Tracy scrimmage vital to Vikings

Minneota is about to find out what works and what needs to be corrected.

The annual Tracy-Milroy-Balaton scrimmage at Tracy begins at 9 a.m. Saturday and Minneota is one of six teams. On hand will be TMB, Springfield, Dawson-Boyd, Yellow Medicine East, Pipestone and the Vikings. When outsiders look at Minneota, they see a 2017 state champion with a deep tradition.

But they also see quarterback Alex Pohlen has gone on to college football at Dakota Wesleyan and the team’s go-to-guy Isaac Hennen has now graduated.

That’s enough to cause most critics to lower the expectations of a repeat championship. After all, Pohlen took 1,656 yards passing away from last year’s team and Hennen’s 813 yards rushing and 622 receiving are gone.

But it’s much too early to push the panic button. Stepping into the quarterback slot is sophomore Jacob Hennen. “He’s a guy with a lot of tools,” said Offensive Coordinator Matt Myrvik.

Hennen is likely to bring a couple of aspects to the quarterback spot not seen when Pohlen directed the team. Among them is the ability to run.

And while his cousin Isaac Hennen is gone, brother Thomas is on the scene. He had 521 yards receiving last year and added 168 yards rushing. So watch for the Hennen-to-Hennen connection.

Add in Cole Sanow, who rushed for 680 yards last year and is bigger and stronger than last year — and there is plenty of hope for the running game.

Minneota will begin to find out what the changes mean when they scrimmage at Tracy on Saturday. Defensively, Cole VanOverbeke had five sacks last year and Logan Sussner four and both are back.

The leading tackler was Shawn Buysse with 84 and Mitchell Rost also returns with 37 tackles last year.

Big boy center Ty Lipinski mans the line and will also play defense. The cupboard is hardly bare.