Spring Grove has star power in a tough 9-Player section

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Sep. 1—Spring Grove has some big-threat guys back from a team that finished 8-3 last year and lost to Mabel-Canton in the section championship game.

The question is how will it be up front. All but one of the Lions interior linemen graduated last year. Spring Grove had nine seniors on last season's team.

Travis Fisch is that lone returning lineman and he's a good one. The 6-2, 220-pound senior center and defensive end does a lot for Spring Grove.

"He could play some tight end for us, too," Lions coach Kody Moore said. "He is pretty disruptive and quick and has decent size. Plus, he's got that year of experience under his belt."

Spring Grove gets a big boost with the return of quarterback Dylan Halverson. A dual-threat 6-1, 170-pound senior, Halverson threw for 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns last season. He also ran for close to 10 touchdowns.

"Out of our spread offense, he can run," Moore said. "He is a dual threat for sure."

Ezra Konkel is a 5-9, 155-pound junior running back who will be featured. He's got excellent quickness and last year was a starter at cornerback on defense. He'll move to linebacker this season.

The Lions have a school record holder returning on defense. That is Caden Gerard, who picked off nine passes last year and will move to linebacker this year. The 6-foot, 185-pounder is a big threat on offense, too. He had seven touchdowns last season.

Sam Klug is a 5-11, 170-pound receiver and linebacker who is the leader of the Lions' defense. He's aggressive and hard-nosed, according to Moore.

Moore really likes all the skill that returns on his team and believes it could lead them to the top of the district. But he says much of that will be determined by his linemen and how they pan out.

"We've got some big questions up front," Moore said.

The Kingsland team will be playing this season with heavy hearts. On Saturday, Aug. 15, teammate Nathaniel Drees was in an ATV accident. The talented wide receiver died a day later.

Kingsland will be dedicating the season to Drees.

"We can honor him and play hard for him," Kingsland coach Matt Kolling said. "We want to do whatever we can to keep his memory alive. He was just a great kid."

On the field, the Kingsland football team will also look different because the Kaaleem Reiland era is over.

The Knights' star option quarterback, who started since his freshman year, is now playing at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

But there will still be a Reiland for opponents to deal with. That is KD Reiland and he's a load. The senior goes 5-foot-8, 220 pounds and he can move. Reiland will play both running back and tight end on offense, and linebacker on defense.

"He looks really good," Kolling said. "He runs really hard. But he has to learn to hang onto the football."

Kingsland's other running back is a star. A returning senior starter, Ben Wiersma is 6-1 and 180 pounds and among his team's fastest players.

Kingsland finished 6-3 last year and would have done even better had it blocked a bit better. It should be improved up front this season, with all of its starters back. There are also some young players who could be in the mix there. Kolling says he's got an "awesome" sophomore class.

Senior Collin Stuart, much more of a passer than a runner, figures to be the Knights' starting quarterback. He started when Kaaleem Reiland was out with an injury last year. But there is a sophomore who shows lots of promise as a runner. That is Tate Rasmussen. Look for him to take some snaps from center this year, too.

Defensively, the back portion of the Knights' starting crew looks formidable, with Wiersma and Reiland at linebacker, and a strong secondary. There are some questions about Kingsland's defensive line, though a freshman, Easton Johnson, is emerging.

Kingsland has a deep senior class, with nine of them returning.

It's going to be tough for the Cougars to repeat what they did last year. They finished 11-1 and reached the state tournament, falling to Hillcrest Lutheran Academy 40-38 in the quarterfinals.

M-C's challenge is to fill all of the holes that graduation left it with. The Cougars graduated a pack of talented and seasoned players.

"We were senior heavy last year," M-C coach Paul Tollefsrud said. "We had a lot of kids who'd played for us since they were young."

There are a handful of players who started last year who are back.

That includes Kale Eiken, a running back/linebacker. The 6-0, 170-pound senior runs the ball with aggression.

Also returning is the coach's son, Brevyn Tollefsrud. A 6-0, 175-pound junior, Tollefsrud will return to his middle linebacker spot where he shined last year. On offense, he's a wingback.

Josh Whitney (5-10, 160, junior) gives the Cougars someone who is fast. He played tight end last year but will likely be moved around to find a bigger role on offense. On defense, he's a cornerback who generally guarded the opponent's biggest receiving threat last year.

Gage Hosting (5-10, 180) is a player with lots of potential when he plays with aggression. He was an offensive and defensive lineman last year and was most instrumental at defensive end, where he can be disruptive.

The Cougars graduated their entire offensive line.

"If we play as a team and are physical, we can be right in there in our league," Paul Tollefsrud said. "We have to battle through the tough parts of the game and not give up. If we put together a team effort and encourage our teammates, we could be tough."

The Cardinals graduated a big bunch of seniors, but also have some crucial players returning.

That group is led by Reid Hungerholt, a 6-2, 180-pound senior quarterback. Hungerholt was all-district last season when he threw for 1,900 yards and 23 touchdowns and ran for 1,200 yards and nine touchdowns. He seems close to a carbon copy of older brother Cam, who was named Mr. Football in 2024.

Hungerholt has some excellent and tall receivers to throw to. Hunter Wollenburg (6-4, 205) leads that group. A great all-around athlete, Wollenburg had 29 catches last season for 500 yards and six touchdowns.

"He is such a dynamic player," Cardinals coach Trevor Carrier said of Wollenburg. "He is a big-time target who runs well. We have two of the top athletes in southeastern Minnesota (Hungerholt the other) and we just have to figure out ways to get them the ball."

The Cardinals boast a tall group of receivers. They could go 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 at that position.

Landen Ritter and Asher McNeely give L-O/LP two strong players up front. Ritter is a 6-foot, 260-pound junior and McNeely, a 6-3, 190-pound junior.

Another player to keep an eye on is Jaxon Learn, a 6-3, 185-pound sophomore. He is a linebacker and backup quarterback and one of the Cardinals' top players.

Carrier likes his team's speed and the size it has up front. He also likes its depth.

"We have 14 to 15 kids who can give you minutes," Carrier said. "We feel like we can contend in the district."

Last year was a learning experience for W-K coach Tim Klingbeil and his team.

The Falcons bounced from forever playing 11-man football to playing 9-Player for the first time.

It went reasonably well, W-K finishing 4-6.

"One of the challenges is just learning the (9-Player) game," Klingbeil said. "It was a lot of fun, but all of the offenses and defenses are different. We learned the hard way, but we are a lot further along now."

W-K has a strong quarterback returning in Kevin Wiebusch, a senior. He is a strong passer who had a big season last year. The 5-foot-10, 170-pounder passed for 1,191 yards and 13 touchdowns, completing 56% of his passes.

Bryar Ender is back at tight end and defensive end. He is one of the most highly recruited players the Falcons have ever had. He is a big and rangy, at 6-5, 240 and with a huge wingspan. He was good for six sacks and 15 tackles for loss last year on defense, and offensively had 33 receptions for 458 yards and eight touchdowns.

"He can run and he's very coordinated," Klingbeil said of Ender, who is also the team's kicker and punter. "He's a monster on a Nine-Man field."

Jonas Dunn is another returning starter, a senior who will play tight end and defensive end. He goes 6-1, 210 and is passionate about football.

The Falcons otherwise lack experience. They have a number of players playing football for the first time.

The Superlarks have the look of a team that is going to win more than two games this season. They finished 2-7 last year.

There is some star power there and some experienced depth. Both should add up to a real change.

"We have good experience on the team this year," Grand Meadow coach Josh Bain said. "I hope that makes a difference. We've got nine or 10 seniors and we're excited about that."

That includes three very impactful ones. They are Logan Grafe, Marshall Bleifus and Parker Armagost.

Grafe is a 6-4, 215-pound tight end/defensive end. He's a physical player and smart and aggressive.

Bleifus is a three-year starter at center and defensive tackle and was honorable mention all-district last year. He goes 5-7, 235 pounds and anchors the Grand Meadow lines. Bleifus has good mobility for his size.

Armagost is the lone wrestler on the team and he uses those skills to be a tough football player. He's a running back and linebacker and is 5-10, 170 pounds with an ability to stay low and hit the holes on offense. Defensively, he's got a nose for the ball.

Jackson Soltau, another senior, will start at quarterback for the first time. He's a good runner who can throw just enough to keep defenses honest. His top receiver is likely to be Blake Hubbard, a senior who is quick and agile and has added some bulk thanks to diligence in the weight room.

Grand Meadow has some holes to fill defensively, but Grafe, Bleifus and Armagost are all two-way players with skill.

Bain is encouraged by his team.

"Experience means a lot," Bain said.

The Superlarks have it.

Things are looking up for the Burros.

After managing just two wins over the last three seasons — which had followed a 9-2 year — Lanesboro has some nice pieces and more committed players.

Leading the group is coach James Semmen's son, Henry Semmen. A 6-foot-3, 230-pound junior, Henry will line up at tight end and defensive end. He was an honorable-mention all-district player last year.

Another key piece is Quadyn Kettner, a 6-2, 180-pound junior who was a starter the last two years. Kettner has speed and looks good at receiver. He had about 15 catches last season. He will also play linebacker.

The Burros should be decent up front, with James Cullen (6-0, 230, senior) and Jackson Hearon (5-10, 235, junior) leading the way on offense and defense. And two-year starter Liam Miller (6-3, 205) gives Lanesboro more size at defensive end and tight end.

Back at quarterback is Teague Tessum, who started about half the games last year. He's undersized at 5-11, 145, but is among the team's fastest players and throws a nice short ball.

"I like the experience we are bringing back," James Semmen said. "And the kids are focused and engaged. We'll be better this year. We have a nice group of kids."

The Burros have a new offensive coordinator who is a familiar face. That is Cody Hungerholt, the former Houston head coach. He once played quarterback for James Semmen.

There has been a changing of the guard in Houston. Marcus Teachout has replaced Cody Hungerholt as the Hurricanes' new head coach.

The 35-year-old Teachout comes from Winona, where for 15 years he coached under John Cassellius, who is now the principal at Houston. Teachout says he learned a lot from Cassellius.

"He taught me leadership styles, the will to win and basically how to build a culture," said Teachout, who last year was also the first-year Houston boys basketball coach.

Teachout is going to see how he can handle coaching consecutive sports, head man in football in the fall and head man in basketball in the winter.

"I'm pretty excited about it," Teachout said. "But we'll see what my wife says."

Houston has some talent returning. That includes its starting quarterback, Hector Steinfeld. Teachout describes him as a tough runner who also throws the ball well. The 6-1, 180-pound senior also returns at outside linebacker on defense.

The Hurricanes have one of the better running backs around in Lee Klunder. A returning tailback, Klunder can really move. He's the fastest player on the team and a breakaway threat.

Joining him in the backfield will be Elliot Frauenkron, a physical 6-foot, 220-pound senior who is also a "stud" linebacker, according to Teachout.

Houston's best blocker might be Coltin Groth, a 5-11, 250-pound senior. He's a returning starter.

Houston finished 5-4 last year and was 4-5 the season before that.

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