Success on the field and the mat

Almost to a man, football coaches want multi-sport athletes on their football team. The sport that those same coaches usually say translates the best to the football field is wrestling. This stories’ question becomes, who are the best in the Class of ’22 combining success on the mat and gridiron? [player_tooltip player_id="49843" first="Jacob" last="Meissner"] <strong>Osseo/Providence Academy</strong> Meissner’s 5-3 victory in the finals of the 220AAA secured his first state wrestling title. He finished his junior season with a 31-1 record. PRZ’s 40th ranked player in the Class of ’22 is a threat in both the running and passing game from the running back position. He is a long-striding back who has plenty of movement in his game to make defenders miss in the open field. Defenders don’t arm tackle or go in high and get Meissner down very often. [player_tooltip player_id="116492" first="Jade" last="Trelstad"] <strong>Shakopee</strong> Trelstad was a 2021 state entrant in the Class AAA 285 weight class. He won both his matches in the team competition, moving between the 220 and 285-pound weight classes, helping the Sabers to their third straight AAA team title. On the football field, PRZ’s 220th ranked athlete is an explosive offensive lineman whose quickness off the snap and his ability to work in space complement his straight-line power. [player_tooltip player_id="116254" first="Max" last="Balow"] <strong>Lake City</strong> Balow won two matches at the state tournament but fell one victory short of placing in the Class AA 285-pound bracket. Finishing with a 34-7 record, Balow helped the underdog Tigers upset a nationally ranked program in the Section 1AA finals earning the program a trip to the state tournament. PRZ’s 84th ranked player in the Class of ’22 is a hard-hitting linebacker for the Tigers. [player_tooltip player_id="116253" first="Anthony" last="Moe-Tucker"] <strong>Kasson-Mantorville</strong> Moe-Tucker went into the state tournament with a 21-7 record and found himself on the podium with a 4th place finish at State in Class AA in the  220-pound bracket. PRZ’ 83rd ranked player from the class of ’22 is one of the top running backs in the state. See my breakdown of his talents in last week’s <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/07/outstate-prospect-report-southeast/">outstate series</a> of stories. [player_tooltip player_id="49958" first="Gannon" last="Rosenfeld"] <strong>Mankato West</strong> Rosenfeld finished the regular season with a 30-2 record. He lost one match at the state tournament – to a wrestler who would win the individual title - en route to a third-place finish. On the football field, According to PRZ, Rosenfeld is the 58th ranked player in the 2022 class. Like his fellow state place-winner, Moe-Tucker, the defensive lineman was just featured in my <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/07/outstate-prospect-report-southeast/">outstate series</a>. [player_tooltip player_id="49901" first="Zachariah" last="Hunter"] <strong>Stillwater</strong> A state entrant in the 220-pound weight class in Class AAA, Hunter finished the season with 22 wins and a huge win in the state team semi-finals, nearly helping his team into the finals. On the football field, Hunter is an aggressive safety who excels defending the running game. A physical tackler, Hunter can play man coverage in the slot but has excellent range as a deep safety. When he has time to make up the ground and get to the receiver – like with most of his opponents on the mat - the pass-catcher will get punished.