Season’s end for the Hutchinson football team comes Friday at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, with Simley the only remaining challenge between the Tigers and their successful defense of the Minnesota State High School League AAAA championship.
It’s a tailor-made matchup of two schools with similar identity: grind it out on the ground and smash.
scorebooklive.com analyst Mike Randleman puts it this way: “The upcoming (Simley) matchup against Hutchinson expects to be a good one.”
Simley’s only loss this season was to Class AAAAA Mahtomedi. The Spartans won every other game by at least 20 points — that is until the eked out a 17-16 win over Rocori last week, winning the state semifinal tussle on a field goal with 5:33 to play.
“Our defense was key to that game, only allowing about 20 yards worth of offense in the second half, allowing us to stay in it,” Simley coach Chris Mensen said. “We moved the ball enough to kick that (Reid Remackel, 33 yards) field goal at the end.”
Simley’s defense has allowed opponents fewer than 16 points in each of its last five games.
The Spartans’ offense features twin running back sets and spreads the field with wide receivers.
They also have running back Gavin Nelson, who has been selected to play for the South team in the Minnesota All-Star Game. He was selected as middle linebacker for the post-season honor.
A senior, Mensen lists as 6-foot-1, 220 pounds. He has rushed for 1,973 yards on 255 carries, with 23 touchdowns.
“They’ve got big lineman, they’ve got big backs. They’ve got perimeter guys that can hurt ya,” Hutchinson coach Andy Rostberg said.
Hutchinson saw a similar challenge in Zimmerman, which effectively used the jet sweep to stretch the Tigers defense to put three touchdown on the board in last week’s semifinal game.
Hutchinson shut out Simley 40-0 in the state quarterfinal last season at Hopkins High School. But that’s the past, Rostberg cautions.
“They’ve got everybody back from last year. They’re a year older and a year better,” Rostberg said. “They’re very well coached. Chris (Mensen) and his staff do a nice job.”
Hutchinson will also have to contend with Simley quarterback senior Caden Renslow, who has completed 50% of his passes this season for nine touchdowns, and has also rushed for 504 yards on 87 attempts with 11 touchdowns.
Hutchinson has a fair share of runners — and a moose, too.
Junior fullback Carter Verhasselt has emerged late this season. On 38 carries, Verhasselt has a 7.4 yards per attempt average. That’s second only to senior running back Levi Teetzel, who has 2,007 yards on 210 attempts and averages 9.6 yard per carry.
Verhasselt electrified the Hutchinson faithful with a touchdown run of 48 yards in the quarterfinals against No. 1 Stewartville. He torched the Zimmerman defense for a 45-yard touchdown run in the semifinals last week.
Hutchinson also boasts linebacker Alex Elliott, who KARE 11’s Randy Shaver has named to the station’s 35th All-Metro Team. Elliott will ascend to the University of Minnesota next year on scholarship. He leads the Tigers with 104 tackles, too — nearly double the number of most anyone else on the team.
Elliott also plays running back, along with senior fullback A.J. Ladwig.
KSTP’s TRIA Prep Salute this week goes to Ladwig, who had four touchdown runs last week in the 42-28 win over Zimmerman. Ladwig has amassed 1,344 yards on 184 carries, and leads the team with 33 touchdowns.
