Blue Jays get All-State football honors, program blessed with 'great kids'

Nov. 22—JAMESTOWN — People were thinking 2023 could be a three-peat at the Dakota for the Jamestown High School football team.

It wasn't — but that is not how JHS head coach Bill Nelson measures success.

"You go back and you think about things and ultimately what it comes back to is that I am pretty blessed," Nelson said. "We were blessed with a great group of kids."

A couple of weeks after the Jays' season ended in the state semifinals, the North Dakota High School Coaches Association released the 2023 Class AA All-State Football roster and for a third year in a row, Jamestown's football program was represented at the All-State level.

Jamestown's Nate Walz, Bo Nelson, Jack Van Berkom and Tyson Jorissen were named to the 2023 All-State roster. Walz and Nelson racked up first-team honors while Van Berkom and Jorissen were named to the second-team list.

Walz was the only non-senior Blue Jay to receive All-State honors.

"You wish you could put more kids up but the kids who got on were deserving," Bill Nelson said.

Jorissen was one whom coaches couldn't help but notice.

"He battled some injuries here and there but he was extremely versatile — he played receiver, was in the return game and then he played quite a bit of running back for us," Nelson said of Jorissen.

Jorissen was the Jays' leading rusher with 571 yards on 115 carries. He averaged just over 50 yards a game and scored 10 rushing touchdowns. At slot receiver, Jorissen hauled in 26 catches for 328 yards for around 78 yards per game. The Blue Jays' stats have Jorissen listed as scoring three receiving touchdowns. Jorissen was also credited with six kickoff returns for 74 yards. He had one punt return for 29 yards.

"Nathaniel was a pretty darn important part of what we do offensively and defensively," Nelson said. "He was selected as a first-team receiver. I think he was second in the state in receptions and was a leader in touchdowns receiving. To get it as a junior is pretty cool to see."

Walz had 523 more receiving yards than any of his teammates. The junior ball-magnet made 58 receptions for 851 years and 13 receiving touchdowns. The junior made 36 total — 25 solo — tackles. He nabbed seven interceptions had 147 interception return yards and one defensive touchdown. When it came to kickoff returns, he recorded 181 yards on his eight returns. The junior was also pinned as the Jays' primary punter. He booted 28 balls for 793 total yards.

Bo Nelson only played in nine of the Jays' 11 games but he also had a huge impact on the field.

"Bo got it for the offensive line," Coach Nelson said. "He did a really good job for us all year kind of helping to lead that group. He probably had the most experience with all of those guys we had up front. That's another well-deserved nomination that we got."

As the Jays' starting left guard, Nelson helped give quarterback Ryan Kallenbach time to make 120 passes for 1,729 yards. No team's defense got past Nelson and the O-Line to sack Kallenbach.

While Jack Van Berkom was also a part of the Blue Jays' starting offensive line, the senior was not necessarily recognized for his production at the left tackle. Unlike the first-team, the second-team All-State team is not picked by position.

"Jack has done a real, real good job for us in his time as a Blue Jay," Bill Nelson said. "He's really reliable and always did his job. You can't be disappointed with that whatsoever. Any time you get kids on All-State, whether it's first-team or second-team, you are pretty darn proud."

Overall, the Jays finished out the year at 2-1 in the Class AA West Region and 6-5 overall.

The Jays' senior class boasted 17 athletes. Of the 17, Nelson said there are a handful who are looking to play football at the next level — impressive considering their start in the Blue Jay program was a little rocky.

"Our senior class caught the raw end of the deal because they were the COVID kids," Nelson said. "Their freshman year they didn't get to be with the older kids — little to none — and they struggled but they stayed together.

"Their sophomore year, we won a state championship. Their junior year we won a state championship. Their senior year, we were one point away from going back to the Dakota Bowl for a third straight year. How can that not be a success?" he said. "They left the program better than when they came in and that should be the big goal."

2023 NDHSCA Class AA Football All-State Roster

First Team Offense

Nate Walz, WR, Jamestown

Drew Hofstad, WR, Devils Lake

Jack Simmers, QB, Grand Forks Central

Pearce Parks, QB, Grand Forks Red River

Peder Haugo, RB, Fargo North

Damarion Semanko, RB, Fargo South

Treyton Mauch, RB, Wahpeton

Tray Kuntz, TE, Grand Forks Central

Bo Nelson, OL, Jamestown

Ethan Halverson, OL, Dickinson

Xzavier Buckmiller, OL, Fargo North

Jordan Zander, OL, Fargo North

Lawson Lotysz, OL, Grand Forks Red River

First Team Defense

Kaeden Krieg, DL, Dickinson

Carter Zeller, DL, Fargo North

Erick Paye, DL, Grand Forks Central

Tristan Stallsworth, LB, Dickinson

Sam Fritel, LB, Fargo North

Will Schwehr, LB, Valley City

Mason Johnson, LB, West Fargo Horace

Parker Dosch, DB, Fargo North

Jerry Gibson, DB, Fargo South

Tyler Whalen, DB, Grand Forks Central

Zach Oehlke, DB, Grand Forks Red River

Charlie Leshovsky, DB, West Fargo Horace

Second Team

Jack Van Berkom, Jamestown

Tyson Jorissen, Jamestown

Isaac Schulte, Dickinson

Colin Tschetter, Dickinson

Wylee Delorme, Devils Lake

Joe Rose, Fargo North

Peter Davis, Fargo North

Brody Anderson, Fargo South

Dorian Sandness, Fargo South

Gabriel Tande, Grand Forks Central

Daeton Lafountain, Turtle Mountain

Ethan Miller, Valley City

Nick Langenwalter, Wahpeton

Josh Chavez, Watford City

NDHSCA POWERade Class AA Senior Athlete of the Year — Peder Haugo, Fargo North

NDHSCA SUBWAY Class AA Coach of the Year — Adam Roland, Fargo North