KROX Radio/KROXAM.com has compiled the Section 8A Football preseason coaches poll and season preview and it comes as no surprise that the defending state champion, Mahnomen-Waubun Thunderbirds are the top pick to win the section this year, but Polk County West and Red Lake County aren’t far behind. This year will have a new look to the section with Fertile-Beltrami and Badger-Greenbush-Middle River moving to 9-man.
The Section 8A Football poll and preview is below –
| Team | Points |
| 1. Mahnomen-Waubun (3) | 19 |
| 2. Polk County West (2) | 17 |
| 3. Red Lake County | 15 |
| 4. Fosston | 11 |
| 5. Cass Lake-Bena | 8 |
| 6. Red Lake | 5 |
CLICK HERE FOR THE SECTION 8A MASTER SCHEDULE
MAHNOMEN-WAUBUN THUNDERBIRDS – Coach John Clark Jr.
The first year of the Mahnomen-Waubun football coop was something else. They went 13-0 and won a state championship! The Thunderbirds beat Polk County West 35-20 in the 8A championship. They beat Deer River 42-0 in the first round of state. In the semi-finals, they cruised to a 38-0 victory over Springfield and beat BOLD 22-21 in the championship. They will lose most of their starters, but return three starting lineman and with their offense they run, the offensive line is extremely important. The non-starters had plenty of reps, including in the state tournament last year.
Top returners – Chris Podlak, Jeremy Londo, Kael Snetsinger, Nathaniel Olson, Justin Littlewolf, Brodie Bement
Season outlook according to Coach Clark – We lost a ton of talent to graduation but bring back a strong OL and DL. We will hang our hat on a strong run game and solid defense again. Even though we lost a lot of talented seniors, expectations are high. We will be tough up front! Developing depth at the skill positions on offense and defense will be key.
POLK COUNTY WEST THUNDER – Coach Darrin Byklum
The Polk County West Thunder are coming off another solid year with an 8-3 record and a 35-20 loss to Mahnomen-Waubun in the Section 8A Championship. PCW has a good crew of returners coming back, including a bunch of important lineman and many in the section think they could be the ones to finally knock off Mahnomen-Waubun! It should be a fun year for the Thunder.
Top returners – Sam Modeen (QB), Josh Wagner (RB/DB), Sam Gapp (RB/LB), Jon Fontaine (RB/DB), Gage Wavra (RB/LB), Myles Smith (OL/DL), James Fontaine (LB/OL), Eric Mykleseth (OL/DL), and Logan Bergquist (OL).
Season outlook according to Coach Byklum – We have a good nucleus coming back to build around with a lot of experience. With nine returners and others getting a lot of playing time last year we hope to be very competitive by playoff time.
RED LAKE COUNTY REBELS – Coach Brian Remick
The Red Lake County Rebels had another great season last year going 8-2 with a loss to Polk County West in the section semi-finals 34-6. It looks like the Rebels will have the most experienced team coming back with a lot of starters returning. They return seven starters on offense and eight starters on defense.
Top returners – Senior QB Derek Peterson (285 yards rushing and 390 passing), JR OL Isiah Olson, SR OL Kaydon Kenfield, SR RB Chris Longtin (641 yards rushing), JR Zak Kennett (208 yards rushing), SR player Zach Benson (239 yards receiving) are all players that are going on their 3rd year starting.
Season outlook according to Coach Remick – We return seven starters on offense and eight starters on defense. We face a tough schedule this year and hope to challenge for the 2019 Section Championship.
FOSSTON GREYHOUNDS – Coach Arek Aakre
The Fosston Greyhounds are coming off a 2-7 record last year. They were shut-out by Fertile-Beltrami in the first round of the Section playoffs last year. They are battling some low numbers, like a lot of teams. As usual, they have some pretty good athletes and look to have a better year this year.
Top returners – Kyle Jacobson (220 passing yards), Axel Munter, Zach Johnson, Jacob Lomen (86 yards receiving), Dane Schoenborn (324 yards rushing), Max Staehnke.
Season outlook according to Coach Arek Aakre – The Greyhounds are led by five seniors and seven juniors. Kyle Jacobson returns as quarterback. Zach Johnson leads the defense as middle linebacker. Axel Munter and Jacob Malmanger anchor the offensive and defensive lines. The Greyhounds look for contributions from tight end Jacob Lomen, and running backs Dane Schoenborn and Max Staehnke. We look to improve from last year’s 2-7 record and hopes to compete throughout the year as a team.
CASS LAKE-BENA PANTHERS – Coach Henry Ruud
The Cass Lake-Bena Panthers are coming off a 2-5 season. They beat Red Lake and had a forfeit win over Pine River-Backus. The Panthers had to forfeit the final game of the regular season and the first-round playoff game due to lack of players. They are looking to get things going and building a program, which is hard in the difficult Section 8A.
Top returners – Colter Humphrey, Senior, FB/DE; Riechen Anwiler, Sophomore, RB/LB
Season outlook according to Coach Ruud – We are going to be young. We have a tough week one opponent in Polk County West. Looking to compete and gain experience.
RED LAKE WARRIORS – Coach Nolan Desjarlait
The Red Lake Warriors were 0-8 last season and only scored 40 points all season. They lost to Red Lake County 44-0 in the first round of the section playoffs. We didn’t get a response from Red Lake, so we aren’t sure who their top returners will be (they might not know either). The one thing we know about Red Lake Football, they have a hard time fielding a team.
