Prep Blog: Week 3 Top Performances
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – There were a lot of big football games around the Twin Cities Friday night, and it's around this time of the year when the stars start to emerge.
We're coming up to the halfway point of the season, and conference title races are beginning to take shape. There have also already been several match-ups featuring ranked teams with playoff implications at stake.
In going over box scores over the weekend, there were several players who had huge weekends to spark their teams to victory. Here were four of the best that I saw.
Morgan, Newell Lead Lakeville North Over Eastview
Lakeville North improved to 3-0 Friday night and moved up to No. 3 in the 6A rankings after a 24-7 win over Eastview in South Suburban Conference action. Brandon Morgan returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, Jamiah Newell ran for scores of 52 and four yards and Hunter Cobb had three interceptions in the game for the Panthers. The defensive unit also pitched a shutout in the second half. The Panthers control their own destiny in the conference as three of the final five games are at home and none is against ranked opponents. They travel to Bloomington Jefferson on Friday.
Tusler has 4 TDs As Osseo Rolls Over Blaine
Bridgeport Tusler had one of those nights Friday that he'll remember as long as he plays football in leading Osseo to a 35-14 win over Blaine, one of their biggest rivals in the Northwest Suburban Conference. Tusler scored four touchdowns, all in different ways, in the win. He ran for a 15-yard touchdown, caught a 30-yard touchdown, threw for a touchdown and returned an interception 40 yards for a score. It was one of three interceptions for him on the night, and he also had a fumble recovery. The Orioles travel to Armstrong this week and face four unranked opponents before a match-up with Totino-Grace, which could be for the conference title.
Woodbury RB Has Big Night In Victory
Quran Al-Hameed ran all night for Woodbury as the Royals beat Park of Cottage Grove 43-7 in the Suburban East Conference. Al-Hameed ran for 173 yards and scored four touchdowns on the night. He also blocked a pair of punts, one that ended up being a safety. Woodbury improved to 2-1 with the win and has a big home game Friday night against East Ridge.
New Prague's Preston Runs All Over Northfield
Northfield and New Prague features one of the better rivalries in the Missota Conference, but the Trojans ran it down the Raiders throat in a 48-37 win Friday night. New Prague ran for 406 total, with 242 of them from Nathan Preston. He also ran for five touchdowns as the Trojans claimed their first victory of the season. New Prague can get back to .500 as it hosts Farmington, the No. 8-ranked team in 5A, Friday night.
