Some teams played four games.
Others played eight games.
Regardless of how many games were played, Aitkin finds five players on the 2020 All-Area Dispatch team after a stellar 6-1 season led by Player of the Year Owen Miller.
Pequot Lakes earned four players after its 4-3 season.
Crosby-Ironton won its first section title despite a 3-5 record and earned three players. Pierz saw it’s 21-game winning streak snapped in the Section 6-3A Finals to Albany, but got three players on the all-area team.
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Players were nominated by area coaches and selected by the Dispatch sports staff.
Hunter Nissen, Aitkin senior, RB/LB
Finished with 262 rushing yards on 30 carries and four touchdowns. He tallied seven receptions for 93 yards. He finished with 63 tackles, one sack, one interception and one forced fumble. He was the lead blocker for an Aitkin team that rushed for 1,944 yards.
Owen Miller, Aitkin senior, RB/DB
Finished with 915 yards on 105 carries for an 8.71 average and 12 touchdowns. He finished with 21 tackles, two interceptions and two forced fumbles. He also returned one kickoff for a touchdown.
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Austin Price, Aitkin senior, RB/LB
Finished with 501 rushing yards on 97 carries for a 5.16 average and seven touchdowns. He finished with 58 tackles, two sacks, one interception, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.
Jeremiah Smythe, Aitkin senior, T/LB
Blocked for a team that rushed for 1,944 yards and 26 touchdowns and threw for 478 yards and eight touchdowns. He finished with 34 tackles, two interceptions and one defensive touchdown.
Hunter Hills, Aitkin senior, G/DE
Blocked for a team that rushed for 1,944 yards and 26 touchdowns and threw for 478 yards and eight touchdowns. He finished with 14 tackles.
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Riley DeRosier, Brainerd senior, DL
Finished with 22 tackles, three sacks and one forced fumble.
Kale Dugan, Crosby-Ironton senior, RB/LB
Finished with 638 rushing yards on 128 attempts for a 5.0 rushing average and four touchdowns. He tallied 12 receptions for 102 receiving yards.
Finished with 105 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, two pass breakups, one forced fumble and a recovered fumble. He blocked for a C-I team that tallied 976 rushing yards.
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Dietrich Winegamer, Crosby-Ironton senior, WR/S
Finished with 27 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, four pass breakups and three interceptions. He finished with 22 receptions, 405 receiving yards and caught three touchdowns.
Bode Magnuson, Pequot Lakes senior, QB/DB
Completed 90-of-171 passes for 975 passing yards and 11 touchdown passes. He rushed for 571 yards on 102 carries for a 5.6 average and four touchdowns. Finished as the Pequot Lakes career scoring leader with 228 points. He finished with 23 solo tackles and two interceptions.
Finished with 24 receptions for 298 yards and three touchdowns. FInished with 32 solo tackles and 19 assists.
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Carter Sjoblad, Pequot Lakes senior, RB/DB
Finished with 330 rushing yards on 72 carries for a 4.58 average. He finished with three receptions for 16 yards. He finished with 28 solo tackles, 12 assists and five interceptions. Selected as All-Red District and All-Red District Defensive Back of the Year.
Ryan Monahan, Pequot lakes senior, WR/DB
Finished with 16 receptions for 302 yards and five touchdowns. He returned a kickoff for a touchdown. He finished with seven solo tackles and four assists. Selected as Midwest Red District Receiver of the Year.
Noah Cekalla, Pierz senior, QB
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Completed 50-of-100 passes (50%) for 850 passing yards and 11 touchdowns. Was named All-Mid-State District Quarterback of the Year.
Michael Leidenfrost, Pierz senior, RB/DB
Finished with 841 rushing yards on 166 carries for a 5.1 average and 13 touchdowns. He finished with 19 receptions for 196 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He finished with two kick returns for a touchdown. He finished with 72 tackles, two pass breakups, one interception and one forced fumble. Was named All-Mid-State District Defensive Back of the Year.
Zach Jones, Pierz junior, TE/DE
Finished with 17 receptions for 499 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. He finished with 22 tackles, one sack and two blocked kicks. Was named All-Mid-State District Wide Receiver of the Year.
Griffin Decker, Pillager senior, RB/DB
Finished with 470 yards rushing on 116 carries for a 4.1 average and four touchdowns. He finished with four receptions for 97 yards for a total of 669 all-purpose yards. He finished with 54 tackles, five pass breakups, one interception and one fumble recovery.
Jacob Dixon, Pillager junior, LB
The All-Midwest Blue Subdistrict player finished with 61 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries.
Zak Olsson, Verndale junior, WR/DB
Finished with 34 receptions for 497 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Finished with 283 yards rushing on 47 carries and three touchdowns. Finished with 31 tackles, two interceptions and one pass breakup.
Jaden Finck, Verndale senior, RB/DL
Finished with 52 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries. Finished with 26 yards rushing and five receptions for 71 yards.
Josh Dykhoff, Wadena-Deer Creek senior, WR/LB
Finished with 26 receptions for 410 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. He finished with 22 tackles, one tackle for loss, one interception and one forced fumble.
Payton Rondestvedt, Wadena-Deer Creek junior, QB/DB
Completed 75-for-134 (56%) passes for 1,162 yards and 14 touchdowns. He rushed for 396 yards on 62 carries for 66 average and six touchdowns. He finished with 33 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks and one interception.
CONRAD ENGSTROM may be reached at 218-855-5861 or conrad.engstrom@brainerddispatch.com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/the_rad34.
