2019 All-NSIC Awards: MN Prep Highlight Edition (First Team Defense North Division)

This fourth edition of Northstar Football News' featured series will examine and highlight the former Minnesota prep football stars selected to the First Team All-Conference Defense list of the North division of one of the toughest conferences in Division II football: the NSIC. These six athletes were some of the best players coming out of high school as MN preps and have more than successfully made the jump to college athletics, where they have shone under the lights from Bemidji, to Duluth, and all the way down to St. Cloud. Let's check back in with these former Northstar studs to review their 2019 seasons, high school careers, and more. I hope you enjoy! LB: Gabe Ames (6’0, 215 lbs.) Junior. Rosemount, Minn. Rosemount HS. Bemidji State University The now 2x First Team All-Conference selection for Bemidji State started his success way back as a prep at Rosemount high school, where he was named East Metro District Defensive Player of the Year, 2x All-South Suburban Conference, All-State First Team, Kare11 First Team All-Metro, and was a Mr. Football nominee after posting 68 tackles, 14 TFLs, 7.5 sacks, 2 FF, and a FR. After he redshirted his first year in college in 2016, he was named NSIC North Division Second Team Defense in his first season starting for BSU after he put up 40 tackles, 5 TFLs, and an interception returned for a touchdown. His RS sophomore season in 2018 saw him receive his first NSIC North All-Conference First Team award after tallying 81 tackles, 12 TFLs, 7 PBUs, 2 FFs, 1.5 sacks, and an interception. He was also was named NSIC Defensive Player of the Week! Coming into this past fall of 2019 Ames was named NSIC Defensive Preseason Player of the Year, and recorded 38 tackles, 5 TFLs, 4 sacks, 2 PBUs, and an interception to get awarded his second consecutive First Team All-NSIC selection. He’ll be a beast as a senior, and has 159 tackles and 22 TFLs in his Beaver career thus far. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/2599227/5721cb1d0c5e681224a25df3">Senior Year Rosemount</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/7494463/5a0a88f8d2256e08bcc62925">Year 1 BSU</a> [caption id="attachment_17871" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Ames (5) w/ the sack. Photo/article credit Matt Steichen of rivertowns.net[/caption] DL: Alex Hoffman (6’2, 240) Senior. Lakeville, Minn. Lakeville South HS. Bemidji State University A grinder of a defensive lineman who has had to overcome more than most to play - and has worked his butt off - to earn his first All-Conference First Team awards in 2019 after being named to the Second Team in 2018. As a Lakeville South Cougar, Hoffman was named All-Conference as senior after a 8 sack campaign, and then redshirted his first year in the program in 2014. He then had to take a medical redshirt in 2015, and bounced back by recording 40 tackles, 8 TFLs, and 4 sacks combined in his 2016 and 2017 RS freshman and sophomore seasons. In 2018 he tallied 35 tackles, 6 TFLs, and 2.5 sacks, and built off that to total 56 tackles and 4.5 sacks this past fall. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/1905966/5721b3da0dcb0d12f8494e19">LS Highlights</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/3856408/5ddc1b9d5eec630e185b497d">Alex Hoffman Career BSU highlights </a> [caption id="attachment_17872" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Hoffman (99) pursues Northern State’s QB. Credit: lakevillesouthfootball.org[/caption] DB: Michael Junker (5’10, 180 lbs.) Senior. Hastings, Minn. Hastings HS. Bemidji State University No doubt one of the best athletes to come out of Hastings high school, Junker was a three-sport star who earned an All-Conference award on the baseball diamond, and an All-Conference HM award in hockey while competing as a member of the Reebok High Performance Hockey Team and playing in the Minnesota Elite Development Hockey League for a year. On the gridiron is where he really shined however, as the Raider footballer was a 2x All-Conference recipient, a 2x Team Special Teams MVP, offensive MVP as a senior, the 2014 Metro East Conference receiving and KOR leader, and a All-East Metro Team selection by the PioneerPress. As a Bemidji State Beaver, Junker had a monster senior season. Prior to that, he was a NSIC North All-Conference HM pick as a junior, and a NSIC Defensive Player of the Week (also as a junior), while totaling 113 tackles, 16 PBUs, 7 interceptions, 6.5 TFLs, 3 FFs, 2 FRs, and a punt return for a TD + a ton of KORs in his first three years in the Beaver green. His final year at Bemidji saw him named to five (!!) different All-American teams, two All-Region First Team picks, an NSIC North First Team selection, and a NSIC All-Academic pick. These awards were more than worthy; as he led the Northern Sun in interceptions, interception return yards, interceptions returned for touchdowns, and PBUs. His eight picks tied for 4th in all of Division II, his 18 PBUs ranked him 11th, and he was #1 in the nation with 272 interception return yards. His 8 INTs tied the Beavers single season record, as did the 272 return yards. He also recorded 43 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 528 kick/punt return yards, and finished as BSU’s all-time leader in interception return yards, and the runner-up in interceptions (17). S.T.U.D. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2CULzi">Mike Junker Career BSU Highlights</a> [caption id="attachment_17873" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Junker (20) celebrates with teammates. Photo courtesy of Sarah Wasvick. Found on rivertowns.net.[/caption] DB: Bill Atkins (6’1, 200 lbs.) Senior. Minnetonka, Minn. Hopkins HS. University of Minnesota-Duluth A Hopkins Royal graduate who was named to the All-Lake Conference & StarTribune All-Metro Second Team lists as a senior, Atkins was also Hopkins Offensive MVP and possess a fun and exciting senior highlight film. As a UMD Bulldog, Atkins found his way into the starting safety role here and there throughout his RS freshman & sophomore years, and assumes the full-time starring role as a junior in 2018 wherein he was named All-NSIC North Second Team after amassing 55 tackles and 2 PBUs. This year as a team captain he recorded 47 tackles, 6 PBUs, 3.5 TFLs, and an interception while leading the Bulldog defensive backfield and was given his first All-NSIC First Team nod this postseason. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/1635053/5721bbb964e96b6380ff7c1b">Senior Season HS</a> <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2CcNq3">Career UMD Highlights</a> [caption id="attachment_17879" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Atkins (3) w/ the tackle. Photo by Clint Austin / caustin@duluthnews.com[/caption] DL: Dan Monson (6’2, 240 lbs.) Junior. Inver Grove Heights, Minn. Rosemount HS. University of Minnesota-Duluth Monson happened to be the aforementioned Gabe Ames’ linebacker partner in high school for the Rosemount Irish, and the duo were the best in the state their senior year, so it‘s only fitting that Monson would join his former brother in combat on the First Team together in 2019. As a senior in high school the Inver Grove Heights native was named to the StarTribune Preseason Dream Team - and lived up to the hype - as he was an AP All-State Third Team pick, StarTribune All-Metro Second Team, and a Kare11 All-Metro First Team selection while adding a All-South Suburban Conference award to boot. Battling injuries and grinding hard to take a full-time starting role on the Bulldogs’ dline, Monson had an impressive first year as a full-time starter in 2019 and totaled 26 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, 5.5 sacks, a FR, and a blocked kick. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/7283849/5721cd430c5e681224a54a93">Senior Year RHS</a> <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2AtjEn">vs. Texas A&M Commerce</a> [caption id="attachment_17880" align="alignnone" width="300"] Ames & Monson (right) at Rosemount. Story written by: Matt Steichen of rivertowns.net[/caption] LB: Graham Miller (6’3, 225 lbs.) Senior. Minneapolis, Minn. Washburn HS. St. Cloud State University A 2x All-Conference selection & MN All-Star Game participant as a prep at my former rival the Washburn Millers, Graham was one of SCSU’s best players in what turned out to be their final season as a football team in 2019. The Minneapolis native totaled 119 career tackles, 38 career TFLs, 13.5 sacks, and 3 career interceptions. As a senior he recorded 35 of those tackles, 15.5 TFLs, 6.5 sacks, and one of the interceptions. I really enjoyed watching Miller’s success in college, and was happy to see him speak as a leader during the time the Huskies termination became known. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/1468006/5721bed090eead5d90c23316">Senior Year 2014</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/1468006/5a1701e519a5e108dc5c3b18">vs. Augustana University 2017</a> [caption id="attachment_17881" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Credit: SCSUHuskies athletics.[/caption] Stay tuned for the upcoming NSIC North Division All-Conference Second Team Offense list as the former MN preps honored on it will be highlighted, and their careers reviewed. Thanks for reading!