St. Thomas Academy vs. Apple Valley: Recap & Top Performers

Yesterday, under a harsh winter wind typical of late-season playoff football in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, St. Thomas Academy hosted Apple Valley - one of the hottest teams of the playoffs - in the Class 5A, Section 3 Championship and a chance to compete in the state playoffs. The cold was certainly a factor, as a lot of the night was defined by drops and fumbles, but PrepRedzoneMN was lucky to witness four quarters of hard-fought, senior-heavy, playoff football with some big-time prospects mixed in. Check out the Game Recap and the Top Performers of the physical, hard-hitting, splash play 5A showdown between the Cadets and Eagles below!   --   Game Recap   Quite the up and down start to the game for Apple Valley, who received the opening kickoff of the ball game and immediately went three and out, facing a punt deep inside their own 40. However, in Dan Campbell fashion, the Eagles faked the punt, and stud uncommitted senior gunslinger [player_tooltip player_id='493314' first='Jackson' last='Thornburgh'] converted the first down on a nice little dash up on the opponents sideline. However, Thornburgh threw a pick the next series to 2026 standout STA DB [player_tooltip player_id='592227' first='Todd' last='Rogalski'], putting the Cadets inside Apple Valley in their first offensive possession of the game. WIth some hard running from the two-headed monster of senior QB [player_tooltip player_id='1246747' first='Chase' last='Young'] and junior RB [player_tooltip player_id='923837' first='Dominic' last='Baez'], the Cadets quickly found six. HB [player_tooltip player_id='1648487' first='Liam' last='Gottsch'] - who had a tremendous game - took a six-yard reception in the flats into the endzone for the first score of the ball game, and we had a 7-0 lead for STA early. A third-down drop prevented AV from a first down the following possession, as did a fourth down drop the next game, and once again STA took over deep in Eagles territory. Not long after, Baez found paydirt to put the Cadets up 14-0 with six minutes left in the first. As the opening quarter ticked away, STA was once again driving near midfield. 14-0 Cadets after one.   The second quarter saw the Eagles best player begin to assert himself. With STA set to go up three scores, Apple Valley's athletic 2026 WR/DB [player_tooltip player_id='1255129' first='Q' last='Barnslater'] stepped up and put a heckuva stick on a St. Thomas Academy RB, knocking the ball loose and giving his Eagles the ball, and new life, near midfield. The Cadets suffocating run defense finally forced Apple Valley's hand and the Eagles began to open up the passing game. Thornburgh threw a dart to Barnslater to move the chains, and then sophomore RB Caiden Mitchell got the ball to the STA 1-yard line after a smooth 3rd and 9 pickup through the air. Sophomore RB [player_tooltip player_id='1696981' first='Jackson' last='Cozy'] punched the ball in the next play, and we sat at a 14-7 ball game with 8:19 left in the half. Apple Valley then forced another fumble on the following defensive stand, but the Cadets defense once again held tough and forced a punt. The two then traded possessions, with big plays coming from Apple Valley's stud 2025 WR/DB [player_tooltip player_id='551377' first='Kaine' last='Larocque'] and STA's monster DE [player_tooltip player_id='1201980' first='Michael' last='Kelecic'], and at halftime the score remained 14-7 in favor of the Cadets.   The most wild kickoff I've seen all season happened in the second half kickoff of yesterday's Section 3 championship. The Cadets' Baez had a great return near midfield but was met by a wall of Apple Valley coverage, namely senior DB Marcus Anderson, and the ball was dislodged, hitting the turf where it was quickly swallowed up by the Eagles coverage unit. Boom. Here comes the Eagles. Now, this is where the game's most important play came up to bat. Apple Valley stormed downfield, all the way to the 1, but faced a 4th and goal from the 1 with a chance to knot the game up at 14. However, on theme with the majority of the game, the Cadets run defense was unrelenting, and multiple STA defenders found penetration and stuffed the Eagles for a loss on 4th and 1 from the one. After eeking out some yardage to get away from the goal line, Baez broke free for a 40+ yard scamper, and STA found the endzone a few plays later on another successful Baez run. The Cadets then converted a 2pt attempt to go up 22-9. What a swing in points and momentum for the home team.   It was a valiant effort by Apple Valley, who scored the final drive of the ball game after trailing 29-7 after QB Young ran a dagger in from 15-yards out, but the 4th was all St. Thomas Academy. It wasn't without action, though. STA's Anderson Dose picked off a Thornburgh pass, but Apple Valley forced another fumble on the ensuing drive. The bottom line of the 4th was that the Eagles' OL couldn't contain the STA pass rush, and junior LB Will Carey, DL Kelecic, LB Brooks Borman, and LB Charlie Probst all took turns sacking, hurrying, and rushing Thornburgh. Final after four: St. Thomas Academy 29, Apple Valley 14. Cadets onto state!   Top Performers   Game MVP: [player_tooltip player_id='923837' first='Dominic' last='Baez'] (St. Thomas Academy) 2026. RB. 5'8, 185 lbs.   Another week, another RB winning my PrepRedzoneMN Game MVP. Baez, rocking the prestigious #3 for the Cadets, a number that has been worn by some seriously electric RBs in the past. Baez is keeping the tradition alive and well, and he had a strong day on the ground for STA, finishing his Friday night with 20 carries for 197 yards and 2 TDs, as well as two fumbles. Baez is a fun combination of speed, quickness, balance, and vision, with a powerful lower body that can eat and absorb contact while pumping his legs and coming back for more. He'd squeeze through and anticipate holes that weren't even there, and can get wrapped up or popped and look like he's going down, only to suddenly spurt forward and continue onward for more yardage. Baez can cut on a dime and is hard to corral and wrap up in space, and he has the speed to hurt you if you give him the sideline or a big gap. The 185 lber. broke tackle attempts in a variety of ways and only got better as the game went on. Also had a big kick return to highlight some explosiveness. I really like the suddenness and power that he brings to the table. Big part of STA's success both yesterday and in 2024.   St. Thomas Academy   Brooks Borman - 2026. LB. - #12 for the Cadets was extremely productive last night, finishing with around four or five TFLs and a sack. Borman was instinctive and showed a great nose for the ball and ability to sniff out and eliminate ball carriers, and he found and shot gaps easily and was hard to block for AV opponents all night. Came to contact without hesitation and was a great tackler when given the opportunity. Loved his anticipation and ability to put opponents behind the chains in run defense.   [player_tooltip player_id='592227' first='Todd' last='Rogalski'] - 2026. DB. 5'11, 165 lbs. - Honestly, Rogalski had a case to be named player of the game. Not only did he record an interception, where the junior artfully stepped in front of a Thornburgh pass for a clean interception, Rogalski had two of the biggest plays of the evening. Rogalski shot a gap and made great contact with Apple Valley's RB, stuffing the Eagles 4th and 1 from the 1-yard line to basically change the game, and he had another great rep where he ran down a loose Apple Valley WR at the 5-yard line to save a TD on a beautiful display of top-end speed and hustle. Rogalski is instinctive, does a great job of finding production and success in the box, but is also athletic enough to patrol the defensive secondary with success.   [player_tooltip player_id='1246747' first='Chase' last='Young'] - 2025. QB. 6'1, 210 lbs. - Big, strong, passes the eye test, and can really run the rock. Young - a PrepRedzoneMN Showcase top performer - showed good command of the Cadets offense and was a physical and overpowering ball carrier on the offensive front. Good speed, ran behind his pads and with force, and came into contact with authority. Put some would-be tacklers on their butts when he dropped his pads and popped off some big runs throughout the night. Good arm too when the Cadets threw the rock. Someone needs to get this kid on their college roster.   [player_tooltip player_id='1201980' first='Michael' last='Kelecic'] - 2025. DL. 6'3, 230 lbs. - By far the most physically imposing player on the STA roster, [player_tooltip player_id='1201980' first='Michael' last='Kelecic'] has made the move down to DE after playing LB for the Cadets in 2023 as a junior. Kelecic is a big, strong, physical kid who barely took a rep off as a defensive end and tight end. Kelecic had one of the biggest plays of the first half when he pulled off a huge sack on a beautiful rush, leaving the OL grasping at air and pulling off a great 1v1 tackle in space. Played against a talented Apple Valley OT pairing all night and ate them up most of the game. Strong at the point of attack, laterally agile, strong & active hand usage, and loved getting dirty in the trenches. This kid needs to be playing NSIC or Pioneer League football next fall.   [player_tooltip player_id='1648487' first='Liam' last='Gottsch'] - 2026. HB. 6', 185 lbs.   Another Cadet who you could argue should be in contention for an MVP nod, junior halfback Gottsch did a lot of the dirty work for the Cadets and showed a nice combination of physicality, big play ability, and consistency. Opened a ton of holes for STA ball carriers throughout the night on a variety of blocks and could handle DEs, LBs, and DBs alike. Tenacious blocker. Great hands, got open in the flats and was an integral part to STA's offensive success through the air, and was a reliable option in the passing game. Big part to Friday night's success.   Anderson Dose - 2026. DB. - A playmaking and physical defensive back who had some huge plays on Friday night, Dose was a turnover machine who also brought a ton of pop and aggression into contact against Apple Valley ball carriers. Dose recorded an INT after smoothly slipping into a passing lane around the hook/curl, had a forced fumble on a great hit that was recovered by Apple Valley, and had one of the best hits of the evening on a beautiful stick in the first half as well.   Toren Piltingsrud - 2027. Kicker. - Gotta give a little love to the kickers! Also a standout Alpine Skier for the Cadets, kicker Piltingsrud was a steady and underrated presence on Friday night. Piltingsrud - in cold weather - was accurate in his PATs throughout the evening but was also accurate and impressive on kickoffs. Not only could he boom it to the endzone, Piltingsrud hit two beautiful onside/pooch kicks where he banged it as hard as he could off the tee at one of Apple Valley's upbacks, either bouncing it aggressively off the turf or shooting it right at him. It was more than hard to handle for the Apple Valley upback and nearly created two successful onside kicks himself. Only a sophomore too!   Will Carey - 2026. LB. - Came up big in the 4th quarter with some clutch, hard-earned pass rushes and sack in crunch time. Real pass-rushing ability against a quality OL. Good length and speed.   Also want to give a big shoutout to St. Thomas Academy's Offensive Line ([player_tooltip player_id='601376' first='Birk' last='Zeleny'], [player_tooltip player_id='234847' first='Avaugn' last='Dorvil'], Connor McCord, Bobby White, Mason Gerry) and their overall Team Run Defense   Apple Valley   [player_tooltip player_id='1255129' first='Q' last='Barnslater'] - 2026. WR/CB. 6', 165 lbs. - One of the most exciting skill players in the 2026 class, Barnslater was as advertised on Friday night and was the sparkplug, consistent playmaker, and explosive element to his Apple Valley offense. Created two of the biggest offensive plays for the Eagles on deep shots on posts and could get open on a variety of routes to all three levels of the field. Barnslater could take the top off the defense, tracked the deep ball very well, and was shifty and sudden after the catch. Came through in the biggest moments for his offense and was a fluid and obviously athletic presence that showed up most noticeably after the catch. Was also a long and physical presence as a CB who had one of the best sticks of the evening, squaring up and knocking the ball loose on STA's standout RB in the first half. Really happy I got to see him live in 2024.   [player_tooltip player_id='1248619' first='Brandon' last='Fleming'] - 2025. WR/DB. 5'10, 140 lbs. - With so much attention paid to Barnslater, someone was going to see man coverage, and senior two-way contributor [player_tooltip player_id='1248619' first='Brandon' last='Fleming'] stepped up and benefited in his last game of high school football. Fleming consistently got open and did a great job of shutting down his routes and dropping his hips to quickly get open, and he was surehanded and had some juice after the catch. Fleming made a STA defender look silly after the catch on a screen, and had one of the biggest plays of the evening for AV as he got open and dusted a couple Cadets DB on the last drive of the ball game. Someone pick this kid up!   [player_tooltip player_id='551377' first='Kaine' last='Larocque'] - 2025. Safety/WR. 6'2, 160 lbs. - Bemidji State commit Larocque showed why he's a scholarship commit on Friday night. The biggest tackle machine I've seen all season, it seemed like every announcement over the loudspeaker was saying "Larocque on the tackle", and his defensive range, COD ability, and ability to tackle in space spurned him to nearly 20 tackles on the night, and with a great frame that can add a ton of weight at the next level, Larocque has a ton of collegiate upside. He already tackles like a 200 lber.! Larocque was also a presence on offense as a WR and had some nice routes and gains for his offense throughout the night. A summer camp darling who showed some impressive testing numbers and athleticism in the offseason, Larocque had a heckuva senior year and should be proud of himself and his efforts. He was close to 150 tackles as a senior. BSU got a good one!   D'Vante Mcelroy - 2025. DE. 6'2, 215 lbs. - Built with a college-ready frame that caught the eye, Mcelroy began to assert himself in the second half of the ball game on Friday night. Did a great job of getting off blocks and making 1v1 tackles around the LOS, the senior was a big, strong, physical presence who did a good job of making plays for his defense.   [player_tooltip player_id='493314' first='Jackson' last='Thornburgh'] - 2025. QB. 6', 190 lbs. - Thornburgh showed why he's been offered by the likes of St. Thomas and MSU-Mankato on Friday night. Despite some less-than-ideal conditions, Thornburgh showed he could throw with accuracy to all three levels of the field and had some particularly strong throws showcasing a tight spiral and some serious zip. Was a bit inconsistent on the evening, but his receivers were plagued by drops, and Thornburgh still had a more-than-strong showing against a stingy STA defense. Still uncommitted!   Derrick Whitley - 2026. LB. 5'8, 210 lbs. - A high-energy, energizer bunny of an ILB in the middle of Apple Valley's defense, Whitley packed a punch, had a good nose for the football, and forced a fumble on a nice stick in the first half. Strong kid who had a good showing as a junior in the 5A ranks.

Yesterday, under a harsh winter wind typical of late-season playoff football in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, St. Thomas Academy hosted Apple Valley - one of the hottest teams of the playoffs - in the Class 5A, Section 3 Championship and a chance to compete in the state playoffs. The cold was certainly a factor, as a lot of the night was defined by drops and fumbles, but PrepRedzoneMN was lucky to witness four quarters of hard-fought, senior-heavy, playoff football with some big-time prospects mixed in. Check out the Game Recap and the Top Performers of the physical, hard-hitting, splash play 5A showdown between the Cadets and Eagles below!