Preseason Preview: Park
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Moving back up to 6A last season and ending the year with a .500 record proved the Park of Cottage Grove Wolfpack were up to the task of hanging with the schools in the largest class. Even in defeat, their…
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Continue ReadingMoving back up to 6A last season and ending the year with a .500 record proved the Park of Cottage Grove Wolfpack were up to the task of hanging with the schools in the largest class. Even in defeat, their wide-open offense gave defenses trouble most of the year. With only four starters returning on that side of the ball, the Wolfpack might need to rely more heavily on their defense – which returns nearly twice as many starters. Park head coach Rick Fryklund feels depth at the wide receiver position, and overall team speed on defense will be the keys to the Wolfpack’s season. How well quarterback Sam Berrey Sam Berrey 6'4" | 215 lbs | QB Park Of Cottage Grove | 2023 MN adjusts to becoming the starting quarterback in this pass-first offense will go a long way towards finding out if the Wolfpack can make a jump up the standings in 2022.
Coach Fryklund’s comments – Can play any spot and is a savvy route runner with great hands.
Film review – Omot uses his length well – using body position and his reach to make it challenging for defenders to get their hands on the ball. He has a long-striding style that eats up ground quickly on deep routes, but he can still make a series of quick moves to get open underneath. Although he is likelier to make people miss than break a bunch of tackles in the open field, he is willing to take a hit to make a catch. He is a more than capable blocker in the screen and run game – even lining up as a blocking tight end.
Highlights
Coach Fryklund’s comments – He is a slot type with tons of upside and athleticism. He could do well as a corner, safety, or wide receiver.
Film review – Ola Kazeem has top-end speed in the open field. He can not only take the top of a defense but also make a good angle taken by a defender irrelevant. His body control is where it needs to be – allowing him to adjust to deep balls that are not perfectly thrown. To go with the body control – he has solid hand, eye coordination – allowing him to track balls and make catches he maybe shouldn’t. Although he doesn’t appear to be the most physical receiver, he successfully works the middle of the field and is a solid blocker downfield and in the screen game.
Highlights
Coach Fryklund’s comments – He has lots of speed and athleticism. He is a tough wrestler type that weighs about 195 pounds right now (and went to the state tournament for his performance there). He will continue to get bigger and stronger.
Film review – Carr has excellent instincts at the linebacker position. He has a great ability to diagnose what is going on in front of him, make a decision, and explode – closing in on the ball quickly and decisively. He plays both on the inside and the outside. He is physical enough to succeed on the inside and athletic enough to play in space on the outside. So much so that the coaches even trusted him to play basically a slot corner in some situations. His tackling technique is excellent – he keeps himself in position, keeps his pad level low, and wraps up.
Highlights
Coach Fryklund’s comments – He is country strong and gets multiple pancakes at center every game no matter who he aligns against. He finishes blocks better than any lineman I have coached.
Film review – Karnitz can play both guard and center and is the team’s primary long snapper. He is very physical off the ball with a great base underneath him. Although powerful – you can’t play offensive line in the Wolfpack offense if you can’t move your feet. Karnitz is quick around the corner when asked to pull and anchors down while moving his feet well in pass protection. He has impressive speed for a 255-pound athlete.
Highlights
Coach Fryklund’s comments – He is an athletic corner and safety who we can count on to grind out everything he can. We know he will bring the juice both in games and practices.
Film review – Lee has great run game instincts. When he reads run, he comes up aggressively from the deep safety position. He works well in the open field – breaking down and using solid tackling technique. He has the speed to get to running backs from sideline to sideline. The coaches trust his ability in the running game so much to bring him up near the line of scrimmage in certain situations. Lee also has excellent range when defending the pass. His speed, combined with his instincts, allows him to cover a ton of ground.
Highlights
Coach Fryklund’s comments – Rose is very versatile on offense or defense for us, and he will move around to different spots. He is a hitter and a very sure tackler.
Film review – As an inside linebacker, Rose has sideline-to-sideline range. He works best in space. When attacking a ball carrier, he has a great pad level and, as Coach Fryklund said, is a sure tackler who puts his shoulder into a runner’s mid-section and wraps up. Mainly an inside backer, he also moves outside in some situations.