Game Review: Sartell vs St. Cloud Tech (Defensive Standouts)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first half of the Sartell v Tech game was very defensively dominated. The Tiger's defense had a scoop and score to have the first touchdown of the game, and both Sartell and Tech defenders had some highlight reel nights in the Saber's home opener. Here are some superstars, rising stars, and under-the-radar players who balled out on Friday night. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">FNL Stars:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='112062' first='Parker' last='Knutson']: 2023 Sartell DB 6'1" 190 lbs</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Readers will probably recognize Knutson from the offensive standouts as well. The best way to describe Knutson is like watching a young Kyle Hamilton fly down and crush the ball carrier. This dude lays the wood in the run game. He's fast, aggressive, and puts the fear of god into runningbacks. Put Knutson on your watch list right now.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Owen Kluempke: 2024 Tech DL 6'1" 185 lbs</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kluempke terrorized the Sabers' offensive line all game and constantly forced Hentges to scramble. He was consistently in the backfield the entire night. A decently sized defensive lineman, Kluempke uses speed and a swim move to shake and brush past both tackles and guards. An underrated junior who had a stellar outing to the season, look for Kluempker to continue to have a great junior season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Anthony Mahowald: 2023 Sartell DE 6'3" 175</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mahowald was all over the Tigers on Friday. He was able to put pressure on the Tech QB and even racked up a sack with very limited pass attempts. He also showed he was a viable run-stopper as most outside zones or sweeps didn't make it past him. Mahowald had a good opening performance and looks to repeat this against the Sauk Rapids Storm next Thursday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Rising Stars:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Tucker Haug: 2023 Tech DL </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Haug's impact went way beyond the stat-line. Through a combination of stunts and blitzes, Haug was able to apply pressure on the Sabers all night. He utilized a bullrush primarily in the first half but made the adjustment to more finesse moves later on in the game. Haug had a pretty good season opener and I'm curious to see what he does throughout the rest of the year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1701574' first='Jaden' last='Harris']: 2024 Tech DB 6' 160 lbs</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the Tigers leading tacklers, Harris constantly found his way to the ball all night. While he wasn't great in coverage against the Knutson-Simones combo, he didn't allow any big gains and came down hard in the running game. He has another year to develop and could really turn into something special.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Under the Radar</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kelechi Nwachukwu: 2023 Sartell LB 6' 180 lbs</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nwachukwu is a true jack of all trades athlete. He's their main kick returner and is a plug-and-play player on defense too. He flew around the field making tackles and even managed to pick off the Tech QB later in the game. Not as flashy as some of the other defenders on this list, Nwachukwu is a solid athlete that can contribute positively wherever he is put.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->