Brian's Best - Prep Bowl - Fertile-Beltrami v Hills-Beaver Creek

It was a defensive first half in the Nine-Person state championship game – scoreless into the second half. The offenses picked it up in the second half – especially Fertile-Beltrami, which took home the state championship with a 20-7 win over Hills-Beaver Creek. Here are the individuals who I felt shone out on the final day of the Minnesota high school football season.    After a nine-yard run up the middle, Wright showed speed to the corner the next time he touched the ball. He then showed good athletic ability, making quick moves for 20 yards. Quick feet at the line of scrimmage – with help from a block by Caleb Stoltman – got Wright into the open field. He hurdled through a hole to pick up a first down. Then, he showed speed to the corner with a trap block by Stoltman. After Wright's short touchdown run, he picked up big yards on a run off a block by Drew Gullickson. On fourth and short, Wright found room behind Michah Iverson and Jack Leiser for a first down. On defense, he grabbed an interception off a tip from [player_tooltip player_id='1602768' first='Bryer' last='Strem'].     Early in the game, Metzger showed good arm strength on a throw to the outside to [player_tooltip player_id='1506853' first='Micah' last='Bush'] for a first down. He showed good poise when he made the decision to make an option pitch – which was executed perfectly - in the endzone. After showing speed to the corner to pick up good yardage, Metzger threw to James Vandenbosch. It was a perfect pass down the sidelines, resulting in a touchdown. Metzger then made a strong throw to the edge. He showed good short accuracy with a throw to Bush for five yards and then to Vandenbosch for five yards.     Stoltman showed his power when he moved his man off the line of scrimmage on two straight runs behind him. Another block sprung [player_tooltip player_id='502012' first='Isaiah' last='Wright'] for a big gain. Later, he got Wright the corner with a trap block. Then, his pancake block – along with a block from Micah Iverson moved defenders off the line for positive yardage. Stoltman's seal block sprung Wright around the edge. On defense, he made at least one tackle at the line of scrimmage.     Early, Moser was close to unblockable. He stuffed a pair of inside runs. Then, with Blake Leenderts and Riggins Rheault, they stuffed another run. Later, Moser held the line of scrimmage, allowing teammates to make the tackle. With Sawyer Bosch, they stopped a run for a short gain. He added another solo tackle for a short gain and finally, Moser got off a block to make a tackle on the goal line.     Hanson made a solid open-field tackle short of the first down on third down. He grabbed a pass from Easton Petry for fifteen yards and a first down. Hanson's great block on the outside sprung [player_tooltip player_id='502012' first='Isaiah' last='Wright']. On defense, Hanson held the edge, allowing teammates to make a tackle. Then, he got off a block to make an open-field tackle. Caleb Stoltman forced a runner wide into Hanson, who made the tackle.     VandenBosch made a catch on the outside for nine yards and a short grab for five yards. In between, he made the play of the game. VandenBosch made a great catch down the sidelines. He showed great footwork and power tip-toeing down the sidelines while breaking multiple tackles before diving into the end zone.     Early in the game, Strem showed good quickness with a catch and a quick cut to get upfield for a first down. His best catch came later in the game when he brought in the pass while being hit for twenty yards. He showed some physicalness with an excellent downfield block, springing a teammate. On defense, he jumped a seam route for an interception. Strem added a second interception late in the game.     Leenderts - with [player_tooltip player_id='1582792' first='Jack' last='Moser'] and Riggins Rheault - stuffed a run for a short gain. Then, he got into the backfield, forcing a bad throw when he hit the quarterback. Against the run, he stuffs an outside run by using his hands to get off a block.     Leiser was the source of headaches all morning for Hills-Beaver Creek's offensive line. Early, he stuffed a run on third and short. Then, he beat his block to make a tackle for a short gain. His power and leverage stuffed a quarterback sneak. After a tackle for a short gain on offense with Micah Iverson, they moved the defensive line back to pick up a fourth and short.     With [player_tooltip player_id='1582792' first='Jack' last='Moser'], Bosch stopped a run for a short gain. Then, he deflected a pass in the end zone. Bosch made a solid tackle on the goal line to prevent a touchdown. Late, he pounced on a fumble that Jackson Gacke forced. On offense, he made a good move to get out of the end zone. Later, his explosive run up the middle picked up ten yards.     Early, Harstad shot a gap for a tackle for loss. With Caleb Sather, he later stuffed an inside run. On offense, Harstad found the end zone with a short touchdown run. Then he showed his power, breaking multiple tackles for nine yards.     Bakken got little help from his blockers on a short run, and he had to make people miss in the backfield and then power his way for short yardage. Then, he made a great block on the outside on a wide receiver pass into the flat.     Sather got off a double team and, with Jonah Harstad, stuffed an outside run. Sather then came off the edge to stuff a fourth and one. Still working on the edge, he read and stuffed an attempt to run the option.     On defense, Bush made a touchdown-saving tackle. On offense, he caught a ball on the outside for a first down and then grabbed three other balls for short gains.     Sather read the quarterback and tipped a pass that [player_tooltip player_id='1602768' first='Bryer' last='Strem'] was able to haul in for an interception. Later, Sather had tight coverage down the field, resulting in an incomplete pass.     Gacke stuffed a run, allowing a teammate to make a tackle for a short gain. Then, he forced a fumble.     Gullickson set the edge by setting up a run with a great block. Along with Jonah Harstad, their great blocks led to a touchdown and then the two-point conversion.

It was a defensive first half in the Nine-Person state championship game – scoreless into the second half. The offenses picked it up in the second half – especially Fertile-Beltrami, which took home the state championship with a 20-7 win over Hills-Beaver Creek. Here are the individuals who I felt shone out on the final day of the Minnesota high school football season.