2023 Central MN High School Football Preview

PREVIEW 2023 High School Football

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2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW

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2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW

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Lakers hope to stay healthy and return to section title game Detroit Lakes sets sail for new season after a disappointing end to 2022

Detroit Lakes practices defensive line skills at the Lakers’ practice during fall camp on Aug. 16.

BY NICK LEONARDELLI Detroit Lakes Tribune

DETROIT LAKES – Football is one of the most physical sports in the world. Every play pads are thumping and someone is getting knocked to the ground — injuries are inevitable. The Detroit Lakes football team caught a case of the injury bug late last season but after a full offseason of getting healthier and stronger, the Lakers are ready to get back to their winning ways.

The Lakers lost four of their last five games to end their 2022 campaign. The biggest storyline of last year was losing starting quarterback Caden Strand after he broke his fibula in a 35-21 loss to Pequot Lakes in the middle of the season. Detroit Lakes’ offseason was focused on getting bigger, faster, and stronger.

Senior Breck Winter witnessed a tremendous amount of improvement from a lot of guys over the last few months.

“We have done a lot of injury prevention and strength training to get those right muscles moving in

the right direction,” he said. “A lot of guys who have pulled through a lot of tough injuries are back and stronger than ever.”

Lakers head coach Reed Hefta understands the toll the body takes during a long season. Fielding a healthy team takes more than lifting heavy weights in the gym.

“You want to make sure you have strong, able bodies,” he said. “That starts in the weight room. If you have muscle on your body, that’s going to help you stay strong as the season goes on. Especially for these kids, it is about eating right, sleeping good and making sure you are hydrated. Our training staff, Matt Oestreich

Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune

and Sam Salathe, do a great job at educating our kids about that.”

Strand was a huge loss for the Lakers last season.

Hefta saw a young sophomore starting to grow into his role before suffering a major injury. Over the winter, he saw Strand train like he was fighting for a starting position.

“You have to train when you are injured,” Hefta said. “You have to live and breathe the things that will help you get healthy which is getting strong and fast.

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It’s been fun to see him progress and the expectations are still always high. The standard is the standard for everyone on the team. I’m excited to see the fun things the kid can do.”

Senior Will Martin understands the importance of a healthy Strand to the team’s success.

“The quarterback is the hub of the offense,” he said.

“Strand is a great leader and knows what he is doing.

Without him last year, it threw us through a loop.

Having him back, he is a good leader on offense and knows how to keep the guys going all the time.”

The Lakers’ fall camp has close to 100 kids in attendance. The weeks leading up to camp had Hefta excited to get back on the field. From sending messages to getting film out, it all led to that first day of the return of Detroit Lakes football.

“I’ll tell you what, it’s like Christmas Day,” Heft said.

“These last three days have been fantastic. You got

2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW great energy from the kids, a community that is excited for some football and you got 100 kids running around out here. That’s a pretty fun thing to be able to be a part of.”

“I think the vibes are great,” Winter said. “Everybody is out here working hard and giving everything they got. Our senior class is amazing just pushing everyone to do their best.”

“Everybody is out here working hard and giving everything they got. Our senior class is amazing just pushing everyone to do their best.”

BRECK WINTER TE/S

Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune

Detroit Lakes practices some team drills at the Lakers’ practice during fall camp on Aug. 16.

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The Lakers haven’t been to the state tournament since 2013. After a full offseason to get back to full health, Detroit Lakes has its eyes set on a deep playoff run but it first needs to get back to the section title game.

“That is always the goal to compete for that section championship and anything after that is free football,” Hefta said. “That’s the destination every year but it’s

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2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW not the journey. You have to handle everything in between. We got a heckuva matchup in Week 1. We have a lot of new programs with new coaches who are going to be fired up. We are always expecting the best out of the teams we play. So, we have to execute week by week, day by day especially in fall camp if we want to think about even standing on that podium.”

Martin believes the team can make it there. He feels that the biggest thing that could make or break the season is trust and belief in the guy next to you.

“Without trust, you can’t go anywhere,” he said. “This year, we have been together for so long and have been so tight. Everyone believes in each other and pulls in the right direction. It is looking good.”

The boys have their eyes set on Game 1 against Rocori. Martin hopes the team can start the season on the right note.

“It has been a battle against them for years now,” he said. “We are looking forward to bringing it to them this first week. It is in their nice stadium so we are going to go there, compete and play our best.”

Hefta’s biggest focus is on figuring out what kind of team he has. He has to see how his players match up against themselves before he can have a thought about Week 1.

“Right now, I am excited to see our guys compete against ourselves and establish where that is as we go. Week 1, that’s a big bright light. We go down to probably the best stadium in high school football in the state of Minnesota in Rocori at Blattner Field. That’s

something we have to be prepared for. That’s obviously the big game but every day is a big day. We have a scrimmage against Park Rapids which will be a good

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2023 | 5

challenge for us as well. It’s all about getting dialed in, taking it day by day, and not looking too far down the map.”

Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune

Detroit Lakes’ wide receivers and defensive backs break it down at the Lakers’ practice during fall camp on Aug. 16.

DETROIT LAKES SCHEDULE 2023

Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune

Detroit Lakes’ head coach Reed Hefta at the Lakers’ practice during fall camp on Aug. 16.

Sept. 1 at Rocori, 7 p.m.

Sept. 8 vs. Perham, 7 p.m.

Sept. 15 at Fergus Falls, 7 p.m.

Sept. 22 vs. Thief River Falls, 7 p.m.

Sept. 29 at Morris, 7 p.m.

Oct. 6 at Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton, 7 p.m.

Oct. 13 vs. Little Falls, 7 p.m.

Oct. 18 vs. East Grand Forks, 7 p.m.

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Lake Park-Audubon wants to keep trending in right direction The Raiders will look to their upperclassmen to help lead the charge entering the upcoming season

Cooper Kanthak / Detroit Lakes Tribune

The Lake Park-Audubon offense lines up to run some plays during the first week of practice on Aug. 17.

BY COOPER KANTHAK Detroit Lakes Tribune

Cooper Kanthak / Detroit Lakes Tribune

Lake Park-Audubon senior wingback Drew Harris lines up in the slot for a play during the first week of practice on Aug. 17.

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LAKE PARK – The Lake Park-Audubon football team has its sights set on improvement and getting over the hump this season. Head coach PJ Peterson believes his team can turn some of last year’s close loses into wins.

The Raiders went 3-6 last season including a 33-22 loss to Otter Tail Central in the Section 6A quarterfinal to end the season. Three games last

season were decided by less than double digits.

“We played in a lot of close games last year and we want to play in close games but we want to finish them on the right side, the winning side this year,” Peterson said. “Our fight was really good last year and we are going to continue to build on that.

We are really working on that relentless attitude and that refuse to lose mentality.”

This season Peterson will rely on his younger players to fill in and compete at a high level right away.

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2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW “We got a good core group of young guys so we’re going to have them step up,” Peterson said. “We’re going to be young at some positions but those guys have worked hard all offseason.”

The offseason is when players set the tone and prepare for the upcoming season. Senior wingback Drew Harris focused on getting in great shape.

“We have to maintain our speed and strength,” Harris said. “We don’t have the depth we had last year so we are going to use our strength and speed to our advantage in the best way we can.”

Harris and the rest of the seniors will have to lead the underclassman and Peterson has no doubt that they are up for the challenge.

“We have a great core of seniors and we’re expecting them to be good leaders and help these kids catch up,” Peterson said. “We are going to have to lean on the seniors to lead from the front.”

Peterson hopes to build off last season and he says his team has plenty to focus on if they are going to take that next step.

“We need to improve on our execution and make sure that everything we are doing we’re doing it technically sound,” Peterson said. “Offensively we need to do everything we are asked of us, especially on the offensive line. The game is won in the trenches.

Defensively we just have to be confident in what we are doing and not get confused on some calls.”

The plan is to keep it simple. Peterson wants to instill confidence in his team and he has seen improvement over the summer as his team competed at a team camp at Valley City State University.

“At the VCSU team camp I saw some really great things,” Peterson said. “Just having fun and confidence out there is what I want to see.”

Harris and starting linebacker and offensive lineman Jacob Nelson are looking forward to finishing their senior season on a high note. That includes looking forward to certain games on the schedule that last year didn’t go the way they liked last year.

“I’m looking forward to playing Ada again,” Nelson said. “We lost in overtime last year, right at the end so

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2023 | 7

that one hurt. We have to get them back this year for sure.”

Homecoming against Mahnomen-Waubun is going to be a big challenge for us,” Harris said. “Also our first game of the season against Parkers Prairie has been tough in the past but I think we stack up evenly against them.”

Harris and Nelson are players that stand out early so far in the first week of practice. Peterson mentioned that senior tight ends Anton Wickenheiser and Colby Poegel have looked great so far in practice too. Senior offensive lineman and nose guard Wyatt Simon will have to command both sides of the ball in the trenches.

Sophomore Luca Beske will be the starting quarterback this season and Gabe Harris is a sophomore running back that will take on a bigger role this upcoming season.

The Raiders open up the 2023 season at home against Parkers Prairie on Aug. 31 at 7:00 p.m.

Cooper Kanthak / Detroit Lakes Tribune

Lake Park-Audubon tight end Anton Wickenheiser and offensive linemen Jacob Lake Park-Audubon head coach Paul Peterson talks to his offense during the first Nelson and Ethan Wuollet get set before running a play during the first week of week of practice on Aug. 17. practice on Aug 17.

Cooper Kanthak / Detroit Lakes Tribune

LAKE PARK-AUDUBON FOOTBALL SCHEDULE 2023

Cooper Kanthak / Detroit Lakes Tribune

Lake Park-Audubon quarterback Luca Beske mans the huddle during the first week of practice on Aug. 17.

Aug. 31 vs. Parkers Prairie, 7 p.m.

Sept. 8 at Menahga, 7 p.m.

Sept. 15 at Red Lake County, 7 p.m.

Sept. 22 vs. Red Lake, 7 p.m.

Sept. 29 at Ada-Borup West, 7 p.m.

Oct. 6 at Polk County West, 7 p.m.

Oct. 13 vs. Mahnomen/Waubun, 7 p.m.

Oct. 18 vs. Bagley, 7 p.m.

8 | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2023

2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Eagles underclassmen will play big part in 2023 New York Mills’ recent success motivates the team to continue its winning ways

The New York Mills lineman work on blocking drills during practice on Aug. 16.

BY COOPER KANTHAK Detroit Lakes Tribune

NEW YORK MILLS – The New York Mills football team wants to continue their winning ways in 2023.

The Eagles have a 22-4 record over the past three seasons including an 8-2 record last year before losing to Breckenridge in the Section 6A semifinals.

Head coach Matt Radniecki knows that with success comes higher expectations but he tries to not get caught up in what his teams have done in the past.

“Every year is a new year and different guys play different roles,” Radniecki said. “I don’t get caught up in what we did in the past but that success helps lead us and our kids to a belief that we are going to be good. That’s what I look to build off is carrying the momentum over from last year into this year and to believe that we can step on the field and be competitive.”

Seniors Bode Roberts, Teagan Lausten and DaShaun Robinson know that putting in the work in the offseason will benefit themselves and the team

throughout the season.

“Getting the young guys going during lifting and offseason workouts because we have some of them stepping up this season,” Roberts said. “We graduated a big class so having the younger guys step up will be huge for the team.”

“Doing the little things right so when it comes time to game time, we are ready to play,” Robinson said.

With 12 senior Eagles graduating last season, Radniecki sees it as an opportunity for some of the guys who didn’t play as much last season.

“I look at it as an opportunity for some other guys to get their chance to play,” Radniecki said. “We do have some key returning guys coming back to be good leaders for this team. But some new guys are going to get a chance to play and I believe they are ready to play.”

Radniecki’s message for the first week of practice is to get back to the basics and really focus on the little things.

“Learning the offense and getting the timing down is important,” Roberts said. “Getting everyone on the

Cooper Kanthak / Detroit Lakes Tribune

same page is key so when the first game comes, we’re ready to go.”

“The new offense has been the main focus,” Lausten said. “We just need the reps with the new plays so we have them down.”

The Eagle’s strength is in their skill positions and defensive backfield. Radniecki plans to rely on the playmakers to lead the team this upcoming season.

“We have a really good core of running backs and receivers,” Radniecki said. “Even though we lost some starters we have five guys that played a lot coming back to fill those spots and produce.”

While the other position groups are a strength for this team, Radniecki is looking to fill a few holes in the offensive and defensive line.

“We lost a lot of linemen last year so we’re going to have to have some younger guys fill in, but I think they are capable of doing it,” said Radniecki. “They will have to prove it on the field. Our team has to be able to be confident and I believe they are. They think that we are good but we will hit some adversity this season. We are going to have to be able to work through that. We

2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2023 | 9

have to have that mindset that we can compete with everyone.”

New York Mills will rely on their seniors to get the younger guys on track and ready for the season.

“We have six seniors and five of them played extensively last season and they will be great leaders for us,” Radniecki said. “We have to rely on them because they are the foundation and we’re going to have to build off of them. Hopefully they can do some great things for us and bring some kids along.”

The Eagles play seven games this year and for the players, they have some specific games circled on the calendar that they can’t wait to play.

“Definitely Breckenridge,” Roberts said. “We dropped one to them last year and I want to get back at them for sure. Pine River will also be a tough game for us.”

“Wadena is definitely one also,” Lausten said. “Every year it’s a rivalry so it will always be a fun one.”

As for this season’s goals, Radniecki says that there isn’t anything specific that he wants his team to accomplish other than play hard and give them a chance to win.

“We don’t ever really get big into goals,” Radniecki said. “Our goal is that we just want to be competitive on Friday nights. We want to get into the fourth quarter of every game where we have a chance to win. The goal as a team is to give ourselves a chance in the fourth quarter and if we are in that position more times than not, we Cooper Kanthak / Detroit Lakes Tribune are going to be able to succeed and have success.”

New York Mills head coach Matt Radniecki demonstrates to his team during a drill with the sled on Aug. 16.

New York Mills opens up the season on the road against Ada-Borup West on Aug. 31.

NEW YORK MILLS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE 2023 Aug. 31 at Ada-Borup-West, 5 p.m.

Sept. 8 vs. Pine River-Backus, 7 p.m.

Sept. 15 at Parkers Prairie, 7 p.m.

Sept. 22 at Walker-Hackensack-Akeley, 7 p.m.

Oct. 6 at Breckenridge, 7 p.m.

Oct. 13 vs. Staples-Motley, 7 p.m.

Oct. 18 vs. Pillager, 6 p.m.

Cooper Kanthak / Detroit Lakes Tribune

New York Mills senior wide receiver DaShaun Robinson runs a route during practice on Aug. 16.

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2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Wolverines keep expectations high after stellar 2022 season Head coach wants a more physical Wadena-Deer Creek team in 2023

Nick Leonardelli / Wadena Pioneer Journal

Wadena-Deer Creek’s head coach Kyle Petermeier walks through a play as the players and defensive coordinator Keith Ferris watch at the Wolverines’ practice during fall camp on Aug. 15.

23 years the Wolverines had finished a season with a record above .500. Petermeier is excited to see how this Nick Leonardelli / Wadena Pioneer Journal year’s group can top the last.

“We lost a good group of seniors last year,” he said.

Wadena-Deer Creek’s Josiah Kallevig and head coach Kyle Petermeier talk at the Wolverines’ practice “We want to get out here and see what we get. You never truly know until the day starts. We are excited to during fall camp on Aug. 15. get everybody out here and start repping through the stuff. It’s been a good start because the seniors we have coming back, most of them played last year and the

BY NICK LEONARDELLI prior to. So, we have been able to pick up where we left Wadena Pioneer Journal off.”

WADENA – “Success breeds success,” Wadena-Deer One of those returning to the team is senior offensive Creek head coach Kyle Petermeier said about how any lineman Grant Seelhammer. The offseason was the only team stays on top. It’s a simple three-word phrase that “I am really excited,” he said. “We have been working brings about some real truth for a Wolverine squad that hard all summer getting ready for the new season.” looks to build on its 2022 season.

The section loss against Sauk Centre still lingers.

WDC ended its best season since 1999 with a loss Senior wide receiver Teshe Loer uses the loss as at Sauk Centre in the second round of the section motivation to get better for the new season. tournament. Its 7-3 overall record was the first time in “We think about it but it’s our motivation to work

hard this year so we can beat them,” he said.

The Wolverines have a lot to be motivated about having made the Section 6AA semifinals in back-toback seasons. Petermeier has the team’s physicality as a main focus heading into 2023. He felt that Sauk Centre took it to them in the first couple of plays and his team didn’t have the right response.

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2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW first-ever state tournament appearance, the Wolverines have to be the ones on the attack.

“For us, it is about preaching more physicality,” Petermeier said. “We have some speed on the outside but can we withstand other teams’ physicality and their size and be able to fight back and bring it to them? That’s maybe the biggest thing we learned. It’s not something we can fix now in camp but over the offseason and into the year. We are hoping that we did enough in the offseason to do that as we head into the regular season and especially into section play towards the end.”

The weight room has been the den for the Wolverines this offseason. Wanting to answer their coach’s call to be more physical, it all starts with getting bigger, faster and stronger.

“It’s been staying in the weight room, working hard together, and keeping on the grind together,” Loer said.

Senior Josiah Kallevig enters his second season as the signal caller for the Wolverines. A late-season injury kept him out of the section quarterfinal matchup against Staples-Motley, and he shared reps during the game against Sauk Centre. Petermeier sees Kallevig taking a big leap in year two under center.

“Josiah was stepping into his first full year of leading the team and he did a fantastic job,” he said. “He has a good rapport with the running backs, the guys up front and the receivers. Just having him back for a full second year is huge. I think he can help us more out in the run game and with the pass game I think it will slow down even more for him. I think experience is the biggest thing for a quarterback and having somebody who has played a full year is going to help us out.”

Petermeier hopes that the success of last season can carry over into the next. He believes winning is contagious from season to season. A program that wins will stay winning. Petermeier isn’t going to put a number on the amount of wins this season but there’s one thing he wants to remind his coaches about.

“I’m just trying to preach to them and all of us coaches that we have had success in the past and we just want to build off of that year by year,” he said.

“Thatsounds as cliché as cliché sounds. We are going to take the little things we have learned over the last few years and the close games that we have lost where hopefully, those experiences of letting one slip away will be in the back of our minds.”

In the Wolverines’ two regular season losses, they were defeated by a combined nine points.

“If we get into those situations again this year hopefully we can close those games out,” Petermeier said. “We hopefully can take the wins and losses in the past and build on those experiences coming into this year.”

WDC opens up the season with a tough road matchup against Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg on Sept. 1. It then welcomes a Section 6AA opponent in Pillager on Sept. 8 for its first taste of section football. Petermeier

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2023 | 13

knows that the teams in the section cannot be taken lightly and a couple of them could be surprises.

“I think we have a really, really tough section and Osakis is at the top,” he said. “They have been up there every year and been to the Fargodome a lot. I think teams like Pillager and Staples-Motley, who have been young teams, are going to be really good teams this year. Then we have Menahga that moved into the section as well that I think will be a really good team too.”

“I can’t say one way or another and I don’t like to make predictions so we are going to take it one game at a time and hopefully we are playing our best football come playoff time.”

Nick Leonardelli / Wadena Pioneer Journal

Wadena-Deer Creek’s offense practices some plays at the Wolverines’ practice during fall camp on Aug. 15.

WADENA-DEER CREEK FOOTBALL SCHEDULE 2023

Nick Leonardelli / Wadena Pioneer Journal

Wadena-Deer Creek’s Teshe Loer begins to run a route at the Wolverines’ practice during fall camp on Aug. 15.

Sept. 1 at Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg, 7 p.m.

Sept. 8 vs. Pillager, 7 p.m.

Sept. 15 at Pine River-Backus, 7 p.m.

Sept. 22 vs. Parkers Prairie, 7 p.m.

Sept. 29 at New York Mills, 7 p.m.

Oct. 6 vs. Walker-Hackensack-Akeley, 7 p.m.

Oct. 13 vs. Breckenridge, 7 p.m.

Oct. 18 at Staples-Motley, 7 p.m.

2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW

14 | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2023

Frazee hopes to get new facility before season ends The Hornets will begin the season on the road as they wait for their brand new home field to be completed

Cooper Kanthak / Detroit Lakes Tribune

Frazee senior running back Brady Crabtree is looking to receive a hand off in the opening week of practice on Aug. 15.

Frazee Head coach Russ Hackel talks to his team during practice on Aug. 15.

BY COOPER KANTHAK Detroit Lakes Tribune

FRAZEE – With having to play all of their games on the road last season, the Frazee football team hopes to get the chance to play a home game this season in a brand new football facility.

Head coach Russ Hackel is optimistic about the opportunity to break in the new facility to allow his kids to get a chance to play in front of a home crowd.

“It’s been a challenge of getting the field ready. We’ve been working on it all summer and that’s the main goal,” Hackel said. “These kids are ready for a home game and to get the community excited.”

Senior running back Brady Crabtree can’t wait to be able to play at home in front of the home fans.

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“Yeah, I’m pretty excited,” Crabtree said.

“Homecoming, especially, is a really big deal, and being able to run out on our own home field in a new facility would be great. Obviously, it sucks because you have family that wants to come watch at home but we had a really big crowd for away games that helped us out.”

Offensive and defensive lineman Weston Mickelson accepts the challenge of playing on the road but hopes he gets a chance to play at home one last time.

“There is nothing better than going to beat a team at another field,” Mickelson said. “I would just really like to get on our own field and have that advantage again.”

Crabtree and Mickelson put in a ton of offseason work to make sure their senior year is one to remember as well as getting their teammates ready.

“I would say the biggest thing is getting the guys

Cooper Kanthak / Detroit Lakes Tribune

in shape and strong fast,” Crabtree said. “There was a lot of teamwork in practice and just trying to work together so we can have another winning season. We want to succeed and not only be brothers on the field but off the field also.”

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2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW “I think we all feel the same,” Mickelson said. “Just having that family bond with us means the most for sure.”

Senior offensive lineman Derek Zitzow gave the team its flowers over the summer about how much work they put in.

“Over half the team lifted the whole summer,” Zitzow said. “That’s huge to build that camaraderie and it will help us out throughout the season.”

While the new field is getting prepped for the 2023 season, Hackel is focused on getting his team some more experience. Frazee returns six starters on offense and five on defense.

“The focus is getting some kids that didn’t have any reps last year, some more this year,” Hackel said. “We have kids that are going to be put in spots that haven’t got a lot of game time on a varsity field but we are ready for the challenge. Kids that played junior varsity

and some ninth graders will have to step up for us.”

Hackel also knows that his team faces some challenges this season that come with any football team.

“Injuries play a big factor,” Hackel said. “If we can stay healthy we’re going to be very solid. Our numbers are down this year so staying healthy will play a huge part in our season.”

Frazee finished the 2022 season with an overall record of 6-4. Its season came to an end in the second round of the Section 8AA tournament with a 57-0 loss to Barnesville.

Losing seniors is always a tough task to work through in a new season but Hackel believes his team will step up to fill the holes.

“That’s always a challenge to have kids step up and take on a new role but we have some guys that hopefully with enough reps, will be ready to perform,”

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2023 | 15

Hackel said.

With the new season a new opportunity for players to take a leap and assert themselves into a system that Hackel wants. Running back Jake Nagel graduated last year after receiving District Player of the Year and team MVP Hackel believes that players like Crabtree and Tyler Moe will step up to fill Nagel’s absence.

“Brady and Tyler will have huge roles this season,” he said. “Establishing the run is huge for us and those two can help us out a ton.”

Frazee opens up the season on Sept. 1 at StaplesMotley and Hackel looks to set the tone early in the season.

“Things are coming together and we are working hard and I believe we will be ready for Game 1,” Hackel said.

“The excitement is in the air for these guys.”

“That’s always a challenge to have kids step up and take on a new role but we have some guys that hopefully with enough reps, will be ready to perform” Cooper Kanthak / Detroit Lakes Tribune

COACH RUSS HACKEL

Frazee lineman work on moving the sled in the first week of practice on Aug. 15.

FRAZEE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE 2023

Cooper Kanthak / Detroit Lakes Tribune

Frazee senior running back Tyler Moe catches a pass during practice on Aug. 15.

Sept. 1 at Staples-Motley, 7 p.m.

Sept. 8 at Hawley, 7 p.m.

Sept. 15 at Crookston, 6 p.m.

Sept. 22 at Warroad, 6 p.m.

Sept. 29 vs. Pelican Rapids, 7 p.m.

Oct. 6 at Roseau, 6 p.m.

Oct. 13 vs. Park Rapids, 7 p.m.

Oct. 18 vs. Barnesville, 7 p.m.

2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW

16 | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2023

Thunderbirds eyeing 3rd straight Section championship Mahnomen-Waubun will need every man on the team if it wants to get back to the state tournament after losing a stud senior class

BY NICK LEONARDELLI Detroit Lakes Tribune

MAHNOMEN – The “thunderbird” is a legendary creature in North American Indigenous peoples’ history and culture that represents power and strength. The Mahnomen-Waubun football team looks to soar into the 2023 season with the strength and power of those who came before them.

The Thunderbirds are coming off a 2022 season where they were crowned Section 8A champions for the second straight year. Head coach John Clark Jr. knows it’s not going to be an easy road to securing a threepeat. The team might look a little different on paper but it’s going to be the same Thunderbirds on the field.

“It’s going to take a lot of hard work,” Clark said. “We have some new faces and kids changing positions. It’s going to be one of those years that it’s going to be fun to coach because there’s going to be a lot of coaching, but I think we have quality kids. We just got to get them in the right positions and get them up to speed. I look forward to us improving each and every week. Its one of those seasons where we come on at the end of the year.”

Mahnomen-Waubun ended its season in Brainerd after a 26-14 loss to Deer River in the first round of the state tournament. After the Thunderbirds jumped out

Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune

A couple of Mahnomen-Waubun linemen battle it out at the Thunderbirds’ practice during fall camp on Aug. 17.

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2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW to a 14-0 lead, Deer River finished the game scoring 26 unanswered points.

For senior Jameson Donner, the loss has been a huge driver for him and his teammates to get better during the offseason.

“It just motivates us to work harder and do our jobs right when that time comes again,” he said.

Football has been a staple in both the Mahnomen and Waubun communities. Mahnomen has eight state championships and 26 state tournament appearances.

Waubun had been three section championships under its belt before the two schools combined for the 2018 season.

The Thunderbirds expect nothing less than success every year. Clark understands that his team has a target on its back week in and week out but that’s become the norm that the team has learned to embrace.

“I think that’s just what the tradition is,” he said.

“The kids have high expectations and they want to uphold that tradition and keep it going. There’s a lot of pride on this football team, and you see that in the seniors. It really comes out because I’ve said many times, we’ll have seniors that are starting for the first time, and it looks like they’ve been three or four year starters. It’s just something that clicks for them.”

Last year’s senior class was led by three-sport athlete Dennis Ashley. He was the starting quarterback and a big contributor to the defensive side of the ball and special teams. This year, the Thunderbirds aren’t blessed with an athlete like Ashley. Replacing the 2022 senior class isn’t going to happen overnight and it can’t be done individually.

“It’s going to take a team that’s in sync on each and every play, and that’s what we’re going for,” Clark said. “We’re going to be real young and inexperienced at quarterback. Our offensive line is going to have to really help. Our running backs are basically linemen, so they have to do their part. Fortunately, I think we have really good backs, so we’ll do it by committee.”

Senior Carter Clark, John’s son, understands how important the upperclassmen were to the success of last season. This year, he and the other seniors are ready to fill those shoes and teach the younger guys how to carry on the winning tradition.

“We just got to work hard in practice and everyone has to do their jobs every play,” he said.

Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune

MahnomenWaubun’s head coach John Clark Jr. at the Thunderbirds’ practice during fall camp on Aug. 17.

Mahnomen-Waubun will soar into the season with a Sept. 1 matchup against Benson. The Thunderbirds follow their week one matchup with a game against Polk County West. Mahnomen-Waubun holds a 6-1 record over Polk County West since 2018. It only loss was in the 2019 Section 8A championship game.

The Thunderbirds have created some rivalries over the years. They are one of the top teams to beat in their section and district. Mahnomen-Waubun likes to challenge itself by playing a diverse schedule every season. John invites the challenge and believes it makes his team better by seeing some new competition.

“It’s fun playing with everyone because they’re all different,” he said. “There’s not one that really jumps out at us. We look forward to competing every week.

Hopefully, we’re playing in the Section Championship game. If we improve every week and we get to play in that, that’s the one we look forward to.”

Donner had three simple words about who he is looking forward to seeing on the field this season.

“All of them,” he said.

Carter and his teammates keep their expectations high knowing what the Thunderbird faithful expect out of the team.

“Well, obviously make it to the state tournament again,” Carter said. “That’s a big one. Hopefully we can get past that first round and make it to the bank.”

State champions aren’t made overnight. It takes the trials and tribulations of a full season to see if you got what it takes to showcase your skills on the biggest stage. John knows it’s going to be a long and treacherous season. The season will be full of adversity but John believes in what he has on the field and knows the kids will prevail one way or another.

“We just need to improve from week one to two, from two to three, and so on,” he said. We will work on finding the best positions for our kids because we have a lot who are very similar. We have some running backs that are moving to the offensive line and kids changing positions. It’s just getting them in those right positions and then getting them comfortable and then having that thunderbird pride kick in.”

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2023 | 17

Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune

Mahnomen-Waubun’s quarterback throws a pass at the Thunderbirds’ practice during fall camp on Aug. 17.

MAHNOMEN-WAUBUN FOOTBALL SCHEUDLE 2023 Sept. 1 at Benson, 6 p.m.

Sept. 8 vs. Polk County West, 7 p.m.

Sept. 15 at Ada-Borup-West, 7 p.m.

Sept. 22 vs Bagley, 7 p.m.

Sept. 29 vs. Red Lake County, 7 p.m.

Oct. 6 at Red Lake, 7 p.m.

Oct. 13 at Lake Park-Audubon, 7 p.m.

Oct. 18 vs. Menahga, 7 p.m.

2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW

18 | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2023

Familiar face leads Yellowjackets into new season New head coach brings playing, coaching experience into first year at the helm

BY NICK LEONARDELLI

Nick Leonardelli / Perham Focus

Perham’s Blaiz Schmidt throws a pass during a drill at the Yellowjackets’ practice during fall camp on Aug. 15.

Perham Focus

PERHAM – Sometimes change is good and it can bring the best out of a program. As the Perham Yellowjackets stepped onto the practice field to begin their 2023 campaign, the team entered a new era of Perham football.

Jesse Hein was promoted from offensive line coach to head coach last May. He has been with the program since 2017 starting as a volunteer coach before becoming the full-time offensive line coach in 2018.

As the season begins, Hein is ecstatic to get the wheels turning in his first year.

“It is exciting and fun to get out on the field,” he said.

“It is a great community, school and system to be a part of. There’s a lot of support for the boys. It’s fun to bring some coaches back and get things going.”

Senior and two-year starter quarterback Blaiz Schmidt

Nick Leonardelli / Perham Focus

Perham’s offensive line practices some run blocking at the Yellowjackets’ practice during fall camp on Aug. 15.

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is happy to see everyone back in the pads.

“I am very excited,” he said. “We have a lot of good guys coming back for us. It’s been fun at the first practice with all the new guys getting the offense going.

It’s just fun getting back out here again.”

Perham finished the 2022 season with an overall record of 5-5. Its season came to an end in the second round of the Section 8AA tournament in a 24-21 loss to East Grand Forks. The game still lingers in the quarterback’s mind.

“That loss still stings,” he said. “We lost the year before in the same round so we have been two games short of making that championship. It motivates us a lot that we want to get there, get to the dome, and get a chance to go to state.”

“We just have to stay the course,” Hein said. “We couldn’t quite get over the hump last year. We played East Grand Forks toward the end of the season and beat them in a nail-biter. We knew that the game was going to be tight. We have to be able to dig ourselves out of the holes we created and try to eliminate a lot of those little things.”

Hein brings the experience of being between the hash marks into year one. He was a five-year letter winner for Perham and an All-State offensive lineman in 2010 and 2011. Hein was a part of three Heart of Lakes Conference championship-winning teams and three Section 8AAA championship-winning teams.

He continued his playing career at Bemidji State University where he was a starter for four years. Hein is the only three-year captain in Beavers history. Having been in the trenches, the knowledge he brings with him can be credited to those who taught him the game.

“I think the experience of playing for some great coaches is huge,” Hein said. “You get to see a lot of different coaching styles and the ways people do things.

I have taken some things from them and made them my own trying to get the boys to play at the highest level they can.”

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2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW Hein has been a part of the coaching staff for six years. Schmidt and his teammates have fully embraced what their new head coach is all about.

“He brings a lot of energy,” he said. “He is very motivated and has a lot of fun. He gets us going in practice. He wants us to compete which is good so we can be physical and ready for game time.”

Already having a rapport with the players on the team, Hein was able to skip a few steps that other new head coaches would have to go through.

“It eliminates the introduction phase,” he said. “As I said before, we had a great turnout in the weight room this summer and a lot of those relationships are built already going into the year. There is not any wasted time on introductions and get-to-know-you things. You can hit the ground running right away.”

The Yellowjackets haven’t played in a state tournament since 2019. Getting back there will be a difficult task but from what Hein has seen from the boys during the offseason, it’s not too far out of reach.

“One, it comes down to belief and hard work,” he said.

“We put in the work this summer. We probably had the highest attendance in the weight room in a while which was fantastic. It’s little steps to getting back to where we need to be. It starts in the weight room and eliminating those mistakes that we have had in the past.”

Schmidt believes what Hein brings to the table can take Perham to the next level, but it won’t happen all at once.

“I think just going one game at a time and focusing on that one week,” Schmidt said. “It’s best we not look too far down the road so we can prepare for that upcoming game on Friday night.”

Hein has been impressed with how Schmidt has assumed his leadership role. Being a senior and his second year under center, Schmidt has taken huge strides during the summer in building his body and being a guy other teammates look up to.

But it’s not just Schmidt Hein sees as intergral part to this season’s success.

“We return a pretty heavy senior class,” he said. “They are a tight-knit group. The two seniors in the backfield, Braylon Rach and Hudson Hackel, have carried the ball for us since they were sophomores. We return a lot of O-linemen in Carson Byer and Jaxson Vetch. A lot of those guys had ‘baptism by fire’ when they were younger but now they are reaping the benefits of playing a lot of football. Finally, Gage Aanenson has been a staple for us in the receiving core. We expect big things from a lot of those guys.”

As their first game against Hawley on Sept. 1 quickly approaches, there are some games on the schedule that Schmidt and his teammates have highlighted and are most excited to play in.

“We are looking forward to the big teams like DGF (Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton) and Thief River Falls,” he said. “We have lost to DGF in the past couple of years. That sets the tone.

BTDMFG.COM We want to go out there EEOC and beat them. Thief is always a big contender in WHERE WILL the section and so is East Grand Forks which is a team we want to get our revenge on.”

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2023 | 19

PERHAM FOOTBALL SCHEDULE 2023 Sept. 1 vs. Hawley, 7 p.m.

Sept. 8 at Detroit Lakes, 7 p.m.

Sept. 15 vs. East Grand Forks, 7 p.m.

Sept. 22 vs. Little Falls, 7 p.m.

Sept. 29 at Fergus Falls, 6 p.m.

Oct. 6 vs. Thief River Falls, 6 p.m.

Oct. 13 at Morris, 7 p.m.

Oct. 18 at Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton, 7 p.m.

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Nick Leonardelli / Perham Focus

Perham’s Blaiz Schmidt hands the ball off to his running back at the Yellowjackets’ practice during fall camp on Aug. 15.

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