Recruiting Report: Austin Altepeter (Moorhead-2022)

Dating back to the days of Chase Morlock in the early 2010’s, the Moorhead Spuds have produced some of Northern Minnesota’s most hard-nosed recruits of the past decade, and this upcoming recruiting class is shaping up to be on the deepest in a long time. This means a lot, as Moorhead has been one of the most consistent teams in the Northwest part of the state - especially in 4A/5A - and went 8-0 in the regular season in both 2015 and 2012, 7-1 in 2014, 6-2 in 2017, and 5-3 this past fall before getting hot and winning their section + qualifying for state in 2019. This is a legitimate football team year after year, and regardless of record, they are tough and have a knack of balling out in the postseason. With a senior heavy class in the upcoming 2020 season, a prospect that coaches and fans should not let be overshadowed by the Spud's offensive firepower is 2019 All-District LB Austin Altepeter. The 6'2, 205 lb. sophomore came off an ACL injury as a freshman to rebound as one of Moorhead's best defensive players, and one of the best LB's in the district, all as an underclassman. The c/o 2022 grad was kind enough to give Northstar Football News some of his time for an early look into his recruitment, underclassman career as a Spud, his best game of 2019, and more! Check it out, and I hope you enjoy. <a href="http://a.hudl.com/video/3/12847216/5dd482c7bd6b0a0f3cff5f38">Sophomore Season</a> NFN: Hello and thank you for your time, Austin! Congratulations on your more than successful 2019 season. Please begin by telling us a little bit about yourself, when you began playing football, and your relevant measurables. Altepeter: "I'm from Moorhead, MN. I started playing football when I was in 4th grade. I tore my acl in the first game of my freshman year season. I like the contact in football, also the teamwork and chemistry a football team needs to be successful. 6'2" 205lbs 40/4.64 bench/255. squat/400. clean/245." NFN: How was your freshman season in 2018? And how was it for Moorhead? Altepeter: "I tore my ACL last year (freshman) and didn't play. I wasn't around the locker room in 2018, but I knew this team had a lot of potential from watching them." NFN: That proved correct. So what were some highlights and lowlights of 2019? How was your season coming off that injury and what were you expectations like coming into the season? Altepeter: "Some highlights were when we got on a roll after playing St. Cloud Tech. We kinda just flipped a switch and played with passion. My season went really good overall I thought. I felt something come over me as playoffs came and never wanted to be on the losing side. Played with an underdog type feeling. I didn't know what to expect from this year coming off an injury like a torn acl last year, but I did know I wanted to play really badly and help this team go far. I did expect us to be a good team this year because of the off-season work we put in together. Early in the season, we showed some flashes of being a very good football team I felt." NFN: That's a good transition to my next question. What was the Spuds' offseason like coming into last year and what do you like about the program? Altepeter: "I thought as a team our offseason was very successful with us working on our speed and strength, run by our defensive coordinator spencer stowers. We did 7on7's with some Fargo schools and overall had a great offseason. I like the dedication our program has and knowing that if you get lazy you're not just letting down yourself but the people who believe in you." NFN: Awesome. Now get a little in-depth about the first eight regular season games of 2019. What were some big games and how do you think you played? Altepeter: "My first 8 regular-season games were a roller coaster. Lots of ups and downs. We would have some really good and clean games, but knowing a couple of mistakes can change the outcome of the game is true and it happened. We played good teams and won all of our away games except for one. I played well during the regular season but always feel like I have room for improvement. A big game was facing Rogers to kick off the season with a win. I had a strip fumble In the second half of that game to change the momentum and helped us win that game. One of my better games was against Bemidji, the last game of the regular season. I had some cool highlights against them and our team ended up getting the win." NFN: That's great. How about sections? You guys had another crazy game against Bemidji, tell us about that a little. Altepeter: "The section game we had a great atmosphere playing Bemidji for the second time. I started to notice the plays barely ever came to my side, unlike the last time we played each other in the regular season. We won that game and moved on to state." NFN: Now how about Elk River? What was the preparation like for that matchup and how did the game go? Altepeter: "Preparing to play Elk River was different, because of the type of offense they ran. It took us longer to get used to it in practice but we managed and I felt really good going into the game. It was a game that the halftime speech really got into me and our gear in the second half changed. We were very close and let that game slip out of our hands on that last play. Plays like that stick with you for a while, only motivating and pushing you harder for when next year comes rolling around you have more experience and are more hungry. We know what we're dealing with this year in terms of people's abilities and decisions making. We have guys coming back next year and we're going to make the best of it without a doubt, it should be a very interesting year." NFN: Forsure. So how about recruitment? Have you planned any camp visits? Also, what are you looking for in a college and what can you offer a team? Altimeter: "I haven't planned any visits to any schools yet. Not been to any camps yet but I am going this offseason hopefully in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. I'm looking for a college that I feel has a good coaching staff and a good environment and atmosphere that helps everyone grow as better people and football players. I believe I'm someone you can count on to get it done. That being finishing tackles, making plays and coming up big in big-time games. As a football player, I'm athletic, have good vision, and confidence. I Believe in teamwork. I'll take on the block so you can make the tackle." This will not be the last you hear of Altepeter and his teammates, as #32 has the potential to be one of the best linebackers in the state by his senior year. Good luck in 2020, sir!