South Dakota 9-Man POY: The Nominees

<strong>SOUTH DAKOTA-- </strong>We move into 9-man to give you the seven nominees for South Dakota 9-man player of the year. Please take a look at our list. Our staff will choose the winner late in the day on Friday! The Nominees <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="56330" first="Connor" last="Libis"], QB/DB, Dell Rapids St. Marys</strong> Libis is one of the most alert, dynamic players on our list. He’s a born runner but shows an elusive ability to throw on the run with solid precision. It’s more than fair to say that Libis’s versatility is one of his core strengths as the Cardinals lined him up in many ways through his career as a Cardinal. If I am Briar Cliff Football, I am making a call to this kid to play football too in Sioux City. 3-time all Dakota Valley Conference, nearly 5000 total yards, and 80 total touchdowns are no small feat in any high school football. division <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Egqfe">Senior Tape</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="56241" first="Angel" last="Johnson"], WR/RB, Viborg-Hurley</strong> Johnson might have the best overall football player in all of South Dakota much less just in 9-man. Johnson logged 1100 yards and 23 touchdowns in his senior season for Viborg-Hurley. His downhill running ability is a tough catch for any defender. Johnson is also a strong pass-catcher out of the backfield which will be a big strength he will take with him to South Dakota State. This won’t be the last Johnson brother you will see on our 9-man POY list in the coming years. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/14048115/5fac45b94797e30a08211b41">Senior Tape</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="56339" first="Cody" last="Thompson"], QB, Lemmon-McIntosh</strong> 53, that’s how many total touchdowns Black Hills State commit [player_tooltip player_id="56339" first="Cody" last="Thompson"] had this season. How do you throw for roughly 3000 passing yards in high school football? Thompson has outstanding precision and leads his man with plenty of room. Not as athletic as Libis on the run, but looks more relaxed on his throws in multiple areas. Thompson’s ability to evade the pocket, yet set his feet and make a big throw will hopefully do some big things in Spearfish in the next four-five years. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EYSFR">Senior Tape</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="77511" first="Jackson" last="Noem"], RB, Hamlin</strong> Noem is a solid one cutter inside that rushed for over 2000 yards this season and 32 touchdowns for the Hamlin Chargers. Noem looks like a power back but runs, in my opinion, in the middle of a power back and a speedster. Noem has good gas in the open field yet has the trucking ability to fight for those yards after contact. Noem will be baseball at Mount Marty in 2021. Had he chosen the football route, I would have had him higher on our 2021 rankings. Could he be added to the Lancer’s first football roster? Only time will tell. It would certainly be interesting to have two players from this list play NAIA football at the next level. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Eckcq">Senior Tape</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="56280" first="Tyce" last="Ortman"], RB, Canistota-Freeman</strong> It took a little longer for us to come around on Ortman, but when I saw his durability getting his yards after contact, I was a definite buyer in the state championship. His burst in the open field was another strength of this game. His smash-mouth tackling ability is another asset to his game. He also defends well in pass coverage. The Northwestern (Iowa) commit is a workhorse, with over 2000 total yards, 36 touchdowns, and just under 50 tackles, and one interception defensively. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Ei6gA">Senior Offensive Tape  </a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2020/12/recruiting-report-tyce-ortman-canistota-freeman-2021/">Recruiting Report</a> <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Eevrf">Senior Defensive Tape</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="56427" first="Ashaun" last="Roach-Valandra"], DL/TE, Dells Rapids St. Marys</strong> It is quite easy to see why Roach-Valendra was one of South Dakota’s sack leaders in 2020. His shedding ability and bullying ability to get into the backfield was almost unfair with his stout 6’3 255-pound frame. Ashaun also got some big man yards at tight end for the Cardinals. He’ll need to develop a little more get off speed as he goes to the next level. It turned out the 3.5-hour move from Todd County to Dell Rapids was a great one as Roach-Valandra would have missed a season if he continued and instead was a state runner up in 9B and will play Division II football up the road in Coo’ Falls. <strong>Jackson McNeil, LB/RB, Warner</strong> McNeil’s vision inside the tackling lanes is what set him apart for the future Northern State Wolves commit. The heat this kid brings to the table as a tackling force in the backfield is what sets him apart from some of the other linebackers in 9-man football. His quick pedal in his feet and turning on the jets as far as speed is what makes this kid a next level linebacker. Even though Warner was derailed by back to back to back state champion, Canistota-Freeman, McNeil was still one of the toughest kids I saw even in defeat. The Wolves are getting a linebacker that’s tough as nails. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2ESPYE">Senior Tape</a> <strong>2022 WATCH LIST</strong> We also take a look at 12 standouts who have a shot at the award next year as seniors! <strong>Grayson Hanson, LB/RB, Platte Geddes</strong> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/10442292/Grayson-Hanson">Hudl Profile</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="56464" first="Hayden" last="Gilbert"], DB/WR, Viborg-Hurley</strong> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11000861/5faab4a1a6783c0728b675f0">Junior Tape</a> <strong>Marty Gohn, RB, Wosley-Wessington</strong> <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Eapmb">Junior Tape</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="56526" first="Trey" last="Sayler"], LB, Herreid-Selby</strong> <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EeQ0f">Junior Tape</a> <strong>Ashton Hanson, RB, Florence-Henry</strong> <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/14824932/5fbe9fe590f03a08201ed2e9">Junior Tape</a> <strong>Aiden Fredericksen, DB, Britton-Hecla</strong> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/8351712/5fb3fdd090ef710b780d17ff">Junior Tape: Defense</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/8351712/5faecd069a913d0b6452b2f2">Junior Tape: Offense</a> <strong>Caden Foxley, WR/TE, Platte-Geddes</strong> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11345033/5fe57856ff02381028d5ee9a">Tape vs. Gregory</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="56465" first="Jace" last="Sifore"], OL/DL, Howard</strong> <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Eb0B5">Junior Tape</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="93563" first="Corbin" last="Wirkus"], OL/DL, Baltic</strong> <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EYVcA">Junior Tape</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="56458" first="Chase" last="Kelly"], Florence-Henry</strong> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/14347474/5f7c98ff64def60a3cb914d6">Junior Tape</a> <strong>Aiden Erickson, LB/RB, Elkton-Lake Benton</strong> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/10588506/5f99a28c478e5815f4d74dc2">Junior Tape</a> <strong>Talon Trogstad, WR, Lemmon-McIntosh</strong> <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2ESEJ8">Junior Tape</a> &nbsp;