Football University Team of the Week Nominees: Week 7

Northfield – W, 21-17 over No. 1 (5A) Owatonna

The Raiders outlasted top-ranked Owatonna in a thrilling contest on Friday in Northfield. Senior quarterback Lars Prestemon found Alex Rasmussen for a touchdown with 18 seconds to play that gave Northfield the come-from-behind victory.

The scoring play capped a frantic, 90-yard drive that lasted less than a minute with Owatonna leading by three. Prestemon finished with 226 yards and a touchdown through the air. Junior running back Jim Vitito rushed for 110 yards and a score, while also adding 59 receiving yards for the undefeated Raiders.

Northfield’s defense was also impressive. The unit held Huskies junior Jason Williamson to just 102 yards and a 3.1 yards per carry average. The Raiders can clinch the Big Southeast Red subdistrict title and a No. 1 seed in Section 1AAAAA with a win over Rochester Century on Wednesday.

Rocori (Cold Spring) – W, 16-7 over No. 4 (4A) Hutchinson

Undefeated Rocori passed its biggest test of the 2017 season, defeating the visiting Tigers in Cold Spring.

The Spartans raced to a 16-point, first-quarter lead on the strength of two Mason Primus touchdown passes. Senior Jesse Huber opened the scoring with a 31-yard catch less than four minutes into the game. Dalton Thelen then added an 11-yard touchdown grab later in the quarter.

The lead was more than enough for the Rocori defense. The unit stifled the dynamic Hutchinson offense in the win, holding the Tigers to their lowest output of the season in both yards (149) and points (seven). Linebacker Jordan Pemble notched an interception to lead the Spartans. 

Hawley – W, 48-30 over No. 2 (2A) Barnesville

The Nuggets scored 22 straight points to pull away from the hosts and upset the second-ranked Trojans on Friday. The victory ended Barnesville’s regular-season home winning streak at 38.

Donnie Loegering led the Hawley charge, bookending halftime with a pair of rushing touchdowns. The 178-pound senior’s five-yard plunge early in the third quarter gave the Nuggets a two-possession advantage they wouldn’t relinquish. Quarterback Jacob Vetter found Noah Glad for a 60-yard scoring strike later in the quarter to extend the lead to 36-14.

Vetter finished the contest with 306 yards through the air and two touchdowns, both in the second half. Loegering rushed for 182 yards and four touchdowns, increasing his total to 20 for the season.

Pierz – W, 42-6 over No. 6 (2A) Paynesville

It was another dominating performance for the Pioneers, which blitzed Paynesville with 14 points in each of the first three quarters for the victory.

Pierz, which rushed for 357 yards, has now won every game by at least 17 points this season. Senior Reese Kapsner rushed for 143 yards and two touchdowns on just nine carries. His 78-yard jaunt extended the Pierz lead to 21-0 early in the second quarter.

The score came one play after a Jalen Jansen fumble recovery stopped a Bulldogs drive. Jansen added two touchdowns on the ground, while senior Ben Herold added an interception in the second quarter, one of two in the game for Pierz.

The Pioneers can close out their third undefeated regular season in four years with a win over Rockford on Wednesday.

BOLD – W, 54-0 over Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City

BOLD, Class A’s top-ranked team, was impressive again in Week 7 blowing out the Falcons to maintain its perfect record.

The Warriors used three Gavin Vosika touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving) to roll to a 36-0 halftime advantage. Vosika added a six-yard score on the ground in the third quarter and finished with 119 of BOLD’s 278 yards rushing. Quarterback Jordan Sagedahl threw for 252 yards and two touchdowns, both in the first half.

Steve Solem’s defense continued to impress, too, shutting out an opponent for the second time in three weeks. The Warriors have not allowed points in the first or fourth quarters through seven games this fall. Devin Gluesing led BOLD with 12 tackles.