In his two seasons on Eden Prairie’s varsity roster, Antonio Montero experienced more postseason disappointment than nearly all the players who’ve come through Mike Grant’s powerhouse program in the past 25 years. Montero played sparingly as a sophomore, but had…
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Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log inIn his two seasons on Eden Prairie’s varsity roster, Antonio Montero experienced more postseason disappointment than nearly all the players who’ve come through Mike Grant’s powerhouse program in the past 25 years.
Montero played sparingly as a sophomore, but had a front-row seat when Eden Prairie’s 40-game winning streak was snapped by Totino-Grace in 2015. Totino-Grace was again the culprit last season when Montero started at linebacker, as T-G defeated the Eagles 28-20 in Prep Bowl XXXV.
Montero, entering his final season with the Eagles, is working this offseason to change his fortunes.
“Every year that we don’t hold that state title over our heads is a disappointment,” Montero said via email. “I am extremely excited to teach and help some of the younger guys on the team that will contribute to a state championship run.”
Montero was one of the team’s leading tacklers as a junior and posted five tackles in both the Class AAAAAA state semifinal and final contests. He said his football instincts helped him become one of Eden Prairie’s most consistent defenders last season.
Montero said he’s concentrated on improving his speed this offseason, along with getting more burst when changing directions. Those improvements should make him an even more attractive college prospect.
The 6-foot, 200-pound linebacker been taking recruiting trips this spring. He’s already visited Iowa, North Dakota State and South Dakota State.
He’s also attended a few of Minnesota’s spring practices, and said he has visits to Ivy League schools and the Air Force Academy setup early this summer.
“I was very impressed by the atmosphere and culture at North Dakota State,” said Montero, who has a scholarship offer from the NSIC’s Bemidji State. “I am also very excited about the Air Force Academy and all it has to offer academically and athletically.”
Academics are extremely important to Montero. He “loves to learn” and said world history, geopolitics, literature and reading were passions. He said he plans on pursuing a degree in business and/or communications.
“Playing at a high level athletically is a wonderful opportunity that I hope to reach,” Montero said, “and it is important for me to attend a school that will help me succeed in the corporate world too.”
