Success on the field - and the mat - Part Two

Continuing with my multi-sport athlete's series, I again focus on guys from the senior class who not only are some of the top football players in Minnesota but also some of the very best on the wrestling mat. I can't tell you how many football coaches I have talked to over the years who love to have wrestlers on their rosters. The sports go hand and hand. Wrestling rankings are courtesy of <a href="https://theguillotine.com/">The Guillotine</a>.   [player_tooltip player_id='112156' first='Carter' last='Geerts'] Byron 141 PRZ/2nd 285AA   On the football field, Geerts is an extremely powerful interior blocker. The Minnesota-Duluth commit's film is littered with clips of him driving his man three or four yards off the line of scrimmage. The film also shows great bend and the ability to get under the pads of defensive linemen. Geerts recently placed third at the Christmas tournament – one of the top in-season tournaments in the state. He is currently 16-3, with one loss coming in overtime and the other two losses to the top-ranked 285-pounder in the state.   [player_tooltip player_id='245765' first='Damian' last='Riewe'] Mankato West 155 PRZ/5th 160AA   On the football field, Riewe's speed and quickness stand out immediately. He plays in all three phases of the game – running back, defensive back, and return man. His athletic ability shows as well – on offense, he is a threat in the passing game. On defense, his break on the ball and ball skills are almost as easy to see as his speed. Riewe is coming off a 5th place state tournament finish as a junior. He started his wrestling season 10-2 – with both losses against guys ranked in the top five in the state.   [player_tooltip player_id='244997' first='Tate' last='Link'] Dassel-Cokato 171 PRZ/3rd 195AA   Take away the two forfeits he had to give up due to an injury, and Link is undefeated on the season. He has been a bonus point machine with eight wins coming by pin. Last season, he finished the season by placing 4th at the state tournament. Link is one of the more physical runners in the state, but he has enough speed to get the corner and outrun angles in the open field. Although he makes his mark primarily on offense, Link is an explosive interior defensive lineman and is the team's primary punter.   [player_tooltip player_id='154572' first='Anthony' last='Sykora'] West Central Area PRZ 172/1st 182A   Sykora is a do it all athlete on the football field. He is a thick, physical running back who can also play in the slot and at quarterback. He is not just a running quarterback, either. He has a strong arm and can throw on the move. On the defensive side of the ball, his speed and physicality stand out on film. A four-time state entrant, Sykora has only dropped one match – against the number one ranked wrestler in Class AA.   [player_tooltip player_id='382844' first='Lana' last='Oduwaiye'] Simley 189 PRZ/9th 195AA   Oduwaiye's quickness off the ball is the first thing I noticed watching the 3-4 defensive end. He keeps his hips low – improving his explosiveness. As a senior, he blocked multiple kicks – highlighting his quickness and leverage. When he does engage with a blocker, his upper body strength allows him to get separation. Against some tough early-season competition, Oduwaiye is sitting at 9-5.   [player_tooltip player_id='331107' first='Tytan' last='Small'] St. Charles PRZ 214/4th 195A   Coming off a 5th place finish in last year's state tournament, Small is off to a 19-5 start to his senior season. On the gridiron, Small is best when coming downhill from his inside linebacker position. Once he recognizes the gap the offense is attacking, he is a big hitter who closes quickly and makes sure tackles. While he is best between the tackles, he has decent range moving to the outside and in pass coverage.   [player_tooltip player_id='188213' first='Cooper' last='Ochsendorf'] Maple River PRZ 261/3rd 182A   Ochsendorf uses his hands well as a standup defensive end or outside linebacker. He uses those hands to get off blockers quickly in both the run game and when rushing the passer. When asked to, he is excellent at setting the edge and keeping the outside running game in check. Those strong hands translate great onto the wrestling mat. He is coming off his first state tournament appearance, and this season, the senior has started his season nearly perfect, 20-1—his only loss – to a fellow top ten ranked wrestler.   [player_tooltip player_id='186076' first='Alex' last='Baccoli'] Eastview 283 PRZ/9th 285AAA   Baccoli has followed up his first state tournament appearance with a 13-4 start to his season. He has only lost to two Minnesota wrestlers – both ranked in the top ten, and one of those losses came against the number one ranked wrestler in the state. While a solid blocker all-around, some of his best work on the football field is done in open space. He is an agile lineman with good feet who does an outstanding job when pulling – both on trap blocks and when seeking out a defender at the second level.   [player_tooltip player_id='312938' first='Thomas' last='Dineen'] Benson PRZ WL/1st 195A   A South Dakota State wrestling commit, Dineen is a three-time state entrant and is the defending, two-time state champion. He is off to a perfect 24-0 start this season. As a runner, his long-striding style doesn't make you think he has the power and speed he does, but he consistently outruns guys who think they have an angle on him, and he delivers a blow even though he has an upright running style.   [player_tooltip player_id='313169' first='Makota' last='Misgen'] NRHEG PRZ WL/1st 285A   Power is Misgen's calling card – on the interior of both offensive and defensive lines. His strong upper body and stout lower half allow him to overpower opponents at the line of scrimmage. He also has a quick first step in his tool belt, making him a problem for all but the best interior linemen. Misgen will try to improve on his second-place finish at last season's state tournament. A two-time state entrant, the senior has started this season losing just one match – by one point to Class AA's second-ranked wrestler – [player_tooltip player_id='112156' first='Carter' last='Geerts'].   Prepredzonemn watch list athletes to also watch on a mat near you.   [player_tooltip player_id='312947' first='Damien' last='Bentho'] Brainerd WL PRZ/8th at 170AAA   [player_tooltip player_id='313186' first='Alex' last='Carr'] Park WL PRZ/7th at 182AAA   [player_tooltip player_id='312937' first='Barrick' last='Nelson'] Bemidji WL PRZ/6th at 195AAA   [player_tooltip player_id='313051' first='Rico' last='Cooper'] Hastings WL PRZ/7th at 195AAA   [player_tooltip player_id='313317' first='Alex' last='Riley'] Waconia WL PRZ/1st at 220AAA   [player_tooltip player_id='312964' first='Mambu' last='Sonie'] Burnsville WL PRZ/4th 220AAA   [player_tooltip player_id='348660' first='Jawahn' last='Cockfield'] Stillwater Area WL PRZ/5th 285AAA   [player_tooltip player_id='348617' first='Allen' last='Pearson'] Tartan WL PRZ/6th 285AAA   [player_tooltip player_id='313082' first='Connor' last='Popp'] Lakeville North WL PRZ/8th 285AAA   [player_tooltip player_id='313047' first='Davin' last='Rose'] Hancock WL PRZ/4th 138AA   [player_tooltip player_id='313003' first='Jordan' last='Summers'] Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton WL PRZ/5th 170AA   [player_tooltip player_id='313328' first='Christian' last='Rodriguez'] Waseca WL PRZ/10th 182AA   [player_tooltip player_id='300120' first='Corbin' last='Knapp'] Pine River-Backus WL PRZ/5th 195AA   [player_tooltip player_id='313112' first='Brian' last='Thilges'] Mankato East WL PRZ/7th 195AA   [player_tooltip player_id='313134' first='Colbee' last='Zens'] Milaca WL PRZ/8th 220AA   [player_tooltip player_id='313159' first='Sam' last='Dioszeghy'] Mound Westonka WL PRZ/3rd 285AA   [player_tooltip player_id='313127' first='Logan' last='Ash'] Milaca PRZ WL/6th 285AA   [player_tooltip player_id='313280' first='Ashtin' last='Johnson'] Springfield PRZ WL/3rd 160A   [player_tooltip player_id='112194' first='Cameron' last='Scholten'] Jackson County Central PRZ WL/7th 285A

Continuing with my multi-sport athlete's series, I again focus on guys from the senior class who not only are some of the top football players in Minnesota but also some of the very best on the wrestling mat. I can't tell you how many football coaches I have talked to over the years who love to have wrestlers on their rosters. The sports go hand and hand. Wrestling rankings are courtesy of The Guillotine.