Warriors vs. Elk River
When: Noon Saturday
Where: Adamson Field, Brainerd
Last meeting: Brainerd won 55-7 in Section 8-5A quarterfinals
The series: Brainerd leads 7-5
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Twitter: @bertsballpark
Radio: KLIZ-AM (1380)
Web stream: www.brainerdradio.net .
In the seven years before Steve Hamilton became head coach at Elk River, the Elks won a combined total of 10 games.
Since his arrival in 2011, the Elks have on the road to respectability, compiling a 22-19 mark. Last season they reached the Section 6-5A finals where they lost to St. Michael-Albertville.
The Elks were an offensive juggernaut in 2014, led by standout running back Zach Ernst who gained 1,835 yards and scored 21 TDs. Elk River outscored the opposition 354-287.
Hamilton is forthright about the potential of this year's team.
"This team is the best team I've had since I've been here," said Hamilton, who previously was a head coach for four years in Georgia and nine in Michigan.
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His optimism this fall is based on the fact the Elks return about half of their starters from a year ago, including senior quarterback Trent Pink who rushed for 615 yards and 16 scores. He attempted just 32 passes, completing 20, for four TDs an offense that features two right ends and a full-house backfield.
"It definitely will be the most talented backfield we've had," Hamilton said. "We've got probably nine running backs that play a lot. A lot of guys will be running in and out there. We have a lot of depth there."
Elk River will open minus three injured starters, one of whom is junior lineman Jalon Nielson, the Elks' co-offensive MVP as a sophomore. Another is sophomore Ronnie Audette, a 6-3, 310-pound lineman who's being recruited by Wisconsin and other Division I schools.
"They're some pretty talented kids," Hamilton said of the injured players. "Of course we're blessed to have a 6-4, 220-pound quarterback who ran 4.57 (40-yard dash) when he went to Iowa (camp). He's got to be a difference-maker for us. This will be his third year as a starter. We may have to rely on him more at the beginning of the year with our guys out.
"The great thing in Minnesota compared to Georgia and Michigan where I've been before is we're all in the playoffs. It's not how we start. It's how we are at the end."
Having never played Brainerd - the teams last met in the 2008 Section 8-5A playoffs - Hamilton isn't sure what to expect from the Warriors.
"We've never had any experience going against them," Hamilton said. "We played Moorhead a couple times, we played Willmar, that's about it for what was the (Central Lakes Conference)."
Brainerd Warriors
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OFFENSE
WR: 2-Chris Pederson, 7-Brady Kline, 20-Luke Wiskow, 8-Riley Fabian, 12-Cade Pikula, 82-Ryan Miller, 81-Max Boran, 26-Matt O'Reilly,
Slot: 11-Colton Borg, 15-Will Peabody, 85-Sam Nesheim, 84-Jordan Whitehead
OT: 52-Ryan Powers, 51-Josh Howieson, 75-Mike Bieganek, 74-Hunter Erickson, 65-Sam Olson, 77-Landon Lundeby
G: 55-Seth Desrocher, 53-Arron Martin, 57-Zach Stangl, 66-Brian Barajas, 72-Evan Schreifels, 68-Justin Banks
C: 50-Sean Laughton, 55-Seth Desrocher, 76-Will Schneider
QB: 10-Hanson Devine, 2-Chris Pederson, 15-Will Peabody
RB: 40-Mitchell Rahn, 21-Allen Jevning, 25-Jacob Ebinger, 28-Charlie Geraets, 34-Max Zimmerman, 27-Matt Hill
DEFENSE
DL: 51-Josh Howieson, 91-Greg Rider, 47-Dylan Crandall, 54-Josh Rushmeyer, 56-Trenton Rushmeyer, 55-Seth Desrocher, 58-Jared Lane, 95-Isaak Hines, 78-Kaleb Cherne, 94-Kyler Yerks, 92-Tate Arntson
LB: 5-Tristan Brecht, 53-Arron Martin, 36-C.J. Wohl, 35-Brandon Justin, 42-Luke Johnson, 44-James Loveless, 46-Nathan King, 46-Brandon Tandeski, 45-Josh Bock
CB: 24-Nick Peterson, 23-Cole Harmer, 21-Allen Jevning, 20-Luke Wiskow, 33-Cody Christianson, 30-Tanner Clink, 14-Caleb Meyer, 22-Keywon Jackson
S: 2-Chris Pederson, 20-Luke Wiskow, 25-Jacob Ebinger, 16-Jake Berg, 31-Corbin Pikula, 41-Devan Liebeg
SPECIAL TEAMS
Punter: 2-Chris Pederson, 41-Devan Liebeg
Kicker: 89-David Saxum
Elk River Elks
OFFENSE
TE: 4-Jake Hanson
TE: 44-Cole Daleiden
T: 50-Connor Detloff
T: 57-Alex Haessly
G: 55-Josh Peterson
G: 60-Connor Bryan
C: 63-Brendan Simmonds
QB: 18-Trent Pink
HB: 15-Sam Gibas
HB: 17-Kyle Ziemer
FB: 29-Nick Rice
DEFENSE
E: 50-Connor Detloff
NG: 75-Zach Cramond
E: 86-Alex Haessly
ILB: 55-Josh Peterson
ILB: 33-Dylan Diehl
OLB: 4-Jake Hanson
OLB: 15-Sam Gibas
CB: 9-Justin Streifel
CB: 18-Trent Pink
S: 11-Colin Lea
S: 17-Kyle Ziemer
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker: 5-Austin Solors
Punter: 9-Justin Streifel
Warriors schedule
Aug 22, Elk River 7 p.m.
Aug 28, St. Cloud Apollo 7 p.m.
Sept 4, at Willmar 7 p.m.
Sept 11, Sauk Rapids-Rice 7 p.m.
Sept 18, at Moorhead 7 p.m.
Sept 25, at Alexandria 7 p.m.
Oct 3, Sartell 2 p.m. homecoming
Oct 8, at Bemidji 7 p.m.
MIKE BIALKA may be reached at mike.bialka@brainerddispatch.com or 218-855-5861. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/bertsballpark .
