and I will be sure to get back to you in the near future.

The common theme amongst the people who corresponded with me over the week has revolved around changing the “fan’s mindset” as it pertains to blindside blocks and excessive and unnecessary hits. One reader offered a suggestion that schools actually offer fans opportunities to have officials come to give a class about the

MIAC ROUNDUP

continued from page 17 Boros was not the only Royal to total 102 yards rushing as Sam Gibas also finished with 102 yards on the ground and a touchdown on 14 carries. Roste finished with 53 yards rushing on 14 carries, many of those on short yardage situations, while six other Royals carried the ball at least once. Roste put together another 70%+ completion percentage on the day, a category he leads the MIAC in on the season. His 16-22 (73%) day included a touchdown and 265 yards. On the season Roste has completed 71.3% of his passes with eight touchdowns to just one interception. Senior wideout Drew Larsen put together another big day with six catches for 112 yards but for the first time this season was kept out of the end zone. His 114.8 yards per game average leads the MIAC while his seven touchdowns on the season is still second.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Royals defensive backfield once again led the way in tackles as Carleton completed 28 of their 64 passes (44%).

Cornerback Tavian Swanson had nine solo tackles while strong safety Matt Feldick totaled nine tackles also to go along with an interception and a half tackle for loss. The Royals totaled three sacks on the day and six tackles for loss.

Levi Duininck had two tackles for loss and a half sack from his nose guard position. Michael Judd had the other half of Duinincks sack and John Sfireand Ethan Herron had the other two sacks.

Erdmann's 5 TDs sink Auggies

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – No. 4 Saint John’s jumped out to a 33-0 first-quarter lead en route to a 61-6 Homecoming win over Augsburg on Saturday, Oct. 5, in Clemens Stadium.

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important safety rules in high school football. I fully support this suggestion, and would love to be involved in any effort to make this type of learning opportunity possible in communities around the state!

This week we will spend some time talking about the rules at the collegiate level regarding blindside blocking. For the 2019 season, certain types of blindside blocks have been made illegal at the collegiate level with a minimum penalty of a personal foul, to a maximum, if targeting is also determined, of a disqualification for the offending player. The NCAA Rule Book, in 2-3-7 determines a blind side block to be: •An open field block against an opponent that is initiated from outside the opponent’s field of vision, or otherwise in such a manner that the opponent cannot reasonably defend himself against the block.

It is important to note at this point, that a blindside block, in-and-of-itself is not an automatic penalty. There are many ways for coaches to teach and

players to execute a perfectly legal blindside block. The NCAA has been very diligent in its education for all involved, giving way to coaches, players and officials to interpret the rules in an accurate and consistent manner. Rogers Redding says it best when describing a block. In his words, the purpose of a block is simply to “prevent your opponent from making a tackle”.

This season, language has been added to the rule that states: • It is a personal foul if a player delivers a blindside block by attacking an opponent with forcible contact.

The focus of this rules addendum deals with the key phrases “attacking” and “forcible contact”. These are the aspects of the rule that takes a blindside block from legal to a penalty. The rationale for this rule addition is strictly dealing with the safety of the student-athlete.

Coaches, players and officials have to work together to eliminate the types of hits and blocks that can cause catastrophic damage to our players. Every fan, parent, player, coach and official

wants nothing more than to create a safe playing environment where the athletes have the best chance of participating from week to week. Eliminating the unnecessary hits that have no place in this great game is a giant step forward in doing this. For fans, I ask you to honor, or at the very least accept this, and award the great PLAYS, not just BIG HITS, with your cheers!

I wish everyone another safe and excellent week of football! And, as always, I’d love to hear your questions and comments about anything related to officiating. Be careful on the email address. I know some of you misspelled my name at first (the last name throws many a Scripps Spelling Bee participant for a loop). My email address is: 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.

The Johnnies (4-0, 3-0 MIAC) scored touchdowns on their first six offensive possessions and out-gained the Auggies (1-4, 0-3 MIAC) by a 533-108 margin.

Senior quarterback Jackson Erdmann (Rosemount, Minn.) finished 14 of 21 passing for 255 yards and five touchdowns, his sixth game of five or more passing touchdowns in his career.

He directed the Johnnies on their first drive of the second quarter, and sixth consecutive score, before taking a seat.

Erdmann now has a .668 completion percentage (167 of 250 passing), 2,667 passing yards and 43 passing touchdowns, to three interceptions, in his last 10 home games. The statistics compute to a mind-boggling 210.77 pass-efficiency rating.

Oles defense stifles Pipers for fifth straight win

NORTHFIELD, Minn.– The St. Olaf College football team’s defense held Hamline University scoreless until the final six minutes of the game, as the Oles defeated the Pipers, 29-2, for their fifth-straight victory on Saturday afternoon on Homecoming at Klein Field at Manitou.

Sophomore Lars Prestemon threw two touchdowns and ran for another to lead St. Olaf (5-0, 3-0 MIAC) offensively, while the defense came within six minutes of its first shutout in 76 games dating back to 2011. The win over Hamline (1-4, 0-3 MIAC) gave the Oles their second-straight 5-0 start to a season.

The Pipers’ lone score of the game came on a botched punt that turned into a safety with 5:58 to go. St. Olaf’s last shutout was a 40-0 victory over Hamline on Oct. 29, 2011 in Northfield.

The St. Olaf defense held Hamline to 27 yards on 23 rushing attempts and got a pick-six from sophomore Brandon Foster in the second quarter to help the Oles overcome five turnovers. Foster also had one of St. Olaf’s four sacks in the game.

Football

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PHOTO BY LIBBY AUGER

Ravi Alston caught three passes for 91 yards and a touchdown in the Johnnies 61-6 win over Augsburg Saturday, Oct. 5.

Prestemon was 12-for-19 for 190 yards and two touchdowns and two interceptions, while also running for 41 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore Isaac Coutier caught four passes for 92 yards and a touchdown, with first year Siegel Howard III also hauling in a touchdown from Prestemon.

Leavens was 23-for-40 through the air for 255 yards for Hamline in the loss. Triston Thomas had 13 receptions for 134 yards, while Tanner Lunceford caught seven passes for 84 yards. The Pipers were just 4-for-14 on third down, 1-for-7 on fourth down and 0-for-3 in the red zone on the afternoon.

Tommies clobber Cobbers 51-6

Two was a lucky number on Saturday for St. Thomas junior QB Tommy Dolan. The St. Thomas Academy graduate and first-year starter threw two touchdown passes, ran for two scores, and had 222 yards of total offense to lead a 51-6 win over visiting Concordia-Moorhead at O’Shaugnessy Stadium.

The No. 14-ranked Tommies (3-1 overall, 2-0 MIAC) rebounded from a 21-19 road loss at UW-Eau Claire and ran their home regular-season win streak to 25. After a scoreless first 15:00 on the clock, they outscored the visitors 44-0 in the second and third quarters.

Josh Parks had 114 yards on 19 carries for his 17th career 100-yard game, and fellow senior Gabe Green caught TD strikes of 53 and 40 yards and finished with seven catches for 131 yards.

The Cobbers (2-3, 2-1) were held under 89 net yards of offense on 49 plays until the game’s final snap when senior QB Blake Kragnes broke free untouched up the middle for a 66-yard touchdown dash that averted a shutout. Concordia started the season with an overtime loss to UW-LaCrosse and a 20-10 defeat to No. 3 UW-Whitewater.

St. Thomas had no turnovers and two takeaways on fumbles recovered by Sam Herriges and Noah Borgeson. The Tommie defense forced nine punts and held the Cobbbers to 2-of-12 on thirddown conversions.

The Tommies finished with 544 yards of offense and 26 first downs.

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Third-string QB leads heroic drive in final 74 seconds for Beavers

BEMIDJI, Minn. (Chet Anderson Stadium) – Down by seven points with 74 seconds to play, third-string quarterback Emmett Enright directed the Bemidji State University football team 95 yards and made good on a two-point conversion attempt to earn a 21-20 victory in the Beavers’ 2019 Homecoming game.

The victory extended BSU’s Homecoming winning streak to 10 games and earned the 2019 roster a swim in Lake Bemidji.

From the outset, the day seemed to be tilted in BSU’s favor. The Beavers won the coin toss, received the opening kickoff and methodically assembled a 70-yard drive capped by a Mason Hoffer 22-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead.

The drive chewed up 10:23 seconds of the first quarter.

UPCOMING GAMES SATURDAY, OCT. 19

1 p.m.

1 p.m.

1 p.m.

1 p.m.

1 p.m.

1 p.m.

3 p.m.

3 p.m.

Winona State at Bemidji State Southwest Minnesota State at St. Cloud State Northern State at Wayne State University of Mary at Minnesota State Augustana at MSU Moorhead Minnesota Duluth at Sioux Falls Minnesota Crookston at Upper Iowa Concordia-St. Paul at Minot State

October 10, 2019

Let’s Play Football

19

NSIC RECAP The Bemidji State “Gang Green” defense forced the Vikings into a threeand-out to get the ball back just moments later. Despite surrendering a safety after a muffed snap in the end zone, the Beavers dominated play and took a 3-2 lead into the second quarter.

BSU got the ball back just minutes into the second quarter. A BSU offsides penalty gave the Vikings a first down early, but the AU unsuccessfully went to the air and the Vikings’ quarterback was 0-for-4 on the drive, including an incomplete pass on a 4-and-15 attempt that resulted in a turnover on downs.

The Beavers would capitalize on the turnover with a 34-yard field goal make from Hoffer with 5:09 left in the half. The Beavers again used over seven minutes on the clock, piling up five first downs and 66 yards on the drive.

Brendan Beaulieu led BSU on the drive totaling 29 rushing yards.

Bemidji State would add an exclamation point before the end of the half, taking a 13-2 lead with 1:25 to go. After Spencer Wehr came up with his first interception of the season, Beaulieu connected with Dhel Duncan-Busby for a 75-yard catch and run. It was Beaulieu’s only pass attempt of the game.

As the second half got underway, BSU good fortune started to change.

The Vikings opened the half with a 40-yard drive that resulted in a 40yard field goal. AU then forced BSU into a three-and-out to get the ball back but Jake West took the ball back for the Beavers with an interception three plays later. However, on the very next play, Enright was intercepted at midfield. A three-and-out put the ball back in Viking’s possession, but the Beavers recovered a fumble inside the Augustana 10 yard line for a chance to put the game out of reach. Three plays later, Beaulieau went over the goal line with the ball but fumbled into the end zone and Augustana recovered to keep BSU from adding to its lead and took possession on its own 20 yard line with 1:19 remaining in the third.

In their first full possession of the final stanza, the Vikings marched down the field and cut the BSU lead to five points on a 35-yard field goal.

With 11:02 to play, a 59-year kickoff return by Michael Junker set the Beavers up with a short field, but BSU again turned the ball over on downs.

The Vikings capped off the ensuing drive with a five-yard touchdown

NSIC WEEK 5 SCOREBOARD FINAL Minnesota Crookston Wayne State (Neb.)

1 2 3 4 T 0 0 0 7 7 7 0 16 7 30

FINAL Minnesota Duluth Minnesota State

1 2 3 4 T 0 0 0 7 7 21 14 10 7 52

Winona State MSU Moorhead

14 6 0 8 3 6 9 8

28 26

Augustana Bemidji State

2 0 3 15 3 10 0 8

20 21

MARY Sioux Falls

0 0 0 0 14 19 0 6

0 39

Northern State Upper Iowa

3 14 7 0 7 8 0 7

24 22

Concordia-St. Paul St. Cloud State

0 3 3 6 0 12 (OT) 3 6 0 3 6 18 (OT)

Southwest Minn. State 0 14 0 7 Minot State 0 7 0 10

21 17

NSIC STANDINGS THRU OCT. 5

Minnesota Duluth Bemidji State MSU Moorhead St. Cloud State Northern State Minot State Minnesota Crookston U-Mary

Conf. Overall 4-0 4-1 3-1 4-1 3-1 3-2 2-2 3-2 2-2 3-2 2-2 2-3 0-4 0-5 0-4 0-5

plunge. AU failed on the two-point conversion attempt, but to took a 1413 lead with 7:06 to play, setting up the late-game heroics.

Enright was 6-for-8 for 59 yards through the air and 11 rushing yards on the final drive, which included a 12yard touchdown strike to Andre Chisley, Jr. with 4.6 seconds to play. The junior then pitched to running back Makaio Harn, who connected with Matt Gross for the two-point conversion.

The BSU offense was led by Beaulieu, who saw time at quarterback and wide receiver. He totaled a team-best 63 rushing yards, was 1-for-1 passing for 75 yards and a touchdown, and caught three passes for 30 yards. Enright finished 11-for-23 for 101 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, Gabe Ames posted a team-best nine tackles (6 solo) and a pass break up, while Joshua Wleh had eight tackles (3 solo) and 1.5 tackles for loss, including a quarterback sack.

Mavs extend win streak to 29 in record-setting fashion

(Courtesy msumavericks.com) MANKATO, Minn. – It proved to be a record-setting game for #3 Minnesota State as it trounced #12 Minnesota

Conf. Overall Minnesota State 4-0 5-0 Augustana 3-1 3-2 Concordia-St. Paul 3-1 3-2 Winona State 2-2 3-2 Sioux Falls 2-2 3-2 Wayne State 1-3 2-3 Southwest Minnesota State 1-3 2-3 Upper Iowa 0-4 0-5 Duluth 52-7 in front of more than 6,000 fans at Blakeslee Stadium during its annual Homecoming game.

With the win, the Mavericks improve to 5-0 on the season, while the Bulldogs drop to 4-1. MSU has now extended its NSIC winning streak to 29 games. The Mavericks have also won their last five games against UMD dating back to the 2013 season, which matches their previous longest winning-streak vs. Minnesota Duluth that stretched from 1984-99.

Minnesota State’s 52 points against Minnesota Duluth are also the most scored by either team in a game between them.

As in their previous meeting back in 2017, the Maverick offense centered around seniors Shane Zylstra and Nate Gunn. Zylstra recorded a career-high 220 receiving yards and three touchdown catches, passing his previous record of 204 yards against UMD back in the 2017 season, while Gunn rushed for 146 yards and a touchdown. Gunn is now Minnesota State’s all-time leader in rushing touchdowns with 41 and its all-time leader in rushing yards with 3,991.

– NSIC RECAP –

continued on page 23

NSIC WEEK 5: TOP PERFORMERS

Emmett Enright, Jr., QB, Bemidji State Third-string QB orchestrated 95-yard game-winning drive in final 1:14 to beat Augustana 21-20

Danny Laudet, Sr., K, Concordia-St. Paul 5-for-5 FG in 18-15 OT loss to St. Cloud State

Duce Reynolds, Fr., RB, Southwest Minnesota State University 19 rushes, 96 YDS, TD in 21-17 win over Minot State

Michael Gomez, Jr., DL, Winona State 2.5 sacks, 4 total tackles in 28-26 win over MSU-Moorhead

20

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Martin Luther runs past St. Scholastica

Senior defensive back Ian Paulsen had two interceptions in the Knights’ win over St. Scholastica.

UMAC WEEK 5 SCOREBOARD

UMAC STANDINGS

FINAL Westminster (MO) Greenville

1 2 3 4 T 0 0 0 0 0 14 0 16 6 36

Iowa Wesleyan Crown College

0 0 0 0 14 14 0 7

0 35

Northwestern (Minn.)

MacMurray

6 0 0 14 0 13 7 21

20 41

Martin Luther St. Scholastica

7 0

27 6

6 7 7 6 0 0

DULUTH, Minn. - The Martin Luther College football team was locked in on both sides of the ball in a 27-6 win at St. Scholastica on Saturday.

After rushing for a school-record 477 yards in last year’s win over the Saints, the MLC offense finished Saturday with 402 yards rushing on 75 carries.

Defensively, MLC held CSS to only 84 total yards, including -20 yards rushing thanks to eight quarterback sacks. The defense also forced three turnovers in the game.

Austin DeNoyer had a career day for MLC on the ground with 36 carries for 225 yards and two scores, while backfield partner Joshuah Kren ran 20 times for 128 yards and one score.

After taking a 13-6 lead into halftime without a pass completion, quarterback Ethan Aguilar tossed a 24-yard touchdown pass to tight end Mike Radue to push the lead to 20-6 early in the third quarter. With the defense continuing to hold the Saints at bay, DeNoyer put the game to bed in the opening minute of the fourth quarter with a 12-yard touchdown run.

The defense came in ready for quarterback Zach Edwards and the Saints’ passing attack.

Edwards entered the week averaging a UMAC-best 305

Martin Luther MacMurray St. Scholastica Greenville Minnesota Morris Crown Northwestern Westminster Iowa Wesleyan

Conf. Overall 2-0 3-1 2-0 2-2 2-1 4-1 2-1 3-2 1-1 1-3 1-2 2-3 1-2 1-4 1-2 1-4 0-3 0-5

yards per game with 17 passing touchdowns, but was held to only 104 passing yards on 27 attempts thanks to the Knights’ ferocious pass rush and disciplined secondary. Marquise Jackson-Hunter was a force throughout the game with 4.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, while Jacob Schmidt added 2.5 sacks. Ben Riegsecker, Keith Brassowand Nate Holz also added sacks for the MLC defense.

Ian Paulsen recorded two interceptions to go with a pair of pass break-ups and a blocked point after attempt, while Aiden Holien also added an interception.

MLC improved to 3-1 on the season and 2-0 in UMAC play with the win. CSS fell to 4-1 overall and 2-1 in league play in defeat.

Crown continues winning ways

BONIFACIUS, Minn.

– Crown Football won their 2019 Homecoming Game with a statement game on Saturday, blowing out Upper Midwest Athletic Conference affiliate member Iowa Wesleyan University 35-0. The 35-point margin is the biggest Storm margin of victory since 2009. Crown

UPCOMING GAMES SATURDAY, OCT. 5 12 p.m. Northwestern at MacMurray 1 p.m. Iowa Wesleyan at Crown 1 p.m. Westminster at Greenville 3 p.m. Martin Luther at

St. Scholastica

Football is currently undefeated in Old National Bank Stadium this season after defeating Beloit in September. Similar to that Beloit game, the defense came up with an incredible four interceptions (all in the first half) and forced seven turnovers to defeat the IWU Tigers.

The Storm struck first on their third drive of the contest when Crown capitalized on a fumble recovery after junior defensive end Abraham Mayo fell on the ball for a new Storm possession starting deep in Tiger territory. From there, sophomore running back Avory Caruthers was able to find the end zone for a two-yard score (Caruthers’ fifth straight game with a touchdown). After the Tigers got the ball back, senior defensive back Sebastian Alvarado intercepted a pass and nearly took it to the house, but luckily it only took first-year back Ameer Lee two rushes to make it a 14-0 Storm lead.

In the second quarter, the Storm weren’t able to capitalize when junior Corey Huard picked off a pass, but later Avarado came around the right tackle and charged the quarterback, forcing an errant throw that ended up in the hands of junior Cody Ricketts, which the Storm made full use of after sophomore quarterback Jared Gilmore capped a short drive with a quarterback sneak score.

“We’re feeling good, we really worked well up front today and were able to make some plays,” said Gilmore. “We’re ready for some more victories.”

On the next Crown possession, Gilmore found first-year receiver Cole Mistretta for a 20yard touchdown pass, and before you could blink, the Storm had a 28-0 lead going into the halftime break after first-year defensive lineman Ugo Egwim

– UMAC –

continued on page 25

UMAC WEEK 5: TOP PERFORMERS

Jared Gilmore, Fr., QB, Crown College (Caruthers, CA) 15-24, 200 YDS, TD

Austin DeNoyer, Jr., RB, Martin Luther (Lake Mills, WI) 36 Rushes, 225 YDS, 2TD

Eric Soderberg, Sr., LB, St. Scholastica (Grand Rapids HS) 22 Total Tackles (11 Solo)

Payton Bowdry, Sr., RB, Northwestern (Minneapolis South HS) 20 Rushes, 79 YDS, 2TD

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TRIVIA QUESTION #1 Vikings QB Kirk Cousins has thrown for 300 yards six times in a Vikings uniform.

What two quarterbacks are tied for the most 300-yard games with 19 each?

Let’s Play Football

October 10, 2019

21

TRIVIA QUESTION #2

TRIVIA QUESTION #3

Dalvin Cook rushed for more than 100 yards for the sixth time in his career in Sunday’s win over the Giants. You might have guessed Adrian Peterson holds the team record. He does with 49. But who is second and how many did he have?

Adam Thielen eclipsed the 100-yard mark on Sunday against the Giants for the 17th time in his career, moving him to fifth on the all-time Vikings list. Can you name the top four in order?

Answers to Minnesota Vikings Trivia can be found on page 26

22

October 10, 2019

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Vikings 28, Giants 10

GAME DAY ACTION: OCT. 6 Photos courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

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NSIC RECAP continued from page 19

Senior Ryan Schlichte completed 9-of-17 passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns, while junior JD Ekowa threw for 88 yards and a touchdown.

Senior Zach Robertson posted a team-leading seven tackles, while freshman Nic Dahlke tallied four tackles, including two sacks. Senior Spencer Hermus recovered a fumble and senior Jack Curtis recorded an interception as well. Senior Cheyenne Bradford Jr. also forced a fumble at the MSU one yard line that then went out the back of the end zone for a touchback.

Minnesota State wasted no time in building a 28-0 lead as the Mavericks reach the end zone on their first four possessions. MSU’s first play of the game set the tone as Schlichte hooked up with Zylstra on an 80-yard touchdown pass to put MSU up 7-0. MSU’s second drive saw Schlichte connect with Zylstra again, this time from 19 yards out, to put MSU up 14-0.

Freshman Blake Ver Mulm also caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Ekowa, before Gunn posted a one-yard touchdown run to put MSU up 28-0 with 11:48 to go in the second quarter.

Ekowa added one more touchdown in the closing seconds of the half as he raced into the end zone from six yards out to put MSU up 35-0 heading into the locker room.

In the third quarter, MSU added another pair of scores to go up 45-0.

Sophomore Ashton Garner connected on a 43-yard field goal, while Schlichte connected with Zylstra on a 31-yard touchdown pass.

UMD got on the board with 10:30 remaining in the fourth quarter as Armani Carmickle caught an eight-yard touchdown pass from Garrett Olson to end the shutout bid. UMD’s touchdown ended MSU’s streak of 13 consecutive quarters played without giving up a touchdown.

Freshman Kaleb Sleezer tallied the game’s last score as he raced into the end zone from 45 yards out to bring the final score to 52-7.

Huskies earn overtime

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The Huskies are back in the win column after an exiting overtime 18-15 victory over Concordia-St. Paul University. St. Cloud State improves to 3-2 (2-2 NSIC North) thanks to its win over a NSIC South foe. The Golden Bears fall to 3-2 (3-1 NSIC South) after the overtime loss.

SCSU finally reestablished its run game with 164 total rush yards and 149 receiving yards. The Huskies defense only allowed 43 total rush yards and was responsible for one turnover.

St. Cloud State received the ball to start the game but could not get much going. After a strong punt, the Huskies defense came out and made a stand by forcing a three-and-out. On fourth and 13, the Golden Bears punter could not come down with a high snap and the Huskies tackled him at the Golden Bears 16-yard line. The Huskies offense gained a few yards and then called on the leg of Adam Stage (Jr., K, Appleton, Wis.) for a 30-yard field goal that was good to make the score 3-0 St. Cloud State.

After a 12 play, 44 yard drive, the Huskies looked to Stage for a 48-yard field goal into the wind, but he failed to sneak the kick though the uprights as it hit the crossbar. The drive was highlighted by a 12-yard Anthony Carver (Sr., TE, Milwaukee, Wis.) reception and a 18-yard John Solberg (Sr., WR, Cambridge, Minn.) reception. Parris Howell (So., RB, Brookfield, Wis.) and Dwayne Lawhorn (Sr., QB, Germantown, Wis.) also had a few big runs to extend the drive.

With 8:25 left in the second quarter the Huskies jumped out to a 6-0 lead on a 38-yard field goal from Stage. The nine play, 42-yard drive was highlighted by a 16-yard rush by Max

Let’s Play Football Plunkett (Fr., WR, Superior, Wis.). The St. Cloud State defense continued to dominate throughout the first half by limited big plays through the air and holding the Golden Bears rushers to -7 yards. The Huskies front seven dominated Concordia-St. Paul’s offensive line and did not allow the Golden Bears any time for their plays to develop. The Golden Bears ultimately drove the ball into field goal range and made the kick to make the game 6-3 Huskies.

The Huskies put three more points on the board on another 38-yard field goal from Stage to make the score 9-3 going into the third quarter. The seven play, 37-yard drive lasted for 2:12 as the St. Cloud State offense continued to move the ball at will.

The Golden Bears got the ball to start the second half and put together a strong drive, but the Huskies big men up front made a big goal-line stand and forced a field goal to make the score 9-6 St. Cloud State. The next drive, the Huskies put together some nice plays, but ultimately had to punt. Concordia-St. Paul marched down the field, and as they were threatening to score, Payton Conrad (So., DB, Tea, S.D.) came up with a big interception in the end-zone to keep the score 9-6 in favor of St. Cloud State.

With 13:03 left in the game, Concordia-St. Paul tied the game at 9-9 on a 44-yard field goal. The Golden Bears then took the lead on a 35-yard field goal to make the score 12-9 in favor of the Golden Bears. The Huskies responded by driving the ball down field on a nine play, 64-yard drive that was capped off with a 26-yard field goal from Stage. Lawhorn connected with Carver for a 31-yard reception early in the drive to set up the field goal.

The Huskies defense made another huge stop and forced the Golden Bears to punt with 3:07 left in the game.

Curtwan Evans (Sr., RB, Bloomingdale, Ill.) had three huge runs early in the drive that helped the Huskies offense.

A few plays later, Lawhown escaped the pocket and found a wide open Tanner Teige (Jr., WR, Big Lake, Minn.) for a 34-yard pickup to put the ball on Concordia-St. Paul’s 20 yard line with 38 seconds left. With 26 seconds left, Stage missed a 38-yard field goal to take the lead late which took the game into overtime.

The Golden Bears got the ball first in overtime, and the Huskies held them to a field goal. The Huskies then moved the ball and got the ball into the 10-yard line with the help of a penalty. On third and goal the Huskies scored the only touchdown of the game with three-yard pass from Lawhorn to Carver.

Winona State outlasts MSU-Moorhead MOORHEAD, Minn. – Under cool and raining conditions, the game between the Winona State University Warriors and MSU Moorhead Dragons saw it all – turnovers, a return touchdown, a safety and a blocked field goal.

After the dust settled, Winona State University stood tall and picked up a much-needed win at Moorhead for its first road triumph of the year.

The Warriors scored first and scored last in a 28-26 victory in which WSU ultimately had to come from behind to topple the Dragons in an action-packed fourth quarter.

Isaiah Hall exposed the Dragons’ suspect return coverage by taking the opening kickoff of Saturday’s game 98 yards for a touchdown. Winona State led 14-3 after the first quarter and 20-9 at halftime in what appeared to be a comfortable Warrior lead before the Dragons rallied for a 26-23 advantage in the fourth quarter.

Still trailing with under five minutes left to play, Winona State shined in all three phases to complete its comeback victory. The defense forced a turnover, and the offense picked up a huge chunk of yards to set up Paul Ortiz who connected on the game-winning field

October 10, 2019

goal from 35 yard with 46 seconds left on the clock.

Moorhead took its first lead of the day at the nine-minute mark of the fourth quarter on a lengthy, but brief drive, that covered 75 yards in three minutes. Following the touchdown, and successful two-point conversion for a 26-23 lead, Jake Balliu coughed up an uncharacteristic and costly fumble on the ensuing kickoff return.

The Dragons recovered the fumble in Winona State territory and suddenly had all the momentum with 8:48 left on the game clock in front of their thrilled Homecoming crowd. The Warrior defense was unfazed, however, as the unit made big play after big play down the stretch. With the Dragons already in the red zone, Michael Gomez recorded his first sack of the day on second down and Joe Perhats followed on third down with a game-changing interception – his second of the game.

Following a 46-yard return by Perhats, the Winona State offense pushed into the red zone to set up a game-tying field goal by Ortiz. The senior’s 29-yard attempt was blocked, and once again Moorhead had the crowd and momentum on its side.

With 4:10 remaining, the Warrior defense again answered the bell, forcing the Dragons backwards this time.

The drive ultimately resulted in a 26yard loss and safety to cut the Moorhead lead to 26-25 with 1:50 left to play.

Hall, who netted 174 combined return yards in the game, took the ensuing punt back 29 yards to set up the Warriors’ game-winning drive at the Moorhead 24-yard line. However, the Winona State drive went backward after a pair of penalties, leading to a 26-yard pitch and catch from Owen Burketo Balliu on second-and-30 which set up Ortiz’s game-winning kick.

Gomez put the exclamation point on the eventful fourth quarter with a sack and fumble recovery on third down as the Dragons last gasp was snuffed out.

Burke was solid under center for WSU, completing 60 percent of his passes for 220 yards. The junior threw one touchdown and one interception.

Burke connected with Balliu in the first quarter for the score on a drive that was highlighted by a 54-yard reception by Tyler Anderson. The junior wideout ended the day with a career-best 101 receiving yards.

Landon Jacobson led the ground attack with 68 yards on 22 attempts. The redshirt junior also caught one pass for 15 yards.

Cole Monckton paced the defense with eight tackles. The Warriors applied pressure all day and recorded six tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

Southwest wins second straight

MINOT, N.D. – Boyer Bouman connected on a 34-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Davis with 25 seconds left in the game to lift Southwest Minnesota State to a thrilling 21-17 victory over Minot State at Herb Parker Stadium in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference football.

SMSU, which improves to 2-3 overall with its second straight victory, started the game-winning drive at its own 13-yard line and included a fourthand-long conversion early in the drive.

SMSU dominated statistically with more than 433 yards of offense and 22

23

first downs, while MISU was limited to less than 251 yards and 12 first downs.

The SMSU defense held MISU to just one first down and 37 total yards on 14 plays in the opening half.

Max Simmons led a balanced SMSU rushing attack with a season-high 142 yards on 20 carries, while Duce Reynolds added 92 yards and one touchdown on 21 carries.

Bouman closed the game completing 14 of 23 pass attempts for 130 yards. Dakota Jaeschke and Luke Narveson each caught four passes for the Mustangs, while Davis added three receptions for 61 yards.

SMSU controlled the first 19 minutes of the game as MISU was held to just six plays and no first downs in the opening quarter.

The MISU defense came through for the game’s first points on SMSU’s third possession. Facing third and short near midfield, Bouman was intercepted

by Isaiah Bigby at the MISU 48-yard line and he returned for a touchdown to give the Beavers a 7-0 lead with 10:58 left in the second quarter.

Following an SMSU punt, the Mustang defense made its first big play of the game as Onte Burn recovered a Beaver fumble at the MISU 20-yard line following a big hit by Chris Bain to force the fumble. The Mustangs took advantage of the turnover as six plays later Reynolds plowed across the goal line for a 1-yard touchdown to tie the game at 7 with 4:26 remaining in the half.

MISU picked up its lone first down of the half on its next drive, but the SMSU defense forced a punt and took over with 1:05 left at its own 27yard line. The Mustangs moved the ball to the Beavers 49-yard line and called timeout with three seconds on the clock. Out of the timeout, Paul Herreram – who played one series earlier in the game – entered and tossed a Hail Mary pass into the end zone that Dakota Jaeschke came down with for a dramatic half-ending touchdown. Skyler Crew’s PAT was good and SMSU took a 14-7 lead into halftime.

SMSU maintained the seven-point lead into the fourth quarter before MISU’s Jose Luis Moreno booted a 37-yard field goal with 12:02 left in the game to make the score 14-10.

The Mustangs later in the game attempted to build on the lead but were forced to punt with less than seven minutes remaining in the game.

Bouman’s punt pinned the Beavers inside their own 5-yard line, but several big plays and a defensive pass interference call moved the ball down to the SMSU 33-yard line. Ben Bolinske then found Lavante Bushnel for a 33-yard touchdown pass with 3:40 remaining to put MISU in front at 17-14.

SMSU then put together the game-winning drive covering 87 yards on 11 plays. One of the key plays was a fourth down conversion pass from Bouman to Luke Narveson for 17 yards on fourth-and-16 moving the ball to the SMSU 39-yard line. Bouman would later find Davis for a first down reception and two more completions to Jalen Coleman before finding Davis open for the game-winning touchdown.

Burns, Gage Roberson and Davaeon Johnson each recorded a team-high eight tackles to pace the Mustang defense, while Cory Hollowell chipped in with seven tackles.

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‘Gatorade Coach of the Week’ The Vikings honor a worthy Minnesota high school coach as the Gatorade/Vikings Coach of the Week in 2019. The school receives a $1,000 donation from the Vikings Foundation to their football program and an additional $1,000 in Gatorade products.

Week 1............Steve Hamilton.......................Elk River High School Week 2............. Matt Mahoney....................... Fairmont High School Week 3............Dave Halvorson......................... Ogilvie High School Week 4............. Max Meagher................... Paynesville High School Week 5............... Matt Walter..................... Annandale High School Week 6.............. Nick Keenan...............Champlin Park High School

The brotherhood of the O-Line

by MARK WOODCOCK There is something special about playing on the offensive line. You can only feel it if you have played in this inglorious position. You never get to hear your name by the announcer unless you are called for a penalty. All five linemen can have a great play and no one will comment on them due to all the attention going to the position groups that actually get to touch the football. These position groups that get to touch the football are often called the “skilled positions,” whatever that means. A center snapping the ball does not actually count as touching the ball. Typical that they couldn’t even give the O-Line even that little bit of attention. Offensive linemen are often regarded as the stereotypical big, dumb jock. Even kickers in fantasy football get points for doing their job, but not the O-line. Why not have the O-line as a unit be a position to draft in fantasy football? Give them points for rushing yards gained and for not allowing a certain number of sacks? Anyway, I digress. Despite all of these and many other ways the O-line is shunned by humanity, there is nothing else like playing on the offensive line. Offensive linemen need to function together as a position group at such a high level they can’t help but to form a bond of Brotherhood unlike any other athletes in sports.

This Brotherhood is formed by countless repetitions of doing the most mundane drills possible to get all five linemen performing at the same high level. Communication is really the key to performance of all offensive linemen.

Defenses are constantly coming up with packages to confuse the O-line. Split second decisions have to be made in order for all five linemen to be blocking the correct players on defense. Contrary to belief, offensive linemen have to be smart to be effective. In my 22 years coaching varsity O-line, the offensive linemen have typically had the highest

GPAs on the team as a position group.

O-linemen are solely charged to protect quarterbacks and running backs.

It is not an easy task to throw your body into harm’s way to protect another teammate play after play, but that is what the O-line does. It is this sacrifice of flesh and bone for no glory that brings O-linemen together like no other group in sports. The mentality of protecting others is a reason why O-linemen make great husbands and fathers. No really, it is a real thing, Google it. Of course, it may not be this sacrifice that brings O-linemen so close together. It could be the pregame meals at the local all-youcan-eat establishments in town. Every O-lineman knows where they are.

Sadly, many youth teams just put the biggest kids on the O-line and never really teach them to be physical and how to hit. Often when defensive players are brought over to play on the offensive line in high school they do rather well because they know how to hit and keep their feet moving similar to making a tackle. I would recommend to all youth coaches to make sure you teach every player how to tackle properly and keep their feet moving on contact. Keeping your feet moving on contact is one of the basic concepts of football. It helps develop skills for running the ball, tackling, stalk blocking, run and pass blocking. Plus, tackling is just a fun thing to do at any level. I had a total of one tackle while playing offensive line in college and it was glorious. I try to forget the part of that play in which my guy stripsacked the quarterback and took off down the field with the ball.

Mark Woodcock is a high school teacher and coach. He has coached for 28 years. He has coached football, track and field, basketball, and wrestling. He played college football as an O-lineman for Montana State University. He was a three sport athlete at Osseo High School where he graduated in 1987. He is married with three sons.

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Midseason bridges to your Fantasy Playoffs

by MARK WOODCOCK You’ve almost reached the midpoint of your fantasy season, the doe-eyed optimism of your perfect draft replaced by the reality of the regular season. Now you’re looking at roughly two months to punch your ticket to the fantasy postseason—where hardware, cash, and bragging rights await.

Wishin’ and hopin’ won’t put a trophy on your mantel this December; action is required. With that in mind, here’s a gaggle of waiver wire and buy low options you can add now that could prove extremely valuable over the upcoming eight-week battle for a seat at the playoff table.

QB Kyler Murray, Cardinals Murray is quietly a top-10 fantasy quarterback thanks to 206 rushing yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns—plus, he has the fourth-most pass attempts in the NFL. Ahead on the schedule are four plus matchups—Falcons, Giants, Saints, Bucs—and two tougher dates with the 49ers before Arizona’s Week 12 bye. If you’ve lost Brees or Big Ben and are scrambling at the quarterback position, Murray is a value-priced bridge to the fantasy playoffs.

QB Josh Allen, Bills Like Murray, Allen is salvaging fantasy value with his legs: 158 rushing yards and three rushing scores. And like Murray, Allen is looking at a primrose path over the next two months. Allen’s Bills get the Dolphins twice, in Weeks 7 and 11, as well as plus passing-game matchups with Philly, Washington, and Cleveland. The key is knowing when to get out; from Week 12 on, Buffalo’s passing game faces nothing but stiff tests. Let Allen drive you to the playoff dance, but make arrangements to shake your thang with someone else when the music starts.

QB Jimmy Garappolo, 49ers Jimmy GQ is hanging out around QB20 in the fantasy rankings, and odds are he’s catching rays on the deck of your free agent pool. More than just depth and a pretty face, Garoppolo should be an every-other-week starter between now and the fantasy playoffs thanks to odd-week matchups against Washington (7) and Arizona twice (9 and 11). He’s a great fit in a mix-and-match streaming tandem with Murray, whose two tough SF matchups obviously coincide with Jimmy’s favorable dates with the Cards.

RBs Frank Gore, Bills Buffalo’s All-AARP running back doesn’t feel like a top-20 fantasy RB, but that’s exactly what he’s been thus far.

He’s averaging 15 carries a game, and he’s looking at that same soft schedule that makes Josh Allen so attractive. If the Gore owner won’t part with him, take a flier on rookie Devin Singletary, who had 15 touches for 155 yards and a touchdown through two games before a ham-

UMAC

continued from page 20 had an interception on the last play of the first half.

In the second half, the Tigers finally figured out how to slow down the Crown scoring as Caruthers was the only score as he rushed for his second touchdown of the contest.

“It feels good, we’ve finally been putting it together,” said Alvarado. “We have a lot of guys who want to win and they give it everything in practice and it shows on Saturdays.”

Gilmore was the leader in the passing game with 200 yards in the game and a touchdown pass. Lee led the rushers with 51 yards, and Mistretta once again led the

string injury put him on the shelf. About the time Gore hits mandatory mid-season retirement, Singletary will slide into a larger share of the workload—and all the advantages of that cushy slate.

RB Le’Veon Bell, Jets Bell hasn’t scored since Week 1, is coming off a bye, and carries the stink of being a Jet. If he’s not on your waiver wire it won’t take much to pry him from whatever bench he’s currently sitting on—if not now, then after he bangs his head against the Cowboys, Patriots, and Jaguars over the next three weeks. Swoop in around Week 9 and enjoy his 24-plus touches a game against the run-friendly defenses of the Giants, Bengals, Washington, and Miami—twice. When the Raiders are your toughest matchup over a six-week span, you know you’re looking at a favorable slate.

WR AJ Green, Bengals It’s possible you could find a way to pry Tyler Boyd off his current roster, as he’s on the sinking ship known as the Bengals and has just one touchdown to go with his 37 catches—fourth among NFL wideouts. But the shrewder move might be to seek out Green, as there’s a chance he’s been kicked to the curb or is clogging a roster spot on a team that needs immediate help. The Bengals’ schedule between now and Week 13 includes just one tough passing-game matchup (the Rams in Week 8), so even if Green isn’t back until Week 9 you still get more than a month of favorable dates from a nobrainer fantasy WR1 when healthy. It’s a great move if you’re sitting at 5-0 or 4-1 with bye week issues and/or tough wide receiver matchups on the horizon.

TE Daniel Fells, Texans Houston historically loves throwing to its tight ends, especially in the red zone; the trick has been figuring out which of the Texans’ rotating cabal of tight ends will have fantasy value on any given Sunday. Jordan Akins was the flavor of the month until last week, when Daniel Fells scored two touchdowns of his own last week against the Falcons.

While Akins has scored 2.5 fantasy points or less in four of five games this season, Fells has hit double digits in two of the last three weeks. He’s the horse to ride over a favorable run between now and Week 12 that includes six plus matchups— including three outstanding TE matchups with the Colts (twice) and Raiders—and a Week 10 bye.

You won’t necessarily find a fantasy savior in this bunch, but there’s more than enough duct tape and band-aids to patch up your roster for a run at a fantasy title. Odds are you’re already churning the bottom third of your roster anyway; may as well put that churn to good use.

John Tuvey co-hosts The Fantasy Football Party podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @jtuvey wideouts with 124 receiving yards.

First-year Junior Doe, junior Micah Moyer, and senior Joe Duffy led the defense with seven tackles each. Duffy led the team with 2.5 tackles for loss and split a sack with Mayo. Doe had the only Storm forced fumble of the game and recovered it himself. Jesse Synoground led the defensive backs with two passes broken up; Alvarado led the team with two quarterback hurries.

The Storm had 18 first downs in the contest compared to the Tigers’ 12.

The rushing yards were fairly even with Crown edging Iowa Wesleyan 123-102.

The biggest difference in yardage was in the passing game, as Crown’s 213 passing yards towered above the Tigers’ 84.

In fact, the Storm defense had more yards on Iowa Wesleyan pass attempts than the Tigers.

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October 10, 2019

Vikings QB Kirk Cousins has thrown for 300 yards six times in a Vikings uniform. What two quarterbacks are tied for the most 300-yard games with 19 each?

A: Tommy Kramer and Daunte Culpepper both had 19 career 300-yard passing games. It took Kramer 128 games and Culpepper just 81.

Tommy Kramer

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Q: Dalvin Cook rushed for more than 100 yards for the sixth time in his career in Sunday’s win over the Giants. You might have guessed Adrian Peterson holds the team record. He does with 49. But who is second and how many did he have?

Adrian Peterson

A: Robert Smith had 29 100-yard rushing games.

In those games the Vikings were 22-7.

Chuck Foreman is third with 17 and the Vikings were 16-1 in those games.

Side note: The Vikings never lost when either Terry Allen or Chester Taylor ran for 100 or more yards in a game, going 7-0 with the former and 6-0 with the latter. They are 5-1 when Cook gains 100 or more.

Q: Adam Thielen eclipsed the 100-yard mark on Sunday against the Giants for the 17th time in his career, moving him to fifth on the all-time Vikings list. Can you name the top four in order?

A: Randy Moss had 41, Cris Carter 40, Anthony Carter 22 and probably the toughest one to guess is....

Jake Reed who had 18 during his career with the Purple.

Randy Moss

Vikings career leaders 300 Yard PASSING Games 19 Tommy Kramer, 1977-89 19 Daunte Culpepper, 1999-2005 10 Warren Moon, 1994-96 9 Fran Tarkenton, 1961-66, 1972-78 7 Wade Wilson, 1981-91 6 Kirk Cousins, 2018-19 6 Randall Cunningham, 1997-99 6 Brett Favre, 2009-10

100 Yard Rushing Games (W-L)

100 Yard Receiving Games (W-L)

49 Adrian Peterson, 2007-16 (33-15-1) 29 Robert Smith, 1993-00 (22-7) 17 Chuck Foreman, 1973-79 (16-1) 9 Michael Bennett, 2001-05 (5-4) 8 Bill Brown, 1962-74 (4-4) 7 Terry Allen, 1990-94 (7-0) 6 Dalvin Cook, 2017-19 (5-1) 6 Tommy Mason, 1961-66 (2-4) 6 Ted Brown, 1979-86 (5-1) 6 Dave Osborn, 1965-75 (3-3) 6 Darrin Nelson, 1982-89, 1991-92 (3-3) 6 Chester Taylor, 2006-09 (6-0)

41 Randy Moss, 1998-2004, 2010 (29-12) 40 Cris Carter, 1990-2001 (30-10) 22 Anthony Carter, 1985-93 (12-10) 18 Jake Reed, 1991-99, 2001 (7-11) 17 Adam Thielen, 2014-19 (11-5-1)

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