The Red Rock Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hills-Beaver Creek won the Red Rock last year by two games and we expect the Patriots to be the favorites once again.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Conference Commentary</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Ten in State:</strong>  Hills-Beaver Creek</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hills-Beaver Creek has athletes that are committed to football teams but those same athletes led their team to a 26-3 season last year and they return with chances for an even bigger season. [player_tooltip player_id='2400265' first='Jamin' last='Metzger'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2398619' first='Micah' last='Bush'] led the team last season and they will do so again. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>League Title Contenders</strong>:  Russell-Tyler-Ruthton, Westbrook-Walnut Grove, Southwest Minnesota Christian, Murray County Central, Edgerton</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>RTR lost three of their top four scorers but they do have two starters returning. There is depth that needs to be replaced including their top two players but the Jags should still be a solid team. Westbrook-Walnut Grove has four starters returning from a 17-win team and with that type of experience expectations come with it. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Southwest Minnesota Christian is always some type of contender but they lost six players to graduation that were key parts of their team last year including three all league players. Ryan Pap now steps into the main role but there are a lot of pieces that need to be filled to be in the top group. MCC was an 18-win team last year but they lost four of their top six players. Two solid starters return for the Rebels but a lot of talent needs to be replaced. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Edgerton was an 11-16 team last year but there are good signs for 25-26. The Flying Dutchmen return their top three players and this is a team that beat RTR last last year and played three close games with MCC although all were losses. With their top three guys back Edgerton should be improved. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Compete with Most:</strong> Mountain Lake Area/Comfrey, Red Rock Central</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mountain Lake Area/Comfrey lost more than half of their rotation from a seven win team. They have an All league player back so they will be able to compete but there are holes to fill. Red Rock Central won only three games last season but they have a 20ppg all league player back and they lost very little to graduation. The Flacons should be more competitive. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Rebuilding</strong>:Adrian/Ellsworth, Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Adrian/Ellsworth is one we know nothing about. No stats, no submissions, we just know they lost their best player from a nine win team. Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda is a three win team that lost some key pieces and it should be another year before they take the step they want to take.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>25-26 Conference Predictions</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Red Rock Power Rankings</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(1) Hills-Beaver Creek</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(2) Westbrook-Walnut Grove</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(3) Southwest Minnesota Christian</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(4) Russell-Tyler-Ruthton</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(5) Edgerton</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(6) Murray County Central</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(7) Mountain Lake Area/Comfrey</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(8) Red Rock Central</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(9) Adrian/Ellsworth </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(10) Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preseason All</strong> <strong>Red Rock</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>First Team</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2398619' first='Micah' last='Bush'] of Hills-Beaver Creek (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2400265' first='Jamin' last='Metzger'] of Hills-Beaver Creek (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ryan Pap of Southwest Minnesota Christian (Jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2841844' first='Drew' last='Swanson'] of Westbrook-Walnut Grove (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kade Moffitt of Edgerton (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Second Team</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Aidan Swanson of Murray County Central (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Colton Thomsen of RTR (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Aidan Olson of Mountain Lake Area/Comfrey (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2840083' first='Brodie' last='Metzger'] of Hills-Beaver Creek (Soph)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2862723' first='Henry' last='Stavnes'] of Red Rock Central (Soph)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Third Team</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Neil Kuehl of Westbrook-Walnut Grove (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tanner Thomsen of Edgerton (Soph)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Maxwell Miller of Murray County Central (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Michael Gunnick of Edgerton (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Fourth Team</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jackson Jenniges of Westbrook-Walnut Grove (Jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Connor Jackels of Westbrook-Walnut Grove (Soph)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Juhl Drake of RTR (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Josiah Hoftyzer of Southwest Minnesota Christian (Jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->