Game Report: Armstrong vs. St. Francis (O)

Robbinsdale Armstrong drove north to take on the St. Francis Fighting Saints in what was anticipated to be a top bout of 5A contenders. Armstrong was fresh from a state berth, and St. Francis had a (7-1) regular season last year. Both teams graduated many impact players, but Armstrong looked exceptional after finishing the game with a 42-20 victory. Bright spots shone on offense for both teams, and I'm pleased to bring you week 1's game report!   WR: [player_tooltip player_id='704470' first='Seth' last='Newbern'] 6'3" 185 lbs Robbinsdale Armstrong 2024   Stats: 6 Receptions, 164 Yards, 4 TDs   Newbern missed most of his junior year with an injury, but he made the absolute most of his return to the gridiron last night. To say he was dynamic would be an understatement. He flashes blazing speed over the top as well as a massive catch radius and hands like glue. He reeled in everything thrown to him and made a statement last night. Newbern also showed off some talented route running. He showed no issues in bringing down tightly contested catches in the red zone. Big things are coming for Newbern.   Offers: UNI   QB: Dawson Franke 5'10" 170 lbs Robbinsdale Armstrong 2025   Stats: 12/17, 193 Passing Yards, 3 TDs, 123.3 Passer Rating   Franke shined in his varsity debut for the Falcons. I expected his talents as a runner to show through, but it was his passing ability that made the biggest impact. He was extremely comfortable throwing on the run and used his big arm to air the ball out and stretch the field. When he planted his feet, he could launch the rock all across the grass with ease. He was calm and composed and looked like a veteran starter last night. He had big shoes to fill, but I dare say that he's filled them.   Offers: N/A   RB: [player_tooltip player_id='743274' first='Kevon' last='Johnson'] 5'9" 175 lbs Robbinsdale Armstrong 2025   Stats: 22 Rushes, 219 Rushing Yards, 10 YPC, 2 TDs   The Falcons were not limited to their passing attack last night, as Johnson became the clear RB1 and bell-cow early on. Dominant doesn't properly describe how he performed. His speed was nearly unmatched across the field. Johnson would hit a hole going 100 mph, and then plant his feet, make a crazy cut, and extend the play for an additional first down. Early on in the season, Johnson looks like one of the state's best RBs.   Offers: N/A   OL: [player_tooltip player_id='945344' first='Luke' last='Pappas'] 6'4" 260 lbs Robbinsdale Armstrong 2025   Primarily lined up as a guard last night, Pappas effectively used his powerful frame to move giant defensive linemen or neutralize a traditionally potent St. Francis pass rush. He had surprisingly quick feet and was able to keep up with some of the smaller and more explosive D-line. He pulled with ease and would run into his opponents with such speed and vigor that their best-case scenario was getting stonewalled. That Falcons O-line is no joke.   Offers: N/A   OL: BAMBAM Cole 6'3" 290 lbs Robbinsdale Armstrong 2024   The big left tackle for the Falcons, Cole has improved greatly over the offseason. He plays with a low pad level and has fast feet. In pass-pro, he does a great job of locking onto his opponent's pads and keeps them in front of him consistently. Once he gets his hands on you, the play for the defender is essentially over. He is an absolute bulldozer in the run game too. His first steps are super quick and he will bowl over unsuspecting defenders.   Offers: Augsburg, UW River-Falls, SMSU, Mankato State   WR: [player_tooltip player_id='743237' first='Adam' last='Jordan'] 5'10" 160 lbs St. Francis 2026   The rising sophomore was the leader in both receptions and receiving yards last night, as it's become clear that he's stepped into the WR1 role for the Fighting Saints. He's best at route running, and able to create lots of separation in both short and medium-length routes. He's not the biggest wideout, but he fights hard through contact, protects the ball well through contact, and has solid hands. Jordan runs very hard and should start to see more college attention role in.   Offers: N/A   ATH: Jacob Tilly 5'10" 170 lbs St. Francis 2025   Arguably the fastest person on the field, Jacob Tilly was a stud two-way player who did it all on offense. While he was primarily lined up as a running back, he would occasionally go out wide to either run routes or take jets. When he was in the backfield, Tilly was beyond explosive. You can see his track speed translate to the football field, he'll hit a gap and blow through it going at Mach 1. He's not afraid to meet defenders in the hole, and he frequently won those encounters with a lowered shoulder. He protects the ball well and looks to be a serious impact player going forward.   Offers: N/A   OL: [player_tooltip player_id='563415' first='Sam' last='Ruid'] 6'5" 300 lbs St. Francis 2025   The St. Francis big man started slow, but quickly found his rhythm in the second quarter. After being moved to the interior during the fall camps, Ruid has time and time again proven his ability to consistently reach the second level of play. Although he still plays a little high, when he pulls or gets his hands on a defender, that defender's play is over. He moves insanely well for someone of his stature and can play both on the interior and exterior. He's generated a ton of hype recently and I'm excited to see it continue to build.   Offers: N/A   OL: Jacob Walter 6'2" 240 lbs St. Francis 2025   The Fighting Saint's Center had a solid night on Thursday. Walter is very intelligent, and he's able to communicate blocking assignments and blitzing linebackers to the rest of the trench dogs quickly and with little struggle. He too plays a little high at times, but he chops his feet quick enough to drive defenders several yards off of the ball. He gets off his double teams to the second level well and should be a key leader on that offensive line for the next couple of years.   Offers: N/A

Robbinsdale Armstrong drove north to take on the St. Francis Fighting Saints in what was anticipated to be a top bout of 5A contenders. Armstrong was fresh from a state berth, and St. Francis had a (7-1) regular season last year. Both teams graduated many impact players, but Armstrong looked exceptional after finishing the game with a 42-20 victory. Bright spots shone on offense for both teams, and I'm pleased to bring you week 1's game report!