MN/SD Border Battle Showcase: Top Performers

<strong>ST. LOUIS PARK, MN-- </strong>Last Sunday afternoon really brought out the Midwest attention here at Prep Redzone NEXT. We took our talents to St. Louis Park to watch Minnesota’s best 8th graders in Minnesota Purple Reign go up against the South Dakota Miners. The biggest thing these two had in common? They took the best of the best in their state represented of junior-high talent and put it all on the field on Sunday afternoon. Minnesota proved to be the more dominant state, but we rallied up top performers from both states! Find out who the best of the best of top performers were in this one from these two states. <strong><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/10/IMG_3687-rotated-crop-480x316-1635302522.jpg"><img class="alignleft wp-image-223716" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/10/IMG_3687-rotated-crop-480x316-1635302522-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="252" height="165" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="212361" first="Jabari" last="Strader"] | Athlete | Big Lake (MN) | 2026</strong> Getting my first eyes on one of Minnesota’s top athletes on Sunday, Jabari showed why he was one of the first Minnesota prospects identified upon site launch. There is a lot to like about his elusiveness in his hips. Jabari also showed off his vertical and does a solid job high topping the football on both sides of the ball when coming near his wheelhouse. He also has some outstanding length for his age that I can’t wait to see grow into something bigger once he hits the high school level. <strong>Jase Thiesse | Running Back | Mitchell (SD) | 2026</strong> Jase was a junior-high prospect from the South Dakota Miners that although his day ended early due to injury, he still left a lasting impression. I really enjoyed the way he worked his footwork. I always love watching players that play with an exciting mindset when working their feet as Jase Thiesse really had solid jets in his footwork when he saw a lane he liked in pursuit. As I lead our Prep Redzone Dakotas site as well, I think we might be looking at another solid tailback for the Mitchell Kernels in a few years. <strong><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/10/IMG_3684-rotated-crop-480x316-1635302595.jpg"><img class="alignleft wp-image-223718" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/10/IMG_3684-rotated-crop-480x316-1635302595-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="251" height="165" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="206202" first="Caleb" last="Melser"] | Running Back | Columbus (MN) | 2026</strong> Talk about coming in like a wrecking ball, that would be the best way to describe how well [player_tooltip player_id="206202" first="Caleb" last="Melser"] performed on Sunday at Benilde St Margaret’s. This kid ran with a big burst out the gates and showed a lot of elusiveness in his game especially between the tackles. Melser showed a heck of a lot of grit when he ran the ball, showing a fearless demeanor. It should be fun to watch this young man at the high school level as he develops even deeper skillsets. <strong><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/10/IMG_3683-rotated-crop-960x631-1635289563.jpg"><img class="alignleft wp-image-223626" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/10/IMG_3683-rotated-crop-960x631-1635289563-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="251" height="165" /></a>Noah Duran | Defensive Line | Sioux Falls (SD) | 2026</strong> The biggest workhorse in the trenches for the South Dakota Miners was by far Noah Duran. He showed some great leverage on his blocks and showed how mobile he was moving laterally to get to the ball carrier. I also caught the active hands he showed off as he possess a good swim move on multiple occasions to get around the defender. His older brother plays varsity football for the new kids on the block, Sioux Falls Jefferson, and Noah will follow in his footsteps and will be a Cavalier next year and one to watch develop in the coming years. <strong><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/10/IMG_3686-rotated-crop-1512x993-1635303185.jpg"><img class="alignleft wp-image-223726" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/10/IMG_3686-rotated-crop-1512x993-1635303185-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="251" height="165" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="284020" first="Mike" last="Doering"] | Defensive Back | Shakopee (MN) | 2026</strong> Mike put on a fun little show in the showcase game against the South Dakota Miners. He showed tremendous vision in reading the quarterback’s eyes and turned those reads into interceptions really quick as he logged multiple interceptions on Sunday afternoon. He has some wheels too, which is why he’s such an asset in the secondary as he can get to his spot super quick. <strong><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/10/IMG_3682-rotated-crop-960x631-1635289663.jpg"><img class="alignleft wp-image-223629" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/10/IMG_3682-rotated-crop-960x631-1635289663-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="251" height="165" /></a>Karsten Sissoko | Wide Receiver | Brandon (SD) | 2026</strong> Karsten from my eyes looked to be the biggest asset in the South Dakota Miners receiving core. He showed off his athletic frame with some great length and good speed in his route running abilities. I also was a big fan of how strong his hands were. Karsten still has plenty of rawness in his game, but he’s going to be playing high school football for one of the best-disciplined programs in South Dakota so I look forward to watching him develop over the coming years. <strong><img class="wp-image-223721 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/10/IMG_3685-rotated-crop-480x316-1635302814-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="251" height="165" /></strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="224134" first="Nick" last="Kinsey"] | Quarterback | Wayzata (MN) | 2026</strong> Purple Reign focused on mainly their rushing attack most of the game, but when [player_tooltip player_id="224134" first="Nick" last="Kinsey"] got passing reps he showed some good skillsets. His touch on the football is what stuck out to me most. He showed a really good spiral when throwing at his receiving core. I especially saw how good his touch looked when he let her rip on the deeper routes. Nick has plenty of room to grow, as his older brother Jack is 6’6 &amp; Nick is 6’0 at the moment. Another junior high prospect with great pedigree as his big brother will be likely playing either at the D2 or D1 level next year. &nbsp;