Holdingford Football Aims For Glory In State Quarterfinals
The unbeaten (11-0) Holdingford football team will play Barnesville Friday night in Brainerd in the Class 2-A State Tournament Quarterfinals at 7pm.
Senior Class Leading the Way
Holdingford head coach Luke Mitchell joined me on WJON. He says it's been a lot of fun to watch this group learn and develop all year. Mitchell says this senior class has been the heart and soul of their football team for several years now. He says after they beat Eden Valley-Watkins 12-8 in week 3 he knew they had a really good team.
High Scoring Offense
Holdingford has outscored their opponents this season 506-97. Mitchell says the reason for their offensive success starts with quarterback Jaxon Bartkowicz who throws the ball really well and allows the team to have balance on offense. The top receiving threats for the Huskers this season are Nate Streit and Masyn Patrick. Other contributing receivers include Trevor Johannes, and Will Eichten. Mitchell also praises the offensive line for improving as the season has progressed. He says if an opponent gears up to stop the run, they are comfortable passing and if they are set to stop the pass, they are fine with the rushing game.
Shutdown Defense
Mitchell says the defense has been the backbone of the team and have "really played great". He says they don't have the biggest defense in the world but the kids and smart, tough, athletic and understand the game of football. Holdingford has 7 to 8 guys playing regularly on both offense and defense. Mitchell says their endurance has been top notch and he's not worried about players getting tired.
Friday's Opponent
Mitchell says Barnesville is a traditional Class AA power. He says they are a power T team on offense that offers a lot of misdirection in the backfield. Mitchell says they need to be very disciplined on defense. He is confident they can move the ball on offense.
Next Steps
The winner of Friday's game will advance to the Class AA state semifinals at US Bank next week. Mitchell says getting a chance to play at US Bank Stadium has been a goal of theirs all season long.
Holdingford Roster
| Number | Name | Position | Height | Weight | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D'Incau, Andrew | QB/DB | 5'11 | 150 | 11 |
| 2 | Patrick, Masyn | RB/DB | 5'11 | 175 | 12 |
| 3 | Fiedler, Kyle | TE/DE | 6'3 | 200 | 12 |
| 4 | Perowitz, Noah | RB/DB | 5'8 | 145 | 11 |
| 5 | Streit, Nathan | WR/DB | 6'3 | 180 | 12 |
| 6 | Bartkowicz, Jaxon | QB/DE | 6'4 | 220 | 12 |
| 7 | Hartung, Trent | WR/DB | 6'0 | 170 | 11 |
| 8 | Eichten, Will | WR/DB | 6'2 | 180 | 11 |
| 9 | Patrick, Jax | WR/DB | 5'10 | 145 | 10 |
| 10 | Opatz, Connor | QB/LB | 5'11 | 150 | 10 |
| 11 | Novitzki, Andrew | WR/DB | 6'0 | 150 | 11 |
| 12 | Burg, Tatum | RB/DB | 5'7 | 135 | 9 |
| 13 | Sand, Bentley | QB/DB | 5'7 | 130 | 9 |
| 14 | Patrick, Lane | QB/DB | 5'10 | 145 | 10 |
| 15 | Krattenmaker, Grant | WR/DB | 6'0 | 160 | 11 |
| 20 | Black, Kashton | RB/LB | 5'10 | 180 | 10 |
| 21 | Gottwalt, Simon | WR/DB | 5'11 | 165 | 11 |
| 23 | Johannes, Trevor | WR/DB | 6'5 | 200 | 12 |
| 24 | Gustafson, Broden | RB/LB | 5'9 | 170 | 12 |
| 25 | Winkelman, Chase | FB/LB | 5'9 | 140 | 10 |
| 26 | Welle, Toby | RB/LB | 5'11 | 150 | 10 |
| 27 | Manske, Tatum | WR/DB | 5'9 | 140 | 10 |
| 28 | Koralewski, Tyson | WR/DB | 6'0 | 150 | 10 |
| 29 | Nierenhausen, Blayden | RB/LB | 5'10 | 160 | 10 |
| 30 | Pilarski, Wyatt | RB/DB | 5'7 | 155 | 12 |
| 31 | Buersken, Jax | RB/DB | 5'7 | 130 | 10 |
| 33 | Cheney, Owen | WR/DB | 5'9 | 135 | 9 |
| 34 | Harren, Kolton | RB/LB | 6'0 | 195 | 12 |
| 40 | Strandberg, Dylan | RB/LB | 5'11 | 150 | 11 |
| 41 | Krattenmaker, Caleb | RB/LB | 5'10 | 195 | 12 |
| 43 | Voigt, Keagan | WR/DB | 5'9 | 130 | 9 |
| 44 | Novitzki, Mavrick | TE/LB | 5'11 | 170 | 12 |
| 50 | Auer, Theodore | OL/DL | 5'11 | 185 | 10 |
| 51 | Shea, Nolan | OL/DL | 6'3 | 210 | 12 |
| 52 | Lichy, Mason | OL/DL | 5'8 | 195 | 12 |
| 53 | Stang, Griffin | OL/DL | 5'11 | 165 | 9 |
| 54 | Panek, Dylan | OL/DL | 6'1 | 205 | 9 |
| 55 | Panek, Tyler | OL/DL | 6'3 | 235 | 12 |
| 58 | Thom, Devin | OL/DL | 5'11 | 190 | 11 |
| 62 | Wentland, Christopher | OL/DL | 6'0 | 205 | 12 |
| 63 | Westbrock, Parker | OL/DL | 5'11 | 180 | 12 |
| 64 | Boeckman, Simon | OL/LB | 5'11 | 195 | 12 |
| 65 | Wentland, Jack | OL/DL | 5'9 | 175 | 10 |
| 66 | Heinen, Adam | OL/DL | 5'11 | 250 | 10 |
| 68 | Posch, Dalton | OL/DL | 5'11 | 225 | 12 |
| 70 | Streit, Coleton | OL/DL | 6'0 | 170 | 10 |
| 72 | Black, Rowan | OL/DL | 5'8 | 210 | 9 |
| 75 | Symanietz, Alex | OL/DL | 6'2 | 205 | 12 |
| 77 | Breth, Mason | OL/DL | 5'11 | 220 | 12 |
| 81 | Bruns, Benjamin | QB/DB | 5'7 | 120 | 9 |
| 82 | Nelson, Johnathan | RB/LB | 6'0 | 180 | 9 |
| 83 | Patrick, Cole | WR/DB | 5'7 | 130 | 9 |
| 84 | Sand, Paydon | WR/DB | 5'7 | 125 | 9 |
If you'd like to listen to my conversation with Luke Mitchell, click below.
Holdingford...in Pictures
More From 1390 Granite City Sports
