North Dakota State Championships: Top 2 Way Athletes, Part I

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='321180' first='Jake' last='Starcevic'], ATH, Kindred 2025</strong> <a href="https://x.com/JakeStarcevic">Twitter</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was pretty easy to see what the Army Black Knights see in Jake's skillsets he shows off at the linebacker position as he was constantly in the tackle box for the Vikings on Friday morning. It was also the versatility he showed off in my eyes with his pursuit angles that struck a chord in the FargoDome. Those pursuit angles showed off a linebacker that has some pur instincts and physicality when he makes contact as our ATH1 in our North Dakota 2025 class showed off why I was telling folks this young man would be an FBS target when he was just a sophomore.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1027992' first='Brooks' last='Bakko'], ATH, Kindred 2027</strong> <a href="https://x.com/BakkoBrooks">Twitter</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1561871,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/11/Bakko-crop-339x223-1732047584.jpg?w=338" alt="" class="wp-image-1561871" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I got to watch a handful of 2027 athletes all day Friday, and I don't think I saw one with a higher football IQ than what I saw from [player_tooltip player_id='1027992' first='Brooks' last='Bakko'] of Kindred on both sides of the ball. The 6'5 185 pounder I have now heard, read, and seen why teams don't test him in the secondary as his long arms, sticky coverage, and great instincts with his ball-tracking are a force to be wreckoned with. His length also standouts out with the suddenness he shows off as a wide receiver, as those instincts show the same parity for Brooks on the offensive side of the ball. Even though he already has D1 offers for basketball, I don't have a doubt that D1 football offers could come sooner rather than later for this young man especially from those FCS schools in the Dakotas as the live-eval of Brooks will sky rocket him in the 2027 class in North Dakota on the gridiron.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Matt Jochim, ATH, Velva-Drake-Anamoose-Garrison 2025</strong> <a href="https://x.com/mattjochim5">Twitter</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Every year I scout the state championships I always find myself intrigued with a senior that I couldn't locate tape on, which in the first game of the morning was Aggies 2025 athlete Matt Jochim. The 5'10 170 pounder had the biggest splash play of the day, logging a 93-yard receiving touchdown from [player_tooltip player_id='210459' first='Benjamin' last='Schepp'] which showed off Schepp's precision and Jochim's excellent seperation against a tough secondary like the Vikings that do not give up that kind of yardage at all that frequently. What else could Matt do on the defensive side the ball? He got a one-handed, game-sealing interception that was one of the top plays I watched all day long and showed the pure athleticism that this young man has at his disposal as the ball-tracking and vision this young man showed off to get that interception in my eyes was the best defensive play I watched all day. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1185260' first='Owen' last='Lesko'], LB/TE, LaMoure-Litchville-Marion 2025</strong> <a href="https://x.com/OwenLesko">Twitter</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1561865,"width":"318px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/07/IMG_1218-rotated-crop-481x316-1732047469.jpg?w=480" alt="" class="wp-image-1561865" style="width:318px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Owen is a linebacker we have been pounding the table for the last handful of months as he put more reason in the 9-man state championship game why he should have more chances at the next level. I remember when I first was shown his tape and seeing the damaging physicality he plays with when he makes contact. Well, that huge amount of physicality I got from that first look on tape well over a year ago, showed to be consistent in watching Owen closely in this game as a human hit-stick of a linebacker. When I watched Owen as a tight end, you could see that outstanding physicality too as I would have loved to log how many yards after contact he had as his blue-collar work ethic flashes heavily on both sides of the ball and even towards the end of the game, this kid just kept playing until that whistle blew. Hopefully now that the HS season is under wraps, some lucky college program can give this young man an offer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='725857' first='Kage' last='Walford'], LB/RB, New Rockford-Sheyenne-Maddock 2025</strong> </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1561877,"width":"337px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/11/Kage-Walford-crop-592x389-1732047808.jpg?w=591" alt="" class="wp-image-1561877" style="width:337px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you are a college football program looking for 2025 sleepers, I suggest you rewatch the 9-man state championship from Friday and take a fast look at 6'0 200 pound linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='725857' first='Kage' last='Walford']. This young man I had written down as a "menace" in the backfield as I recall his outing vividly from Friday. The amount of aggression also that Kage possessed on the bulk of the tackles I watched also caught my eyes as what looks like could be a hidden gem of a run stopper at the next-level. Kage was nearly automatic getting off sheds and getting to the ball carrier in a fast lick of time. Out of my top two way athletes, he surely is the biggest hidden gem from the 2025 class. No Twitter to be found.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->