2020 Bounce Backs

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High School football is probably one of the most exciting sports to watch. Any given day is a chance for a player or team to do something incredible; upsets, big plays, break records, etc. One of my favorite things about High School football is that you literally CANNOT base a matchup on numbers, the game has to be played on the field because of the endless possibilities that can happen. I’ve seen teams start slow and really get into a rhythm as the season went on, I have also seen the rise and falls of different programs. My absolute favorite thing in this game is watching a community come together to support their team every Friday night, and essentially the whole town making a trip to US Bank Stadium to watch their team play at State, win or lose, they are all proud of the team. This particular story will cover one of those aspects, I will be writing about teams (3A and below) who may not have had the season they were expecting in 2019 and I expect them to have a great year in 2020, whether that being; finishing above .500, making a deep playoff run, or winning State. I will also be mentioning the players who will help lead the way for their team in 2020.

Class 3A- Belle Plaine Tigers (3-6)

Belle Plaine finds themselves in a tough location of the state, which gives them a tough schedule every year. Each year they have a good team and send many players to play at the next level. In 2019, they had a young team and the inexperience kept them below .500, getting them a 5th seed in the Section Playoffs. Almost half their schedule was Class 4A teams which always have good talent in Marshall, Jordan, and New Ulm. In 2020, Belle Plaine will still field a young team but they all have a season of experience now under their belt, which should give them more confidence. Those returning players include:

6’2’’ 245 lbs. Sophomore OG- Ryan Retzer Ryan Retzer 6'3" | 265 lbs | OL Belle Plaine | 2023 State MN

6’3″ 175 lbs. Junior QB- Jackson Krueger

5’9″ 190 lbs. Junior RB- Luke Luskey

Class 2A- Windom Area Eagles (2-7)

Windom has had a lot of turnover in the past couple years. They played all of 2018 on the road due to field renovations, now will have a third new head coach in almost 5 seasons, different base formations almost every season. This team still fields an athletic lineup and manages to get a few to college-level athletics. 2020 will be no different here, putting out a young team and getting a new coach, Jeremy O’Donnell, and his philosophies. Windom always has a tough schedule year in and year out, but still are able to bust out a couple wins. I chose Windom to bounce back in 2020 and either have a season above .500, or make a playoff run. Players who will help make this happen include:

Junior WR/DE- Dylan Serreyn

Senior WR- Trenton Renquist

Senior QB- Kade Sammons

Class 1A- Lakeview Lakers (3-6)

Lakeview made some great strides in the first year under Scott Hanson. They scraped up three wins during regular season, but played tough in ever game against another tough schedule against traditionally good teams. Their defense kept them in almost every game and their offense was always a couple plays from getting a lead in a few games. They also will put a lot of their young team returning for the 2020 season that will put them over the top and get them above .500 and maybe a deep playoff run. Those players will include:

6’3″ 200 lbs. Senior TE/DE- Alex Ross-Bahn

5’9″ 145 lbs. WR/DB- Jackson Klocow

5’10″ 170 lbs. RB/DB- Brock Kvistad

9-man- Heron Lake- Okabena- Fulda (3-6)

HLOF really caught my eye this year, a fairly new co-op in 9-man, I didn’t know what to expect. They really stepped up and had a good season considering they played three of the teams in the top-15 in 9-man and the State Champion twice. Now that they have a good year to build a cohesive unit, I believe they will put together a good season and finish top 3 in their Section. Players that will help lead the way include:

6’1″ 180 lbs. Senior QB- Eli Fest Eli Fest ATH Heron Lake-Okabena-Fulda | 2021 State MN