The 2015 high school football season saw five of seven Journal covered teams post winning records. Many of the same teams return keys pieces. The 2016 should again be competitive for FCJ squads. There are some district changes. LeRoy-Ostrander is back (after a one year hiatus). Alden-Conger and Glenville-Emmons are combined. They will also play in the 9-man South-East district, but 11-man play-off football. Their addition to Section 2A moves Blooming Prairie back to Section 1A (making it an 8-team section). The new U.S. Bank Stadium is done and ready to host the MSHSL football play-offs (semis and finals) again. For the first time in 17 years, (former) KFIL radio man Devon Krueger won’t call an area game week one (or otherwise).
The Fillmore Central Falcons were the last county team standing in 2015. FC procured its first ever football play-off #1 seed, and made its first ever section title game under head coach Chris Mensink. The Falcons fell to Goodhue (after downing the Wildcats in week three). FC finished as section runner-up, a ten-year best 9-2 (6-1 in Mid-Southeast East). They lost a pair of All-District players (Tyson Ristau, Trace Tollefson). A 16-man senior class with multiple three year starters and A-D players Riley Means (5’8” 195, QB/LB), Justin Ristau (6’1” 246, OT/LB), and Sam Rustad (6’2” 161 WR/DE > 5 receiving TDs) returns. Means, the rare QB/LB combo, led FC on each side of the ball (1,030 yards, 11 TDs, 3 INTs passing; 280 yards, 5 TDs rushing; team-leader in tackles, 3 INTs). They get help from third-year senior starters Drew Tienter (6’4” 233 T/DT), Jacob Thomas (5’10” 288 OL/DL), and Walker Ward (6’0” 248 OL/DL). The junior class is headed by A-D players Brady Ristau (5’9” 167 RB/LB, 419 yards, 5 TDs), the team’s top returning rusher, and Luke Ristau (6’3” 203 OL/DE), the team’s top sacker (6). Michael Kotek (Sr. 5’9” 166 TB/LB), Sam Peters (Sr. 5’8” 125 WR/DB), Devin Whitacre (Sr. 5’10” 220 OL/DL), Matt Lutes (Jr. 5’9” 153 TB/LB), Josh Peters (Jr. 5’8” 149 RB/LB), and Nate Haugerud (Jr. 5’10” 152 TB/LB) also have experience. FC has 40 out (16 senior, 12 juniors, four sophomores, eight freshman).
The Mabel-Canton Cougars enter the season off their best win total (7-3, 6-2 in South-East) since 2008. M-C fell to Spring Grove in the 9-man semis. Karl Urbaniak lost two All-District players (Alex Mengis, Mitch Kuhn). He brings back a pair of third-year 1,000-yard running backs. It is the last hurrah for rumbling A-D seniors Wayne Ross (5’9” 215 RB/LB) and Gus (Weston) Whalen (5’10” 180 RB/LB). Whalen (1,136 yards, 11 TDs, 14 total TDs) led the team in rushing. Ross, a two-time A-D selection led the entire South-East in scoring (1,009 yards, 21 rushing TDs, 23 total TDs). Each, with another 1,000-yard season, would top 3,000 career rushing yards. Also back are A-D HM players Drew Wyffels (5’7” 140 sophomore QB/DB) and Blake Henry (5’11” 170 sophomore OL/DL). M-C’s third senior, Talon Peterson (5’10” 150 RB/DB), plus juniors Brenden Kerns (5’9” 160 RB/LB), Pierce Lind (6’0” 180 OL/DL), and Logan Richardson (5’9” 170 OL/DB) give the Cougars a good returning corp. M-C has 20 out (three senior, eight juniors, six sophomore, three freshman).
Last year, the Rushford-Peterson Trojans just missed a second straight Section title game. After beating Goodhue in the regular season, R-P fell 21-20 in the 1A semis. They finished at 6-4 (5-2 in MSE-E). Coach Davin Thompson lost three A-D guys (Noah Dahl, Kyle Weidemann, Matt Culhane). Two return. Last year’s work-horse, senior Noah Carlson heads the cast. The most dangerous player in the district, Carlson (6’1” 180 RB/S) tallied over 1,100 yards rushing and 17 total TDs a year ago (839 and 12 over final four games). Also speedy is R-P’s other returning A-D athlete, senior Lukas Rasmussen (5’9” 150 DB/WR > 4 INTs). Landon Skalet (5’9” 145 sophomore) and Landon Goree (5’11” 165 RB/LB) split quarterbacking duties a season ago. Each figure into the offensive mix. Juniors Dawson Dahl (6’1 175 RB/LB) and Jake Paulson (6’1’ 170 WR/LB) also were full-timers. Seniors Ethan Anderson (5’10” 235 OL/DL), Preston Lecy (6’1” 190 OL/DL) and Austin Brand (6’2” 180 OL/DL) will lead the trenches. The Trojans have 32 out (ten seniors, eight juniors, eleven sophomores, three freshman).
For the sixth straight season, the Chatfield Gophers kept it at or above five-hundred in 2015. Jeff Johnson’s crew finished at 6-4 (5-2 in SE-White play), losing to Caledonia in a 1AA semi. The Gophers lost three A-D players (Aaron Paulson, Riley Ahern, Carter Duxbury). They return just one A-D player in the form of Parker Fossum. The sizey (6’3” 195 RB/WR/DE) and speedy senior had a fine junior year (781 rushing yards, 8 TDs; 153 receiving yards, 12 total TDs). Dillon Bance (6’0” 155 QB/DB) returns for his second-plus year under center. He is one of four A-D HM seniors, with Kevin Bradt (5’10” 180 OL/DL), Spencer Mandt (6’0” 210 OL/DL), and Alex Pagel (5’9” 170 TE/DL). Chatfield trenches will be plenty experienced. Justin Sexton (Sr. 6’2” 320 senior OL/DL), Isaac Thompson (Sr. 6’1” 245 OL/DL) and Cole Asleson (Jr. 6’1” 200 OL/DL) also started last year. Jake Mandt (Jr. 5’4” 160 RB/LB), Ben Ihrke (Jr. 5’10” 165 RB/DB), and Nick Maki (Sr. 5’9” 140 CB/WR) are back at skill positions. Chatfield has 35 out (13 seniors, nine juniors, 13 sophomores.
Lanesboro football had a down year by their standards in 2015 (4-4 in S-E, 4-5 overall). A loss to Houston in the 9-man quarters concluded the Burros first sub-par season in over a decade. One A-D player (Steven Rein) graduated. James Semmen’s crew will look to re-group behind their two returning A-D guys, seniors Collin Scott (6’1” 170 RB/LB) and Cole Schwichtenberg (6’1” 170 QB/CB). Scott (840 yards, 6 TDs rushing; 346 yards, 11 total TDs) was one of the South-East’s top rushers (despite an injury). Schwichtenberg accounted for 21 total TDs (612 yards, 13 TDs rushing; 500 yards, 8 TDs passing). Jared Troendle (6’2” 280 OL/DT), an All-District HM player, Shane Sorum (6’1” 245 T/DT) and T.J. Ruen (6’0” 255 OT/DT) are a trio of big seniors up-front. The Burros have just 18 out (six seniors, four juniors, five sophomores, three freshman).
Houston got on the plus side of .500 last season for the first time since 2009. The Hurricanes fell to Grand Meadow in the 9-Man semis. They finished at 6-4 (5-3 S-E play). The double-H’er’s lost three All-District players (Tylor Nelson, Garrett Paulson, Jeremiah Johnson) and two HM guys (Trevor Lundberg, Nathan Lee). Dale Moga cedes the head coaching job to Cody Hungerholt. Junior Brady Happel (5’11” 165) is the squad’s returning rusher (464 yards), scorer (8 rushing TDs, 10 total TDs), and tackler. Senior Harry Chiglo (5’7” 145) returns at quarterback after an injury cost him most of his junior year. Zach Schneider (5’8 “125 junior RB/DB), Jaytin Millen (5’10” 150 sophomore RB/LB), Joey Fishel (5’11” 165 sophomore OL/DL), the squad’s second leading returning tackler, Cody Carpenter (5’10” 150 junior TE/LB) and Cullan Olson (5’8” 185 junior OL/DL) are other key experience. Houston has 35 on their roster (six seniors, nine juniors, 12 sophomores, and eight freshman).
The Kingsland Knights will look for a win. They’ll look to do so for new coach, multiple year assistant, Brent Stinson. The Knights went 0-9 last season (forfeited a first round play-off game to RP). Kingsland did score double digit points in all but two played games (something that didn’t occur the previous two seasons). They lost their lone All-District player (Reece Eickhoff) to transfer. The Knights will have 31 out (eight seniors, seven juniors, eight sophomores, eight freshman) after just 23 last season. A few key players will be senior Isaac Miller (5’11” 180 OL/DL), and juniors Jackson Rindels (6’0” 160 RB/LB), Ethan Fenske (6’1” 160 QB/FS), Matthew Woods (6’1” 195 OL/DL), and Jordan Beck (6’3” 180 OL/DL). Woods is the top returning rusher, Beck the top returning receiver.
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