Hayden’s Hotshots: Week 5

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Week 5 had so many insane performances, I had to do one more piece about guys who didn't get the full love they deserved. Meet 7 more Week 5 standouts!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>ATH: [player_tooltip player_id='1120519' first='Brody' last='Rush'], 5'10" 200 lbs, Anoka 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rush has had back-to-back massive games, and I don't know how he'll manage to top his wild Week 5 performance. On an insane 36 carries, Rush ran for 300 yards and an astounding 5 TDs. He also added an additional 57 receiving yards off 3 catches, a 22-yard kick return, and a 2-point conversion. This amount of work is exceedingly rare, especially in Minnesota's largest class. A game like this puts Rush in the conversation for top athletes in his class and among the top RBs in 6A. I've seen this kid tear up camps and combines time and time again, so I'm excited to see where his recruiting can go from here. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>RB: [player_tooltip player_id='1104940' first='Carson' last='Heimer'], 6'1" 190 lbs, Byron 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mankato State commit [player_tooltip player_id='1104940' first='Carson' last='Heimer'] has been ELITE all season, and in Week 5 against Winona, he was no different. For the second straight game, he found the endzone FOUR TIMES. What made this one more impressive? He did it on only 14 carries. He took those 14 carries for a crazy 211 yards, for an average of 15.1 ypc. On the season, he's averaging over 10 ypc. Heimer is tearing up 4A ball, and it's looking like Byron is a legit state title contender. At this rate, it's not crazy that he'll be an impact player for the Mavericks next fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>RB: Dayneiri Kimani, 5'10" 155 lbs, Winona 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kimani has been one of the biggest driving forces for Winona's offense this season, and that trend continued during Week 5. Against Byron, Kimani took 12 carries for 92 yards, averaging an impressive 7.7 ypc throughout the game. On his tape, he showcases an excellent sense of balance and moves his legs through contact, allowing him to break several tackles in succession. He hits a hole hard, and his acceleration through the line of scrimmage is eye-catching. Kimani is a talented, unsigned back who could make a splash. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>QB: Logan Louks, 6'0" 170 lbs, Kasson-Mantorville 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A junior QB who has played in a rotational role most of the season, Louks got significant time against Faribault last week and made the most of it. He went 2/2 through the air for 96 yards and a passing TD, ending the night with a perfect 158.3 passer rating. He's yet to miss a pass this season, but Kasson makes their money on the ground, and Louks is no different. He took 4 carries for a season high 65 yards and managed to find the endzone two more times with his legs. Louks could be an athlete to look out for going forward. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>QB: Vince Wellik, 6'0" 170 lbs, Stewartville 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wellik has been all business this season, making the right reads and putting up great numbers while leading Stewartville to a 4-1 record through 5 weeks. Last Friday, he played a key part in the 41-7 beating Stewartville put on Simley, passing for a season high 261 yards, going 17/22 (77.3%) with 2 TDs through the air. He ended the night with a phenomenal 146.2 passer rating and picked up 23 more yards on the ground. Stewartville is always a tough team, and with Wellik at the helm, they could be looking at another deep playoff run. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>RB: [player_tooltip player_id='1602765' first='Malik' last='Abdi'], 5'11" 185 lbs, Stewartville 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Abdi has had multiple 100+ yard games this season, and he managed to find that same level of success against Simley last week. He took 17 carries for 108 yards while finding the endzone 3 times throughout the evening - a season high for Abdi. He also caught 2 balls for 37 yards, season highs in both categories. On his tape, Abdi shows off both fantastic speed and high-end ball carrier vision, a fatal combination for defenses. He makes tight cuts look easy, and deserves far more recruiting hype than is currently attached to him. Abdi would make a great addition to many MIAC/WIAC squads. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>LB/ATH: [player_tooltip player_id='592312' first='Mikky' last='Heydt'], 5'10" 190 lbs, Stewartville 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Heydt has a TON of positional versatility and has been playing all over the field for Stewartville over the past couple of seasons. He recorded 4 tackles last Friday in a win against Simley, but found most of his success receiving, catching 7 balls for 81 yards, both season highs for the senior. He moves well on his tape and is quite literally able to play most skill positions at the next level. A lot to like from the Stewartville product. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->