Nate's Big Dogs of the Game: Elk River Elks

Darioh Ballisidya, DB, Elk River (2023) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dariohbalisidy4" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/Dariohbalisidy4">Twitter</a>   <ul><li>Darioh showed off a well-balanced physical presence on Wednesday night against St. Francis.</li><li>His ability to keep a balanced demeanor with his ball-tracking ability, especially on one particular pass-break-up I had right in front of my eyes, showed good presence in guiding that wide receiver to the sidelines without excessive use of the hands and a strong awareness and presence around the edge of the field.</li><li>His recent tape against arch-rival Rogers shows that Darioh shows great awareness with his run defense. He puts together some jerking hips with his reaction to the ball coming his way and has a significant physicality level at the point of contact when the ball carrier comes into his zone.</li><li>There are no offers yet for Darioh to the college coaches out there reading this Monday evening!</li></ul>   [player_tooltip player_id='303687' first='Pj' last='Bono'], RB/DB, Elk River (2023) <a href="https://twitter.com/pj_bono" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/pj_bono">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/10/PJ-Bono2-rotated-crop-480x316-1666651730.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-488423" width="320" height="210"/></figure>   <ul><li>I will keep saying it until he gets more next-level attention; PJ is one of the most slept-on prospects the NW Metro has to offer with the versatile skillsets he brings on both sides of the ball.</li><li>He was a Prep Redzone Minnesota first-team All-Camp Team prospect at our recent showcase, as his pad level speaks high volumes of his game with his ability to crash up into the first level of the field and make a knockback tackle with his excellent 6'1 221-pound frame that he carries with him lightly with certainly more strength to grow within a college level weight room.</li><li>He has some elite vision in the Elks Wing-T offense, and I noted his agility with that size paid off dividends in his rushing touchdown I watched last Wednesday as he paved his way inside between some heavy traffic areas to break free of the Fighting Saints defense for six.</li><li>PJ has just one JUCO offer thus far, and I believe could be an excellent Division II level prospect to add to a college program in the NSIC, RMAC, etc., next year, as he is also a high-character kid in my eyes.</li></ul>   [player_tooltip player_id='313023' first='Rocco' last='Serrano'], DB/WR, Elk River (2023) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoccoSerrano01" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/RoccoSerrano01">Twitter</a>   <ul><li>Rocco was a prospect that raised his stock in my eyes last Wednesday night against a very good St. Francis team.</li><li>His attention to detail with his footwork and ball instincts showed off a ton of promise against the Fighting Saints, as the timing of his vertical to go up and attack the football showed significant fluidity in his outing last Wednesday night against the 5th-ranked team in 5A.</li><li>His drive-off ability with his positioning around the sidelines also showed off the great intensity and is another Elks prospect with a smooth ball-tracking ability around the edges of the field.</li><li>Rocco is another underrecruited prospect from the Elks, as he just has one NAIA offer and certainly should add to his recruiting resume as we wrap up the 2022 season deeper into the fall.</li></ul>   [player_tooltip player_id='295824' first='Caleb' last='Sandstrom'], LB/TE, Elk River (2023)<a href="https://twitter.com/SandstromCaleb" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/SandstromCaleb"> Twitter</a>   <ul><li>Caleb showed off a lot of bounce in his massive motor in his 6'3 230 pound frame last Wednesday night against St. Francis.</li><li>He shows off a terrific shedding ability off his blocks and also has the frontline speed in the open field to cause his fair share of havoc in the Fighting Saints backfield last Wednesday night.</li><li>Caleb's alert mobility was vital to one of the Elks' handfuls of interceptions they had on Friday night, as he put that massive frame right in the chest with his contact level of the Fighting Saints QB, and this interruption led to another forced turnover for the Elks on Friday night.</li><li>This young man has had a hot October on his recruiting trail, with three NSIC offers since October 1st from all over the Midwest region, and don't think he's done yet with next-level attention. I think Caleb is due for some more FCS attention in my eyes too.</li></ul>   Jack Lachmiller, DL/TE, Elk River (2023) <a href="https://twitter.com/lachmiller_jack" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/lachmiller_jack">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/10/Jack-Lachmiller-rotated-crop-480x316-1666651532.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-488420" width="327" height="215"/></figure>   <ul><li>This was one of my first looks at Jack last Wednesday night, and the chip that this young man played with last week was certainly appealing to watch, especially on the defensive side of the ball.</li><li>Offensively, Jack showed off some good downhill running ability on one of his few receptions on the night, as he took one of his receptions for a 25-yard flare in the open field.</li><li>Jack showed significant mobility in the defensive trenches with his ability to stop the run inside and was a DL that could seal off the edges with high regard in the Elk's run defense.</li><li>His long reach also showed some potential as his 6'3 230 pound frame, I thought, added a sizeable wingspan to get that ball carrier that might be slightly out of reach for other defensive ends.</li><li>Jack was another prospect on the Elks without an offer thus far, although I think the skillsets and leadership he brings to the table would pay off some dividends at the next level as a late senior season bloomer.</li></ul>   Gavin Schmidt, RB/LB, Elk River (2025) <a href="https://twitter.com/schmidtgavin090" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/schmidtgavin090">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/10/Gavin-Schmidt-rotated-crop-480x316-1666651455.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-488418" width="319" height="209"/></figure>   <ul><li>Gavin was one of those prospects on Wednesday night; as a football fan, you would be shocked to learn he is just a sophomore, as I was delighted to see his skillsets tape together a strong shape on both sides of the ball for the Elks.</li><li>The durability of Gavin in the Elks run game struck a chord in my eyes as he fought like heck to get every yard he could get on Wednesday night at St. Francis and had a bunch of them of multiple levels of contact that he took to his 6'0 185 pound frame. He certainly played bigger than those measurables against St. Francis.</li><li>I also was intrigued by Gavin from his outside linebacker spot as he showed some attractive angles to get to the ball and showed a developing contact level on his tackles.</li><li>The interception he brought in against the Fighting Saints showed off a kid that certainly has the sideline-to-sideline mobility you want from a promising young linebacker in Gavin, as he covers a substantial area with his versatility in pass and run coverage.</li><li>This will not be the last time you hear about this Sherburne County prospect. As if I was starting to build my big board for Minnesota's class of 2025 prospects, I would quickly be adding Gavin to my list if I was a college coach at the next level, as he has TWO more years to develop even more robust with his size and skillsets in the Elk River Elks football program which has produced tons of next-level RBs/LBs over the last several years.</li></ul>   [player_tooltip player_id='112060' first='Cade' last='Osterman'], ATH, Elk River (2023) <a href="https://twitter.com/cade_osterman" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/cade_osterman">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/10/Cade-Osterman-rotated-crop-480x316-1666452158.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-486236" width="311" height="204"/></figure>   <ul><li>If you followed my Twitter feed from Wednesday night, you probably saw a ton of athlete [player_tooltip player_id='112060' first='Cade' last='Osterman'] all over it, as offensively, Cade was a force that was unable to be reckoned with on Wednesday night at St. Francis.</li><li>Cade's selling ability with or without the ball (but mostly with) in Elk River's offense showed a ton of electricity for flowing that offense the way that it did in their 30-13 win against the Fighting Saints on Wednesday night, as Cade's athleticism as an athlete all over the football field was well-documented for just how dangerous he was when he got to the edge of the field.</li><li>One of his coolest plays on Wednesday night was a fake punt, as right on the Elk's 50-yard line, he advanced the drive with his burst and agility between the tacklers to give Elk River another punch in the mouth to the St. Francis's defense across the edges of the field which his balance all night long showed a ton of splendid skillsets when we look at him as a next-level prospect.</li><li>I have yet to see a 6'1, 185-pound prospect with the durability off of contact that Cade showed off in all the games I have scouted this season, and it's no wonder the college programs have taken heavy notice, especially at the Division II level. When talking with Cade after the game, he told us at PRZ Minnesota, "I am keeping all my options open at this time," as we at Prep Redzone cannot wait to see where he ends up in 2023 with that being said.</li></ul>

Darioh Ballisidya, DB, Elk River (2023) Twitter