22 on all-area football team

Twenty-two players have been named to The Brainerd Dispatch All-Area Football Team.

Brainerd

Mike Zauhar, QB-DB, senior

Leading rushers

1. Steve Bethel, Pillager, 1,743 yards

2. Justin Biebighauser, Pequot Lakes, 1,469 yards

3. Justin Schwegel, Pine River-Backus, 1,448 yards

4. Craig Luberts, Pierz, 1,154 yards

5. Peter Hayes, Wadena-Deer Creek, 932 yards

6. Mike Zauhar, Brainerd, 858 yards

7. Jordan Hinkle, Verndale, 851 yards

8. Mike Weiss, Brainerd, 751 yards

9. Steve Perpich, Crosby-Ironton 725 yards

10. Ryan Olson, Little Falls, 676 yards

Leading passers

1. Dan Saehr, Pierz, 1,588 yards, 25 touchdowns

2. Matt Royer, Pequot Lakes, 1,212 yards, 11 touchdowns

3. Matt Mosack, Staples-Motley, 920 yards, 9 touchdowns

4. Lee Roberts, Pillager, 650 yards, 6 touchdowns

5. Mike Zauhar, Brainerd, 583 yards, 7 touchdowns

Leading receivers (yards)

1. Mark Kasella, Little Falls, 41 catches, 705 yards

2. Mark Poepping, Pierz, 31 catches, 621 yards

3. John Kahl, Pierz, 39 catches, 537 yards

4. Bryan Brown, Crosby-Ironton 24 catches 510 yds

5. Jeremy Doroff, Little Falls, 35 catches, 495 yards

Leading tacklers (assists and solos added together)

1. Casey Finck, Verndale, 134 tackles

2. John Swanson, Aitkin, 124 tackles

3. Chad Weiss, Brainerd, 118 tackles

4. Blake Smith, Little Falls, 115 tackles

5. Mike Hines, Pequot Lakes, 107 tackles

6. Kyle Bender, Aitkin, 105 tackles

7. Dan Britz, Pierz, 103 tackles

8. Steve Bethel, Pillager, 102 tackles

9. Fred Weiss, Brainerd, 92 tackles

10. Chris Foy, Brainerd, 92 tackles

Final area records

Pillager 11-2 (Prairie North Conference co-champs, Section 6, Class 1A champs, State Class 1A runners-up)

Pierz 9-1 (Central Minnesota Conference Champs)

Pequot Lakes 9-2 (Section 8, Class 3A runners-up)

Pine River-Backus 8-2 (North Star Conference Champs)

Brainerd 7-2 (Central Lakes Conference co-champs)

Staples-Motley 6-3 (Northern Lakes Conference co-champs)

Verndale 6-3

Aitkin 4-5

Crosby-Ironton 4-5

Little Falls 1-8

Wadena-Deer Creek 1-8

858 yards rushing, 7.0 average, 15 touchdowns, 583 yards passing, seven touchdown passes, named to Class 5A academic all-state team, All-Central Lakes Conference.

Chad Weiss, LB, junior

Team-high 118 tackles, three interceptions, two fumble recoveries, All-CLC.

Chris Foy, DL, senior

92 tackles, second on team, All-CLC.

Jeff Hanson, G, senior

Top offensive lineman for team that averaged 32 points and 342 yards per game, All-CLC.

Mike Weiss, RB-LB, senior

751 yards rushing, 10 touchdowns, 84 tackles, fifth on team, averaged 32.4 yards on punts, All-CLC.

Kevin Mertens, DB, junior

Possible school-record nine interceptions, All-CLC.

Crosby-Ironton

Steve Perpich RB-LB, senior

All-Sea Range Conference, voted team MVP, rushed 125 times for 725 yards and 11 touchdowns, led team in tackles with 62, three tackles for loss, one sack, one fumble recovery.

Little Falls

Mark Kasella, TE-DE, senior

Caught 41 passes for 705 yards and eight touchdowns.

Pierz

Dan Saehr, QB-DB, senior

Saehr passed for 1,588 yards and 25 touchdowns, was 105-of-181 passing (58 percent), rushed for two touchdowns.

Kevin Smude, G-DT, senior

Made 35 solo tackles, 33 assists, 4.5 sacks, helped Pierz rush for 1,599 yards and throw for 1,631.

Pillager

Steve Bethel, RB-LB, senior

Rushed for 1,743 yards on 262 carries and 15 touchdowns, defensively had 102 tackles, two sacks, one interception, forced four fumbles.

Lee Roberts, QB-FS, senior

Rushed for 501 yards on 81 carries and 11 touchdowns, passed for 650 yards and six touchdowns, defensively had 60 tackles, one fumble recovery, one sack, had 15 pass deflections, six interceptions, three forced fumbles.

Adam Brown, WR-DE, senior

Rushed for 524 yards on 39 carries, ran for five touchdowns and caught six TD passes, had 23 receptions for 466 yards, defensively had 66 tackles and 14 sacks, one interception, 27 hurries, caused four fumbles and recovered three, returned one fumble for touchdown.

Jeff Pace, RB-CB, senior

Rushed for 667 yards on 63 carries and scored 10 touchdowns, on defense finished with 38 tackles, one fumble recovery and six pass defenses.

Pequot Lakes

Justin Biebighauser, senior, RB-LB

All-North Star Conference, rushed 195 times for 1,469 yards, finished with 17 touchdowns, defensively made 90 tackles and returned two interceptions for touchdowns.

Matt Royer, senior, QB-FS

All-North Star Conference, was 72-of-209 passing for 1,212 yards and 11 touchdowns, also rushed 32 times for 178 yards and a touchdown, on defense he had 29 tackles and two interceptions.

Pine River-Backus

Justin Schwegel, RB-LB, senior

All-Park Region Conference, rushed for 1,448 yards on 192 attempts, 7.5 average, scored 17 touchdowns, 34-of-42 on extra-point attempts, also had 49 tackles.

Josh Bresnahan, G-DT, senior

All-Park Region Conference, finished with 62 tackles, helped the Tigers gain 3,577 total yards, team rushed for 2,960 yards, mainly behind Bresnahan.

Nick Keefe, QB-FS, senior

All-Park Region Conference, rushed 104 times for 719 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaged 6.9 yards per carry, was fourth-leading rusher in conference, also passed for 567 yards and seven touchdowns, also led conference in kickoff returns by returning 12 for 431 yards and two touchdowns, had five interceptions, returned one for touchdown, also returned a punt for a score.

Staples-Motley

Kyle Bendson, RB-FS, senior

Two-time All-Northern Lakes Conference, co-MVP of conference, had 110 carries for 891 yards and 12 touchdowns, finished with 58 tackles and one interception.

Verndale

Jordan Hinkle, RB-DB, senior

Rushed for 851 yards and six touchdowns on 147 carries, 5.79 average, had 20 receptions for 235 yards and two touchdowns, had eight punt returns for 89 yards and six kickoff returns for 119 yards, had two interceptions, 17 solo tackles, 34 assisted tackles, two rumble recoveries.

Casey Finck, FB-LB, junior

Rushed for 527 yards and six touchdowns on 78 carries, 6.76 average, had 15 receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns, led the Pirates with 39 solo tackles and 95 assists, 2.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, also was punter and kicker, averaging 33.5 yards per punt and 47.3 yards per kickoff.

Honorable mention

Aitkin

Derik Lamke G-DT, senior

All-Great River Conference, 69 assisted tackles, three solo tackles, one sack, one fumble recovery, one interception, helped Gobblers rush for 1,489 yards.

Kyle Bender RB-LB, senior

All-Great River Conference, Aitkin's leading receiver with 18 catches for 217 yards, averaged 12.1 per catch, rushed for 464 yards (3.9 average), defensively had 93 assisted tackles, 12 solos, three sacks, one interception, scored 48 points.

Josh Flier RB-LB-K, senior

All-Great River Conference, averaged 5.2 yards per carry, finished with 575 yards rushing, had 64 assisted tackles, eight solo tackles, one sack, two interceptions, scored 40 points.

Brainerd

Fred Weiss, LB, junior

All-conference honorable mention, second on team with 92 tackles, three fumble recoveries, one interception.

Seth Owens, DL, senior

All-conference, fourth on team with 86 tackles

Crosby-Ironton

Ben Baratto QB-LB, senior

Two-time All-Sea Range Conference, despite being injured was second on team in tackles, rushed 96 times for 439 yards and five touchdowns, passed for 533 yards, finished with 61 total tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, one interception.

Jerome Borden, C-DT, senior

All-Sea Range Conference, three-year starter at center, led team in tackles for loss with 18.

Ryan Westhoff, DE-G, senior

All-Sea Range Conference honorable mention, two-year starter at tackle, on defense had 44 tackles, four tackles for loss, one fumble recovery.

Bryan Brown, WR-DB, senior

All-Sea Range Conference honorable mention, caught 24 passes for 510 yards, had 25 tackles, five interceptions.

Little Falls

Jeremy Doroff, WR, senior

Caught 35 passes for 495 yards and seven touchdowns.

Noah Czech, QB, senior

Was 112-of-229 passing for 516 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Pierz

Dan Britz, LB-G, senior

Helped Pierz rush for 1,599 yards and pass for 1,631, led team in tackles with 63 solos and 40 assisted.

John Kahl, WR-DB-P-K, Senior

Caught 39 passes for 537 yards and 12 touchdowns, kicked two field goals.

Mark Poepping, WR-DB, junior

Caught 31 passes for 621 yards and nine touchdowns, had 22 solo tackles, 12 assists, four fumble recoveries, six interceptions.

Pillager

Robert Bethel, RB-CB, junior

Rushed for 423 yards on 61 carries and four scores, had 55 tackles, 11 passes defensed.

Eric Fornshell, G-DT, junior

Fornshell helped the Huskies rush for 4,929 yards and throw for 600 more, had 56 tackles, two fumble recoveries, seven sacks, five forced fumbles.

Mark Gaalswyk, DE-OL, junior

Helped Huskies rush for 4,929 yards and pass for 600 more, collected 39 tackles, one fumble recovery, nine sacks, 15 hurries.

Justin Clark, LB-OL, senior, captain

Had 56 tackles, three sacks, one safety, one forced fumble.

Tony Szczdrowski, OL-DT, junior

Helped Huskies rush for 4,929 yards and throw for 600, had 28 tackles, one fumble recovery.

Steve Szczdrowski, RB-LB, senior

Rushed for 327 yards on 48 carries, scored six touchdowns, had 46 tackles, one sack, four interceptions.

Tyrone Farber, OT, junior

Helped Huskies rush for 4,929 yards and throw for 600, also had five tackles in limited action.

Pequot Lakes

Joey Neznik, senior, LB-TE

Had 84 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions returned for touchdowns.

Mike Hines, senior, LB-G

Hines led team with 107 tackles, also starting guard.

Tony Landecker, senior, FB-CB

Had three interceptions, 70 tackles, rushed 44 times for 191 yards and four touchdowns, also caught a touchdown pass.

Joby Goerges, senior, WR-DB

All-North Star Conference, 32 catches for 429 yards and four touchdowns, had 51 tackles and three interceptions.

Pine River-Backus

Phil Mongan, FB-LB, senior

All-Park Region Conference, rushed 35 times for 218 yards and four touchdowns, led Tigers with 13 receptions for 284 yards and three touchdowns, had 68 total tackles.

Gary Anderson, TE-LB, senior

All-Park Region Conference, led Tigers with 72 total tackles, also caught 13 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown.

Phil Shequen, OT-DT, junior

All-Park Region Conference, helped Tigers gain 3,577 total yards to lead conference, PR-B also rushed for 2,960 yards to lead the conference.

Staples-Motley

Chris Jennissen, OT, senior

MVP offensive lineman in Northern Lakes Conference, also all-conference selection, averaged six pancake blocks per game, Cardinals rushed for 1,982 yards.

Adam Barnett, TE-CB, senior

Two-time All-Northern Lakes Conference, had 14 receptions for 340 yards and three touchdowns, averaged 24 yards per catch, had 27 tackles and three interceptions.

Nick Mertens, DE-G, senior

All-Northern Lakes Conference, averaged four tackles per game, total of 36 tackles, four sacks

Kyle Detloff, FB-LB, senior

All-Northern Lakes Conference, had 36 tackles, two sacks, four fumble recoveries, rushed 82 times for 410 yards and eight touchdowns.

Verndale

Ryan Sundby, OT-DT, senior

Had 18 solo tackles, 57 assists, two sacks, one forced fumble, helped Verndale rush for 1,966 yards and pass for 698.

Adam Richter, C-DT, senior

Had 13 solo tackles, 39 assists, 5.5 sacks, one forced fumble, helped Verndale rush for 1,966 yards and throw for 698.

Wadena-Deer Creek

Peter Hayes TB-LB, junior

All-Northern Lakes Conference, 182 carries for 932 yards and nine touchdowns, 5.2 average, had 62 tackles, one interception, returned kickoff 90 yards for touchdown.