The Stars and Studs of the Dakotas: Week Two

We had some players who stood out and showed how much talent they had put on display. Lets take a look at some player who showed us why they deserve to be recognized with the best of the best.     [player_tooltip player_id='289598' first='Jett' last='Zabel'] - Pierre TF Riggs, 6'4", WR   Zabel put on an absolute light show in his opening debut as one of the star receivers that he plays with on his air raid-style team. Zabel had totaled over 200 yards in a performance that wide receivers can dream of, with an average of a whopping 15.4 yards per catch. Zabel used his route running and amazing ability to get open and create separation with all of his receivers to his excellent advantage. He zipped around the field and went anywhere he wants with what was relative ease and it was hard for anyone to even remotely put him in a box. He beat zone and press coverages alike and did not struggle to find ways to get open. This was an astounding show of force that will cap off a season in that we should see Zabel become more of a name that everyone should keep an eye on. To round out his performance he added on three total touchdowns and was a red zone threat into that game which will translate well for everyone else on there. Zabel works hard and plays hard, so it is exciting to see a player with such explosiveness and talent, mixed with heart and the ability to be a great team player.     [player_tooltip player_id='223096' first='Jack' last='Merkwan'] - Pierre TF Riggs, 6'3", WR The other wide receiver that was amazing in their performance was Merkwan who was in lockstep with Zabel in terms of the overall output of their offense. In just 9 receptions he had totaled an insane 198 yards of receiving, you did not want to be the defensive back who had a line against Merkwan. He had was averaged 22 yards per catch, which makes his overall performance even more impressive with how talented he is. MMarkmanwas mainly utilized as a speedy deep-out threat and beating anyone that tries to stop will be left in the dust. Merkwan was quick and nimble and it seems that no one could keep up with him and it was impressive to see such IQ and talent on display. He also had in his pocket an 80-yard long catch which translated into one of three touchdowns for his team in a romping victory over Aberdeen. Merkwan and Zabel are a dynamic duo who are going to be seldom stopped if at all this season, and I for one am looking forward to how their stardom can continue to form over this upcoming season.     Riley Enders - Bridgewater/Emery/Ethan, RB   Enders was a freight train for his team in their win this past week and he without a doubt was a huge part of that. Now being the points leader in South Dakota with a total of 32 already, he is showing why you should watch out for this RB from a small school. Enders had 130 total yards for his team on 18 total carries with an average of 7.2 yards per carry, simply overpowering in the run game. He ran over and made line backers back off when he was running up the middle, breaking many tackles along the way with this overall running performance. His longest run to add to his dazzling running game was a 58 yard beast mode style of run, breaking away and not having anyone stop on his way to helping his team score. He added 3 touchdowns on to this and was the driving factor for his teams offense with adding on 35 receiving yards to top off a great game.     Trey Skoglund - Oakes High School, 5'11", LB/RB   Skoglund was a threat and playmaker all over the field for his team in their upset win in their game last week, The only question you should be asking is what he did not do for his team in this game, being a force on offense and defense. He had a total of 14 tackles mixed in with a critical interception that helped his team and made his presence known to the offense. He tacked on a strip sack to make his game as an edge rusher one of the best that the Dakota's have seen this season and it was an impressive display to watch, to say the least. As a running back, he was overpowering in his running and made sure he put his team first in his run game, nothing big or flashy but efficient and tactical. He was just above 100 yards in total rushing and it is hard to see his team be as great as they were without the production that Skoglund had output in his game. Keep an eye on him this season, his toolset and talent are off the charts along with his willingness to be used where ever you need him to play and making him a player that every coach should want on their team.

We had some players who stood out and showed how much talent they had put on display. Lets take a look at some player who showed us why they deserve to be recognized with the best of the best.