Gridiron Standouts – Brainerd Lakes area
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My trip around the state brings me to the Brainerd lakes area and more returning football talent. The area has many underclassmen who had solid years and ended up on the all-area team. Here are five guys to lead off…
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Continue ReadingMy trip around the state brings me to the Brainerd lakes area and more returning football talent. The area has many underclassmen who had solid years and ended up on the all-area team. Here are five guys to lead off story one of at least two stories from central Minnesota.
Jacob Williams Jacob Williams 5'11" | 200 lbs | ATH Aitkin | 2025 State MN
Jacob Williams Jacob Williams 5'11" | 200 lbs | ATH Aitkin | 2025 State MN
Williams finished with 1,400 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns. He is a solid size and speed combination coming out of the Gobblers’ backfield. The sophomore has the speed to get to the edge but is a classic one-cut-and-go guy. He will break a tackle if the defender doesn’t get him squared up. With two punt returns for touchdowns, Williams is also a threat on special teams. Although he makes his money on the offensive side of the ball, he also contributes at linebacker and defensive back.
Gross is an excellent between-the-tackles inside linebacker. His low center of gravity makes him tough to block and almost automatically makes him a good form tackler. When Gross gets going downhill, ball carriers will know they have been hit. Between the tackles is not the only place where he excels. He has solid footwork and the quickness to get from sideline to sideline. That athletic ability and good instincts make him solid in pass coverage. Offensively, he is a short-yardage Wildcat quarterback, but he shows out most on that side of the ball as a lead blocker and a tight end or wing who can set the edge.
Highlights
The first thing I liked about Peters was how he comes off the line of scrimmage on offense. He comes off the ball with low hips to get under the defenders’ pads and then explodes upward and, in the process, straightens up the defender. He moves well, getting to the second level and when he is pulling across the formation. The junior has position flexibility – playing both guard and tackle. He does a great job with body position. His quick hips allow him to get his body between the ball and his man efficiently. He helped block for an offense that put up nearly 4400 yards of total offense.
Eli Hoelz
Eli Hoelz
Hoelz can do a little bit of everything from the wide receiver position. He has great body control when the ball is in the air. That – combined with his hands, was evident early on watching his highlights. He has multiple fingertip catches where he is stretched out about as far as his body can be. He has the speed to get the corner on an end-a-round and the arm strength to throw off a wide receiver option pass. The Warriors love to put Hoelz in motion and get him in the open field, where he can use his quick feet to make people miss.
Teshe Loer
Teshe Loer
As a wide receiver, about the only things conventional about Loer are his stats – he caught 70 passes for 727 yards and nine touchdowns – and his hands. The junior does not have the prototypical receiver body. He is built more like a powerful scat back than a receiver, but he makes it work. He makes people miss both in the open field and in close quarters. He is difficult to square up because there is so little to hit. He is a nightmare to tackle because all there is to hit on Loer are shoulder pads and knees. He has the speed to get deep but is most effective on short routes and bubble screens where he can put his quick feet on display.