Best Week 1 Showings: 6A QBs

Week 1 is now fully in the books, and boy was it a doozy. Across the state's largest class, gunslingers LIT UP the stat sheet and put forth impressive performances in both wins and losses. I've got a handful of gunslingers here who balled out to start the season, so be on the lookout for repeat performances down the road!    It should surprise absolutely nobody that Feeney is already having an explosive season. The Golden Gophers commit is easily the top QB in the state, and he showed off exactly why on Thursday. Feeney went 13/22 (59.1%) for an astounding 378 yards through the air, with 5 TDs tacked on, and finished with an almost perfect 143.0 passer rating. The success doesn't stop there, however. He also ran for 20 yards and added a rushing TD, for a total of 6 TDs in his senior-season debut. He's an elite gunslinger by all definitions of the word. The Moorhead Spuds were always a frontrunner to win the coveted 6A title, and with a strong 1-0 start and Feeney at the helm of one of the most explosive offenses in the state, their odds keep getting better.     A WL junior QB who came out SWINGING this year, Olin had one of the most impressive debuts not just in 6A, but in the state as a whole. In a 35-14 routing of Hopkins, Olin went 13/25 (52%) for 233 yards and an impressive 4 TDs through the air. He finished the night with an impressive 107.2 passer rating as well. Touting a solid build and posting some impressive camp circuit performances last fall, Olin is absolutely a QB that needs to be watched this season. Edina has a long history of talented gunslingers, and Olin seems to fit that bill early on. The 1-0 Edina Hornets will now take on a very competitive 1-0 Wayzata squad next week, so keep an eye out for that game.     A returning starter and a QB who looks like he's on the edge of putting it all together, Kirchner may not have come away with a win against Wayzata, but he looked pretty good in the process of competing. He finished the night 18/30, with an impressive 60% completion percentage, 242 passing yards, 3 passing TDs, and a fantastic 119.0 passer rating. That's not all, however. He also took 12 carries for an additional 65 yards on the ground. He did a great job of posting tape right away, where he was able to properly showcase some solid mobility and a fast release that allowed him to cook in the short game. There was a nice back-shoulder fade ball in there too. A strong start for the senior QB as the Huskies move to bounce back against a stout (1-0) Champlin Park squad next week.     Schwendinger is a watch-list QB who shocked me with a fantastic performance right out of the gate. He was a key part of the Lightning's success against Farmington and was essential in pulling away with a 34-11 win. He finished the game 15/23, with a 65.2% completion percentage, 156 passing yards, a TD through the air, and a passer rating of 99.2. He also found the end zone once on his feet. Schwendinger already has some film to break down from Week 1, and in it he showed the ability to make the right read in any given situation. He didn't seem to panic under pressure and did a great job of climbing the pocket once it broke down. I loved his play-action fakes as well. The Lightning will play an (0-1) Rosemount Irish squad next week, a team that has historically been able to make it a game against anyone they play, so keep an eye out for him.     One of the highest-rated junior QBs in the state, Greseth made his much-anticipated debut for the Maple Grove Crimson after landing there in the offseason. In that debut, he played fairly well and helped Maple Grove come out with a 15-0 win over an always dangerous Stillwater team. Greseth finished the game 7/11, with a 63.6% completion percentage, 186 passing yards, a passing TD, one INT, and a solid 99.6 passer rating to end the night. He has a little tape from his Week 1 showing, in which Greseth does a great job of timing passes into tight windows and making big-time throws as the pocket collapses around him. Maple Grove will travel to Eden Prairie to play the perennial powerhouse next week; a win there could cement them as one of the top teams in 6A.     Niska is a 2027 athlete who I continuously think deserves more attention, and he validated that thought with his Week 1 performance in a 30-0 ROUTING of Lakeville North to start the season. He had an otherworldly game, finishing 11/22, a 50% completion percentage, 122 yards, 2 TDs through the air, and a solid 97.2 passer rating. His success was not limited to the air; however, Niska gashed the Panthers' defense on the ground, ending with 121 rushing yards and 2 rushing TDs. His tape from the game rounds out a very impressive stat line. On it, Niska does a great job of layering balls into tight windows and finding key spots in the red zone. However, as a ball carrier, Niska was able to tear defenses up. He runs incredibly hard, is very agile, and does an excellent job of storming downhill with the rock. Blaine will play an (0-1) Rogers squad next week and attempt to start the season 2-0, and be on the lookout for another massive Niska game.     One of the biggest QB breakouts from Week 1 was Cottage Grove's [player_tooltip player_id='2375274' first='Esten' last='Erickson']. The 6' 175 lb baseball standout had a good game against White Bear Lake despite a tough loss, and finished 18/27 with a 66.7% completion percentage, 214 yards through the air, 2 TDs, 1 INT, and a 99.9 passer rating. He also had 2 punts with an average of 38 yards per punt. He doesn't have any tape from this season posted yet, but Erickson could be a 6A QB to look out for going forward. Park will travel to Stillwater to take on a (0-1) Ponies team and hope to get their season back on track.     One of the biggest unknowns to me was the White Bear Lake QB1, [player_tooltip player_id='2375275' first='Wyatt' last='Stachowiak']. He has no X account, no tape of any kind, and yet showed up and balled out in Week 1 against Park of Cottage Grove. The senior QB finished the night 9/12 with a 75% completion percentage, tallied 159 passing yards, 2 TDs, and a near-perfect 156.2 passer rating. That is an otherworldly performance to have out of the blue. I wish I could find or give some more info about this kid, but as fans and scouts alike, we're just going to have to wait and see what materializes regarding this kid's recruiting and football future. White Bear Lake will host a fellow undefeated team in Coon Rapids for week 2, a matchup I didn't have circled on my calendar before the season, but that has changed now.

Week 1 is now fully in the books, and boy was it a doozy. Across the state's largest class, gunslingers LIT UP the stat sheet and put forth impressive performances in both wins and losses. I've got a handful of gunslingers here who balled out to start the season, so be on the lookout for repeat performances down the road!