Garretson vs Baltic: Standout Performers

Week 1 of the South Dakota High School Football season saw Garretson handle Baltic 35-6 in an eventful game that had everything including a turnover frenzy, explosive plays on offense, two defensive touchdowns, and a lengthy weather delay. Here are the top performers that stood out on both sides of the ball.    Olson was a force on both sides of the ball. The 6'3" 205 pounder made a big impact in the run game, highlighted by a 20 yard touchdown run where he raced to the end zone untouched. On defense he was a sound tackler and effective blitzer. His biggest play of the night was when he came flying through the line, making the game sealing pick six by basically taking it out of the quarterback's hands. He is athletic for his size and looks really good coming off an injury that kept him out most of last year.     The junior Safety/ATH really impressed me on defense for the Bulldogs. Oakley was flying around all day making tackles from his safety spot in the run game, disrupting digs over the middle, and tracking deep balls from the high hole. He made an impressive diving interception to save a big throw down the field and also contributed nicely on offense, catching a few balls and showing some creativity and vision after the catch.     The Wide Receiver in the Blue Dragon sibling connection, Jackson ran smooth routes and ran them fast. He judged the deep ball well, winning a 1 on 1 jump ball for a big 27 yard touchdown. His hands were impressive and seems to have long arms and long strides for his size too.     The Quarterback and younger sibling, Chase has a compact throwing motion that allows him to get the ball out quickly. He has a good feel and touch and lets his receivers go up and make plays on the football. He maneuvers well in the pocket and is tough to bring down despite his size.     The Tri-Valley transfer looked very explosive in his first game for Baltic. He rattled off a few big runs including a long individual effort where he broke a couple tackles and cut back to score from behind mid field. He seems to have a higher gear than everyone else on the field. Whether it was from the backfield or after the catch, Frederick was dangerous.     Coburn is still only a Sophomore, but he made a big impact on both sides of the ball where his physicality seemed to be above the rest. He made plays from his spot at linebacker, finished the tackles he was supposed to make and got after the quarterback as well, adding a big sack. When he got carries, he ran the ball with a purpose as well, always falling forward and rarely going down without a fight. He's a guy to watch out for as he continues to develop physically.     The 6'1" Skotvold went down in the first quarter with an injury but before he did, he looked like the best athlete on the field. His throwing motion was smooth and the ball was jumping out of his hand. He made a nice throw on the run under pressure and moved well in the pocket too. He also showed off his legs, scampering for a long scramble. Hard to tell how the rest of the season will go, considering he did not return to the game, but the Junior showed some flashes.

Week 1 of the South Dakota High School Football season saw Garretson handle Baltic 35-6 in an eventful game that had everything including a turnover frenzy, explosive plays on offense, two defensive touchdowns, and a lengthy weather delay. Here are the top performers that stood out on both sides of the ball.