Week 4 Game Report: Sartell vs Brainerd

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brainerd was poised to roll through Sartell and continue its undefeated season last Friday, but that isn't how the story unfolded. Sartell has been struggling the last couple of years, but the 2025 Sabers are 2-2 for the first time in years. They travel down to St. Francis (2-2) next Friday. Brainerd has to drive to Bemidji to take on a tough Bemidji squad (2-2). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"large"} --> <p class="has-large-font-size">Sartell 20 (2-2) vs Brainerd 16 (3-1)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Sartell:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>RB/FB: Jonah Ambrosier, 5'10" 190 lbs, Sartell 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Amrbosier has been balling as a productive ball carrier throughout his junior year, and his game against Brainerd was perhaps his best yet. He's been a bellcow for Sartell through the first 4 weeks, and he carried the rock 17 times for 133 yards and 2 rushing TDs last Friday night, which includes an 80-yard run in the 3rd quarter. He also had a passing TD where he threw about 25 yards in the air, which was then taken an additional 35 yards to the house. Ambrosier also does a good amount of work returning kicks. Watch out for this exciting 2027 prospect. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>RB: Anders Larson, 6'3" 200 lbs, Sartell 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Larson is another junior Sartell RB prospect who is built like a brick house, and he had one of his best games of the year last week. On only 9 carries, Larson took the ball for 119 yards, a rushing TD, all while averaging an insane 13.2 ypc. He's previously shown some receiving upside as well. I'd love to get some tape of Larson, because he could end up being the real deal. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>WR: Cayden Flynn, 6'4" 175 lbs, Sartell 2028</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>To my knowledge, Flynn has only caught one ball so far this season, but I wouldn't be doing my job properly if I didn't mention him because it was Flynn who was on the receiving end of what ended up being a 60-yard touchdown pass. With a 6'4" frame listed by his coaches, I'm eager to see more of him in the future. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>LB: Preston Pederson, 6'0" 195 lbs, Sartell 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A stout defensive leader, Pederson had one of his most productive games of the season against Brainerd. He brought down 7 total tackles and a TFL (both season highs according to MNFootballHub). I hope he's able to sustain this level of production and start to put out tape from his senior campaign.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DL: [player_tooltip player_id='1602698' first='Peyton' last='Allen'], 6'6" 225 lbs, Sartell 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Allen has been balling his entire senior year, and last Friday was no exception. The St. Thomas commit brought down 7 tackles, 3 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, and a forced fumble, an eye-opening stat line. He frequently showcases great bend off the edge and has a high motor. Allen is a nightmare matchup for a lot of 5A tackles, and I can't wait to see him replicate this success throughout the season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>LB: Mike Hamak, 5'9" 180 lbs, Sartell 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hamak is a defender who has been playing well over the course of his senior campaign. He was one of two Sartell athletes to record at least one sack against Brainerd, and he finished the night with 4 total tackles, 1 TFL, and 1 sack. He's found his way to the backfield more than once this season and should be a name to look out for in the second half of his senior campaign.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DB: Brady Thompson, 5'10" 165 lbs, Sartell 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Senior DB Brady Thompson rounds out the Sartell defenders whose play I wanted to highlight. He recorded a season high 7 total tackles (tied for most on the team for the game), and recorded his first TFL of the season. He also returned a punt. Another Sartell senior whose tape I'd love to see!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>RB/P: Jackson Knott, 5'11" 155 lbs, Sartell 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I couldn't not highlight Knott, especially after what he contributed both on the offensive side of the ball and as a punter. As a ball carrier, Knott took the rock 10 times for 42 yards, averaging a solid 4.2 ypc for his efforts. But in my opinion, he shone as a punter, punting 5 times for 163 yards over the course of the night. Sartell has some fantastic 2027 prospects to look out for!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Brainerd:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>RB: [player_tooltip player_id='1652933' first='Jayden' last='Barnum'], 5'11" 195 lbs, Brainerd 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Barnum has had 100+ rushing yards in every game this season, and last Friday was no exception. On a whopping 29 carries, Barnum carried the rock for 120 yards with an additional 2 TDs on the ground. He also caught a pass for four yards and returned 2 kicks for a combined 56 yards. Barnum has been a true bellcow for Brainerd and has evolved into one of the best backs in the northern part of the state. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>WR: Brady Vanek, 6'0" 160 lbs, Brainerd 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brainerd has produced a number of talented wideouts over the past couple of years, and Vanek might just be the next athlete to take over that mantle. He's been one of the Warriors' top receivers this season, and against Sartell, he caught 5 balls for 62 yards. He hasn't had a game with fewer than 5 receptions this year, and he occasionally gets to carry the rock. Last week, he took one carry for 17 yards. With a whole other year to continue to develop, Vanek is an athlete to watch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DB: [player_tooltip player_id='1665903' first='Evan' last='Rodahl'], 6'2" 180 lbs, Brainerd 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Not only does Rodahl possess an eye-catching frame that will suit him well at the next level, but he also played very well against Sartell. He recorded 6 total tackles, 1 TFL, and the only team interception on the day. His game tape showcases a lot. He can be a hard-nosed run defender when needed, often crashing well from safety depth to make a play at or near the line of scrimmage. He utilizes his long wingspan well and can extend like a wideout to bring down passes. I'm a big fan of Rodahl's potential going forward.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>P/K: [player_tooltip player_id='1614789' first='Sawyer' last='Riffle'], 6'2" 220 lbs, Brainerd 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's not often you find a kicking specialist with the size of Riffle, and even rarer one with the same amount of talent. Against Sartell, the North Dakota commit punted 6 times for a crazy 281 yards, averaging a fantastic 46.8 yards per punt. One of those punts landed inside the 20, and two were touchbacks. He also made a 28-yard field goal in the first quarter. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->