by RedDirtFan » Mon Nov 17, 2014 6:42 pm
As someone who watched quite a few PRFL games this year, I'd like to mention a few players whose names may not have come up as often as others throughout the season. Spencer Rehovsky and Daniel Onstad played really well on the defensive line. Rehovsky started to get some recognition near the end of the season, and it was well deserved. Onstad was recovering from an injury earlier in the year, but was a mainstay on both sides of the ball once he was healthy. On the offensive line, I'd like to commend Matt Dobmeier and Daman Flaten for making such a successful transition from skill positions to the line, as both players got better and better on that side of the ball as the year wore on. Michael Nord also played well for a good portion of the season at a tackle position. He's a kid who's had to deal with knee issues for a few years, so it was good to see him out on the field. Adam Johnson and Rehovsky proved to quite the duo to run behind on the other side of that offensive line, rounding out a group of 5 (6, counting Onstad) that consistently improved throughout the year. Defensively, some posters have already mentioned Flaten and Hankey, who were hard hits waiting to happen. Dobmeier deserves a ton of credit, as well, at the linebacker position. He had perhaps his best game for PRFL in the semifinal round against Larimore. I lost count of the tackles he was involved in, including a nice solo tackle for loss on Jake Peterson that halted a second half Larimore drive that had crossed midfield. I don't think there was a better linebacking trio in the state than Dobmeier, Flaten, and Jackson Hankey. Esten Beneda also played well at linebacker, moving back from the defensive line to fill in for Flaten when he was injured. In the secondary, Arndt and both Zimmermans were great at corner, as was Abe Hankey when he saw the field on defense. Levi Cudmore accounted for quite a few turnovers during the year at the safety position. Overall, most people knew about PRFL's offense. The defense that complemented it was dominant.
It was nice to see an East team win the title, and as another poster mentioned, it was great to see a coaching staff embrace a style of offensive football not often seen in Class A. Fun to watch doesn't even begin to describe PRFL.