Team Prospect Report: BOLD Warriors

Brian Jerzak

November 28, 2018 @ 03:36 AM

Cover image from mnhshp.com   The BOLD Warriors and head coach Steve Solem have a long history of down to the wire Prep Bowl games. If history tells us anything, if BOLD (13-1) is involved, their Prep Bowl game is going to have some tension. Added to the tension this year was the knowledge that legendary head coach, Steve Solem was coaching in the last game of his coaching career. Although Solem and his BOLD football team would come up painfully short one last time in a <a style="color: #ff0000; text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.northstarfootballnews.com/2018/11/turnovers-hurt-then-help-mahnomen-waubun-to-the-1a-title/">22-21 loss to Mahnomen-Waubun</a> – they showed the talent that kept them at or near the top of the Class A mountain the entire year. Every team has injuries, but I wonder if things would have been different if lineman Riley Weis was not injured early in the game. In his short time in the contest, he had two tackles for loss and a forced fumble. He was causing numerous problems for the interior of the Mahnomen-Waubun (13-0) offensive line. Even in his absence, the Warriors' defense was stout. From his outside linebacker position, Anthony Maher read the play and made a tackle for loss. Later, he fought off a block and stuffed a running play for a short gain. Late in the game, he put pressure on the passer and recorded a quarterback sack. Hayden Tersteeg started his day with a fumble recovery. Later he shed a blocker and made a tackle for short gain. Tersteeg then combined with defensive lineman Bradley Ridler and stuffed a run for no gain on a third and short. Towards the end of the game, Tersteeg made a quick read and made a tackle for a short gain. Ridler picked up some of the slack with Weis out being stout against the run – highlighted by a tackle behind the line of scrimmage. Andrew Sheehan was also tough against the run – especially with a tackle for a short gain. Jordan Sagedahl showed he has multiple skills in the defensive backfield. Not only did he have good coverage downfield, but he also fought off a block to make a tackle. Then he read a running play and came up strong making a nice hit in the hole. Lucas Ryan played the option well – making a solid open-field tackle off the pitch for a short gain. Then he came up strong in run support and made a one on one tackle for a short gain. Timothy Peppel made a pair of tackles at the line of scrimmage. Later Trey Mertens got in on the act and made a tackle for no gain. Offensively, the passing game was the team's strength on Saturday. Quarterback Sagedahl had two primary targets on the outside. He hit Gavin Vosika with a perfect pass. It was a bullet for 43 yards on an in route. Facing a 3rd and long, Sagedahl threw a hitch route to Vosika. On the play, Vosika got up the field quickly for fifty yards and a touchdown. Later, they had no space, but a perfect throw from Sagedahl to Vosika on a hook route led to a first down. Late in the first half, Sagedahl threw a pass into the flat to Vosika. The junior broke a tackle, got a first down and got out of bounds to stop the clock. If Sagedahl wasn't throwing to Vosika, he was likely throwing to Ryan. He connected with Ryan for twenty yards and a first down. On a 3rd and three, Sagedahl was right on the money to Ryan on an in cut and a first down. Sagedahl connected with the senior again down the sidelines for thirty yards. Ryan showed his athletic ability by making a move on a defender for the last twenty yards. Sagedahl can hurt you with your feet too. The Warriors ran some option and at least once Sagedahl kept the ball on the option for a big gain. Dawson Vosika showed Sagedahl was not the only running threat. He is a tough runner – showing it especially when he broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage for a nine-yard gain.