After an offseason of uncertainty, we were blessed to be able to come out as a team in brand new uniforms and take on a  Lake Conference opponent in Edina on a  beautiful Friday night.   Behind a balanced offensive attack and a strong defensive effort the Crimson prevailed 25 - 3.   

Offensively, the Crimson rushed for over 225 yards with five rushers all rushing over 30 yards with Senior Nate Elmes rushing for two touchdowns and Sophomore Jacob Kilzer scoring on an exciting 45 yard run.  We also threw for over 165 yards with Nate Elmes throwing a TD pass to Junior Derrick Jameson and Jacob Kilzer throwing for over 100 yards with connections with Bernier Gaines, Devin Hornbacher, and Hayden Sather.

Defensively, a young group with many underclassmen took the field and did a great job all night.  Aiden McMahon led the attack with 10 tackles, Micha Vayee added 9, Cade Cook had 8 total tackles and Nate Becker had 7.  Also, Cook and Bernier Gaines added interceptions on the night finishing off a great night!  Great to go 1-0!  Next week a great Blaine team!

After a disappointing defeat, it's always great to see how Senior leadership steps up a faces the challenge.  I can't be prouder of how this group reacted with players sacrificing their own position for the attitude of our team, and also watching younger players step in and become confident in their roles was fun to watch.  We made major changes this week and the kids stepped up, played hard, played fast, and most importantly with enthusiasm and emotion.

Offensively, we made the change of Nate Elmes being a major role as a fullback, Jacob Kilzer taking over as quarterback, and a new overall mentality offensively.   It worked well in week one as we ran for over 300 yards and threw for over 100 and most importantly, we controlled the line of scrimmage.   Nate had a big day in his first game as fullback rushing for 91 yards, 2 TDs and many punishing blocks.   Jacob was efficient at qb with 108 yards passing and a beautiful 65 yards touchdown to junior Damarain McCoy on a broken play.  Also, junior Derrick Jameson had a breakout game with 104 yards rushing on only 7 carries and a TD.  It was fun to watch us control the line of scrimmage and play with attitude.

Defensively, our starting group held them to zero points and did a great job of giving us great field position all night.   Nate Becker had a dominant game with 15 total tackles, 1 sack and 4 tackles for loss.  Sawyer Skanson had 10 tackles,  Aiden McMahon had 8 tackles, and Mason South had 6 tackles and a sack.   Connor Fournier continued his strong development as a kick with 4 for 4 on extra points and a big field goal to kick of the scoring!  We played a strong game against an opponent that came in with momentum and took control from the outset.  Hopefully that will become the norm for us!  On to our final home game this week!

The first time we stepped foot on "The Grove" this year we had the opportunity to take on a very good and talented Blaine football team.  Our team took the field with great attitude, jumped out to a 20 - 0 lead and held on for a 26 - 14 victory that took us to 2 - 0 on the season.

Offensively, we had a great output again with over 200 yards rushing led by Michael Zupke's breakout game with 159 yards rushing and a TD.   Nate Elme's continued his path to the endzone with 2 TD's rushing and had a great night passing going 14 - 21 for 160 yards.   Micha Vayee also continued his impact with a 35 yard TD reception from Jacob Kilzer, and the whole Crimson offense had over 400 total yards on the night.

Defensively, the boys had the challenge of facing a talented quarterback that is going to play at the next level, a big, physical running back and an athletic tall receiver.   They held up brilliantly and kept us in the game during a quarter where our offense struggled.   Sawyer Skanson and Aiden McMahon had 14 and 11 tackles respectively anchoring down the middle, and Mason South and Will Necklen each had 8 tackles.   For the 2nd consecutive week, Bernier Gaines hauled in an interception, and Senior Nate Becker provided great pressure all night.  It's great to go 2-0!  Go Crimson!

On a beautiful Friday night at the Grove, the Crimson played well in all three facets of the game and walked out with a 60 - 0 victory over visiting Anoka.   Offensively, Derrick Jameson had a big first half gaining 178 yards on 16 carries and 3 TDs, Nate Elmes added 64 yards, and Michael Zupke added two more rushing TDs while the offense was effective moving the ball on the ground.   Jacob Kilzer was very efficient passing the ball going 3 - 4 for 127 yards, including a 63 yard scoring strike to Elmes.   Obviously, everything starts with the offensive line and they controlled everything from the outset.

Defensively, it was great to watch us pitch a shutout with pressure on the quarterback.  On the night, the defense combined for 8 sacks and 3 fumbles led by Nate Becker, Mason South, Jaziah Atkinson and Ethan Wilcox.   Also, Kiers Brevik was able to scoop and score and the defense constantly put the offense in great field position all night.

Connor Fournier kept his strong kicking with six extra points and another field goal keeping his streak going over the past four weeks.  Also, Micha Vayee scooped and scored on a wacky kickoff play and our coverage team got better as the night moved on.    Next week we have a big game against Champlin Park to wrap up the season and hopefully propel us into the abbreviated playoff season.  We need to finish strong and keep growing as a team.   The days left are dwindling, lets take advantage of each moment!  Go Crimson!

On a chilly, Friday night we lost 13 - 6 to an inspired Centennial squad on our home field that taught us the valuable lesson of the power of enthusiasm, joy, relentlessness, and physicality because they dominated us in all four facets that night.   As a coach, I take full responsibility for this performance because it is my responsibility to get the boys to realize the value of these four things on a daily basis, and to have a team come on our field and represent everything I value about the sport was a great experience for all of us.

Offensively, Michael Zupke had another strong night with 128 yards rushing on 15 carries, but the rest of the offense sputtered and did not take advantage of the opportunities that were given to us.  

Defensively, we were on our heels much of the night, but battled to find a way to stop them and give our offense opportunities to put points on the board especially in the 3rd quarter.    Cade Cook, Aiden McMahon, and Nate Becker all had over 10 total tackles, and Sawyer Skanson, Bryce Tiber, Mason South, and Jaziah Atkinson all added 8 tackles as well

One major bright spot on the day was sophomore kicker Connor Fournier who kicked to field goals that gave us a chance to stay in it.  He has a bright future as a kicker and it will be exciting to see him progress!   We will get better from this game, and I am grateful as a coach to have a team step on our field and remind all of us about what we value as a football team.  On to Osseo!