As you likely noticed, the pro 🏈 draft was this past week from Thursday through yesterday. As the rounds unfolded each was broken down, pick by pick. But what was saved was the super special final grade for the group. Before that though, the player I'm most excited to see is Jeff Gladney. I don't want to put too much on any rookie this year but I think he will have the broadest opportunity and the shortest gap to clear in learning his role. But now back to the grade. Because they gave themselves a great chance to get contributions in one phase of the game or another from at least 8 guys I'm giving it an A. A 50% hit rate may not seem great and it wouldn't be but I'm just thinking about year 1 and having that as the floor of expectation for the group.
Among the record group was another absence of players from the champs. The asterisk being that FCS players were being more regularly passed over this year but before time ran out Derrek Tuszka got the call from Denver to join that vaunted group of rushers. Not long after, Ben Ellefson & Zach Johnson were both reported to be heading to the pros as well, to Jacksonville & Green Bay respectively. I thought that James Hendricks & Ty Brooks could have a shot as well but as of now it seems like they will have to go North of the border to continue playing. In the lead up to Thursday both Dillon Radunz and Trey Lance were mentioned by a scout unprompted as players to be aware. That's not news to those who follow the program but was still a nugget not get swept aside!
Away from 🏈, NDSU added another local competitor to it's Track & Field program as two-time state champion Michaela Hjelseth signed with the university from Davies. It was also announced that the 🏀 team will have yet another hole to fill as Associate Head Coach Jayden Olson was announced as the new athletics direction for Williston State.
As we have come near to the time when colleges would be ending for the year, Concordia concluded their run of "Senior Salutes" and here is another chance to take a look at all their grads have accomplished.
As of now, no final decision has been announced by the NDHSAA regarding spring events but that is expected soon. On the other side of the river, the MSHSL put the final stamp on the year, regrettably for all those who aspired to finish with their best efforts. Both Park Christian & Moorhead had standout performers last year in Track & Field who had at least one more go at state titles, but as with so many other things, we'll never know what could have been for them.
On a more positive note, it was announced this week that the Moorhead boys 🏀 team's new head coach is Matt Ellingson. The 2012 graduate from Moorhead had been an assistant with the team for the last four years.
Comments