The Lowdown – Week 3

<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 10pt"><em>(Cover Photo: Robert Williams / Forum News Service)</em></span></p> <strong><u>X Factors</u></strong> <strong>QB Jenson Beachy – Perham (vs Pequot Lakes)</strong> Beachy broke multiple school records in last week’s 36-30 loss to Detroit Lakes, and now the senior will lead Perham into another big battle with Pequot Lakes on Friday. Beachy set new marks for passing yards (456), attempts (59), completions (36) and total yards (496) in the loss to DL. He’s already thrown for 677 yards and seven touchdowns through two games, and he’ll be looking for some revenge against the Patriots. Pequot Lakes ended the Yellowjackets 2017 season with a 56-22 win in the Section 8AAA final. <strong>QB Cole Kramer – Eden Prairie (vs Prior Lake)</strong> With only 14 points in two weeks, it’s apparent that Kramer must shoulder even more of the offensive load for the Eagles to be successful. The University of Minnesota commit had an uneven game in the loss to Lakeville North, going 8 for 11 with 103 yards in the first half, but only 4 for 16 with 22 yards in the second. Kramer and the Eagles get another stern defensive test this week against Prior Lake. The Lakers have surrendered just 19 points in two victories, holding Maple Grove to only 85 yards passing last week. Will Kramer be the catalyst for Eden Prairie’s offense this week? <strong>RB Josiah Nelson – Hutchinson (vs Big Lake)</strong> Nelson is the third-leading rusher in Minnesota after his 309-yard, six touchdown performance against Willmar in Week 2. The senior opened the game with three scores in the 22 minutes of the game, then repeated that feat in the second half, his final touchdown cementing the victory with around three minutes remaining. The Tigers host a Big Lake team that was blown out by Bemidji last week. The Hornets surrendered 28 points in the opening quarter and surrendered more than 160 yards rushing in the loss. If the Hornets don’t shore up their defense, Nelson could be poised for another big outing. <strong>RB/DB Reese Kapsner – Pierz (vs Maple Lake)</strong> Kapsner sparked the Pioneers last week with a 50-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage against Holdingford. He followed that up with an 88-yard punt return touchdown and a 66-yard touchdown catch to almost singlehandedly lead Pierz to victory. The 5-foot-11, 165-pounder will look to duplicate that performance in the home opener against Maple Lake. Last season, Kapsner dominated the Irish with two rushing touchdowns and another off a blocked punt, leading Pierz to a 34-7 win. Maple Lake is, however, the only team to defeat Pierz in the regular season in the last 34 contests. <strong>WR/DB Braden Tretter – Sauk Rapids-Rice (at Bemidji)</strong> The 5-foot-11, 175-pounder has teamed with quarterback <strong>Cade Milton-Baumgardner</strong> to be one of the top big-play threats in the state thus far in 2018. Tretter already has a pair of 65-yard touchdown receptions, including one last week against Moorhead that sealed the Storm’s victory. Tretter has also eclipsed the century mark in both of the first two weeks, including a 226-yard, three-touchdown performance in the season-opening win against St. Francis. He’ll likely be needed on defense against Bemidji too, as the Lumberjacks have one of the best offenses in Class AAAAA through two weeks. &nbsp; [caption id="attachment_4468" align="aligncenter" width="309"] <span style="font-size: 10pt">Hutchinson's Josiah Nelson rushed for 306 yards and six touchdowns in Week 2 against Willmar. (Ryan Kastenschmidt/Crow River Media)</span>[/caption] &nbsp; <strong><u>O/D Matchups to Watch</u></strong> <strong>Chanhassen Rush O vs Chaska Rush D</strong> The Storm and Hawks have alternated winning The Jug the past three seasons, with Chaska earning possession last year with a 14-0 shutout at Chanhassen. For the Hawks to retain the traveling trophy, they’ll have to limit a productive Storm running game. Quarterback <strong>Jacob Miller</strong> has run for 100 yards in both of the first two weeks, posting a yards-per-carry average of almost nine in the process. Fullback <strong>Matthew Boyum</strong> is the leading scorer with a whopping seven touchdowns in wins over Bloomington Jefferson and Robbinsdale Armstrong. Chaska’s first-team defense has only allowed 16 points this season. Junior <strong>Stevenson Klotz</strong> is the leading tackler with 14 stops thus far, while <strong>Jacob Theis</strong> and <strong>Lane Schmidt</strong> have double-digit tackles too. Will the Hawks defense be able to hold up this week at home against Miller and company? <strong>Maple Grove OL vs Minnetonka front seven</strong> The Crimson face their second top-three team in as many weeks, hosting No. 1 Minnetonka after falling at Prior Lake last Friday. They’ll need to get their running game back on track after the Lakers held <strong>Evan Hull</strong> in check with only 120 yards and a touchdown.  Senior lineman <strong>Alex Carlson</strong> leads the o-line against the Skippers, which boast one of the top front-sevens in Minnesota. Defensive end <strong>Carter Hislop</strong> and linebacker <strong>Hunter Wehling</strong> lead Tonka’s attack, which did show some holes last week against Wayzata. Senior <strong>Vincent Sullivan</strong> has done a nice job anchoring the interior of the defensive line, but you can bet <strong>Matt Lombardi</strong> and Maple Grove’s offense will put the Skippers 3-4 scheme to the test this week. <strong>East Grand Forks Rush O vs Park Rapids Rush D</strong> The Green Wave has rushed for more than 310 yards in back-to-back weeks. The offense is averaging almost 45 points per game because of the ground game as East Grand Forks enters its week three battle at Park Rapids. Running back <strong>Ethan Trebil</strong> and quarterback <strong>Carter Beck</strong> have been the workhorses out of the backfield. The duo has combined for more than 400 yards behind an offensive line with five senior starters, led by <strong>Jhett Pesch</strong> and <strong>Chase Olderbak</strong>. The unit will have its biggest challenge of the season against Park Rapids. The Panthers have not allowed a point through two contests. Seniors <strong>Cody Dravis</strong> and <strong>Nathan David</strong> have led the way for <strong>Jeremy Nordick’s</strong> defense. <strong>Robbinsdale Cooper OL vs Spring Lake Park DL</strong> Cooper finally ended its losing streak against Spring Lake Park last season, defeating the Panthers in two matchups. In the postseason victory, the Hawks rolled up almost 200 yards rushing, led by <strong>Nascier Borden’s</strong> 136. The Hawks will need that kind of production again on Friday, putting the pressure on their offensive line to open holed for Borden again. Seniors <strong>Cedrick Williams</strong> and <strong>Walter Holbrook</strong> are both returning starters, as well as two of the top linemen in the Suburban district. The Panthers defensive front is also full of veterans, including defensive ends <strong>Trey Toner</strong> and <strong>Braden Johnson</strong>. Senior <strong>Erik Schwartz</strong> is also a load to handle on the interior, having already notched 12 tackles, a forced fumble and a half sack this season. <strong>Waseca RBs vs Fairmont LBs</strong> The Bluejays have been prolific offensively this season and a big reason why is their stable of running backs. <strong>Joe Hagen, Hayden Groll</strong> and <strong>Beau Milbrett</strong> are a three-headed monster behind quarterback <strong>Hunter Rodriguez</strong>, who’s also a dynamic ball carrier. Together, Waseca has rushed for 523 yards, led by Hagen’s 146. Fairmont will be the Bluejays toughest test of the young season. The Cardinals will be looking to bounce back after allowing 45 points to Jordan in a home loss against the No. 3 Hubmen. Four senior linebackers are the heart-and-soul of the defense, led by <strong>Zac Ringnell</strong> in the middle. Will the Cardinals rebound from last week's loss and spring the upset against the Bluejays?