Prep Blog: Week 3 Top Performances
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – It was a big weekend for high school football in the Twin Cities as there were a ton of big match-ups on area football fields.
This is that time of the season where the team leaders start to emerge, and they do so by putting up gaudy numbers on a nightly basis. Conference races are becoming more solidified as we're almost midway through the season for most teams.
This is that time of the year where every game gets a little bigger, and it's fun to see the best athletes on the field make plays I the big situations. With five weeks until the regular season is over, there's still a lot to be determined. Here's a look at some of the top performances from last Friday around the metro.
Rosemount QB throws Irish to victory
His completion percentage wasn't the greatest, but Rosemount quarterback Jackson Erdmann made the most of passes that did find his receivers as the Irish beat Bloomington Kennedy 61-21 Friday night. Erdmann was just 5-of-14 passing, but they all went for touchdowns as he finished with 166 yards on the night. The Irish improved to 2-0 in South Suburban Conference play and are still very much in contention for the league title. Erdmann is completing just 47 percent of his passes on the season, but has 464 yards and eight touchdowns in three games. He gets arguably his toughest challenge this week as Rosemount heads to Prior Lake in a key conference game.
Knox leads Stillwater over Cretin-Derham Hall 21-7
Many eyes were on Cretin-Derham Hall junior Jashon Cornell as the Raiders hosted Stillwater in a key conference game on national TV, but it was Zach Knox who stole the show for Stillwater and led the Ponies to victory. Cornell did his thing with six tackles and a sack, but Knox was nothing short of a workhorse for Stillwater. He had 29 carries for 135 yards and one touchdown as the Ponies beat Cretin 21-7. The Raiders are in uncharted territory, off to a 1-2 start with a tough game at Mounds View this Friday. Stillwater, meanwhile, has three straight wins to open the season and looks to go 4-0 when it hosts Hastings this week. Trevor Tillett behind center and Knox in the backfield have proven to be tough to stop so far this season.
South St. Paul scores 35 straight in 42-21 win
South St. Paul has plenty of depth in its run game, and it was on full display last Friday in a 42-21 win over Irondale in a rare midseason non-conference game. Quarterback Bill Brandecker only had 76 yards rushing, but he finished with three touchdowns as the Packers scored 35 straight points to beat the Knights. South St. Paul is ranked No. 2 in Class 4A, and it will get a big test this week as the Packers host rival Mahtomedi in Classis Suburban Conference showdown. It'll be a battle of 3-0 teams as the Zephyrs have wins over Spring Lake Park, Richfield and North St. Paul to open the season.
Anderson leads Eden Prairie over Totino-Grace
Anthony Anderson is starting to get more attention from Division I programs, and it's certainly deserved as he's emerged for Eden Prairie as one of their top running backs. Anderson was the featured athlete in a 42-7 win over Totino-Grace, last year's 5A state champion. He ran 15 times for 195 yards and two touchdowns. His touchdown runs went for 42 and 35 yards. The Eagles are off to a 3-0 start, and all the wins have come rather comfortably. They've got another big game this week as they try to get revenge on one of their two losses from last year, Edina. The Hornets snapped a two-game skid last Friday with a 27-6 win over Burnsville.
Check the WCCO Prep Blog later this week for a preview of four big games around the state Friday night.
