Like every other two years since the MSHSL went to the format, the 2023 high school football season starts with district realignment. In Class AA, the Southeast-White is now Cale-donia, Chatfield, La Crescent/Hokah, Dover-Eyota, St. Charles, Cannon Falls, and Triton. The Lancers and Bombers enter from the Southeast-Red. Goodhue and Lewiston-Altura move to the Mid-Southeast. White and Red teams will play two cross-district games. The Red is Stewartville, PEM, Lourdes, Red Wing, Pine Island, Zumbrota-Mazeppa and Lake City. Section 1AA is Caledonia, Chatfield, Cotter, D-E, L-A and St. Charles. The Mid-Southeast-East is now Fillmore Central, Rushford-Peterson, Wabasha-Kellogg, Cotter, L-A, Goodhue, Kenyon-Wanamingo, Hayfield, Blooming Prairie and Faribault B.A. The Cardinals, Wildcats and Blossoms move into the sub-district. The first six teams above are one sub-division, the second another sub-division. Each will have a champion. All games count toward the sub-district standings. Section 1A is R-P, FC, B.A., BP, Goodhue, Hayfield, K-W and W-K. In 9-man, the South-East remains largely the same, save for Lyle/Pacelli not having football in 2023, and Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons entering. Grand Meadow, Houston, Kingsland, Lanesboro, LeRoy-Ostrander, Mabel-Canton, Southland, Spring Grove and AC/G-E make it a nine-team sub-district. All teams (save M-C) will play one cross-district game with the South-West. The 9-man schedule includes a zero-week, a nine-week season. The section is all the above minus AC/G-E. Kingsland won their petition to play 9-man in the playoffs. They played 11-man the last two years.
The Fillmore Central Falcons enter 2023 off a banner year. For a first time ever, FC won their section and made the state tourney. The Falcons toughed out a quarterfinal win over Lester Prairie 18-16 before falling to eventual Class A champion Minneota in the state semis 28-27. Chris Mensink’s group won the Mid-Southeast-Blue with a 7-0 record and went 8-0 in the regular season. They were 1A champs and finished with a program best 12-1 mark. What will the Falcons do for an encore? With the redistricting, the path to a repeat is cloudier. FC also lost six of nine All-District players amidst a stand-out eight-man senior class. Five were two-time A-D selections. Included was sub-district award winners, “MVP” Bryce Corson (5’7” 160 WR/RB/LB > 126-596 yards, 11 TDs rushing, 53-870, 13 TDs receiving), “Offensive Player of the Year” Dillon O’Connor (5’11” 170 QB > 146-241, 2,226 yards, 26 TDs, 10 INTs, 8 rushing TDs), “Lineman of the Year” Gunner Benson (6’0” 190 OL/DE > 5 ½ sacks, 20 total TFLs), and co-”Defensive Player of the Year” Garrett Gossman (5’8” 155 T/MLB > team-high 94 tackles, 25 TFLs) plus Will Parker (6’0” 160 T/DE) and Jake Fishbaugher (6’0” 160 WR/CB). But the Falcons return three A-D picks in Chase Christianson (5’11” 165 Sr. QB/DB > 27-546, 8 TDS receiving, 12-131 yards, TD rushing, four interceptions), Kyle Daniels (6’0” 160 Sr. RB/LB > 61-359, 4 TDs rushing, 17-166 receiving, team-second-best 55 total tackles), and Atlee Hershberger (5’9” 215 Jr. OL/LB) plus A-D HM picks Tyler Mayer (6’0” 245 Sr. OL/DL), Lincoln Iverson (5’10” 195 Sr. OL/DL), Luke Hellickson (6’3” 175 Sr. WR/DB), and Jayce Kiehne (6’3” 175 Sr. WR/DB > 13-254, 5 TDs receiving). The explosive Kiehne is a former A-D player from 2021 (25-605, 8 TDs receiving, 4 INTs defensively). He missed the end of last year to injury. Jacob Mandelko (5’10” 170 Sr. RB/LB), Greg Kennedy (6’5” 180 Jr. WR/DB), Henry Liew (5’11” 185 Sr. OL/DE), and Zach Krage (6’0” 305 Sr. OL/DL) are four other key returnees. Dakota Musselman (6’1” 230 OL/DL), Blaine Niemeyer (6’1” 165 OL/DL), and Brayden Engen (6’4” 205 WR/DE) join the above to give the Falcons 12 seniors. Replacing O’Connor at QB, the speedy Corson, and filling lineman departures are notable keys. Christianson quarterbacked in 2021. But FC has 28 total upperclassmen and speed, an enviable spot. The Falcons have home games with BP, R-P (9/22), L-A and K-W weeks two, four, six and eight. They are at Hayfield, B.A. (re-match of last year’s 1A title game), Cotter, and W-K weeks one, three, five and seven.
Caledonia football re-emerged a season ago, annulling a tough 2021 campaign that was below what is normal for the strong Warrior program. Carl Fruechte’s group went 5-1 in the Southeast-White, taking second to Chatfield. The Warriors made the 1AA finals, but again lost narrowly to the Gophers, 10-8. After a 6-2 regular season, team Cal finished the year 8-3 overall as 1AA runner-up. All three losses came to state teams (Chatfield twice, Cannon Falls). Caledonia had six senior All-District selections; Ayden Goetzinger (5’9” 195 RB/LB > 73-474, 6 TDs rushing, 59 total tackles), Eric Mauss (5’11” 175 RB/DE > 108-729, 8 TDs rushing), Kyle Bechtel (6’0” 165 WR/DB > 26-448, 8 TDs receiving), Tucker Ginther (5’7” 160 RB/OLB > 40 total tackles), Grant Ness (6’1” 240 OL/DL), and Garrett Ness (6’1” 240 OL/DL). Goetzinger, Mauss and Ginther were twice A-D. Mauss and Goetzinger were the team’s top two rushers, Bechtel the top receiver, Goetzinger and Ginther key defenders. But despite not returning a pure A-D selection, the Warriors have some notable guys back. At QB, Lewis Doyle (5’11” 175 Sr. QB/DB > 41 of 68, 631 yards, 5 TDs, 2 INTs, 3 TDs rushing) and Ethan Stendel (6’4” 190 Jr. QB/DB > 31 of 66, 454 yards, 10 TDs, 1 INT passing, 49-211, 6 TDs rushing) split the duties last year. Jordan Tornstorm (Sr. OL/DL) also returns after making All-District HM. Doyle and Tornstrom each are third-year players. Top tackler a season ago Mason Banse (Sr. TE/LB > 63 total tackles) and top returning rusher Owen Denstad (Sr. RB/LB > 53-367, 4 TDs rushing, 5 total TDs) are two more prominent returnees. Owen Staggemeyer (Jr. RB/LB), Josh Beardmore (Sr. WR/DB), Ben Stemper (Jr. RB/LB), Isaac Blocker (Sr. RB/LB), Gabe Curley (Sr. OL/DL), Hunter Goetzinger (Sr. WR/LB), and Fischer Wait (Jr. WR/DB > 7-124, TD on punt returns, 3-101, TD on kickoff returns) also played a lot last year. Owen Klug (WR/OLB), Connor Buttell (OL/DL), Landon Frauenkron (OL/DL), and Tyler Stendel (OL/DL) plus non-returnees Mason Schroeder, Austin Pronschinske and Drew Yahnke join with the above to give the Warriors 15 seniors. Caledonia should have speed, as multiple guys were part of track and field relay teams that either qualified for state, or got close. The Warriors’ home sub-district games are with St. Charles, Triton and Chatfield (10/6) weeks two, three and six. They host PEM cross-district week seven. Away games are at Z-M (cross-district), Cannon Falls, D-E and La Crescent/Hokah weeks one, four, five and eight.
The last two years have been a spectacular run for Chatfield. The Gophers made back-to-back state title games, winning the Class AA title in 2021, finishing as runner-up a season ago. They won back-to-back 1AA and Southeast-White titles including going 6-0 last year, 8-0 in the regular season. They won 26 straight games before finally falling in last year’s state title game to Barnesville 35-20. Jeff Johnson’s crew has posted back-to-back 13-1 seasons. But graduation hit the Gophers. Chatfield had seven All-District picks and six were seniors. Included was once-in-a-century player, four-time A-D selection, Mr. Football finalist Sam Backer (6’0” 195 Sr. QB/RB/S > 241-2,782 yards, 34 rushing TDs, 581 yards, 9 TDs passing). His name is all over the Minnesota state prep records books (including finishing second with 7,377 career rushing yards). Also graduated were two-time A-D picks Drew O’Connor (6’3” 190 TE/OLB > five sacks, five receiving TDs), Isaac Stevens (6’2” 205 T/DT), and Drew Schindler (5’10” 165 WR/CB) plus one-time honorees Luke Carrier (5’10” 170 WB/LB) and Blake Thompson (6’1” 220 G/NT). Five of their seven A-D HM picks were also seniors; Cole Johnson (6’3” WR/S), Eli Hopp (6’0” 155 WR/CB), Carter Daniels (5’11” 185 WR/OLB), Rory Lane (6’2” 265 G/ILB) and Jackson Schild (5’8” 165 RB/OLB). All told, Chatfield graduated 20 seniors. A year after returning a lot, Chatfield will have to retool a lot. Two-way starter Kail Schott (6’0” 200 Sr. RB/LB > team-second-best 79 tackles, 53-290, 2 TDs rushing) is their sole returning A-D pick. Honorable mention selections Ethan Cole (6’3” 230 Jr. OL/DL) and Nathan Allen (6’0” 180 Sr. C/LB) also are back. Parker Delaney (6’0” 190 Sr. QB/DB > 27 of 57, 604 yards, 9 TDs, 3 INTs passing, rushing TD) has experience at QB. Chase Johnston (5’10” 170 Jr. RB/LB) joins Schott as the second Gopher with over 100 yards rushing a year ago. Caden Boyum (5’10” 165 Sr. WR/DB), Bralyn Burnett (5’11” 210 Sr. OL/DL), Callen Backer (6’3” 220 Sr. T/TE/DL) and Miles Mulhern (6’0” 240 Sr. OL/DL) are other key returning players. Ty Cain (6’2” 215 TE/DL), Brayden Horsman (5’8” 175 WR/LB), Bill Kester (5’11” 185 OL/LB), Cole Novotny (6’3” 190 WR/DB), Devyn Reinhardt (5’11” 180 TD/DB), Ethan Schoenfelder (6’0” 190 OL/DL), Trevor Schoenfelder (6’0” 190 OL/DL), Carson Voeltz (5’10” 200 OL/DL) and Jack Volker (5’10” 165 OL/DL) join with the above to give the Gophers 16 seniors. They also have 15 juniors for 31 upperclassmen. Chatfield has sub-district foes LC/H, St. Charles, and D-E at home weeks two, three and seven while travelling to Triton, Caledonia (10/6), and Cannon Falls weeks four, six and eight. Cross-district foes are at Pine Island (season-opener) and at home versus Z-M (week five).
Spring Grove is the defending state runner-up in 9-man with a 13-1 record after winning the regular-season title (9-man South – East). The Lions fell 28-25 at the Prep Bowl after going only 3-5 the previous season. However, before the first 2023 kickoff, injuries have already eliminated a pair of two-way starters, including an All-State QB/LB. Quarterback Elijah Solum, who was also the Lions’ leading tackler, was highlighted in an online publication as one of – if not the – top returning 9-man football player in the state. Last year’s Sub-District “Offensive Player of the Year” will miss his senior season following an offseason injury and surgery. Junior lineman Emmet Engeldinger (OL/DL> 91 tackles) is also out after a preseason injury. There is still firepower, including All-District Ethan Crouch (Sr. 6’4” 252 TE/LB > 23-270 receiving), who was an online All-State selection. Honorable Mention A-D Jaxon Strinmoen (Sr. 6’4”, 180 WR/LB > 31-645, 9 TD receiving) is highly respected. Those two are among four returning starters on defense and three regulars back on offense. Brandon Jahnke (Jr. 6’0” 205 OL/DL) started both ways last fall. Jacob Olerud (Sr. 6’1” 175), also A-D HM last year, returns at linebacker and will start at running back. The new starting QB is Bryce Berns (Jr. 6’0” 155). Zach Brumm (Jr. 6’2” 180) will be the backup while also a starting WR along with Strinmoen and Braedon Solie (Sr. WR). Joining Jahnke in the line will be center Shawn Crouch (Jr. 6’4” 280) and Josh Newgaard (Sr. 6’5” 250). Also ready are Tysen Moen (So. 6’2” 263), Noah Heppner (So. 6’2” 195) and TE/DE Ben Udstuen (Jr. 6’5” 177). Udstuen will also kick off, punt, and placekick. Joining Olerud (second leading tackler, 130), Strinmoen (4 INTs), and Ethan Crouch (13 TFLs) on defense are Berns, Brumm, Sylas Flatin (Jr. LB), Dash Ranzenberger (So. LB) and Caden Gerard (Fr. CB). A dozen letter winners also includes Troy Reinhardt (Jr. WR/DB) and Jacob Solum (So. RB/LB). Kody Moore’s Lions possesses plenty of height, strength and size with moderate experience. There are notably five seniors and 10 juniors. With injuries, the Lions are no longer the runaway frontrunners in the regular-season and section races. After opening on zero week at Mountain Lake (8/25), SG travels to Lanesboro (9/15), M-C (9/29) and Houston (10/18) on weeks three, five and eight. They host Southland (9/2), GM (9/8), AC/GE (11 am, Sat. 10/23) and Kingsland (10/13) weeks one, two, four and seven.
Lanesboro enters the 2023 season coming off going 26-4 the past three seasons and have made three straight 9-man finals. Included was last year when they finished second in the South-East (6-1 record) behind Spring Grove, and then were runner-up to the Lions, falling 35-0 in the section title game. James Semmen’s crew finished 9-2 overall after going 10-1 in 2022 and 7-1 in 2021. It has been the Burros’ best three-year-run in over a decade. Lanesboro had five A-D picks and four were seniors; Orion Sass (5’8” 185 RB/LB), Cooper Ferrie (6’0” 250 OL/DL), Hayden Lawstuen (6’1” 215 FB/CB), and Stephan Schultz (6’1” 220 TE/DE). Sass was the team’s leading rusher (206-1,569 yards, 20 TDs), Ferrie the South-East’s “Lineman of the Year,” Lawstuen a two-time A-D pick, and Schultz a three-year starter. The Burros also graduated A-D HM picks in Logan Torgerson (6’2” 185 TE/DE) and Brock Taylor (6’1” 225 OL/DL). Nine total seniors departed. Their only returning honored player is A-D quarterback Mason Howard (5’11” 175 Sr. QB > 150-946 yards, 12 TDs rushing, 47 of 91, 792 yards, 10 TDs, 2 INTs passing), ye of 22 total TDs. The Burros entered last year retuning just one A-D pick, so they will try to reload again. They will do so with 10 seniors. Boston Wright (Sr. RB/LB > 17-163, 2 TDs rushing), Will Harvey (Sr. WR/CB > 26-118, 2 TDs rushing, 8-88 receiving) and Cole Sass (Jr. RB/LB > 15-108, 2 TDs rushing) are a trio of experienced rushers. Sass is Orion’s younger brother. Top receiver Luke Ruen (Sr. WR/CB > 21-468, 5 TDs) also returns. Three-year player, two-way starter Michael Rein (Sr. FB/LB), Lucas Nikoloski (Sr. OL/DL), Ethan Soppa (Sr. WR/CB), Kaden Stettler (Sr. QB/S), and Rueben Swartzentruber (Sr. OL/DL) are five other key returnees while Caden Johnson (OL/DL) rounds the senior group. Lanesboro has just three juniors. They opened their season at Southland in zero-week (8/25). They then get their bye week one. The Burros also face M-C (9/23), Houston (10/6) and Kingsland (10/18) on the road weeks four, six and eight. The have home South-East games with Spring Grove (9/15), L-O (9/29) and GM (10/13) weeks three, five and seven while hosting cross-district foe Hills-Beaver Creek also (9/8) week two.
Coming off a 1A section title in 2021, Rushford-Peterson could not quite keep up that pace a season ago. The Trojans went 5-2 in sub-district play and 6-2 in the regular season. They then fell to Faribault B.A. 42-20 in the 1A semis to finish the year a solid 7-3. Coach Davin Thompson had seven All-District players and five were seniors; Grady Hengel (5’8” 160 WR/RB/LB > 87-530, 11 TDs rushing; 13-277, 3 TDs receiving; 14 of 29, 190 yards, 4 TDs, INT passing), Dalton Hoel (5’10” 150 WR/DB > seven INTs, five total return TDs, 33-364, 4 TDs receiving), Andrew Wilkemeyer (6’3” 250 OL/DL), Owen Fenske (6’0” 200 OL/DL), and Jackson Bergan (5’10” 230 OL/DL). Hengel and Wilkemeyer were two-time A-D picks. The Trojans also graduated their most used QB, A-D HM pick Riley Tesch. They return two A-D picks in starting tailback Jonah Bunke (5’7” 170 Jr. RB/LB > 138-727, 7 TDs rushing) and Titan Tekautz (5’10” 175 Sr. RB/LB) plus A-D HM selection Sampson Wilkemeyer (6’2” 175 Sr. WR/LB > 16-360, 4 TDs receiving), their top returning wideout. All three contributed both ways. Caden Johnson (6’1” 175 Jr. QB/LB), Jaxon Meldahl (5’8” 150 So. RB/LB), and Dawson Bunke (6’4” 180 Sr. WR/DB) are three more notable ball handlers. Ethan Bedard (5’9” 190 Sr. WR/LB) and Bowen Woodard (6’1” 175 Sr. WR/LB) are key defensive returnees, Camdyn Anderson-Ingram (5’9” 180 Sr. OL/DL) and Evan Kammerer (6’0” 205 Sr. OL/DL) key lineman returnees. Stanley Johnson (5’6” 140 RB/DB) plus varsity newbies Lowen Semling (OL/DL) and Johnny Horton (OL/DL) join with the above to give R-P 10 seniors. The Trojans will need a new QB and they lost their most explosive player in Hengel. Three of R-P’s first four are on the road, at 1AA drop-downs BP and Goodhue weeks one and three, defending 1A champ FC week four, with a home contest versus 1A runner-up Faribault B.A. week two. Three of their last four are at home, versus Hayfield, Cotter and W-K weeks five, six and eight, with a road game at L-A week seven.
The Mabel-Canton Cougars put forth a strong season a year ago under first year head coach Paul Tollefsrud. M-C spent time ranked in state. They went 5-2 in the South-East, 6-2 in the regular season. Lanesboro downed M-C 36-6 in the 9-man semis. The Cougars finished 7-3. All three losses were to ranked teams (SG and the Burros twice). The seven wins were the Cougars’ most since their last winning season, 2016. M-C will try to keep it going. The Cougs had four A-D picks a year ago and three return. Jordan Larson (5’11” 160 Sr. TE/LB) was the only A-D player to graduate. Uber-talented fifth-year starter Cayden Tollefsrud (5’9” 165 Sr. RB/LB) heads the cast. Last year’s South-East ‘Defensive Player of the Year’ did a lot for M-C, leading them in tackles (101 total, 68 solos, four interceptions), rushing (167-1,010 yards, 11 TDs), and receiving (21-498, 5 TDs) while also returning three kick-offs for TDs. Tollefsrud is already a three-time A-D selection and probably the South-East’s best three-phase player. He will join with two-time A-D pick Tyler Larson (6’1” 195 Jr. RB/LB > 122-827 yards, 15 TDs rushing, 9-90, TD receiving) to form a strong backfield duo. Line starter Hayden Erickson (6’1” 165 Sr. OL/DL > 54 total tackles, 6 ½ TFLs), M-C’s third A-D selection, also returns, as does QB Isaac Underbakke (5’10” 160 So. QB/DB > 38 of 64, 822 yards, 9 TDs, 5 INTs passing; four interceptions). Each was a two-way player last year. Colton Tollefsrud (Sr. OL/DB), Milton Hutchinson (So. OL/DL), and Tristan Hunsaker (Sr. OL/DL) are three other key returnees. Riley Snell (RB/DB) joins with the above to give M-C five seniors. They had just four seniors last year (all were key contributors). The Cougars have four juniors but nine sophomores. M-C goes on the road to Kingsland (9/1, season opener), Southland (9/15), GM (10/6) and L-O (10/13) weeks one, three, six and seven. Home games are with Houston (9/8), Lanesboro (9/23), SG (9/29) and AC/GE (10/18) weeks two, four, five and eight.
The Kingsland Knights come off their best year in over a decade. Team double-K went 4-3 in the South-East, 4-4 overall in the regular season. They moved up to 11-man for the playoffs and fell to 1A runner-up Faribault B.A. 42-14 in the quarters. Matt Kolling’s group finished at 4-5. Kingsland’s task will be to finish above .500 and make some playoff noise. They won a petition to play 9-man in the post-season. The Knights return three All-District picks, as many as any South-East team. Leading the cast is Beau Wiersma (5’9” 200 Sr. RB/LB). Kingsland’s best back in over a decade had a big 2022 (161-1,470 yards, 14 TDs rushing; 16-241, TD receiving) with some massive games. He was the sub-district’s leading rusher while leading the Knights in tackles (81). Also back is play-making defender Parker Johnson (6’1” 185 Jr. DE/TE > 61 tackles, 20 TFL’s, 9 sacks), a third-year player. Ayden Howard (6’2” 165 Sr. WR/RB/CB > four total TDS, 53 total tackles) is a third returning A-D player. Mason Kolling (6’4” 225 TE/DT > six rushing TDs, five sacks) was the only A-D pick to graduate. Kingsland also returns its A-D HM pick in Kaaleem Reiland (5’8” 185 So. QB/DB > 245 yards, TD passing; 74-481, 7 TDs rushing), who started at QB last year when Kale Mensink was hurt. The Knights thus return their top two rushers (Wiersma, Reiland) and top two receivers (Wiersma, Howard). Experienced hands Zach Reiland (6’0” 170 Jr. WR/RB/DB), Noah House (6’0” 220 Sr. G/DL), Acelee Kohn (5’9” 170 Sr. WR/CB), Caden Reiter (6’0” 150 Jr. QB/WR/S), Courtland Drury-DeBoer (6’0” 195 Sr. G/DL), Seth Howard (6’2” 190 Jr. C/LB/DE), and Sam Howard (6’2” 190 Jr. RB/TE/LB) add to the continuity. Jackson Rowe (5’10” 145 WR/CB) and Sam Snitker (6’2” 170 WR/CB) combine with the above to give the Knights seven seniors. Kingsland has five home games including four in September, versus M-C (9/1), Red Rock Central (9/9), GM (9/22) and Houston (9/29) weeks one, two, four and five, then versus Lanesboro (10/18) week eight. Road games are at A-C/G-E (9/15), L-O (10/7), and Spring Grove (10/13) weeks three, six and seven.
Grand Meadow football’s first year post-Gary Sloan saw the Superlarks stay above five hundred. GM went 4-3 in the South-East and 5-3 in the regular season under first-year coach Josh Bain. They won a playoff game but fell to Spring Grove 47-6 in the 9-man semis. Team Lark finished at 6-4. The Superlarks had four All-District players and three were seniors; Isaac Harmening (5’7” 180 RB/DE > team second-best 80 total tackles, 79-543, 3 TDs rushing), Jace Kraft (6’0” 165 WR/DB > 42-194, 2 TDs rushing, 9-135, 2 TDs receiving), and Cael Gilbert (6’0” 160 QB/DB > 17 of 41, 194 yards, 2 TDs, 4 INT’s passing, six rushing TDs, 52 total tackles). All-District HM picks John Swanek (6’1” 240 G/DT) and Connor Munson (6’3” 175 WR/DB) also graduated. Their top player was a junior, Corbin Ludemann (6’3” 195 Sr. RB/LB), and he returns to head this year’s group. The two-time A-D pick was the Larks’ leading rusher (206-1,389 yards, sub-district best 21 rushing TDs) while accruing stats every way (9-130, TD receiving, 24 of 49, 250 yards, 4 TDs, INT passing, two kick-off return TDs). He also led the defense in tackles with 95 total. He is the only returnee to amass over 100 yards rushing or receiving. Colton Gardner (5’9” 285 Sr. G/DT) and Aaron Mork (5’11” 250 Sr. C/DT) give GM a couple big guys back up front. Tyler Reid (6’2” 195 Sr. TE/DE), Logan Bachman (5’11” 160 Jr. TE/DE > 67 total tackles), Halen Schumann (6’1” 205 Jr. C/DT), Dalton Pischke (5’8” 145 Jr. WR/DB), and Zac Gehling (5’8” 175 Jr. TE/LB) are other key returners. Jaylen Renfro (5’6” 125 WR/DB) joins with the above to give the Larks five seniors. They have nine returning juniors. GM opens at home with AC/G-E (9/1) while also hosting cross-district foe Edgerton (9/16), M-C (10/6) and L-O (10/18) weeks three, six and eight. They are at SG (9/8), Kingsland (9/22), Southland (9/29) and Lanesboro (10/13) weeks two, four, five and seven.
LeRoy-Ostrander saw their 2022 season fall short of expectations. The Cardinals entered as the defending 9-man state champions, but Trevor Carrier’s group went 2-5 in the South-East, and 2-6 in the regular season. Their season ended 52-32 versus Mabel-Canton a playoff quarterfinal. They went 2-7 overall. Multiple key seniors got hurt including Layne Bird and Tristan Lewison. As such, L-O had just one A-D pick, Peyton Roe (5’8” 180 RB/LB > team-high 104 total tackles, 148-592, 2 TDs rushing, 11-106, TD receiving). He graduated. They do return there two A-D HM picks in Camden Hungerholt (6’1” 165 Jr. QB/DB > 91 of 185, 1,260 yards, 11 TDs, 6 INTs passing, 151-1,016 yards, 12 TDs rushing, 52 total tackles) and Carter Sweeney (6’0” 170 Jr. > 34-687 yards, 6 TDs receiving, team second-best 70 total tackles), a duo who should be a strong passing connection. Sweeney was the sub-district’s leading receiver (yards). Hungerholt and Roe accounted for nearly all the Cardinals 1,649 rushing yards last year. Reid Hungerholt (6’0” 140 Fr. WR/S > 10-180, 2 TDs receiving) is a second key returning ball catcher. State-title season offensive line starter Malyk Schaeffer (6’1” 255 Sr. G/DT > 5 sacks, 10 TFLs), Mason Diemer (6’1” 255 Sr. G/DT), Logan Diemer (5’11” 160 So. RB/LB), and Ryder Stern (6’0” 180 Jr. TE/LB) are four other key returnees. Schaefer and M-Diemer are L-O’s only seniors. They have just four juniors. L-O has home games versus A-C/G-E (9/8), Southland (9/22), Kingsland (10/7) and M-C (10/13) weeks two, four, six and seven. They go to Houston (9/15), Lanesboro (9/29) and GM (10/18) weeks three, five and eight. They open at cross-district foe Westbrook-Walnut Grove (9/1).
Houston football will look to improve this season. Last year the Hurricanes went 0-7 in South-East play and 1-7 in the regular season. Cody Hungerholt’s young group fell to Spring Grove 48-16 in the 9-man quarters and finished 1-8. Houston had just one All-District pick, Connor Porter (6’3” 240 OL/DL). He was one of six seniors. Their sole returning honored player is A-D HM pick Ethan Knutson (Sr. OL/DL), the team leader in tackles (97 total). Offensively, Houston returns most of back and receivers. At QB, third-year starter junior Morgan Rohweder (83 of 144, 1,044 yards, 7 TDs, 9 INTs) will again be behind center. Maddox Rodriguez (Jr. RB/LB > 46-258, 2 TDs rushing in three games), Aden Kulas (Sr. RB/LB > 50-247, TD rushing), Lee Klunder (Fr. RB/DB > 14-137 rushing), Austin Groth (Sr. RB/MLB > 43-117, TD rushing), and Grayden Beckman (So. RB/LB > 26-102, 3 TDs rushing) are five experienced ball-carriers. Albeit, no ‘Canes back topped 300 yards rushing last year. Houston’s top three receivers, Zach Olson (Jr. WR/DB > 20-288, TD receiving), Ethan Frauenkron (Sr. WR/LB > 14-225, 3 TDs receiving), and Axel Vix (So. OL/DL > 19-313 receiving) also return. Defensively, Knutson, Frauenkron (57 tackles), Kulas (54 tackles), Beckman, Groth, Z-Olson, Klunder, Rodriguez, Arik Melbo (Sr. RB/LB), Devin Schieffer (Sr. RB/DE), Jordon Beemon (Sr. RB/LB) and Logan Olson (Jr. OL/DL) all saw action last year. Owen Tuveson (OL/DL) joins with the above to give the Hurricanes seven seniors. Houston also has seven returning juniors. The Hurricanes open at AC/G-E in zero-week (8/24) then host Nicollett (8/31). They are at M-C (9/8), Kingsland (9/29) and Southland (10/13) weeks three, five and seven while hosting L-O (9/15), Lanesboro (10/6), and SG (10/18) weeks four, six and eight.
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