2022 PRzMN Preseason All-State Team: Class 5A Defense

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I still remember it like yesterday. Tell me if you've heard this one before; it's a cold Friday night in late November in the early 2010s and the regular season of Minnesota high school football has wound down into the win-and-go-home section playoffs. My battered band of 40somethingish <em>Southwest Lakers </em>have been seeded near the bottom of our section and are due for a butt-whoopin' by the <em>Minnetonka Lakers</em>. A butt-whooping it most surely was, and without giving my <em>Lakers </em>too many excuses, the reality was that <em>Minnetonka </em>and <em>Southwest </em>were on different levels in their high school programs, but with only 5 classes this was just how the cookie crumbled. This was pre-class 6A, so it's safe to say that when the <em>MSHSL </em>introduced AAAAAA and the new, big-school class of MN ball, I was stoked. Now, with a more level and competitive playing field for the in-between schools of Class 5A, prep programs in the Twin Cities, the Metro, and up North have a much higher chance of winning playoff games and aiming for state playoff contention, and Class AAAAA is absolutely loaded this year with scholarship talent that <em>PrepRedzoneMN </em>is excited to introduce. Get to know the Class 5A 2022 Preseason All-State Defensive squad below, and congratulations to the selections!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>Preseason Player of the Year:</em> <strong>Jaxon Howard </strong><em>(Robbinsdale Cooper) </em>Senior. 6'4, 245 lbs. TE/DE. Committed to LSU</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>Preseason Defensive Player of the Year</em>: <strong>Elinneus Davis </strong><em>(Moorhead) </em>Senior. 6'3, 295 lbs. DL. Committed to Washington</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"center","id":428675,"sizeSlug":"full","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/08/Class-5A-Preseason-All-State.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-428675" /><figcaption>Ball out! </figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"align":"center","fontSize":"large"} --> <p class="has-text-align-center has-large-font-size">Preseason All-State 5A Defensive Squad</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>Defensive Line</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>First Team: <strong>Jaxon Howard </strong><em>(Robbinsdale Cooper) </em>Senior. 6'4, 245 lbs. - <strong>Wyatt Gilmore</strong> (<em>Rogers</em>) Junior. 6'4, 240 lbs. - <strong>Elinneus Davis</strong> (<em>Moorhead</em>) Senior. 6'3, 295 lbs. -<strong> John Barrow</strong> (<em>Robbinsdale Cooper</em>) Senior. 6'1, 280 lbs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Second Team: <strong>Rudy Lozoya</strong> (<em>Rochester Mayo</em>) Senior. 5'10, 215 lbs. - <strong>Wyatt Osterbauer</strong> (<em>Buffalo</em>) Junior. 6'5, 230 lbs. - <strong>Doreon Ceaser</strong> (<em>North St. Paul</em>) Senior. 6'6, 260 lbs. - <strong>Allen Pearson Jr.</strong> (<em>Tartan</em>) Senior. 6', 280 lbs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Third Team: <strong>Tate Zeller</strong> <em>(Rochester John Marshall)</em> Senior. 6'4, 225 lbs. - <strong>Thomas Moore</strong> (<em>North St. Paul</em>) Senior. 6'1, 220 lbs. - <strong>Greg Meidl</strong> (<em>Mankato West</em>) Junior. 6'4, 225 lbs. - <strong>Orion McCoy</strong> (<em>Minneapolis Washburn</em>) Senior. 6'1, 275 lbs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>Linebacker</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>First Team:<strong> Sam Macy</strong> (<em>Chanhassen</em>) Junior. 6'5, 205 lbs. - <strong>Ty Neils</strong> (<em>Mankato West)</em> Senior. 6'3, 205 lbs. - <strong>Mark Rogalski</strong> (<em>St. Thomas Academy)</em> Senior. 6'1, 190 lbs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Second Team: <strong>Conner Grems</strong> (<em>Owatonna</em>) Senior. 5'10, 200 lbs. - <strong>Charlie Fragassi</strong> <em>(St. Paul Highland Park)</em> Senior. 6'2, 225 lbs. - <strong>Drew Kuempel</strong> (<em>Robbinsdale Armstrong</em>) Senior. 6'1, 220 lbs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Third Team: <strong>Jackson Cercioglu </strong>(<em>St. Thomas Academy)</em> Senior. 6'1, 210 lbs. - <strong>Robert Htoo</strong> <em>(St. Paul Harding)</em> Senior. 5'11, 180 lbs. - <strong>Nehemiah Ponder</strong> (<em>Robbinsdale Cooper</em>) Senior. 6', 185 lbs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>Defensive Back</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>First Team: <strong>Marques Monroe</strong> (<em>Bloomington Kennedy)</em> Senior. 6'1, 185 lbs. - <strong>Zechariah Ladu </strong>(<em>Rochester John Marshall)</em> Junior. 6'4, 175 lbs. - <strong>Cordell Wilson </strong><em>(Robbinsdale Armstrong)</em> Senior. 5'10, 175 lbs. - <strong>James Mankaka</strong> (<em>Rochester Mayo)</em> Junior. 5'10, 160 lbs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Second Team: <strong>Damian Riewe</strong> (<em>Mankato West)</em> Senior. 5'10, 165 lbs. - <strong>Jake Borman</strong> (<em>St. Thomas Academy</em>) Senior. 6'1, 185 lbs. - <strong>Christopher Blabuh</strong> (<em>Robbinsdale Cooper</em>) Senior. 6', 170 lbs. - <strong>Parker Knutson</strong> (<em>Sartell-St. Stephen</em>) Senior. 6'1, 190 lbs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Third Team: <strong>Will Seymour</strong> <em>(New Prague</em>) Junior. 6', 160 lbs. - <strong>Cole Fee</strong> (<em>St. Paul Central</em>) Senior. 5'9, 165 lbs. - <strong>Collin Vick</strong> (<em>Owatonna</em>) Senior. 6'1, 175 lbs. - <strong>Foster Mulvehill</strong> (<em>Irondale</em>) Senior. 6', 180 lbs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>Specialists</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>First Team: <strong>Drew Henson </strong><em>(Owatonna) </em>Senior. Kicker/Punter. 6'5, 180 lbs. - <strong>Carter Holcomb </strong><em>(Rochester Mayo) </em>Junior. Kick and Punt Returner. 5'9, 165 lbs. - </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Second Team: <strong>Elijah Bollman</strong> (<em>Mankato West</em>) Senior. Kickoff Coverage. 6'1, 195 lbs. - <strong>Ralph Naimah</strong> (<em>Irondale</em>) Senior. Kick Returner. - <strong>Daniel Jackson</strong> (<em>Alexandria</em>) Sophomore. Kicker. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Third Team: <strong>Satchel Johnson</strong> (<em>New Prague</em>) Junior. Kicker. 5'7, 140 lbs. - <strong>Dominick Brown</strong> (<em>Park Center)</em> Senior. Kick Returner. - <strong>PJ Bono</strong> <em>(Elk River</em>) Senior. Kick Returner. 5'11, 215 lbs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->