5A Week 5 Best Performances

The Week 5 5A slate of games was electric, so much so that it warranted its own piece this week. I've found 12 athletes spanning 2 sections who had elite performances, and in many cases, set season highs. Meet some of Week 5's top performers!   QB: [player_tooltip player_id='1704256' first='Karsen' last='Herman'], 6'4" 200 lbs, Waconia 2027   Herman has been one of the best surprises of the 2025 season, and the junior QB tore up the stat sheet once again in a dominant 34-6 win over former 6A squad Burnsville. Herman completed a season high 15 passes on 23 attempts (65.2%), for another season high 210 yards and 2 TDs. He finished the day with a passer rating of 105.3, and an additional 20 yards and 1 TD on the ground. Herman has been receiving FCS attention, and I can see why. He boasts an elite frame and a high-level arm talent. Keep an eye out for this stock riser.   WR/DB: William Kirsch, 6'1" 180 lbs, Waconia 2026   This was a statement game from senior athlete William Kirsch. He was everywhere against Burnsville, making a number of plays on both sides of the ball. On offense, he caught 5 passes for 116 yards, finding the endzone twice. All of those were season highs for the senior. He found the endzone again on defense, recording his 4th interception of the season, and his second pick-six on the year. He also brought down 5 tackles. Kirsch has been balling this year and has shown NSIC upside through the first half of the season. He's tragically under-the-radar but could make an immediate impact on a college roster next fall.   QB: [player_tooltip player_id='1120576' first='Savy' last='Vath'], 6'2" 185 lbs, Rochester John Marshall 2026   Fresh off his first NSIC offer from Minot State, Vath played well despite a tough 25-7 loss to Owatonna last Friday. He completed a season high 13 passes on 21 attempts, for another season high 61.9% completion percentage. Vath ended the night with 162 passing yards and 1 TD, with an additional 50 yards on the ground. He also had a season-best 101.7 passer rating. Vath is a true dual-threat QB and has shown his potential multiple times. I'm eager to watch what else he can accomplish throughout his senior year.   RB: [player_tooltip player_id='493343' first='Tristan' last='Graham'], 5'7" 165 lbs, Owatonna 2026   I've spoken highly about Graham time and time again, so it could only be so long before he found his way back onto a top performers list, and his Week 5 performance was a doozy. Graham, who is tragically underrecruited, balled out. He had a whopping 27 carries for an outstanding 191 yards on the ground and 3 TDs. All of those stats are season highs for the senior captain. Averaging 7.1 ypc on such a sizable sample size is crazy work. Graham has some D3 interest right now, but whoever he ends up with is getting a quality athlete.   QB: [player_tooltip player_id='1255909' first='Nathan' last='Ramler'], 6'6" 225 lbs, Chanhassen 2026   Ramler has evolved into one of the state's top prospects, and that's an easy thought to grasp once you see his film. Not only is he built like an ideal pocket passer for an FBS team, but he's got the numbers to back it up. Last week, he played a crucial part in a 33-2 victory over a Mankato East squad that has shown flashes of brilliance. He went 14/19 (73.7%) for 243 yards and 2 TDs through the air. Through 5 games, Ramler has yet to throw an interception, yet he has over 1,100 passing yards and 13 TDs. Ramler to me has D1 upside, and it might be worthwhile to throw him an O.   RB: [player_tooltip player_id='1248618' first='Blake' last='Kamphoff'], 5'10" 190 lbs, Mankato East 2027   Mankato East may have struggled against a talented Chanhassen squad, but Kamphoff had his fourth 100+ yard game of the season, and that is how he finds himself on today's list. He took 16 carries for 113 yards, averaging a fantastic 7.1 ypc for his efforts. He also caught 2 balls for 25 yards. Kamphoff has been having a fantastic junior year, tallying over 550 rushing yards in the first 5 weeks of the season. His offseason recruitment should be interesting to watch.   QB: [player_tooltip player_id='1669893' first='JT' last='Graupmann'], 6'2" 195 lbs, Northfield 2026   A three-sport athlete who has managed to find tremendous success in each of them, Graupmann led Northfield to a 28-7 win over New Prague last week. He went 10/13 (76.9%) for 177 yards, 2 TDs, and finished the evening with a fantastic 125.8 passer rating. He's set school records this season, and truthfully, has been one of the best Northfield quarterbacks over the last decade. He's got a solid arm talent, is mobile enough to make plays outside of the pocket, and would make a fine addition to a multitude of MIAC/WIAC squads next fall.   WR: [player_tooltip player_id='1633454' first='Ben' last='Ims'], 6'3" 175 lbs, Northfield 2027   Another Northfield three-sport athlete, Ims has been one of the Raiders' top offensive weapons throughout the season, and was the team's most productive wideout during a Week 5 win over New Prague. He caught 3 balls for 76 yards and 2 TDs. When you watch his game tape, his potential is clear. He moves exceptionally well for a 6'3" athlete, showcasing great quickness and flashing his hands late to reel in big-time catches. I'd love to see more of Ims this offseason because I think he could evolve into a legit prospect.   RB/DB: [player_tooltip player_id='1530375' first='Brody' last='Schmidt'], 6'0" 195 lbs, Rochester Mayo 2026   I wanted to shout out Schmidt, who stepped up into an evolved offensive role last week. An All-District honorable mention a year ago, Schmidt continues to cement himself as one of the best athletes in southern Minnesota. He played a key role in the 50-14 routing of cross-town rival Rochester Century, taking 14 carries for 90 yards and a whopping 3 TDs, all season highs from the typically defensive-oriented Schmidt. He also brought down 3 tackles on defense.   RB/DB: Xavier Adams, 6'0" 185 lbs, Rochester Mayo 2028   Another 2028 who stepped up big time for his squad last week, Adams is typically a reserve RB who got an increased role on the offense against Century, and didn't disappoint. He took 9 carries for 71 yards (both season highs), and managed to find the endzone for the first time in his varsity career. He also had his best game of the season on defense, where he recorded a season high of 5 total tackles. Keep an eye out for Adams; he might be a 2028 whose recruitment explodes later on.   RB: Jacob Bellmont, 6'2" 190 lbs, Chaska 2027   Bellmont has slowly seen his workload increase over the course of the season, culminating in what was his best performance of the year in a tough 28-21 loss against Mankato West. He took 18 carries for 107 yards and 2 TDs, all season highs for Bellmont, while averaging a solid 5.9 ypc. Bellmont has a great frame, and I'd love to see more of him going forward.   ATH: [player_tooltip player_id='1906346' first='Sam' last='Summer'], 6'1" 170 lbs, Chaska 2026   I wanted to shout out Summer for stepping up for Chaska in a big way last week. Summer is typically a DB, but he got the call to be the offense's signal caller due to some injuries, and he played his heart out. He threw for 73 yards on 9 attempts, and managed to find a lot of success on the ground with 90 rushing yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. He also had a pair of tackles on defense. Summer has been a great DB for Chaska through the first half of the season, and deserves some hype for his positional versatility and willingness to help his team.

The Week 5 5A slate of games was electric, so much so that it warranted its own piece this week. I've found 12 athletes spanning 2 sections who had elite performances, and in many cases, set season highs. Meet some of Week 5's top performers!