Back in the trenches
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Games are won and lost at the line of scrimmage. After taking some time away from the line of scrimmage, I am back in the trenches with part one of a two-part story featuring some of the teams returning a…
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Continue ReadingGames are won and lost at the line of scrimmage. After taking some time away from the line of scrimmage, I am back in the trenches with part one of a two-part story featuring some of the teams returning a lot of talent along the defensive line. These guys made significant impacts last season, and one more year of development will make them – as a unit -tough for offenses to deal with in 2024.
Blaine
Evan Lowry-Simpson Evan Lowry-Simpson 6'3" | 240 lbs | DL Blaine | 2025 State MN – not your proto-typical interior or 3-4 defensive end. Lowry-Simpson uses his athletic ability, hands, and quickness instead of power and size. He can be a nightmare for slower linemen. He uses his stature to get small – not giving blockers an angle to square him up.
CJ Sanderson CJ Sanderson 6'2" | 225 lbs | DL Blaine | 2025 State MN – speed and athleticism are also Sanderson’s calling cards. He gets off the line of scrimmage quickly, and once that quickness has a blocker off-balance, he takes advantage and uses his hands and leverage to get off the block. He does a great job moving laterally – keeping blockers off his body and stringing out plays to the outside.
Wyatt Konkler Wyatt Konkler 6'0" | 230 lbs | DL Blaine | 2026 State MN – explosive off the snap with a good initial punch off the line. He uses his arms not only to get blockers to rock back on first contact but also to use good arm extension to keep blockers off his body.
Bangalee Kamara Bangalee Kamara 6'2" | 270 lbs | DL Blaine | 2026 MN – I could not find footage for Kamara, but he has the size – 6’2 250 – to be a problem on the inside of the Bengals’ defensive line.
Elk River
Charlie Olson Charlie Olson 6'3" | 235 lbs | DL Elk River | 2025 State MN – plays with great leverage on the edge and does a good job keeping his play-side shoulder free. He is explosive and athletic enough to give the Elks’ coaching staff flexibility, as he can drop into a linebacker position. Olson has the speed to make plays down the field or when he starts on the opposite of the play side. He transitions from pass-rush mode to defending the run and doesn’t over-pursue and get out of position.
Nick Montik Nick Montik 6'5" | 240 lbs | DL Elk River | 2025 State MN – split time between JV and varsity last season. He has the body type 3-4 defensive ends are supposed to have. He is physical at the line of scrimmage and rarely gets moved off his spot when single-blocked. He has solid speed, allowing him to make plays down the line of scrimmage.
Brockton Graber Brockton Graber 6'3" | 230 lbs | DL Elk River | 2026 MN – another physical defensive end; Graber maintains a good hip level throughout most reps. He has a good punch off the snap and uses that to keep linemen off his body – making it easier for him to flow to the ball. Like Olson, he does a solid job of keeping his play-side shoulder free to allow him to make plays down the line of scrimmage.
Simon Bicek Simon Bicek 6'2" | 220 lbs | DL Elk River | 2026 State MN – mainly an offensive guard last season, Bicek should see some additional time on the defensive side of the ball, giving the Elks another athletic defensive lineman with good speed and agility.
Farmington
Ethan Giesler Ethan Giesler 6'2" | 245 lbs | DL Farmington | 2025 State MN – plays all along the defensive line. Giesler has good lateral movement, moving down the line of scrimmage without turning his hips to give blockers much of a service to hit. He has good arm extension and uses his hands effectively to get off blockers.
Max Speratos Max Speratos 6'4" | 230 lbs | DL Farmington | 2025 State MN has a great first step and often beats the blocker to the spot, automatically getting the offensive lineman out of position. Speratos’s quickness and straight-line speed allow him to make plays from the backside and down the field. Even with that quickness, he keeps his hips low, allowing him to take on blocks even when his speed is countered.
Bret Leitgeb Bret Leitgeb 6'1" | 205 lbs | DL Farmington | 2026 State MN – quickness off the snap gives Leitgeb a solid pass-rushing foundation. He has good upper-body strength and can take on double teams without giving up ground. If he gets a blocker off balance, that upper body strength allows him to throw blockers to the side aggressively.
Hank Vonbank Hank Vonbank 6'3" | 210 lbs | DL Farmington | 2026 State MN – played mainly offense last season, but his athletic ability on the offensive side of the ball will translate nicely as he takes a more prominent role on the defensive line in 2024.
Esko
Brock Montminy Brock Montminy 6'3" | 330 lbs | DL Esko | 2025 State MN —a prototypical 3-4 nose tackle, Montminy is a massive presence in the middle of the Eskimos’ defensive line. He constantly deals with double teams and holds up well. He has good lateral movement, allowing him to be more than a two-gap run stuffer. He has surprising speed for as big a man as he is.
Nolan Pfister Nolan Pfister 6'5" | 235 lbs | DL Esko | 2025 MN —although he is dwarfed by Montminy, Pfister is a big, solid athlete, too. At defensive end, he is tough at the point of attachment and uses a strong upper body to maintain space between him and the blocker. Because of that extension, he can shuck blockers either way to free himself.
Heath Sunnarborg Heath Sunnarborg 6'3" | 225 lbs | DL Esko | 2026 MN – I wasn’t able to find any highlights for Sunnarborg, but with his athletic build, I expect him to be a welcome addition to the Esko defensive front.
Mountain Iron-Buhl
Noah Berrini Noah Berrini 6'3" | 245 lbs | DL Mountain Iron Buhl | 2025 State MN – is about as physical a defensive lineman as there is in the state. His size, explosiveness, and strength overwhelm a lot of offensive linemen he lines up against. Despite double teams, he can split them to get into the backfield or use his upper body strength and athletic ability to fight off double teams while moving laterally down the line of scrimmage. More than once in his highlight package, he simply throws blockers aside to make a tackle.
Chris King Chris King 6'3" | 255 lbs | DL Mt. Iron-Buhl | 2025 State MN – his size and speed combination is more than most offensive linemen will be able to handle. He looks like the most athletic guy on the field. Mainly a defensive lineman, King will also play standing up as an outside linebacker. As a down lineman, he keeps his pad level low and uses his length and upper body strength to keep blockers off his body, allowing him to manipulate the blocker however he wants. When he gets into the backfield, he engulfs ball-carriers.