Game Report: Armstrong vs. St. Francis (D/ST)

Although the scoreboard may not reflect it, defense and special teams shone on Thursday night. Both teams had bright spots and athletes who made great plays for their team. I gathered the eight best players across defense and special teams, to bring to you the second part of my week 1 game report!   DL: Dayton Franke 6'3" 230 lbs Armstrong 2024   Although he's playing baseball in college, it was pretty obvious that Franke could've found himself on a football roster as well. Franke applied constant pressure to the QB all night, throwing a variety of moves at the rookie tackle, and even batting down one pass on a key third down. Franke had a crazy high motor and effectively used his long and powerful arms to keep offensive linemen at bay. Explosive with a fast first step, I predict Franke will have a monster senior year.   Committed To: South Dakota State University (Baseball)   LB: [player_tooltip player_id='242410' first='Langden' last='College'] 6'5" 225 lbs Armstrong 2024   It was very clear early on that College was the best player on the field. He flew around the field and hit like a garbage truck. It was clear that the Saint's offense began to gameplan around the elite athlete, and they consistently ran and rolled out to the opposite side of him. Although they managed to limit his role in the backfield by throwing quick passes and running the ball inside, his impact on the game cannot be understated. North Dakota got a steal.   Committed To: University of North Dakota   LB: Jack Bailey 6' 195 lbs Armstrong 2024   With a strong frame and great natural instincts, Bailey caused problems for the Fighting Saints' offense all night long. He secured the interior of the field for 4 quarters, and when he was playing there was rarely a run over 5 yards between the tackles. He wraps up well, tracks the near hip, and drops to his zone quickly. Bailey is a two-sport athlete who is entering his second season as a starter, and first as a captain. MIAC and NSIC schools need to take a look at him.   Offers: Augsburg   DL: Tarell Prince 5'8" 250 lbs Armstrong 2024   Another Armstrong defensive lineman who finds himself on this list, Prince was extremely productive on Thursday. His impact goes beyond the stat sheet too, as he showed how difficult it was to move him off of the line of scrimmage repeatedly. He made great use of his shorter frame by out leveraging bigger offensive linemen. He stayed true to his gap responsibilities and clogged up the interior run for most of the night.   Offers: N/A   LB: Aydan Carlson 5'10" 210 lbs St. Francis 2024   Carlson was a two-way player for the Fighting Saints on Thursday who made his mark as a stud MLB. A state runner-up wrestler last year, and a Freestyle All-American, Carlson brings that elite-level wrestling and transitions it perfectly into his tackling. He plays hard, flies around the field, collisions offensive linemen at the point of attack, and all around causes mayhem. He has a nose for the ball and aggression that will translate well to the next level.   Offers: N/A   CB: Hunter Balogi 5'6" 145 lbs St. Francis 2025   Before tonight, Balogi was a JV kid who was known for making big plays in practice. But following an outstanding game, it's possible we see him work his way into the starting varsity lineup. Added as a depth DB, Balogi went out on the field and made an instant impact. He brought in the only turnover of the night and only allowed one catch when manned up with a kid who was quite literally a foot taller than him. Balogi gave an outstanding effort and the results speak for themselves.   DB/P: Jacob Tilly 5'10" 170 lbs St. Francis 2025   Tilly was a multi-faceted stud for the Fighting Saints. Not only was he an elite offensive ATH, but he also had several phenomenal punts that brought St. Francis out of their endzone. Typically he plays corner, but due to injuries, he was forced to step up and play safety. With the track speed to match Armstrong's top receivers, Tilly was seen providing blanket coverage when manned up. When the Falcons decided to run, Tilly could be seen at the alley before the runningback. A true do-it-all athlete.   LS: Logan Granroth 6' 185 lbs St. Francis 2024   Graded as a 4-Star long-snapper, Granroth was clearly the best member of either team's special teams unit. The ball was always at perfect height, with a great spiral, and got back there quickly. He could also be seen sprinting downfield, and occasionally making tackles on punts. In a world of highly specialized positions, a solid long-snapper is a must-have.

Although the scoreboard may not reflect it, defense and special teams shone on Thursday night. Both teams had bright spots and athletes who made great plays for their team. I gathered the eight best players across defense and special teams, to bring to you the second part of my week 1 game report!