It was another great week of high school football in Minnesota with several outstanding performances from players all over the state. Below are some of the top performances from Week 4 as teams reached the midway point of the regular season. If you know of someone who had a big game, please let us know at editor@letsplayfootballmn.com and we will be sure to add them to our list.
Here are some of the top performers from Week 4:
Monte Gillman (pictured above) – Senior – RB – Dassel-Cokato
Gillman has helped lead Dassel-Cokato to a 4-0 mark with three touchdowns Friday in their 41-0 win over Glencoe-Silver Lake. Gillman is part of a strong running corps for the Chargers, who also got touchdowns from Kobee Thielen, Caleb Smock and Caleb Thinesen. Gillman and Smock each have 8 TDs on the season. Gillman’s older brother, Eli, is a sophomore running back at the University of Montana.
Dawson Franke – QB – Robbinsdale Armstrong: Franke was about as consistent as a QB can get. He was 8-for-10 on Friday for 189 yards and connected with three different receivers for touchdowns. Gideon Baker, Fitz Freeman and Eli Kuempel all hauled in touchdown scores as Robbinsdale Armstrong improved to4-0 with a 41-7 win over Cretin-Derham Hall. Armstrong running back Kevon Johns was just as impressive, averaging 15 yards a carry with 15 rushes for 229 yards and two touchdowns. Watch for Robbinsdale Armstrong in Class 5A. They will have a tough test this week against St. Thomas Academy (3-1).
Hudson Omoke – Junior – WR – Sauk Rapids/Rice: Omoke helped Sauk Rapids-Rice improve to 4-0 in Section 7AAAAA with nine catches for 149 yards including a touchdown with 4:37 left to help the Storm secure a 16-7 win over St. Francis. Sauk-Rapids-Rice has been able to win close games with all four wins coming by a total margin of 26 points, an average of 4.5 points per win. Omoke has been on the receiving end of sophomore quarterback Spencer Ackerman’s accurate arm. Ackerman is 60-for-91 on the season and has thrown for 892 yards in four games. Omoke, a 6’3” junior, has 32 catches on the season for 562 yards and three touchdowns. The Storm will take on reigning 5A champion Elk River this week. Elk River is coming off a game where they had 695 yards in rushing and lost to Andover 63-56.
Elk River Running Backs: Owen Van Drehle, Gavin Schmidt, and Brecken Keoraj combined for 563 yards and six touchdowns for the Elks. As a team they rushed for seven scores and 695 yards, but still lost. The reigning 5A champs have proven their run game is perhaps the best around. Van Drehle, a senior, rushed for 232 yards on 16 carries and three touchdowns. Schmidt, a junior, rushed for 180 yards on 24 carries and one touchdown. Keoraj, also a junior, averaged 17.6 yards a carry with 141 yards on 8 carries and two scores. Elk River’s three losses have come to Chanhassen (4-0) 34-28, Brainerd (4-0) 39-35, and Andover (4-0) 63-56. Don’t count them out just yet. They have had a tough schedule and have been one play away in each game from being 4-0 themselves.
Hudson Maynard – Junior – QB – Andover: It;’s tough to rush for almost 700 yards and not get a victory, but a big reason for that for Elk River on Friday was Andover’s Hudson Maynard. The junior QB threw for four touchdowns and also ran for two, including the game winner with 2:37 left. Maynard was 14-for-18 in the air with four TDs in the 63-56 win. Three of those went to Cameron Begalle, who caught 10 passes for 254 yards. Begalle now has 28 catches for 535 yards and six TDs for the 3-1 Huskies. Their lone loss came to top-ranked Mankato West in Week 2 35-21. Through four games Maynard has completed 70 percent of his passes and has thrown for 672 yards.
Asuma Trio – Cherry: Isaiah, Noah and Isaac Asuma had a hand in nine touchdowns in Cherry’s 80-6 win over Cook County Friday. Cherry improved to 4-0 in 9-man competition. Noah Asuma rushed for three scores, Isaiah caught three TD passes and returned a kickoff 75 yards for a TD and Isaac had a rushing score and returned an interception to the house from 75 yards out. Quarterback Noah Sundquist was 9-for-10 for 254 yards and five touchdowns.
Mankato West Defense: Mankato West is ranked atop the field in Class 5A and their defense is a big reason for that. Through four games the Scarlets have allowed just 377 yards of total offense. They have allowed just 236 yards passing and 141 yards rushing, an average of 94.25 yards per game. They have allowed just 34 points and have yet to give up a touchdown in the third quarter. Some notables on defense include junior linebacker Franklin Mcaninch, senior linebacker Calvin O’Connor, senior safety Brody Koberoski, and junior 6’3” 225-pound lineman Devin Blackstad.