2025 Team Preview: Randolph Rockets

In their second season playing in the AA division, the Randolph Rockets took a major step forward with their competitiveness. Randolph finished with the 7th highest scoring offense among all AA teams while limiting an average of 19.2 ppg to their opponents. Randolph finished with a 7-2 record, their best win total since 2019, finishing 2nd in their section only behind mighty Norwood Young America, giving a promising future for the Rockets as they continue to navigate through this division.   We take a look today at 7 players from Randolph that you should watch out for heading into the 2025 season!    After a promising sophomore year, [player_tooltip player_id='592228' first='Colton' last='Ford'] showed plenty of growth during his junior year as he became more comfortable in the pocket leading the Rockets' offense. Ford finished with 1477 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and 7 picks while rushing for 3 more touchdowns. Ford has some incredible arc and depth on his throws, including several really impressive throws where he was able to get the ball down the field as he took hits from the defender. Ford has a cannon of an arm, and he's proven to be quite accurate on tight windows, as well as deep throws where he hits his WR on the top of their routes. Ford has proven himself to be a QB to watch as a potential big-time player across the MN high school football landscape heading into his senior season.     [player_tooltip player_id='1648558' first='Carter' last='Olson'] is an astounding all-purpose prospect who was quite difficult to contain on all three areas of the game. On the offense, Olson ran for 662 yards and 7 touchdowns, averaging 6.8 yards per carry, while catching 26 passes for 418 yards and 5 touchdowns. At DB, he added 53 tackles, 2 TFLs, 2 PDs, and a sack, and he also added a kick return touchdown on special teams. Olson is a very diverse player, being lined up as a HB, slot WR, Safety, and returner. Olson showed impressive agility, hands, footwork, and game-breaking speed to succeed at each of these roles, making him a premium multifaceted performer for the Rockets. Olson will remain to be a problem for his opponents to deal with, and the focus on covering Olson may open up even more opportunities for Randolph's offense to find holes to attack.     Olson isn't the only swiss-army knife for the Rockets; [player_tooltip player_id='1257224' first='Tristan' last='Zingler'] has also proven to be a multi-talented weapon that has been equally frustrating for opponents to stop. Zingler finished with 803 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 8 yards per carry, along with 12 catches for 145 yards and 2 receiving touchdowns, and 2 passing touchdowns. On defense, Zingler led the team with 99 tackles, 3 TFLs, a sack, and a FF. Not to mention, Zingler added a kick return touchdown and also punted on special teams. Swift and slippery to tackle, Zingler is an excellent tailback, showing great footwork and consistently fighting through contact to gain extra yardage as Randolph finds way to give him the ball being lined up in different spots. At MLB, Zingler's speed translates well as he's able to close down distance on the ball-carrier quickly, attacking the open gaps and lanes well, and proving to be a tough head-on tackler. Of course, Zingler is used in so many roles that it makes it almost unpredictable to determine where he'll be and what he will do on each play, which makes him a dangerous asset for Randolph.     A tall looming athlete with sharp route-running ability, [player_tooltip player_id='1256229' first='Carson' last='Lorenzen'] is an anomaly among big-bodied WR prospects. Lorenzen caught 20 passes for 333 yards and 5 touchdowns last season. Lorenzen's footwork and cuts are well-maneuvered for his size, and the combination of his route-running and length allowed him to put himself in perfect position for several sideline passes and catches through contact. His size allows him to dominate easily on the outside against 1-on-1 coverage, making him a dangerous redzone threat as well. Lorenzen's role in the passing game for Randolph should expand in 2025, and he should see an influx of targets heading his way this season.     An intriguing DE/OLB prospect, Noah Girgen has shown plenty of disruptive ability to be a force as an edge-rusher. Last season, Girgen recorded 56 tackles, 9 TFLs, and 6 sacks on the defense, while adding 6 catches for 79 yards and a touchdown at WR, his secondary position. Girgen certainly seems to look physically outmatched lined up directly against a blocker, but his speed and smart pursuit angles allowed him to find his way in the backfield often, and he was much more successful this season at getting to the QB before they could make their move than in previous seasons. Girgen is much better suited as an off-ball LB who could be used often in blitzing situations, but despite his size, he's been very effective as the best pass-rusher on Randolph's defense.     [player_tooltip player_id='1702441' first='Nate' last='Sheridan'] was the biggest player on Randolph's team as a sophomore, and after finding success during his sophomore year as the starting Left Tackle, Sheridan could be primed to break through as a premeir O-line prospect in Class 2A MN. Showing solid lateral movement and a fluid lower base, Sheridan did a good job at keeping his QB's pocket clean, showing great hand placement, and has plenty of power to lift defenders and knock them to the ground. Sheridan has time to bulk up over the next 2 seasons to further fit his frame, but by the end of his junior season, he should find a nice spot on our rankings heading into the class of 2027.     A short and stout defender plugging the interior gaps on the trenches, Jacob Waltman proved to be another promising sophomore breakout from their 2024 season. Waltman finished with 45 tackles, 6 TFLs, 2 sacks, and a fumble recovery. While there isn't tape of Waltman's performance currently, his presence proved critical for their defense, leading Randolph to 5 games where the defense allowed less than 14 points along with 2 shutout wins. His biggest game last season came in week 5 against Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop, where he recorded a team-high 11 tackles in a win during tackle cancer night. Waltman's role on the defense should continue to develop greatly over the next 2 seasons.

In their second season playing in the AA division, the Randolph Rockets took a major step forward with their competitiveness. Randolph finished with the 7th highest scoring offense among all AA teams while limiting an average of 19.2 ppg to their opponents. Randolph finished with a 7-2 record, their best win total since 2019, finishing 2nd in their section only behind mighty Norwood Young America, giving a promising future for the Rockets as they continue to navigate through this division.