2009 Prep Football All-Metro Offense

Our All-Metro quarterback is Andover junior Tyler Finnes who had a break out season. Finnes is a big quarterback at 6-foot-4, 180 pounds and he throws a great football. He completed 65% of his passes connecting on 201 of 307 this season for 2326 yards and 25 touchdowns. He also was a threat to run, gaining 622 yards on 128-carries and 10 touchdowns.

DeLaSalle's Evan Williams had a big season for the Islanders. He played quarterback for the Islanders but was more of a threat to run the ball. He finished the season with 2200 yards rushing on 183 carries and 31 touchdowns. He also threw for over 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns, all that despite missing two games with injuries. He's a Gopher recruit.

Champlin Park's Brandon Marquardt was named the Northwest Suburban Conference Offensive MVP. The 5-foot-10 ,195 pounder finished with 1513 yards on 240 carries and 21 touchdowns. He also caught 22 passes for over 400 yards and 6 touchdowns. He was a three year starter and finished his career with 2851 yards and 55 touchdowns, most in school history.

Totino-Grace senior John Crockett was tough to tackle and hard to catch. He was the best offensive player in the North Suburban Conference. Crockett, at 6-foot-1, 180 pounds is a tough runner with exceptional speed. He has 1494 yards on 149 carries this fall. John has 28-rushing touchdowns this fall and over 2100 all purpose yards.

Minneapolis Washburn junior Montrell Wade was dynamtie in a small package. He ripped off scoring runs of 95 and 89 yards this fall on his way to a total of 2122 yards on 211 carries. Wade is just 5-foot-11, 185 pounds, but he's strong and very fast. He scored 19 rushing touchdowns for the Millers who won the Minneapolis City conference and finished 8-3.

Our All-Metro tight end is Eden Prairie senior Taylor Grant. He's 6-foot-5, 230 pounds. He has 14 receptions for 225 yards and 4 touchdowns. He's averaging 16 yards per catch and is also a tough blocker. Grant is a multi-talented player and has seen time at quarterback and on defense. He's being recruited Division I.

At 6-foot-5, 210 pounds, Andover's Jason Schneider leads our All-Metro wide receivers. The senior finished with 73 receptions for 904 yards and 13 touchdowns. His coach says the wideout is the best his program has ever had. Andover finished 7-3.

Rosemount senior Zach Vraa is a repeat All-Metro performer and a candidate for Minnesota's Mr. Football. He averaged 20 yards per reception, which led the Metro. He's a big target at 6-foot-3, 200 pounds. His numbers were down from a year ago but not his impact. Zach finished with 39 catches for 783 yards but he scored 12 touchdowns.

Osseo junior receiver Jameer Jackson led the metro in receptions with 86 for 1139 yards. The 6-foot-3, 210 pounder finished with 15 touchdown catches. His coach says Jackson has great size and strength and uses his body well. Jameer set a state record for receptions in a game with 19 versus Andover in September. He was a threat to score each time he touched the football.

Mammoth tackle Seantrel Henderson of Cretin-Derham Hall is 6-foot-8, 320 pounds. He is regarded as the nation's #1 college recruit. The senior is so strong, quick and technically sound. He's a tremendous blocker with a great sense of balance and a mean streak which makes him the best in the country. Seantrel is a three year starter and a repeat All-Metro performer.

Irondale's Jimmy Gjere is a big man at 6-foot-8, 300 pounds. He was a dominant lineman for two years. He's strong, with good feet and great awareness. His coach says Gjerre is the real deal; a devastating blocker who works hard and has a great future. Jimmy has verbally committed to the Gophers.

Eden Prairie guard Nick Harris is big and strong at 6-foot-6, 285 pounds. Harris moved from tackle to guard and has dominated opponents. He hasn't given up a sack all season. Harris is so athletic which makes him a devastating pull and trap blocker. The Eagles have 2792-yards rushing this fall, a lot of those behind Harris.

Mahtomedi junior tackle Tom Olson is a big man at 6-foot-4, 285 pounds. The Zephyrs rushed for 2427 yards this fall, most of those yards behind Olson. He's extremely physical, very strong with excellent technique and room to grow. Olson has already verbally committed to the Gophers.

Blaine center Max Chapman was voted the Northwest Suburban offensive lineman of the year. He's 6-foot-1, 295 pounds. His head coach says Chapman is a very tough, determined competitor. Blaine's offense averaged 378 yards per game and when they needed tough yards, they ran behind Chapman. He was a three year starter.

Buffalo lineman Ben Henson was named the Mississippi Eight Conference MVP. He's 6-foot-3, 305 pounds and a powerful two-way player for the Bison. He was a three-year starter and never missed a play in that time. His coach says he's extremely strong with quick feet for a big guy. He's a Division-one college recruit

At times, Shea Walker played in the shadow of Seantrel Henderson at Cretin-Derham Hall but he's a star in his own right. He's 6-foot-2, 292 pounds and some consider him a nastier blocker than teammate Seantrell Henderson. The Raiders have amassed over 4,000 yards of offense this season, most of it coming behind Walker and Henderson.

Our All-Metro Kicker is Northfield senior Wes Kramer, who is a big guy at 6-foot-4, 270 pounds. He made 5 of 6 field goal attempts with his longest from 44 yards. Kramer made 14 field goals in his career. Wes also put half of his kickoffs into the end zone. He was also a stand-out lineman and one big reason Northfield made the State 4A quarterfinals.

Our choice for coach of the year is Centennial's Mike Watson. This is Mike's 32nd year at Centennial and this year, his team won a share of the Northwest Suburban Conference title, he beat Blaine twice at Blaine and the Cougars made the state football playoffs for the third time in their history. Centennial finished 10-2 after a dismal 2008 when their record was 2-7.