Success on the field and the mat – Part I

With the football season wrapped up, winter sports are now taking center stage in the world of high school sports. However, we at prepredzonemn.com always have high school football at the center of our world. With that, I am starting a series of stories featuring football players who are multi-sport athletes. First up is part one of a two-part story focusing on wrestlers. The wrestling rankings were taken from the most recent Guillotine issue. [player_tooltip player_id="19002" first="Max" last="McEnelly"] <strong>RB Waconia Jr</strong> McEnelly not only led his team in rushing yards – with an excellent 6.2 yards per carry average, he also led the team in touchdowns with sixteen. As solid of a football player as he is, he is a better wrestler. He is a two-time state champion and is currently ranked number one in the 220AAA weight class. He has recently committed to the Gophers’ wrestling team. Last season, he helped lead his team to a section title and a berth in the state team tournament. This year, the team is ranked second in Class AA. McEnelly is best on his feet, relying on leg attacks for his primary offense. [player_tooltip player_id="112127" first="Jacory" last="Bates"] <strong>ATH Eden Prairie Jr</strong> Bates is currently ranked 8th in the 170AAA weight class. He already has more than one win over wrestlers ranked in the top ten. On the football field, the athletic corner breaks well on the ball. He has excellent instincts on the outside and is usually in good position. He can play physically on the outside as well and is not shy about sticking his head in there in the running game. He is a solid tackler in space. [player_tooltip player_id="19029" first="Gavin" last="Nelson"] <strong>RB/LB Simley Jr</strong> Nelson is a defending state champion and is ranked number one in the 220AA weight class. Like McEnelly, he has already committed to the Gophers’ wrestling program. Last year, he also helped lead the Spartans to a team championship. The Spartans are again the favorite to win the team title this season. His leg attacks and control of his opponents’ head makes him tough on the feet. He is a tough top wrestler too. On the football field, he is a solid tackler at linebacker and a physical inside runner on offense. [player_tooltip player_id="105391" first="Will" last="Sather"] <strong>OL Eden Prairie So</strong> Sather has been close, both in wrestling and football the last two seasons. Part of the undefeated but runner-up in the mythical state championship last year and again getting close to the title this season. On the wrestling mat, he is ranked number one in the 285AAA weight class. He is favored to get to State this season; he has finished one win short of State two years in a row. [player_tooltip player_id="49901" first="Zachariah" last="Hunter"] <strong>DB Stillwater Sr</strong> Hunter is ranked 6th at 195AAA and qualified for his first state tournament last year. He is one of the anchors on the fourth-ranked wrestling team in Class AAA. On the football field, I don’t know if he is a physical defensive back or an athletic linebacker as he played both spots as a senior. I am just going to call him a great defensive football player. Oh yeah, he is also a demon on special teams, as his ability to block kicks proves. [player_tooltip player_id="18537" first="Ismael" last="Kante"] <strong>LB Park Center Sr</strong> Kante is ranked ninth in the 195AAA weight class. He was one win short of the state tournament in last year’s postseason. Like Hunter, Kante can play all over the football field. He usually plays linebacker and fills and tackles like you would expect a top linebacker to do, but his true strength is his athletic ability. He is a great coverage linebacker. I could easily see him playing outside linebacker or safety at the next level. [player_tooltip player_id="49843" first="Jacob" last="Meissner"] <strong>RB/LB Providence Academy Sr</strong> Meissner is ranked 1st at 220AAA for Osseo and is the defending champion at that weight class. A two-time place winner, the senior placed fourth in 2020. His leg attacks – specifically his High C, and his defense on his feet keyed his victory in the championship match last year. On the football field, he put on one of my favorite performances of the year against SMB. His physical running style and hard-nosed defensive play stood out during his team’s late-season victory. [player_tooltip player_id="116492" first="Jade" last="Trelstad"] <strong>OL Shakopee Sr</strong> With his team ranked third in the state, Trelstad is ranked fourth in the 220AAA weight class. He is a two-time state entrant and will be looking to get on the podium for the first time this season. On the football field, he is an explosive offensive lineman who gets off the ball as quickly as any lineman in the state. His athletic ability is evident not only with his explosive straight-line blocking but with his ability to flow to the outside and stay with smaller players in the open field.