Nate’s Big Dogs of the Week: Week 7, North Dakota’s First Five

<strong>DAKOTAS- </strong>As we drew a longer Monday than usual, we change up our breakdown for our first set of our Big Dogs of the Week prospects in Week 7. We introduce the "first five" prospects we saw from North Dakota who has had strong Week 7 of football. We scouted prospects from Fort Totten, east to Thompson and Larimore, and then headed on I-29 south and found two prospects from Fargo that had some of the best of the best performances we saw from 11AA this week. Take a look at our first five prospects from North Dakota that stood out from Week 7! <strong>NORTH DAKOTA:</strong> <strong>Dalen Leftbear | Wide Receiver | Four Winds (ND) | 2024</strong> <strong>Stat Line: </strong>3 receptions, 119 all-purpose yards (100 receiving, 19 return), two touchdowns. Leftbear hasn’t posted his tape from this season yet, but following this 6’1 160 pound WR prospect’s stat line has been fun thus far. He has logged a team-leading 35 receptions, 624 receiving yards, at nearly 18 yards per catch, and averaging close to 90 yards a game. The great thing about it? Dalen is just a sophomore and will make some solid noise at Four Winds over the coming years. According to our sister site Prep Hoops, Leftbear was named as an ultimate team player and a prospect that needs more attention on the hardwood as well this past summer. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/16545120/Dalen-Leftbear">Hudl Profile</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="77454" first="Parker" last="Nelson"] | Running Back | West Fargo (ND) | 2022</strong> <strong>Stat Line: </strong>273 total yards. Nelson had a field day against Fargo South in Week 7. He logged nearly 275 yards of offense and set some records that were held since before I was born with his yards on the night. When watching his game tape against Bismarck Legacy, I love how smooth Nelson is when he hits in the gaps his offensive line gives him. He also is one of the better pass-catchers out of the backfield I have seen in North Dakota’s 2022 class. Nelson has a solid hip turn on his runs and identifies as a one-cut back that can get separation at a high-level. Also a terrific track athlete. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2G0gjV">3-Game Tape</a> <strong>Jacob Warnke | Wide Receiver | Larimore (ND) | 2023</strong> <strong>Stat Line: </strong>123 all-purpose yards (108 receiving, 15 return), two touchdowns. Warnke only showed a few hoops tapes on Hudl, but this young man has been one of the bright spots that needs more carries based on his production thus far this season. On only 20 carries, Warnke leads the Polar Bears in yards per carry (8.9) with the next running back in line being 2.8 yards per carry behind him. Warnke is also heating up in his last three games, being named the Polar Bear’s top performer in their last three games. Warnke has two seniors sitting in front of him on the depth chart but with it being late in the season it might be time for Larimore to display the running back in waiting as they turn the page to the 2022 season. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/12628714/Jacob-Warnke">Hudl Profile</a> <strong>Reece Berberich | Running Back | Thompson (ND) | 2023</strong> <strong>Stat Line: </strong>235 all-purpose yards (211 rush, 12 receiving, 12 passing), two touchdowns. Berberich is another 9-man prospect we are still chomping at the bit to get his game tape. He rushed for his second 200-yard rushing game of the season last week against Park River/Fordville-Lankin/Valley/Edinburg. After two straight games of under 100 yards rushing, Berberich certainly found his resume trending upwards in Week 7. Reece averaging nearly 3/4’s of a first down per carry on the year and is likely going to be a 1000 yard rusher for the Tommies by the end of the season. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/12972936/Reece-Berberich">Hudl Profile</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="77455" first="Denver" last="Piechowski"]  | Defensive End | Fargo Davies (ND) | 2022</strong> <strong>Stat Line: </strong>Five sacks, no typo. I certainly had to grab Piechowski’s tape the second I read about his five-sack game against the Mandan Braves in Week 7. Turns out, this young man was in full pursuit all Friday night on the road in Mandan. I loved how he gets off with his speed off the edge. Denver shows an aggressive rip thru the offensive line and sheds off blocks easily with all his speed. With that speed, once he enters the pocket, Piechowski is already wired to attack the football and uses good footwork to attack the QB trying to step up in the pocket. Piechowski might be an undersized defensive end, but this young man plays with a big motor that I feel could be a solid linebacker at the next level with that speed off the edge. What surprises me? Not one collegiate program has offered Denver as of yet which to me, shows how slept in the city of Fargo is right now as far as recruiting.