2019 All-NSIC Awards: MN Prep Highlight Edition (North Division 1st Team Offense)

If you happened to read my previous Northstar Football News features highlighting the Minnesota natives selected to the 2019 All-MIAC and All-WIAC teams in-depth, you would have to read about how I believe the state of Minnesota is one of the more overlooked fertile recruiting grounds and a place whose prep players -for the majority - go on to find similar success playing college football as they did as a prep. Having Minnesota support one of the top-2 Division III conferences (the MIAC) is a great example of former MN preps going on to succeed more than other states players, but having the success that the Minnesotans have shown in the Division II Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) in 2019 is even stronger evidence. The 14-team conference features teams located in Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, and Nebraska, and our good ol' Land of 10,000 Lakes boys found NSIC recognition on almost every team. Even the top-three teams in the North Division in 2019 were located in Minnesota (UMD, BSU, MSUM), and the South's winner: Minnesota State-Mankato advanced to the Division II national championship game. Is it a coincidence that these four squads feature primarily MN boys? I think not. Speaking of the NSIC North division, this Northstar Football News feature will focus on highlighting and detailing the Minnesotan's selected to the All-NSIC North Division First Team Offense list, and they include some studs. Check out which of your favorite former MN prep stars were honored, and please enjoy! OL: Hank Bellefy (6'2, 280 lbs.) Bemidji, Minn. Bemidji HS. Junior. Bemidji State University. As a sophomore in 2018, Bellefy was an NSIC North All-Conference Second Team member on BSU's third ranked NSIC scoring offense that averaged 38.2 points per game. He improved his game enough in '19 to be selected to the First Team, and was a beast on the Beaver OL that's had two lineman named to the First Team four years in a row. The Beavers OL unit allowed a league few 10 sacks in 2019 as well, and averaged 30.4 points per game. After initially redshirting after graduating from Bemidji HS in 2016, Bellefy made an impact as a redshirt freshman as he appeared in seven games on the OL. Bellefy is no stranger to representing Bemidji well, as the former Lumberjack was a 2x All-Conference pick, All-Section HM, All-District, and Bemidji's Lineman of the Year. He also lettered in swimming and weight-lifting. He.ll be Bemidji's best lineman in 2020. <a href="http://a.hudl.com/v/2CSn4w">Bemidji State Junior Year Hudl</a> <a href="https://a.hudl.com/video/3/1484871/5721d15390eead5d90d8e4ec">Rocori HS Game Film</a> RB: Jalen Frye (5'8, 170 lbs.) Mahtomedi, Minn. Mahtomedi HS. Sophomore. Bemidji State University. It's no surprise to see Frye succeeding as an underclassman at the next level, as the Mahtomedi grad is an absolute burner and was one of the fastest prep players in the state coming out in 2017. After an All-Metro East Conference HM nod his junior year of HS after scoring 13 TDs, the speedster came back and totaled 26 TDs and 1,600 yards in-route to All-MEC and All-Metro honors as a senior. After taking a redshirt year his initial freshman season, Frye got some carries in 2018 with two starts and 665 yards off 116 attempts with four TDs, and assumed the starting role as a RS Sophomore in 2019. It proved to be a great call by the BSU coaching staff, as Frye is entering 2020 already BSU's 10th ranked rusher of all time! He ranked fifth nationally with 148.6 yards per game, 14th with 1,337 total rushing yards, and 15th with 156.4 all-purpose yards while leading the NSIC in all three of those categories. He finished 2019 averaging a crazy 5.2 YPC, recorded the third-most rushing yards per game, fifth-most total rushing yards, and seventh-most all-purpose yards per game in single season BSU history, and became just the second Beaver all-time to cross the 300-yards rushing threshold in a game when he put up 316 yards against Minot State 11/16, which was only 3-yards shy of the record. Since the season ended he's been named to the Don Hansen All-America Second Team Offense list, and the Don Hansen All-Super Region 4 Second Team Offense lists to go along with his first All-NSIC accolade. He'll be a fun one to watch going forward. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/5668823/5828cd33bd752030d0ae866f">Senior Year HS Hudl</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/5668823/5bf6666a066c0e1064838168">Freshman Season BSU</a> [embed]https://youtu.be/OPyyXcvbmFY[/embed] OL: Nick Niemi (6'1, 295 lbs.) Cloquet, Minn. Cloquet HS. Senior. Bemidji State University. This time a Cloquet Lumberjack as opposed to a Bemidji Lumberjack, Niemi had a distinguished prep career in high school as a four-sport athlete who played football, hockey, baseball, and ran track and field for Cloquet High School. A two-way starter on the football gridiron, Niemi recorded 17.5 TFLs along with 10 catches for 129 yards and two TDs as a senior. He was also 4-5 on FGs, including a section championship game winning 40-yarder to end the contest. He was honored as a 2x All-Conference, all-section, Sea Range Defensive Player of the Year '14, and Duluth News Tribune All-Area Defensive Team as well. He used this prep experience to aid him at the next level, appearing and playing in 35 games as a Beaver with a NSIC First Team Offense and Don Hansen All-Super Region 4 Third Team Offense selection as a junior in '18, and moved up to Don Hansen All-Super Region 4 First Team and Don Hansen All-America HM for his 2019 efforts. He will be sorely missed and hard to replace for Bemidji State. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/2973049/5721be140dcb0d12f85d198e">Vs. Grand Rapids HS Hudl</a> OL: Joe Woods (6'2, 295 lbs.) Fertile, Minn. Fertile-Beltrami HS. Senior. Bemidji State University. It's very nice to see Woods receive this First Team All-NSIC nod in 2019 as the Fertile native started the first four games of 2018 (his RS junior year) before an injury ended his season prematurely. He bounced back with an 11 start 2019 with BSU and helped anchor the line that allowed the fewest sacks in the NSIC (10), ranked second in the NSIC with 434.3 total yards per game, third with 213.8 rushing yards per game, and fourth with 232.5 passing yards per game. Woods' dominance earned him a spot on the Don Hansen All-Super Region 4 Second Team Offense list for his senior year efforts as well. He actually began his Beaver career as a defensive lineman, and in his RS freshman season he totaled 11 tackles with four being solo tackles. After a move to OL that next year Woods started all 10 games at OG for the Beavs and put in a solid foundation of success for his big senior year. As a prep at Fertile-Beltrami HS Woods played football and basketball and as a senior in he led the team in tackles and was named Defensive POTY. He also received Pine to Prairie All-Conference honors on the gridiron and Pine to Prairie HM All-Conference honors on the hardwood. Someone will have to step up big next year to replace Woods. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/5300081/5dd6d2cbab92020fc850c450">Joe Woods BSU Film</a> QB: John Larson (6'1, 220 lbs.) Braham, Minn. Braham HS. Junior. University of Minnesota-Duluth Larson's only year not starting for his football team was his 2016 RS freshman season. From 2011-now, the Braham native has been the primary signal-caller of whatever team he's played on. Balling out is just what he does, and as a prep he was chose the Great Polar Conference's MVP for a third consecutive season as a senior and holds the Braham HS #1 spot in the record books for scoring and touchdowns. He was also a 2x captain, helped Braham win the conference title twice and the section thrice, AND was a 4x All-Great Polar Conference basketball selection. As expected, Larson's debut season in the Northern Sun went more than well, as he was an All-NSIC Second Team pick after throwing 95-165 for 1,372 yards with 16 TDs to only three interceptions. He added 90 carries for 365 yards on the ground as well. He followed his RS freshman year with an All-NSIC First Team honor as a sophomore in 2018 despite missing the final five games of the season! I find this very impressive, as you have to make a heckuva impression in those first seven games to get that First Team nod, and Larson's 2018 stats back up the pick. He was the first Bulldog in over three years to claim the NSIC Offensive Player of the Week award and went 101-167 (60.5%) for 1,343 yards with six TDs and rushed 82 times for 435 and five TDs. This year he went 94-169 (56%) for 1,527 yards and 19 TDs to six interceptions with 67 rushes for 306 and two TDs for his second consecutive First Team All-NSIC selection. The mechanical engineering major will be a second year captain as a senior in 2020, and it will be fun to watch him try to beat his numbers from the past three seasons. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/4644694/5721cdb1dfe23b2d68b27e8f">Senior Year Midseason Hudl</a> RB: Wade Sullivan (5'8, 175 lbs.) Lakeville, Minn. Lakeville North HS. Sophomore. University of Minnesota-Duluth The only Minnesota Mr. Football winner to not sign with a Division I program was possibly the best recruiting grab of the decade for the UMD Bulldogs and was the best RB in Duluth after an initial RS year in 2017. This stat I brought up is absolutely not a knock on Sullivan, as he can no doubt play at the highest level possible and has been a tank in the Northern Sun after graduating from Lakeville North HS where he was one of my favorite prep running backs ever. A two-year starter who finished with 3,330 yards and 49 TDs on the ground as a Panther, Sullivan's senior season netted him the aforementioned Mr. Football Award, as well as AP All-State First Team, St. Paul Pioneer Press East Metro Offensive Player of the Year, First Team All-Metro, and All-District honors after recording 2,178 all-purpose yards and 32 TDs. He was also a Class AAA 113 lb. state champion as a freshman on the wrestling mat and finished second at 145 in 2015. Sullivan's first collegiate season in the Northern Sun got him Second Team All-NSIC honors after he rushed 117 times for 615 yards and nine TDs plus 19 catches and four TDs through the air. The Lakeville native improved in 2019 to have 121 carries for 646 yards and six touchdowns with 325 yards and four tuddys through the air. I'm psyched to see what he can do as an upperclassman, as he's one of only three sophomores to make the First Team Offense lists in the North and South division. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/2238814/5833b41dc124d70ba094435e">Senior Season Highlights</a> Stay tuned for the next feature in the series where we will highlight and review the prep careers of the Minnesotan's selected to the NSIC South Division First Team All-NSIC Offensive List. Hope you enjoyed!