Prep Football Notebook: Game at Chanhassen is good attention-getter for Scarlets
Sep. 28—Nothing like a matchup of top teams in the state to boost the interest at the middle point of the high-school football regular season.
This week, that's No. 1 Mankato West at No. 2 Chanhassen on Friday, with much more to be decided other than who will be the top team in the Class AAAAA poll next week.
"It's certainly the biggest game on our schedule, with all the implications," West coach J.J. Helget said. "This gives us a chance to get refocused on the rest of the season."
Last year, the Scarlets played a much-anticipated game during the middle of the season at Rochester Mayo, coming away with a 28-24 win. The Scarlets then defeated Mayo in the quarterfinals of the state tournament, scoring in the final seconds to win 20-17.
"This feels a lot like the Mayo game last year," Helget said.
Last season, West defeated Chanhassen 23-21 in the Section 2 championship game at Todnem Field. The winner of Friday's game will likely be the No. 1 seed when the section playoffs begin next month.
"We always like playing at home," Helget said. "I think it's an advantage to play on natural grass; not too many AAAAA teams play on natural grass anymore. Our goal is to win the game and play at home in the playoffs."
The Scarlets are allowing just 173.75 yards of offense, with 73.0 yards rushing per game, but Chanhassen running back Maxwell Woods ranks third in the state with 764 yards rushing with 11 touchdowns.
"Everything they do goes through him," Helget said. "They get the ball to him in different ways, and we're going to try to bottle him up. Our defense is good but not perfect, and at some point, Woods is going to break a long run, maybe for a touchdown, because he's that good."
West quarterback Bart McAninch has completed 56 of 98 passes for 906 yards, which is seventh in the state, and 10 touchdowns. He's also rushed for 212 yards and three scores.
Brody Koberoski is the leading receiver with 19 catches for 279 yards and two touchdowns, and Jalen Smith has 17 receptions for 253 yards and four touchdowns. Carter Bersaw is the top rusher with 279 yards and four scores.
Linebacker Frankie McAninch leads the defense with 37 tackles, including 11 tackles for loss. Ben O'Neil has two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
Maple River resurgence
The Eagles lost at Triton in the season opener, but has bounced back with wins over Redwood Valley (22-19), Pipestone Area (20-0) and rival Blue Earth Area (7-6).
"We have a lot of growing going on," Maple River coach Dusty Drager said. "When you lose 10 of 11 starters on both sides of the ball, you're going to be pretty green. There's a lot of learning."
The Eagles have struggled on offense, losing quarterback Tyler Hollerich with a broken thumb. But the defense, led by linebackers Jax Boening and Braxton Simon, has been impressive.
"The defense has really kept us in games," Drager said.
In Friday's win, Maple River overcome the rain and sloppy conditions to defeat BEA, with neither team reaching 200 yards of offense. Taking advantage of a short punt, Maple River scored on a 17-yard pass from backup quarterback Zach Trio to Simon, and Julius Jeroncic kicked the winning PAT with about 7 minutes to play.
The Eagles face Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial on Friday.
"We still have a lot of learning ahead of us," Drager said.
Games to watch
Springfield (4-0) plays at Sleepy Eye United (4-0) on Friday, with the winner gaining the advantage for the No. 1 seed in the Section 3A playoffs. Springfield is rated No. 2 in Class A, while Sleepy Eye United is No. 12.
Waseca (3-1) plays at Jordan (3-1) on Friday. Both teams trail Fairmont with by one game in Section 3AAA. Waseca plays Fairmont on Oct. 18, but Jordan does not play Fairmont in the regular season.
Follow Chad Courrier on Twitter @ChadCourrier.
