Week 3 Stat Monsters

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>QB: [player_tooltip player_id='1201408' first='Grant' last='Benson'], 6'4" 205 lbs, Buffalo 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Benson has been having a really solid year through the first portion of the season, and that definitely includes his performance in a 32-31 nail-biter W over Bemidji. He went 13/32 (40.6%) for 227 yards and 2 TDs, which is uncharacteristically inaccurate for him, but he showed an evolution both this week and in week 1 that needs a shoutout. Benson is mobile, bordering on true dual-threat status. He rushed for an additional 88 yards and 2 TDs on the ground, bringing his season total up to 275 rushing yards and 10 total TDs. Benson is having a stock-rising senior season, and I can't wait to see where he ends up.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>QB: [player_tooltip player_id='923855' first='Kyler' last='Thom'], 6'0" 175 lbs, Minneapolis Southwest 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Southwest may have had a rough Week 3 loss to Minneapolis North, but that wasn't due to a lack of effort on Thom's part. He went 25/40 (62.5%) for 270 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT, with a solid 96.9 passer rating. He also saw some success on the ground, rushing for an additional 24 yards on just 3 carries. On his game tape, he's consistently buying additional time in the pocket and even taking big hits to deliver dimes downfield. Keep an eye out for Thom, as he's liable to continue to tear up the stat sheet. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>QB: Talan Witt, 6'0" 170 lbs, Alexandria 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Witt is fresh off leading the Cardinals to a 42-14 W over Sartell, where he lit up the stat sheet. He went an impressive 16/21 (76.2%), threw for 261 yards, and 2 TDs. He got picked off once, but still ended the day with a standout 129.3 passer rating. He also had a 54-yard punt. Alexandria is 2-1, and Witt's numbers look great through the first 3 weeks. If he can keep this up, it's very possible we see another state tournament appearance out of Alexandria. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>RB: [player_tooltip player_id='1292281' first='Martin' last='Sleen'], 6'1" 170 lbs, Hermantown 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sleen's Week 3 was, and I don't use this term lightly, a generational performance. 22 rushes is already bellcow territory, but if you combine that with his 308 rushing yards, I think it's clear we have a candidate for player of the week. Averaging nearly 15 ypc while bringing in 3 TDs is absolutely wild. He's had games similar to this already in 2025, but to my knowledge, this is the second-biggest rushing game across the state this season. The Hermantown grinder is definitely worth keeping an eye on. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>RB: [player_tooltip player_id='1633432' first='Zack' last='Shatek'], 6'0" 185 lbs, Hastings 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shatek's down weeks are once in a career games for most high school athletes, and even last week against a stout Chaska run defense, he still managed to rack up 177 yards on 26 carries and a TD. He averaged 6.8 ypc, and for the first time this season, caught a pair of balls for 16 yards through the air. Through three games, Shatek is a clear favorite for an All-State or All-Class award at the end of the year. With this amount of sustained success, I think his recruiting is bound to take off any day.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>TE: Dre Frierson-Hollie, 6'5" 235 lbs, Cretin-Durham Hall 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I don't know how Cretin-Durham Hall manages to find giant TEs with a tremendous college upside consistently, but Frierson-Hollie is the next one to take that mantle. On just 9 catches last Friday, the big man had an astounding 176 receiving yards, and perhaps more impressively, 3 TDs. This isn't his first 100+ yard game this season, and it likely won't be the last. I see FCS, possibly FBS, offers in the future for the Cretin product.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>WR: [player_tooltip player_id='1580268' first='Anthony' last='Deline'], 6'0" 170 lbs, Minneapolis North 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Deline was a massive problem for defenses last season, so his vast success through the first three weeks of the 2025 season doesn't shock me. He burnt defenders last Friday, amassing 136 yards and 2 TDs on only 4 catches. You have to love the reception to TD ratio, and his average of 34.0 ypc doesn't hurt either. Minneapolis North looks like a state tournament team right now, and Deline's ability to shred defenses deep is a significant part of the Polars' dominant 3-0 start. Expect big things from both Deline and the rest of the team this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->