Minnesota’s football commitments kept busy on September 18, and the week brought a little bit of everything: huge receiving days, multi-score outings, defensive impact plays and a few teams simply grinding through their Friday night business.
At the top of the board, David Mack of Moorhead turned in one of the loudest stat lines of the night. He hauled in 13 catches for 197 yards and three touchdowns, and he added two tackles on defense. Not far behind him in production was Roy Price of Newark, who stuffed the box score in a 59-33 win with 13 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack, nine solo tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Greg Hargrow of Rosa Fort in Mississippi also delivered a monster performance. He ran 17 times for 164 yards and five touchdowns, averaged 9.6 yards per carry, caught one pass for 24 yards and added 49 punt return yards. Carlos Ferguson of McDonough School in Maryland had a big game of his own in a win over the second-ranked team in Virginia, finishing with five catches for 111 yards and three touchdowns.
On the defensive side, Cameron Saunders of Valley Christian made his presence felt with two passes deflected at the line, a half sack and 11 tackles.
Among the locals, Moorhead had a busy night across the board. Jett Feeney completed 28 of 36 passes for 357 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-28 win over Minnetonka, and he also had one punt for 25 yards.
Zak Walker caught eight passes for 51 yards and a touchdown while adding four tackles on defense. Taye Reich contributed as both a runner and receiver, finishing with eight carries for 60 yards and a touchdown plus five catches for 83 yards.
Wayzata kept rolling after last year’s 1-8 season, moving to 3-0 with a 28-20 win over STMA. Eli Diane chipped in with one sack, two tackles for loss and six total tackles in that one.
A few more commitments stacked up productive Saturdays in the “Playmakers” group. Furian Inferrera of Mission Hills in California played part of a 49-8 win and went 9 of 12 for 134 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. Jayden Thomas of Centennial in Vegas was part of a 49-6 win over Mojave, though there were no statistical numbers to note.
Brooks Bakko of Kindred in North Dakota did a little of everything in a 40-19 win over Jamestown. He caught two passes for 42 yards and a touchdown, recorded five tackles with a couple solo stops and a couple pass deflections, punted once for 39 yards and returned two punts for a combined 17 yards. Jordan Walley helped D’Ilberville move to 4-0 with a 24-0 win, completing 16 of 28 passes for 117 yards, rushing 10 times for 29 yards and two touchdowns, and adding four tackles on defense.
Kevin Ferrygood of Cy-Fair High in Texas was off this week, and Drake Mikkelsen of Lennox in South Dakota helped his team improve to 3-1 with a 22-14 win over Canton, though no stats were available.
In the defensive group, Wyatt Wilber of Maryville in Tennessee and his team improved to 4-1 with a win over Farragut. Tate Wallace of Regina in Iowa played only a half in a 57-0 win, but he still forced a fumble, made six tackles with four solo stops and 1.5 sacks, and also caught one pass for 18 yards. Taylor Daniels of Seton Hall Prep helped in a 24-7 win over Delbarton with six tackles, including two solo stops.
Jyden German of Bishop Verot was off this week. Wyatt Lieberntritt of Skutt Catholic had two solo tackles on defense and caught three passes for 31 yards on offense. Maxwell Miles of Centennial in Las Vegas did not appear in the postgame box score again, which suggests he remains out with injury.
Kason Clayborne of Sioux City East added another solid outing in a 48-7 win over Sioux City West. He had four solo tackles before leaving early, and through four weeks he has 27 tackles. The post also noted 26.5 total tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss.
Up front, Drake Buthe of Glenwood in Iowa was part of a 34-6 win over Sergeant Bluff-Luton, with Glenwood’s run game continuing to pile up big numbers. Two backs have already reached 500 yards through four games, with one averaging nearly 11 yards a carry and the other nearly nine.
Dylan Mota of St. Patricks in Chicago saw his team move to 4-1, while Jamail Sewell and Wisconsin Lutheran fell to 2-3 after a 20-19 loss to Menomonee Falls.
Gage Geyer and Edina were shut out 36-0 by Eden Prairie, dropping to 1-2, and Will Clausen’s Cedar Rapids Prairie team fell to 2-2 after a 47-0 loss to Waukee Northwest. Clausen is playing both ways and has six solo tackles this season. Lemani Fehoko of Juniper Serra in California was off last week, and his team sits at 2-1.
In Other News...
Former Gopher Tyler Johnson Just Landed In A Familiar NFL Spot
Tyler Johnson is back in a familiar NFL spot, joining the New York Jets practice squad after injuries thinned out their wide receiver group. For the former Gopher, it is a return to a team he already knows from last season, and it gives him another chance to stay close to an active roster as the NFL calendar moves deeper into the year.
For Minnesota fans, Johnsons move is another reminder of how many former Gophers are carving out roles on Sundays, with several others turning in noteworthy week two performances across the league. From snaps to specific assignments to production in game action, the second weekend offered another snapshot of just how wide that alumni footprint has become. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Enter Big Ten Opener With One Huge Question Still Looming
Minnesota heads into its Big Ten opener at Washington at 2-1, and the Gophers are carrying a little momentum after a 41-7 win over Akron. Coach P.J. Fleck said the team has handled the longer buildup well, with the late kickoff giving Minnesota extra time to prepare for a cross-country conference trip that already feels like an early test of where this group stands.
The biggest lingering question, though, is the status of running back Darius Taylor. He sat out against Akron because of an injury, and the next injury report should offer a clearer picture of whether Minnesota will have one of its most important offensive pieces available when league play begins. After bouncing back strongly from a previous loss, the Gophers now have to wait on Taylors availability before their opener becomes fully defined. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Just Earned A Chance To Change Their Early Season Mood
A third week of Big Ten football brought a fresh reset to the conference conversation, and Minnesota found itself part of the early sorting that comes with it. After a stretch of results that has already started to separate the contenders from the teams still searching for an identity, the Gophers now have a clearer sense of where they stand as the league schedule begins to sharpen the stakes.
Minnesotas next chance matters because the mood around an early season can turn quickly once conference play starts to carry more weight. With several Big Ten teams showing both signs of growth and familiar flaws, the Gophers are in the same race as everyone else to prove the first few weeks were only a starting point, not a verdict. [Read more 🡒]