Top Performances - St. Croix Luthran vs. South St. Paul

It was a defensive battle to open the season when South St. Paul visited St. Croix Lutheran Friday night. The game featured the mistakes you would expect in a first game – including many yellow flags. Offensively, the game was decided by two huge plays made by the Crusaders' offense – propelling them to a <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/08/crusaders-big-plays-the-difference-in-their-opening-day-victory/">16-10 victory</a>. Here are the players who stood out during this week one game.   Tory Wollersheim QB St. Croix Lutheran   Wollersheim was effective running the option all game. He executed the high-risk play without any issues the entire game, including converting on a four-yard touchdown run. He showed an accurate arm and a quick release on a short out. Later, he faced immediate pressure and moved nicely in the pocket to make a short completion. The play of the game came off the early success of the option. Wollersheim faked the dive and started to run the option. Instead of continuing down the line of scrimmage, he pulled up and completed a pass down the seam that turned into an 84-yard touchdown.   Aiden Kraft RB South St. Paul   Kraft was the most effective offensive player of the night for the Packers. He had a solid run up the middle early in the game. His blocking allowed him to get the corner, and he cut upfield, picking up 20 yards. He showed speed more speed around the corner for 20 more yards. He scored the Packers' lone touchdown with a seven-yard touchdown. Late in the game, Kraft broke a couple of tackles on a screen pass for five yards. Defensively, he made an open-field tackle for a short gain on the option.   Mano Kocsis LB St. Croix Lutheran   Kocsis might have had the most impressive individual game of the night. Early, he doubled up, shooting two gaps and making tackles for losses. Then, Kocsis showed good athletic ability with an excellent tackle on the perimeter for a short gain. Later, he got into the backfield again to make another tackle for loss. Against the pass, he didn't get the sack, but he pressured the quarterback, forcing the quarterback into a sack. He capped off his night with two more tackles at the line of scrimmage.   Marco London QB South St. Paul   London made a tackle for loss early in the game, but he was the most consistent offensive threat. He kept the ball on a read option at quarterback and got the corner for eight yards. Then, he completed a pass down the middle of the field for 40 yards. His stat line would have looked much better, and the final score would have been much different if penalties didn't negate a couple of big plays. He moved well in the pocket and accurately threw the ball – especially in the second half.   Matthew Beekman LB St. Croix Lutheran   If not Kocsis, Beekman would be my choice as the defensive player of the game. Beekman held the edge early in the game, allowing his teammate to make a tackle for a short gain. Then, he got into the backfield to make a tackle for loss. Then, he didn't bite on a counter and made a tackle for a short gain. He read a middle screen and made a critical tackle after a short gain, slowing what was looking like a scoring drive. He didn't have a lot of rushing yards, but he showed some power, breaking a tackle for a short gain, and then his powerful run up the middle basically sealed the game. He also kicked a 33-yard field goal.   Jake Baldus RB South St. Paul   Baldus had three runs that stood out. Early, he had a nice run for ten yards. During the Packers' best drive, he ran up the middle and made a cut to the outside, breaking a couple of tackles for 30 yards. Late in the game, Baldus broke three tackles on a five-yard run. He also caught a screen pass for a first down and, on defense, made a tackle in space on a quick-out pass.   Griffin Schmiedeberg LB St. Croix Lutheran   Schmiedeberg contributed on both sides of the ball but made his most significant impact on the defensive side. He filled the hole at linebacker and stuffed a run for no gain. Later, he got into the backfield to make a tackle for loss. He was one of the many players who were instrumental in holding the Packers' offense to one touchdown. He caught a slant on offense and quickly got up-field for positive yards.   Daniel Fitzgerald-Rosa South St. Paul   Fitzgerald-Rosa manned the inside of the Packers' defense. He helped slow down the inside running game of the Crusaders. He stuffed a pair of between-the-tackles runs at the line of scrimmage and helped keep the powerful St. Croix Lutheran running game largely in check.   Colin Avery WR St. Croix Lutheran   On defense, Avery came off the edge to make a tackle behind the line of scrimmage, but he was on the receiving end of the game's biggest play. He caught a pass down the seam and racked up the RAC yards with an 84-yard touchdown.

It was a defensive battle to open the season when South St. Paul visited St. Croix Lutheran Friday night. The game featured the mistakes you would expect in a first game – including many yellow flags. Offensively, the game was decided by two huge plays made by the Crusaders' offense – propelling them to a 16-10 victory. Here are the players who stood out during this week one game.