Looking forward by looking back

Since the Minnesota State High School League has a problem with certain websites promoting their kids and their product, I am done watching high school football games live as of the state section finals. So, it is a perfect time to look back on the games I watched in person. Here are some under-the-radar athletes to watch from the Class of 2023 or later once they tee it up again in the fall. <strong>Payton Burrow JR Hastings RB</strong> Burrow was one of the Raiders’ top offensive threats in a season that didn’t end until the section finals. I saw the junior early in the season using his speed to get to the outside multiple times. Burrow is only listed at 5’7″ and 166 pounds and is not afraid to run inside. He has good balance and good feet, allowing him to bounce off tacklers that don’t wrap up and make quick cuts in and out of the hole. <strong>Brecken Klein JR Lakeville South OL</strong> Klein has been working on the inside for the most lethal running attack in the state. The three-card monte game of the quarterback and running backs get most of the headlines, but the inside trap game is what really makes the Cougars’ offense go. Klein is in the middle of all those inside traps and long runs right up the middle. In the games I have seen, most of the explosive plays occur right up the middle – Klein’s domain. <strong>Luke Borowicz JR Jordan DT</strong> The Fairmont offense dominated their early-season game against the Hubmen, but the junior still made plays in the running game and the passing game. His pressure on the quarterback led to the biggest defensive play for Jordan. He got his hand on a bubble screen – leading to an interception by his teammate. On a fourth-down, he shed a blocker and put immediate pressure on the quarterback, forcing a rushed, incomplete pass. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="237319" first="Jackson" last="Cercioglu"] JR St. Thomas Academy LB</strong> In the best game I saw live this season – STA against Mankato West - one of the players that played well was Cercioglu. He was all over the field making tackles sideline to sideline. I watched him play early in the season, and his play two Saturdays ago was not a fluke. He was all over the stat sheet helping to shut down the Scarlets and South St. Paul running games. <strong>Caleb McGrath JR Eastview P</strong> We don’t typically highlight punters, and when I saw him play early in the year against Park of Cottage Grove – he didn’t have his best game. However, that game was not reflective of his entire season. He finished the season with a 42-yard average. He helped his team with field position with eight kicks inside the 20. With a long punt of 64 yards and less than five yards per return, his hang-time must have been one of the best in the state. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="237907" first="Jake" last="Borman"] JR St. Thomas Academy S</strong> Going back to the STA/Mankato West game, the Cadets defense – the hallmark of their program the last several years – should be in good shape next season. They will not only return Cercioglu, but the Cadets also return their ball-hawking safety – Borman. With two interceptions – one that prevented a touchdown – and the biggest hit of the game, it was impossible not to notice the junior during the section final game. He finished the season leading the team in interceptions with six. <strong>Anthony Powell JR Rogers RB</strong> Powell helped lead the Royals to the state semi-finals and looked great against the rival Elk River Elks. He keeps his pad level low and has quick feet that allow him to make tiny cuts at the line of scrimmage to find room. His footwork and vision allowed him to bounce runs outside when the initial play was stuffed. His is not just a scatback, though. During the Elks’ game, the junior used his strength to drive his way to a first down on a third and short. <strong>Charles Gilbert III JR Holy Angels WR</strong> Simply said, Gilbert has game-breaking capabilities. He beat one-on-one coverage multiple times against Chanhassen’s best defensive back. The junior also showed great footwork with a catch on the sidelines for a first down. He already showed how athletic he is with his speed, but his vertical while making a catch on a fade removed any doubt about what kind of an athlete the Stars have coming back next season. <strong>Brian Banks JR Benilde-St. Margaret’s DL</strong> Banks was a force on the inside all game during an early playoff game against Richfield. Early on, he was in the backfield for a tackle for loss. Later, he forced the quarterback out of the pocket because of his pressure up the middle. Then, he beat his blocker clean to blow up a run. His pressure up the middle forced the quarterback into a teammate for a sack. Because of his pressure, Banks later forced the quarterback to throw off his back foot with more quick pressure up the middle. <strong>Lano Oduwaiye JR Simley DL</strong> Athletically, Oduwaiye was far superior to his opponents during their first-round playoff game. I have seen many times when the superior player is still slowed down. This was not the case for the junior. He beat his man clean on a fourth and short and stuffed a quarterback draw. His quickness off the ball often allowed him immediate penetration. He had about the most dominant four-play sequence in the second half as a defensive lineman can have. First, his inside pass rush resulted in a sack. He was immediately in the backfield for another sack on the next play. Two plays later, his outside pass rush resulted in his third sack in four plays. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="246024" first="Reese" last="Tripp"] JR Kasson-Mantorville DL/OL</strong> On a cold, wet night in the playoffs, offenses will have to run the ball. The junior defensive tackle did not allow Fridley any room up the middle. Tripp took up multiple blockers on the inside – keeping his linebackers free to make plays. Not just a two-gap run-stuffer, he made at least four tackles at the line of scrimmage – shedding blockers and wrapping up running backs within two yards of the line of scrimmage. One of those tackles forced a fourth down and a punt. Tripp plays both ways during the second half of the game against the Tigers; he helped seal the corners allowing the option game to get going.