Minneapolis North vs. Simley Recap, Impressions, Top Performers

PrepRedzoneMN kicked off the long-awaited 2025 Minnesota high school football season in Minneapolis by checking out the Minneapolis North Polars and Simley Spartans in a newly-minted 4A rivalry pitting Metro contenders and athlete-filled programs 1v1 on a beautiful Thursday night in the 612. Simley, who I was fresh off seeing at the Bemidji State Big School Team Camp, had a balanced offensive attack and real size in the trenches going into the season - or so I thought - and Minneapolis North returned a TON of talent across their position boards, including a plethora or WR and DBs that are talented enough to lead a 4A program on a deep playoff run. New names were added to our radar, familiar faces shined, and PrepRedzoneMN has your exclusive, quick-hitting coverage of Week 1's Minneapolis North vs. Simley recap. Dig in!   --   Game Recap   I can't lie, I thought this one was going to be more competitive. PrepRedzoneMN got a good look at the Spartans during Bemidji State's Big School Team Camp at the end of July, and the Inver Grove Heights-based high school had one of the more dynamic passing attacks in attendance, led by 2027 gunslinger [player_tooltip player_id='1120523' first='Christian' last='Urbina'], with good size and a noticeable tenacity on the offensive line. However, it looked like some key pieces were missing during Week 1, for instance, [player_tooltip player_id='1363065' first='Luis' last='Fierro'], which may be untrue, but either way, Simley came out flat, and the Polars came out aggressive. Sparked by their talented skill corps and reinforced by the Polars physical & feisty trench warfare specialists, North's Armonie Miller picked off an errant Simley pass early in the first quarter, returning it to the Spartans 20, setting up a beautifully executed screen and TD run by Cordae Williams, another North High School senior. From that point on, it was all North. [player_tooltip player_id='1580268' first='Anthony' last='Deline'] returned a punt to Simley's 29 the following possession, the Polars converted a 4th down, and a few plays later, stud 2027 RB [player_tooltip player_id='1655336' first='Tyshone' last='Jenkins'] punched the rock in for another score. Another Simley punt set up an [player_tooltip player_id='1580268' first='Anthony' last='Deline'] TD reception on a well-thrown fade route by experienced 2026 QB [player_tooltip player_id='1612765' first='Logan' last='Lachermeier'], and Simley was in a deep 19-0 hole at the end of the first quarter, a hole they never dug themselves out of. Jenkins and Deline both scored again in the 2nd quarter, with the latter adding a 70-yard score to add to his explosive performance, and the game was very much over at halftime at 32-0. At this point, North's offensive and defensive lines were bullying Simley in the trenches, the top performers of which we'll see below, and the game ended 45-7. Simley will need to find some fight, as well as some offensive juice, while the opposition Polars hit the ground running and looked pretty polished given the fact it was Week 1. Lots of season left for both of these 4A contenders.   Top Performers & New Names   MVP: [player_tooltip player_id='1580268' first='Anthony' last='Deline'] (Minneapolis North) 2026. WR/DB/Returner. 6', 170 lbs.   In the midst of a wealth of athletic talent and playmakers amongst their skill groups, [player_tooltip player_id='1580268' first='Anthony' last='Deline'] still takes the spot as the PrepRedzoneMN game MVP. The 6', 170 lber. was a three-phase contributor who held a primary role and heavy workload with the dynamic Polars, proving himself as the most explosive option on Thursday night, finishing his day with 3 catches for 127 yards and 2 TDs for a ridiculous 42 YPC average. Deline also returned a punt for 37 yards. With more than enough speed to win vertically, Deline was a smooth route runner who tracked and played the ball well in the air and was nasty in space with the ball in-hand, thanks to his burst, vision, and quickness.   Rising Star: Anthony Palmer (Minneapolis North) 2026. LT/DT. 6'3, 330 lbs.   My oh my, talk about a stock-rising performance! Minneapolis North's Anthony Palmer was the player I was by far the most impressed with leaving the Minneapolis North stadium on Thursday night. On the Polars' first TD of the night - a WR step-back/tunnel screen, Palmer was tasked with setting the edge and flowing from his LT spot out to the sideline to take the CB out of the play, and holy cow did he do so impressively. With impressive burst and top-end speed out of his stance, Palmer broke down, chopped his feet, and sunk his hips in space in order to corral the CB like a stud power forward on the basketball team, and at 6'3, 330 lbs., it was quite the sight to see. Not only was Palmer athletic and mobile, he was also aggressive, and was throwing his weight around and popping pads with assertive dominance in both run and pass block settings. Palmer also had a clean pass set and was bendy and laterally agile when working backward, and it was hard not to notice the impact Palmer was having as the tackle for the Polars offensive tackle. What a sleeper! NSIC scholarship programs: you've been warned!   Top Performers   [player_tooltip player_id='1612765' first='Logan' last='Lachermeier'] (Minneapolis North) 2026. QB. 5'10, 155 lbs.   Lachermeier, now in his second year as the full-time starter with the Polars, has made some serious progress this offseason. Not only does the senior look bigger, he looks much more poised and controlled in the pocket, and Lachermeier's arm, as well as decision making, were a lot more polished than PRZMN last saw him in 2024. The senior's ability to scan the field, get through his reads, and deliver balls with accuracy did not go unnoticed, and Lachermeier had some particularly impressive deep balls and throws on inside breaking routes in the intermediate portion of the field, threading the ball through tight traffic and small coverage windows. Lachermeier finished his day with a 16-28 (57%) for 398 and 4 TDs to 1 INT stat line, and he'll be a huge piece to the Polars' puzzle in 2025.   [player_tooltip player_id='1655336' first='Tyshone' last='Jenkins'] (Minneapolis North) 2027. RB. 6', 200 lbs.   The Polar prospect I was most excited to see going into the Week 1 North/Simley matchup, 2027 RB [player_tooltip player_id='1655336' first='Tyshone' last='Jenkins'] was an easy top performer at last spring's PRZMN Showcase, and he put his now-verified athleticism and playmaking to good use on the field of North High School's stadium in Week 1. A powerful, North/South, slasher of a ball-carrier, Jenkins had great contact balance and vision, as well as lateral agility and timing in his cuts, that created a couple splash carries leaving multiple broken tackles in his wake. Fun toolkit and skillset of a tailback who also has experience as a linebacker. Should be a monster year for the potential breakout star Jenkins, who posted 20 carries and 131 carries for 3 TDs at a 6.6 YPC average.   [player_tooltip player_id='1255132' first='Jay' last='Sanders'] (Minneapolis North) 2026. WR. 5'9, 170 lbs.   The most athletic player on an uber-athletic 2025 North Polars roster, Sanders showed off a new quality that I had not yet seen in depth, and that was his ability to reel in receptions in traffic and through tight windows. Sanders made a couple fearless catches on efforts and routes going right into the thick of traffic over the middle. Plucking the ball out of the air, while occasionally having to leave his feet and completely leave his body vulnerable, is no easy task, and Sanders proved his toughness, not to mention his big play ability, in his 5 catch for 131 yard effort on Thursday against Simley. Easily one of the biggest sleepers in the state.   Armonie Miller (Minneapolis North) 2026. LB/SS. 5'11, 205 lbs.   Miller was the spark that ignited the furious North Polars W on Thursday night, making a beautiful read on an intermediate throw against an experienced and quality quarterback and nearly taking it back to the house for good measure. In addition to his pass defense, Miller also was able to read & react with pace and urgency, and he tracked the ball well in space and was a physical tackler at the contact point. Fun to watch him in action on Thursday night.   [player_tooltip player_id='1658019' first='Ronell' last='Willis Jr']. (Minneapolis North) 2026. CB. 5'11, 165 lbs.   Maybe my favorite cornerback in the 612, Willis Jr. shut down his side of the field the entire time PrepRedzoneMN was present at North High School, and he had some especially impressive breaks on the ball on three-step, short game routes like slants, hitches, and out routes. Instinctive and quick, Willis Jr. flys out of his breaks and is one of the more physical corners I've seen in my time scouting with PRZMN.   [player_tooltip player_id='1543074' first='Camarrious' last='Sweezy'] (Minneapolis North) 2027. OL/DL. 6'1, 205 lbs.   A big-time two-way impact player for the North Polars, Sweezy was the physical tone-setter for the Polars, finishing his defensive day with 6 tackles and sack, but his biggest impact came on the offensive line. Sweezy was laying the wood like a seasoned carpenter, and the audible effect of his blocks could be heard echoing throughout the stadium. Seemingly, every time he pulled, Sweezy was pulling a helpless Simley defender on his butt, and Sweezy was getting after it defensively as well, showing some twitch and a good get-off, not to mention a nonstop motor, that had Simley's OL in shambles. Really like his role in the Polars 2025 roster and I like he's poised for a big year in the 4A ranks.   Adonis Baker (Minneapolis North) 2026. DL/OL.   Not the biggest player on North's roster, however, Baker had some real juice as a defensive tackle, finishing his Week 1 performance against Simley with 4 tackles, 2 TFLs, 2 sacks, a forced fumble, and fumble recovery. Twitchy, used his hands well, and his naturally low center of gravity and leverage were giving Simley's OL a ton of problems. DIII or NAIA sleeper in the 2026 ranks!   [player_tooltip player_id='1257445' first='Carter' last='Bungue'] (Simley) 2027. RB. 6', 175 lbs.   Bungue, despite the loss, had himself a solid game running the rock. He turned a couple runs in which he was nearly corralled behind the LOS into positive gains, as his surprising contact balance, as well as vision, quickness, and overall toughness, allowed him to consistently break tackles and go forward. North was beating this dude but he wasn't backing down.   [player_tooltip player_id='1743460' first='Mason' last='Streiff'] (Simley) 2028. OT.   Tall, long, and with a ton of room to fill in, Streiff was an obvious eye-catcher on Simley's offensive line, and as a first-year starter and sophomore, it's hard not to think about the ceiling and potential. Streiff could move his feet and bend a bit, and he didn't mind matching physicality when needed. Name to watch in the developing 2028 class!   --

PrepRedzoneMN kicked off the long-awaited 2025 Minnesota high school football season in Minneapolis by checking out the Minneapolis North Polars and Simley Spartans in a newly-minted 4A rivalry pitting Metro contenders and athlete-filled programs 1v1 on a beautiful Thursday night in the 612. Simley, who I was fresh off seeing at the Bemidji State Big School Team Camp, had a balanced offensive attack and real size in the trenches going into the season - or so I thought - and Minneapolis North returned a TON of talent across their position boards, including a plethora or WR and DBs that are talented enough to lead a 4A program on a deep playoff run. New names were added to our radar, familiar faces shined, and PrepRedzoneMN has your exclusive, quick-hitting coverage of Week 1's Minneapolis North vs. Simley recap. Dig in!