Byron's first homecoming game at new stadium highlights Week 3 football schedule

Sep. 14—BYRON — The Byron football team is trying to build some excitement. The Bears have a new stadium to play in and coach Ben Halder hopes to continue building a strong program on the field.

The Bears (2-0) will host Winona (0-2) in their homecoming game at 7 p.m. Friday and it will be just the second game for the Byron football team at its new facility, which includes a turf field.

Halder said there is a lot of excitement around the new stadium.

"It's absolutely amazing," he said. "It's a beautiful setting, great site lines for the fans and the community has been nothing but supportive. That's why we have the facility to begin with.

"But we remind the kids, it doesn't matter where we play, it's still 53 and a half yards wide and 100 yards long," Halder added. "We have to continue to play well regardless of where you play, home or away, grass field or turf field, it doesn't matter."

Byron is coming off a 6-4 season in 2022 and Halder believes the new stadium will help create interest in the program. The Byron program has grown over the past five years and numbers are still on the rise. There are nearly 40 players out in both seventh- and eighth-grade.

"I think that's all part of it," Halder said, "the facility, the excitement, being able to play on the new turf. All of those things help."

Byron enters the game against Winona ranked No. 5 in the state in Class 4A. The Winhawks pulled out a narrow 23-16 win over the Bears when the teams met a year ago. Both teams play in Section 1, Class 4A in the postseason.

"Anytime you're playing an opponent that you are used to playing and you go into their house on homecoming, it's going to be a great environment for an excellent football game," Winona coach John Cassellius said.

Winona has a modest six players back with starting experience, but the Winhawks have been solid despite an 0-2 start. The two teams Winona lost to were a combined 20-2 a year ago, and Simley was the Class 4A state champion.

"This is Winona's third game too so they've gotten better from Week One and Two," Halder said. "Which you would expect because coach Cassillius is a fantastic coach. I think they're the best team we've played to date."

Halder is trying to stress to his team that each week is a challenge to get better. Every step should be one going forward.

"If you have a program you think is solid, you have to do it back-to-back-to-back, there's never an off week," he said.

Byron has had a solid offense so far this season and a defense that has excelled at creating turnovers and making big plays.

"I think offensively we've been able to be more balanced between the run and the pass," Halder said. "We weren't hitting last year as far as the pass game."

Adam Glynn has rushed for more than 200 yards and five touchdowns through two games while Luke Scheuer is close to 200 yards on the ground. Quarterback Kale Robinson has also rushed for more than 100 yards and is 13-for-21 passing.

"He's made some good reads and throws," Halder said of Robinson. "He's really matured as a player."

Byron also has a strong line with four starters returning. That includes Zach Vanderpool, who is headed to Division I North Dakota State University.

The Winhawks will be looking to generate more offense as they have managed just two touchdowns and a field goal in the first two games.

"Byron looks really good on film," Cassellius said. "Our guys will have to be ready to play."

—Fillmore Central (2-0) at Faribault Bethlehem Academy (2-0), 7 p.m. Friday: A rematch of last year's Section 1, Class 1A championship game, which Fillmore Central won handily, 34-8. It's a new season, though, and both the Falcons and Cardinals are off to strong starts. Fillmore Central is averaging 43.5 points per game, while allowing 9.0, and it's coming off a big 41-18 win against Blooming Prairie. Faribault B.A. averages 40.0 points per game and allows 10.5. The Cardinals earned an impressive 22-14 road victory last week at Rushford-Peterson.

—LeRoy-Ostrander (2-0) at Houston (3-0), 7 p.m. Friday: Houston has already tripled its win total from a year ago, when a young team went 1-8. The Hurricanes have piled up the points through three games — they beat Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons in a Zero Week game on Aug. 24 to open the season — averaging 46.7 per game. LeRoy-Ostrander has already matched its win total from last season, when it went 2-7. The Cardinals are just two years removed from winning a 9-Player state championship, and a week removed from blowing out Alden-Conger/G-E 63-28. LeRoy-Ostrander has put up 126 points in two games.

—Austin (1-1) at Kasson-Mantorville (1-1), 7 p.m. Friday: A matchup of Section 1, Class 4A rivals takes place in Kasson. Austin is literally inches away from being 2-0, having just missed a 36-yard field goal at the final buzzer in a season-opening 28-27 loss to Watertown-Mayer two weeks ago. The Packers rebounded in a big way last week, beating Class 5A school Academy Force 38-14 on the road. K-M looks to rebound from a 40-10 loss to rival Stewartville last week, after beating Delano 49-35 in Week 1. Since the start of the 2021 season, K-M is 9-2 at home.

When, where: 7 p.m. Friday, Mayo High School.

Records: Mayo is 1-1 overall, Farmington is 0-2. Both teams lost in Week 2

About Mayo: Just eight days after a thrilling comeback victory over Burnsville in the season opener, the Spartans were humbled a bit against Eagan in a 40-14 loss. The Wildcats were able to move the ball with relative ease, gashing the Spartans for over 300 yards on the ground. Mayo coach Donny Holcomb noted several times he felt Mayo found itself behind the eight ball, pre-snap. "It made more sense on film why we couldn't get anything going," Holomb said. "... You can't play sloppy and expect to win. ... It ultimately comes down to us as coaches and me as the head coach. We're dedicated to getting these guys back on track." The Spartans have often responded well to adversity. Junior running back Isaiah Beale has gone over the 100-yard mark in each of the first two contests. It's also homecoming for the Spartans.

About Farmington: The Tigers might be 0-2, but don't be fooled by the record. They played well in both of their losses and hung with traditionally-strong Lakeville South last week until late in a 35-14 loss. Co-head coach Rick Sutton is in his second season alongside Jon Pieper. Sutton won a pair of state titles at Mankato West (1997, 2002). Still, the Tigers have had a hard time scoring points, recording just three touchdowns in their first two games.

Mayo coach Donny Holcomb said: "It's funny because we're very similar with our offenses and defenses with what we run and kind of the style of play. I think (with) the athletes that we have on our team, it's going to be a great test. And it's perfect, just looking at it, it's homecoming, so I'm not going to be worried about the kids being hyped up. We just have to keep our composure and play to our abilities. ... It's a big character test. I'm confident they are going to shine through."

Farmington co-head coach Rick Sutton said: "We really enjoy the new district realignment and the opportunity to play against teams we don't often compete against. We are a young offensive team that struggled game one with execution and adjusting to the speed of varsity football. We played much better week two and will try to continue to build on that. We are a spread offense that strives to be run/pass balanced. Defensively we played very well week one with 12 tackles for losses and played a very physical game against Lakeville South's Power T offense. Although we gave up 35, there were some special teams miscues that led to short fields. Mayo definitely has some athletes that we need to be aware of — (Rees) Grimsrud, (Carter) Holcomb and Beale — in particular. Defensively they are one of the few even-fronts we will face this season, so we will need to make a few adjustments in our blocking schemes."

— Alex VandenHouten

When, where: 7 p.m. Friday, Century High School.

Records: Chanhassen 2-0, Century 1-1.

About Chanhassen: The Storm are ranked No. 2 in the state in Class 5A and are coming off a 35-14 win against Owatonna. Chanhassen, which plays in Section 2, is loaded with standouts. RB/CB Maxwell Woods, a Division I commit to North Dakota State University, has rushed for 327 yards and three TDs in two games, while QB Brayden Windschitl is 13-for-21 for 316 yards passing with five TDs. ...TE/LB Sam Macy (6-5, 220) has committed to the University of Minnesota, while deep receiving threat Daxton Bush is a Division I lacrosse signee, as is TE/LB Tyler Burton. ... OL/DL Dom Castagnetto (5-11, 265) is a three-year starter.

About Century: The Panthers evened their record by beating Irondale 35-14 last week. Coach Jon Vik said the Panthers did a much better job of cutting down mental mistakes in the second game, but "must continue to improve." ... After throwing for 252 yards and three TDs last week, senior Harrison Esau is up to 360 yards passing. Jacob Wills (10 catches, 101 yards, one TD) and Elijah Thompson (seven catches, 117 yards, two TDs) have been his top targets. "Harrison Esau had a very strong game Friday," Vik said. "We had several receivers play well and Harrison was able to find the open man."... Vik also cited Carson Skime for his play at running back and at linebacker/safety. "We also saw improved play from our offensive and defensive lines," Vik said. "We must see all of these areas continue to get better as we face tougher opponents."

Chanhassen coach Cullen Nelson says: "On defense we need to figure out how to get off the field on third down. On offense we need to put together drives and rely on big plays. We know Century is a senior heavy crew, with good lines, talented skilled players, and returning QB who is accurate and trusts his guys to go get the ball. We have scrimmaged Century in the past and know they are a team built in the weight room and we are in for a four-quarter fight."

Century coach Jon Vik says: "Chanhassen is an excellent football team. On offense, they have an outstanding running back, powerful offensive line and first class skill players at quarterback and wide receiver. Defensively, they are disciplined and fly to the ball. They are well coached in all three phases of the game."

— Guy N. Limbeck

When, where: 5 p.m. Saturday, John Drews Field.

Records: John Marshall is 1-1, Northfield 1-1.

About Northfield: The Raiders have played one of the top teams in the state (losing to Mankato West 42-0) and one that isn't nearly so strong (beating Faribault 49-0). Northfield has a bunch of experience back from a team that finished 6-4 a year ago. The most highly regarded of that group is lineman Kyan Rauk, a 6-foot-7, 275-pound senior who has committed to Division I program South Dakota State University. Running back Kam Kaiser is Northfield's top offensive player. He's rushed for about 150 yards this season.

About John Marshall: JM is coming off a high, winning 44-0 against North St. Paul. It was the Rockets' first win in 17 games and the first in second-year coach Kyle Riggott's tenure. JM is looking significantly better at the line of scrimmage. In two games, junior 190-pound running back Ty'shawn Beane has rushed for 203 yards on 23 carries. JM is also getting some excellent performances from brothers Zach (senior) and Eli (junior) Ladu. Zach is a 6-4 athlete who had a 65-yard touchdown catch last week.

Northfield coach Brent Yule: "Our kids have shown some pretty good toughness. We battled hard against a very talented Mankato West team that is well coached and physical. Last week against Faribault, we played solid defense and got our players the ball in space. ... Defensively, we have to tackle better and we have to sustain drives. ... JM is playing well and (coach Kyle) Riggott does a great job for them. He's got them excited about playing football and JM has a lot of speed and the back of their defense looks really good."

John Marshall coach Kyle Riggott: "Against Northfield, we're going to see a well-coached team that is athletic. And they are returning a ton of kids. They've got really good outside linebackers and their big guy (Kyan Rauk) is very good. Their intention is to establish the run and then to ground-and-pound you, get you to over-commit to the run and then throw over the top when you do that. ... Now that we've tasted victory, I want our kids to understand the price that comes with that. You have to clock in and out every day. I am challenging them to bring an intensity that is unrivaled. ... We need to do better (offensively) on third down. We are converting at just a 30-percent success rate there."

— Pat Ruff

When, where: 7 p.m. Friday, Lake City football fields

Records: Lourdes 1-1, Lake City 1-1.

About Lourdes: The Eagles bounced back from a two-point season-opening loss with a solid 21-6 win against Plainview-Elgin-Millville in Week 2. ... Lourdes' defense has been its strong point through two weeks, allowing an average of just 200.0 yards per game, including limiting P-E-M to 157 total yards a week ago. ... Lourdes has won eight of its past 10 matchups against Lake City, though the Tigers have won two of the past three. Lourdes won 35-14 in the regular-season finale a year ago in Rochester. ... The Eagles have rushed for 456 yards (an average of 228.0 per game) through two games this fall. ... QB Adam Sellner (200 rush yards, 2 TDs) and sophomore RB Caleb Akinbolu (202 yards, 2 TDs) have led the way.

About Lake City: The Tigers have won two of their past three meetings against Lourdes, including the last matchup played in Lake City, a 46-32 Tigers win in Week 3 of the 2021 season. ... Lake City beat Zumbrota-Mazeppa 28-14 in Week 2, after falling 21-12 at St. Charles in the season opener. ... Head coach Trevor Narum said the Tigers did a better job of preparing for last week's game, that the players responded well after being challenged to be more competitive and focused in practice. ... Narum refers to senior receiver Keegan Ryan, a University of North Dakota commit, as a "matchup nightmare for defenses." Ryan has been exactly that so far; he caught seven balls for 100 yards and two TDs last week from QB Jaden Shones, as well as rushing for 51 yards on two carries and recording an interception on defense. "His combination of size, speed and athleticism makes him very dangerous," Narum said of Ryan. "He's becoming a much more polished route runner and he's a tremendous blocker in our run game. We've done a good job of protecting our quarterback, and (Ryan) and Jaden have a pretty special connection. They've been playing together for a long time."

Lourdes coach Mike Kesler says: "Trevor does an excellent job up there, always has. They have some really good athletes — Ryan, who everyone is talking about, and having (Shones) back, he can hurt you with his arms and legs so that's a big concern for us. ... They do a nice job up front, keeping teams off balance, they attack all areas of the field. ... (Against Ryan) we have to mix things up a lot, give them different looks and try to slow him at the line of scrimmage, if possible. Ultimately, he's going to get his catches, we have to tackle him well. They move him all around the field, there's no one easy answer (how to defend him). ... The best pass defense is a pass rush, so our front four has to have a big week this week."

Lake City coach Trevor Narum says: "Lourdes defenses under coach Kesler have been consistently hard to score against. They have good players, they have sound schemes and they play hard. Most importantly, they are disciplined. If you can play disciplined defense at the high school level, you have a shot to win every Friday night. ... (We have to) stop the run! Their tailback, fullback, quarterback combination is dangerous, and in their option attack all three are featured. We need to be disciplined in reading keys, getting to the football and tackling."

— Jason Feldman