Vikings open with big win over Sleepy Eye

“We’re going to ge a little different team,” warned Minneota Offensive Coordinator Matt Myrvik.
So when fourth-year quarterback Alex Pohlen came out firing against Sleepy Eye in the season opener Thursday, it may have signaled only the first of many surprises the Vikings may unveil in 2017.
“He’s a fourth year quarterback … he ought to be able to do those things,” said Myrvik.
Pohlen completed seven of nine passes on that first drive as Minneota (the other two were dropped) and scored their first touchdown on a 16-yard pass to Thomas Hennen without once going to a run.
It signaled the start of a 58-7 Viking win over the Indians.
Pohlen went on to throw 13 of 20 passes for 183 yards and three touchdown passes to start his final season.
“We’ve got some great athletes,” said Myrvik. And the Viking coaching staff has every intention of using each of them in a variety of ways.
Take Isaac Hennen for instance.
They could line up the 2,000-yard-plus rusher in the backfield and let him rip into opponents.
But Coach Chad Johnston says, while Hennen is their best rusher, “He may be our best receiver and he’s an outstanding blocker.”
Against Sleepy Eye Hennen ran just six times for 78 yards and two touchdowns.

He also caught three passes for 58 yards — the longest for 30 yards. Turning to defense, Hennen is positioned at safety — yet, at times, he moves up to linebacker. And he responded with a pair of assists and a pair of tackles in just over a half the game on the field.
 “We had guys go up and get the ball,” said Myrvik. One of those was Thomas Hennen, who caught six passes for 90 yards and three touchdowns (the longest for 17 yards). But true to the promise of “being a different team,” Hennen took a reverse and ran for nine yards.
The running game is a “work in progress,” mostly because the backs are running behind a reconstructed line.”They’re young and learning,” said Coach Myrvik.
Instead of Isaac Hennen, “Carrying the ball 30 times,” they moved Cole Sanow to fullback and the sophomore responded with 56 yards on eight carries — the longest a 13-yard run.
Up front, senior center Ty Lypinski was leading the way with Mitchell Rost, Cole VanOverbeke and Shawn Buysse learning the trade in the middle of the line.
Minneota rushed 34 times for 243 yards — so the rushing game was alive and well, despite not running Isaac Hennen to death.
“We just want to grow in our effort and improve in the run game,” Myrvik added. What he’s looking for is for his players to, “Be aggressive.”
He said the line, “Played fine. There are a few little things, but we expect a lot out of them.”
The Vikings were, “ A little banged up,” with tackle TJ Esping nursing a back injury. He was not suited up. Receiver, defensive back Landon Abraham also set out the game with nagging injuries.

THE OTHER aspect of rebuilding the Vikings is the defense. 
If you ask Sleepy Eye quarterback Zach Haala, the Viking defense wasn’t something to worry about. Haala was sacked three times by Cole VanOverbeke, Tanner Sik and Logan Sussner.
The Indians had just 101 total yards, 90 on the ground and were tackled for a loss nine separate times. In short, it was a long night for Haala and his top running back, Landon Strong, who got 71 yards on 13 carries.

BRIGHT SPOTS:
•Cole VanOverbeke had thee assists; four solo tackles and a sack.
•Shawn Buysse: Led the team with eight tackles, three of those were solos.
•Tanner Sik: Used his speed at defensive end to get a sack and four tackles.
•Logan Sussner: New to defensive end, he had a sack among four tackle.
•Josh Laleman and Landon Rolbiecki had interceptions.
•The Vikings came up with there fumble recoveries by Lucas Bot; Austin Sorenson and Lipinski.

THREE-STAR AWARD:
•Landon Rolbiecki
—Eight yard touchdown run.
—Seventeen-yard touchdown pass from Jacob Hennen. (Two pass receptions for 20 yards).
—Four point after touchdown kicks.
—Two tackles on defense.
Minneota 58, Sleepy Eye 7
Sleepy Eye        0    0    7    0     —    7
Minneota           20   20  12  6     —    58
First Quarter:
M-Thomas Hennen 16 pass from Alex Pohlen. PAT-Landon Rolbiecki kick.
M-Isaac Hennen 2 run. pAT-Rolbiecki kick.
M-Pohlen 1 run. PAT-Kick failed.
Second Quarter:
M-Isaac Hennen 30 run. PAT-Kick failed.
M-Thomas Hennen 17 pass from Pohlen. PAT-Rolbiecki kick.
M-Rolbiecki 8 run. PAT-Rolbiecki kick.
Third Quarter:
M-Thomas Hennen 17 pass from Pohlen. PAT-Kick failed.
M-Rolbiecki 17 pass from Jacob Hennen. PAT-LaShad Smith kick failed.
SE-Landon Strong 19 run. PAT-Eugenio Flores kick.
Fourth Quarter:
M-Jacob Hennen 28 run. PAT-Smith kick failed.

Team Statistics
Minneota             Sleepy Eye
22    First Downs    6
4-20    Penalites/Yards    4-20
0-0    Fumbles/Lost    3-3
34-243    Rushes/Yards            34-90
211    Passing Yards    11
454    Totals Yards    101
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS:
RUSHING: (No., yds.) Minneota: I. Hennen 6-78; C. Sanow 8-56; Tanner Sik 4-36; J. Hennen 2-28; L. Smith 4-22; T. Hennen 1-9; T. Sterzinger 4-4; G. Moorse 1-3; Pohlen 1-1; Blake Reiss 1-0; Alex Lacek 1-minus 2. SE-Landon Strong 13-71; Jacob Berg 8-31; Carter Tauer 5-23; Ethan Fischer 1-minus 5; Haala 4-minus 30.
PASSING: (No., comp., Inter., yards) Minneota: A. Pohlen 20-13-1-183); Jacob Hennen 3-3-0-28; SE-Haala 7-2-2-11.
RECEIVING: (No., yds.) Minneota-Thomas Henen 6-90; Isaac Hennen 3-58; C. Sanow 3-28; L. Rolbiecki, 2-20; B. Reiss 1-8; B. Buysse, 1-7. SE-L. Strong 108; C. Tauer 1-3.
KICKOFFS: (No., yds.) Minneota-L. Rolbiecki 8-310; Sleepy Eye: Frankie Trevino 2-62.
KICKOFF RETURNS: (No., yds.) Minneota: T. Sk 1-16; SE-N. Walters 2-18; J. Berg 4-8; E. Fischer 2-14; C.Tauer 2-11.
PUNTS: (No., yds., avg.) Minneota: No punts; SE: Haala 4-124-31.0.
PUNT RETURNS; (No., yds.) Minneota: 3-12.
TACKLES (Solos-Assists) Minneota: Cole VanOverbeke 4-3; Shawn Buysse 3-5; I. Hennen 2-2; C. Sanow 2-1; T. Sik 2-2; B. Reiss 2-0; Rolbiecki 1-1; Brant Buysse 1-1; L. Sussner 1-3; Ethan Krier 1-2; Lucas Bot 1-1; A. Sorenson, Lipinski, Alex Saltzer, Layne Lozinski, Zach VanKeulen, Kaden Culver, J. Hennen 1-0 each; T. Sterzinger, Rost, T. Walerius 0-1 each; Josh Laleman 0-2. SE: I. Velasquez 5-0; L Strong 3-1; C. Tauer 3-1; R. Martinez 3-`; J. Mickelson 3-0; B. Tauer 3-0; R. Fischer 2-0; N. Walters 2-1; F. Ellserio 2-1; others 8-5