Week 1 Recruiting Roundup & Recap: Elk River vs. Chanhassen

A picturesque 70-degree Thursday afternoon night canvassed by a setting Minnesota sun and a beautiful Upper Midwest breeze set the stage for a heavyweight 5A matchup between the Chanhassen Storm and Elk River Elks that turned into a 12-round, back-and-forth championship battle establishing a heckuva start to the 2023 high school football season in MN. I was fortunate enough to represent PrepRedzoneMN on the sidelines of the lovely Jerry Schempf Field in Elk River in scouting one of the best games of Week 1 of the '23 season. It featured the Chanhassen Storm, who were coming off an 8-2 2022 season and proudly own an NDSU RB and Minnesota EDGE commit on their roster, against the defending 5A state champion Elks, who return a boatload of talent despite graduating last season's MN Mr. Football Cade Osterman and have a particularly promising crop of juniors looking to step into full-time roles and cement themselves in the distinguished legacy of Elk River football. It was a heckuva ball game, with splash plays, hard-nosed offensive drives, and big hits aplenty, and below we have a brief player-driven recap of the game, as well as recruiting-focused notes, tidbits, and observations, for our lovely reader's eyes only. Don't be surprised when these two 5A big boys meet again late this year and possibly deep into the playoffs.   --   Game Recap:   The contest got off to my favorite kind of start, as Elk River welcomed the 2023 season with a boom as 2025 RB/CB [player_tooltip player_id='348733' first='Brecken' last='Keoraj'] - who was one of the best kickoff coverers in the state last season - welcomed Chan's returner into Jerry Schempf field with a crushing hit that echoed through the stadium and got the Elk's fans on their feet in excitement. The momentum stayed with ER, as Chan's opening offensive drive sputtered out after a WR screen fell incomplete (and almost backward, ER scooped it up and took it to the house for six but it was called back) and a false start proved too much for the Storm's offense to overcome, leading to a punt to the Elks. In classic Elk River fashion, the home team's O put together a dominant, collected drive straight through the heart of Chan's D that culminated in sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='923833' first='Levi' last='Harris'] scoring the first TD of the season to put the Elks up 7-0.   Chanhassen did fight back however, and shortly after they answered with their own score as WR Daxton Bush, a senior committed to Utah for lacrosse, took a WR screen upfield, making a tackler miss in the process, for a 50-yard TD reception with 5:13 left in the first. However, the PAT was missed. Again, the momentum stayed with the Elks, as the very next offensive play stud junior Keoraj used that bewildering Power-T running attack to his advantage and took a hand-off up the gut for a 65-yard tuddy to distance the ER lead. At the end of the first, Elk River found themselves up 14-6 and Chanhassen seemed to be reeling.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/NSPNminnesota/status/1697408829510545907?s=20 </div></figure>   The second quarter saved its explosive plays for the end, as both teams traded possessions before Elk River put together another nice, long offensive drive that ended in junior [player_tooltip player_id='743260' first='Gavin' last='Schmidt'] finishing things off with a one-yard carry over the goal line. Elk River up 21-6. Once again though, Chan hung around thanks to an explosive play, as Minnesota's RB1 Max Woods took a handoff to the house after going left, cutting back right to beautifully find a sneaky seam in the middle of the Elks defense, and then turning on the afterburners past three pursuing Elk River defenders for a 68-yard exciting TD run to put the game at 21-13 in favor of the home team. That score is where we sat as we hit halftime.   Coming back down two TDs on Elk River is no joke and far from an easy task, especially on the road, and especially coming out of the half. Coming out of halftime and bringing the juice is much easier said than done, but Chanhassen proved they have some grit and some fight and came out ready to rumble, as they scored the first points of the second half after a balanced offensive drive ended with QB [player_tooltip player_id='242399' first='Brayden' last='Windschitl'] finding #81 [player_tooltip player_id='283178' first='Kameron' last='Zurek'] wide open in the endzone on an out-route to knot things up at 21. We have a ball game, folks!   Elk River was ready to fight too though, and put together a classic, methodical 80-yard drive to regain the lead after [player_tooltip player_id='743260' first='Gavin' last='Schmidt'], who had been sitting down would-be Chan tacklers all drive, found paydirt with 10:41 left in the game to put his squad up 28-21. The game continued to get more and more exciting, as Chan need just three plays to tie things back up on a beautiful throw from Windschitl to [player_tooltip player_id='979572' first='Ty' last='Jensen'] in the corner of the end zone on a fade route. Chan was making money off splash plays all night! 28-28 with 9:34 left in the 4th.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/OJW_Scouting/status/1697429612748235012?s=20 </div></figure>   The momentum had finally shifted to the away team, and Elk River sadly fumbled near midfield to give the ball back to Chan, who capitalized on a gutsy, bold 4th and 14 call where they faked a WR screen (that they had been running all night), and WR Bush ran a hasty out-and-up to get wide open where Windschitl threw another gorgeous ball right into the bread basket for Chan's first lead of the game. The PAT was missed though, so with 3:18 left in the 4th the score sat at 34-28 in favor of the Storm.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/OJW_Scouting/status/1697433137221898245?s=20 </div></figure>   Everyone was on their feet and the final drive proved to be an intense one, as Elk River was churning out yards, utilizing the stoppages of their first downs, and getting deep into Chan's side of the field before another fumble sadly ended the game after the Storm recovered with a minute left in the game. Somewhat anti-climatic, but a crazy, hair-raising finish to a back-and-forth 5A heavyweight matchup that was a heckuva start to both team's 2023 and the MN high school football season overall.   As mentioned, there's a huge chance these two will see each other again, and both sides have a lot to clean up, but I can't give more props to this Chanhassen squad that battled back from a deficit against one of the hardest offenses in the state to defend against. Assignment sound defense, physicality, and splash plays proved to be some of the key factors in the victory last night.   Recruiting Notes & Tidbits:   Elk River   <ul> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='923833' first='Levi' last='Harris'], a 2026 athletic speedster who just received some love and attention in our recently updated PRzMN 2026 rankings, is the starting QB for Elk River, and boy does he have a chance to be a good one. After clocking a 11.3 100 M last spring, his speed was on display with the ball in-hand last night, and he looked more than comfortable as the starting QB, running the offense efficiently and looking particularly deadly when running fakes and QB runs from the backfield. The kid is lightning, and also looked good as a CB on the ER defense. Sadly, he got hurt at the end of the 1st, tried to come back in, but saw his night end prematurely. I hope everything i sok on his end. </li>   <li>[player_tooltip player_id='348733' first='Brecken' last='Keoraj'], a 2025 RB and CB, was my favorite player to watch on the night. After opening the night with a booming hit on kickoff coverage, he was all over the field for Elk River, gutting, stretching, and burning the Chan defense up the gut and out on the edges, stuffing and sticking ball carriers in the open field to negate extra gains, and never looking tired while doing it. He's not the biggest kid in the world, but plays like he's six inches and 50 pounds heavier and is thrilling to watch in all three phases of the game. </li>   <li>[player_tooltip player_id='629433' first='Logan' last='Bunker'], the senior leader of Elk River, the 6'1, 200 lber. received less carries than I was anticipating, but was a physical tone-setter and a great tackler from his LB spot. He excels at defeating blocks and impacting the run game. Looks good in pads too. </li>   <li>Kolvin Mayer, a junior 6'1, 160 lb. QB/DB, stepped into the QB position after Harris went down in an extremely high-pressure situation and stepped up to the plate in impressive fashion. He kept the offense humming, did his job effectively, and kept ER in the game for the rest of the ball game. Not an easy task, he's got a calm demeanor and wasn't scared to tote the rock either. </li>   <li>[player_tooltip player_id='743260' first='Gavin' last='Schmidt'], a 2025 RB/LB standing at 6'1, 200 lbs., dished out some eye-catching truck sticks throughout the night and sat down more than his fair share of Chan defenders throughout the night. Excellent at the point of attack, he was also a rangy LB and comfortable tackling in the open field. Balanced skillset and another good looking prospect in pads under Friday (Thursday) Night Lights. </li>   <li>[player_tooltip player_id='758773' first='Isaiah' last='Campbell'], the 2025 standout 6'5, 315 lb. OL with the highest ceiling recruitment-wise on the team, was flexible, played with great pad level, and was dominant at the point of attack all night long. He could move DL with ease, used his hands well, and is a strong kid in the trenches. He did sit out for a few drives in the second half, not sure if it was injury or performance based, but I wish I kept a closer eye on him throughout the night. He's got the chance to be a good one, though. Big name to watch in the 2025 OL class.</li>   <li>[player_tooltip player_id='938335' first='Nick' last='Montik'], another high-ceiling 2025, passed the eye test at 6'5, 240 lbs. and was a two-way contributor at DE and TE. He garnered a lot of attention defensively and created good pressure from his DE spot and shows some juice as a pass rusher as well as physicality in the run game, and did a solid job of blocking and negating Chan's Gopher commit EDGE impact throughout the night, a tough task that didn't happen every snap, but he used his hands well and is a strong kid who can have his way with opponents. I'm looking forward to continuing to track his progress, as this is only his second year playing football and he's got a chance to be another high-profile recruit in the 2025 class. </li> </ul>   Chanhassen   <ul> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='105369' first='Sam' last='Macy'], Chanhassen's superstar defender, passed the eye test with flying colors and looked very physically impressive at 6'5, 225+. Played with high intensity, could completely take over a rep and defensive series, and used his length and hands very effectively throughout the night. Was impactful in both run and pass defense, obviously strong, excelled in the physicality department in the trenches, and looked/played like the P5 commit he is. Couldn't take my eyes off him all night. </li>   <li>Max Woods, the NDSU RB commit, was as advertised. Even on runs where he didn't gain the most yardage, he always made that first defender miss and did so in electric fashion. Boasts an array of open-field moves to break tackles, sees the field well, and has the speed to finish big runs and take advantage of space given to him by the defense. You don't see RBs with his kind of twitch and prowess in space very often. NDSU got a good one. Also, he played a good amount of safety and was a physical and comfortable tackler who shut down some potentially big runs from the Elk River RBs. Kid is a baller and an easy choice for RB1 in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. </li>   <li>[player_tooltip player_id='242399' first='Brayden' last='Windschitl'], Chanhassen's QB, got better and better as the game went on. I was very curious to see who would win the Storm's QB battle, and it makes sense why Windschitl earned the job. Accurate when comfortable, great touch, and calm under pressure. He's got a good head on his shoulders and was quite effective once he settled in. </li>   <li>Daxton Bush, the senior Utah LAX commit, was explosive after the catch, athletic, and a dependable target for his QB. He's going to have a fun year as WR1 for the Storm. </li>   <li>Tyler Burton, tough, hard-nosed, high-energy LB who came up big-time in the second half of the game for Chan's D. Not the biggest, but punched above his weight class.</li>   <li>[player_tooltip player_id='242408' first='Dalen' last='Smith'], big #55 was a beast in the trenches and anchored the stout defense in the second half for Chan. Good motor, battled off blocks well, and played assignment sound in the reps I saw of him. Effective run stuffer at 6'1, 250 lbs. </li>   <li>Ollie Englund, at 6'5, 205 lbs., is a 2025 defender who came off the bench and made a big-time impact for the Storm. Eye-catching frame and length that has the potential to really blow up, generated some sacks in the pass-rushing game, and was a sparkplug for his defense that needed to step up in the second half. Lots of potential there, he knows how to use his strengths to his advantage. </li>   <li>[player_tooltip player_id='490046' first='Owen' last='Linder'], only a sophomore, was the biggest lineman on Chan's stout OL and reports a 6'5, 240 lb. frame. Starting against the defending 5A champs, he held his own and showed he could combo and climb to the second level effectively. Had a couple pancakes to boot. Solid strength for his age and experience. </li>   <li>[player_tooltip player_id='431388' first='Dominic' last='Castagnetto'], a senior at 5'11, 265 lbs., made some clutch plays for his defense, including the key fumble recovery, and had a great base and anchor that was hard to move off the ball. Fought like heck every rep and is a strong kid as well. </li> </ul>

A picturesque 70-degree Thursday afternoon night canvassed by a setting Minnesota sun and a beautiful Upper Midwest breeze set the stage for a heavyweight 5A matchup between the Chanhassen Storm and Elk River Elks that turned into a 12-round, back-and-forth championship battle establishing a heckuva start to the 2023 high school football season in MN. I was fortunate enough to represent PrepRedzoneMN on the sidelines of the lovely Jerry Schempf Field in Elk River in scouting one of the best games of Week 1 of the '23 season. It featured the Chanhassen Storm, who were coming off an 8-2 2022 season and proudly own an NDSU RB and Minnesota EDGE commit on their roster, against the defending 5A state champion Elks, who return a boatload of talent despite graduating last season's MN Mr. Football Cade Osterman and have a particularly promising crop of juniors looking to step into full-time roles and cement themselves in the distinguished legacy of Elk River football. It was a heckuva ball game, with splash plays, hard-nosed offensive drives, and big hits aplenty, and below we have a brief player-driven recap of the game, as well as recruiting-focused notes, tidbits, and observations, for our lovely reader's eyes only. Don't be surprised when these two 5A big boys meet again late this year and possibly deep into the playoffs.