Springfield’s Jakob Nachreiner has thrown
37 touchdowns this season
by Bryan Zollman
When searching for the top quarterbacks in the state of Minnesota, one must make a stop in Springfield, a small town of 2,100 people located on Highway 14 in western Minnesota.
It is there you will find senior Jakob Nachreiner, one of the state’s top leaders in passing yards with 2,314. Nachreiner has helped lead his Tigers team to a 7-1 record and a year removed from an 11-3 mark and a trip to the Prep Bowl where they lost in the finals to Minneota 38-21.
Nachreiner is a key cog in the Tigers success, completing 131 of 199 passes and throwing for a state-leading 37 touchdowns against just seven interceptions.
“Jakob possesses a very natural arm and can make pretty much any throw on the field,” said Springfield Head Coach Adam Meyer. “He is a pitcher in baseball and it shows in the way he can drive the football. He is also able to throw from many different slots and angles.”
At 5’11” and 165 pounds, Nachreiner gets the most out of his frame. Part of that comes from his ability to read defenses and his vast understanding of the game of football.
“He understands the game very well,” said Meyer. “He is someone who has been around sports all his life and I can go and talk to him about a certain play and he understands and reads coverages fairly quickly.”
Meyer said quick-thinking quarterbacks are essential for their offense, and Nachreiner certainly fits the bill. Consistency is another hallmark of a good quarterback and Nachreiner had some growing pains as a junior in becoming a more consistent passer.
“As a junior we saw more inconsistency with his mechanics and throwing,” said Meyer. “This year he has been consistent week to week in getting the ball out on time and on target.”
Meyer saw Nachreiner took big strides during the team’s state tournament run last season. That’s when things started to click.
“We really looked to him and our passing game to open up the field and he rose to the occasion,” said Meyer. “He was delivering passes to all levels of the field and going through progressions really well. His play was a huge reason we went as far as we did last season.”
In the state semifinals in 2022 Nachreiner completed 22 of 26 passes for 371 yards and five touchdowns in a 54-30 win over Deer River. That catapulted the Tigers into the Prep Bowl against Minneota where he was 14-for-24 for 195 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
He finished the season with 3,119 yards, 40 touchdowns and 13 picks. His QB rating for the season was 123.4.
This season he has progressed as a quarterback and leader and is averaging more than 300 yards in the air per game.
“As a senior I feel his leadership throughout practice has taken a step forward,” said Meyer. “Not only is he more comfortable in his own skin, he has taken on helping the younger quarterbacks develop and can speak to them through his own experience of what has and hasn’t worked for him.”
The Tigers run a spread offense, often using four receivers. To date, three receivers have more than 25 receptions, four more than 200 yards receiving, and six who have at least one touchdown reception.
“He is very aware of the talent around him,” said Meyer. “Throughout last season and this season we have consistently put four receivers on the field that we feel are very strong at their position. Getting touches for all four guys is a challenge at times, but one he takes on and does a very good job of understanding what each of them does well and keeps everyone involved.”
Brayden Strum leads the receiving crew with 39 catches for 749 yards and 12 touchdowns. Carter Olson has 36 catches for 589 yards and nine scores, and Ashton Toll has 25 catches for 385 yards and seven touchdowns. Sam Pidde and Aiden Moriarty also each have three touchdown receptions.
While Nachreiner has put up big numbers on the football field, he has chosen to play baseball at the collegiate level. That means he will try and lead his Tigers on another deep run into the state playoffs with hopes of reaching that elusive Prep Bowl title game once again.
