Senior QB leads state in rushing yards
by Bryan Zollman
When Leroy-Ostrander and Kingsland meet tonight in the Section 1 9-man final, it will mark 63 days since their last meeting.
The two 9-man powers met in the season opener on Aug. 30 with Leroy-Ostrander winning a close battle 35-26.
Since then Leroy-Ostrander has gone undefeated and won nine straight. The Cardinals are coming off a 61-28 win over Southland in the section semis after beating Lanesboro 70-14 in the quarters.
In order to stop or slow down the Cardinals, Kingsland will have to take on the task of Camden Hungerholt, who currently leads the state with 2,229 yards rushing and has scored 29 touchdowns. As a dual-threat quarterback he has also thrown for 1,792 yards, 24 touchdowns and just one interception. Yes that is 53 total TDs for the senior.
“Cam is a special football player,” said Leroy-Ostrander Head Coach Trevor Carrier. “He’s definitely a dual threat. He does a little bit of everything for us. He throws the ball well and is just a tremendous athlete.”
Hungerholt comes from a large family of athletes. His dad played basketball at Mankato State for four years and his cousins played basketball at Concordia-St. Paul. He’s carrying on the family lineage. He also will play at MSU-Mankato next year. 
Carrier said Hungerholt transformed his body to be a supreme athlete. In the 9-man game, high-end athletes can take over games, as Hungerholt does consistently. He added 20 pounds to his frame from his junior year.
“He has transformed his body and his strength,” said Carrier, adding that he has the competitive edge needed to play at the next level. “The competitive nature is strong with him. He is very resilient. Everything is a competition, every play, every battle.”
It didn’t take Hungerholt long to find a home for his next step in his football career. He’s also an exceptional basketball player and wasn’t sure what sport he wanted to pursue.
Camden Hungerholt has also thrown for 24 touchdowns and just one interception, leading the Cardinals to a 10-0 record heading into their section final against Kingsland in 9-man football. PHOTO SUBMITTED“My first camp was in Mankato,” he said. “I went to some other camps and picked up some other offers, but then went to a visit to Mankato and decided that is where I want to be.”
Hungerholt plays both sides of the ball and as an exceptional athlete could probably play on either side in college.
“I’ll play wherever gets me on the field the fastest,” he said. “I just love being out there with my teammates and love scoring touchdowns and every aspect that football brings.”
He credits Coach Carrier for his encouragement, support and helping him become more knowledgeable about the game of football.
“The trust he puts in me gives me the confidence to go out there and play,” he said. “I just want to be the best I can be. I want to be the best player. If I see some other player trying to outwork me, it makes me work even harder.”
While Hungerholt is the team’s best player, he’s not the only one. The Cardinals benefited from joining forces with Austin-Pacelli, who brought 14 additional players into the program. Most were freshmen, but the team did acquire two starters, which is a big boost for a 9-man program. Dylan Christianson is a two-way player, and Tyson Stevens an all-conference player from Southland, also joined this year’s Cardinals.
The team’s defense is led by defensive end Ryder Stern, who leads in most defensive categories, including tackles (107), tackles for a loss (16) and sacks (10.0). Carter Sweeney has been Hungerholt’s top target with 31 catches for 638 yards and 10 scores.
While the Cardinals seem to have all the pieces, and are so far unbeaten, they will have to get through Kingsland, who gave them a close game two months ago. In the last 14 years, Section 1 has been in the championship a dozen times.
“Getting through the section is a gauntlet,” said Carrier. “It’s not a cakewalk, but that helps us out because it makes us a better team.”
For Hungerholt and company, it’s also redemption time. After an early exit last season, they have something to prove this time around.
“We don’t want to overlook anyone,” said Hungerholt. “We will go one game at a time. But we think this is a year we can go all the way.”
Watch:
Let’s Play Football’s
The Program
Episode 2: Stillwater
Presented by:
Watch:
Let’s Play Football’s
The Program
Episode One: Caledonia Football
Presented by:
