The Winona Winhawks football program has gotten used to winning. Three straight years with at least one playoff win, two straight ten-plus win seasons and two straight state tournament appearances will do that to a program. The program has high…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Subscribe for access to all premium articles and rankings.
SubscribeThe Winona Winhawks football program has gotten used to winning. Three straight years with at least one playoff win, two straight ten-plus win seasons and two straight state tournament appearances will do that to a program. The program has high expectations. Junior Terrell Hall shares those high expectations not only for the team but also for himself.
“As a team, we always have an expectation of a state championship,” Hall said. “Anything that falls short of that feels like a disappointment but when I look back on it now (2017) was a great achievement.”
The Winhawks won eleven straight and advanced to the state semi-finals.
“Offensively we had a big stable of running backs to use,” Hall explained. “Our receiving core was top notch, and our quarterback was big time. We forced a lot of turnovers – turnovers fueled our defense.”
Hall – ranked 30th in northstarfootballnews.com’s Class of 2019 rankings – doesn’t share our rankings’ assessment of his play.
“There are always things I can do better. I don’t think my season was too great, but I have high expectations of myself; I don’t think anything I do I would call great.”
When forced to come up with some things he does do well he did admit to a few things.
“I can turn short routes into long gains. I think I can make people miss.”
On offense, Hall could usually be found lined up either out wide or in the slot, but the Winhawks’ offense had packages that had him lining up in the backfield and even at quarterback. Defensively he plays corner and usually covers the other team’s number one receiver.
“I have good instincts,” Hall said, “breaking on balls, getting interceptions. I can read the receiver well and then react to it.”
Hall takes advantage of playing positions that mirror themselves.
“It helps a lot. When I am playing receiver, I know what I am looking for in a corner – like his eyes, which way he is leaning. When I go to corner, I am looking for the same thing – how the guy is moving.”
Hall doesn’t have anything specific on the football field he is working on before next fall.
“I want to improve at football. I don’t think anything I do is where I want to be. I just keep working towards that.”
This winter he was focused on his overall skills.
“Every day I do strength stuff. Every few weeks we would change things up,” the 5’10” 185-pound junior said. “Then twice a week I run routes with my quarterback and receivers.”
For the first time, Hall is going to be on the track team. He plans on focusing on the short distance races. This summer he will be continuing with the winter strength and conditioning program but will be adding campus visits and camps.
“Iowa, Iowa State, Wisconsin, North Dakota State and South Dakota State have been looking at me.”
Hall has been on two visits to NDSU and single visits to SDSU, Iowa, and Wisconsin. In April he will be going back to Wisconsin and SDSU.
“It is nice to see what I potentially have to look forward to.”
Most of the programs are recruiting Hall as an athlete and not on a specific side of the ball.
“They like my hip movement and how I am able to change direction,” Hall said. “They also like my vision on the field.”
Regardless of where he ends up in two years, they are also going to like something Winona’s coaches already like – Hall’s high expectations of himself.
