2025 Sun Thisweek Fall Football Preview | Page 6

Page 6 Fall Football Preview • Friday, August 29, 2025

Lakeville South

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Team building big part of Cougars’ prep

Lakeville South expects to be fast, physical on defense by Mike Shaughnessy SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE

The Lakeville South varsity football team had its sixth consecutive winning season in 2024, going 6-4.

Were the Cougars satisfied? Not by a long shot. Carter Mayer, a senior linebacker and Cougars’ captain, said the players looked back over the program’ s recent past and concluded the teams that had the best seasons also had the closest bonds.

So in addition to the usual off-season regimen of strength training, on-field work and video study, Mayer said the Cougars are working on being a more cohesive group.

“ We want to be better. We have new standards,” Mayer said.“ We weren’ t as connected as we would have liked to be last year. Too much arguing; we could have been more of a team.

“ In the spring, we had our own thing where we hosted( weightlifting) sessions in the morning and everybody was invited. As the summer came, we did stuff like going to the beach and playing volleyball just to bring this group closer together, because when we’ re at practice we’ re usually split up, offense and defense.”

The Cougars’ 2024 season ended with a 35- 34 loss to Anoka in the Class 6A round of 16 when a South two-point conversion attempt late in the fourth quarter

Photo by Mike Shaughnessy

Lakeville South head coach Ben Burk addresses the Cougars’ players following practice. South was 6-4 last season for the team’ s sixth consecutive year with a winning record.

was stopped short. They graduated their starting quarterback and top four rushers but have some quality players returning – including Mayer, a three-year starter and sideline-to-sideline tackler.

Mayer“ goes from our practice, and then he’ s out there with the sixth-graders, helping his siblings and my kids,” Lakeville South coach Ben Burk said.“ He has football in his blood. He’ s a leader on our team and in the community. I think that comes from his preparation. He’ s an example of what discipline can bring you.”

The Cougars’ athletes on defense also include senior lineman Kaleb Williams, one of the team’ s tackles leaders in 2024; senior lineman Henry Hauge, who committed to play at the Air Force Academy; senior lineman Josh Bergan, a two-time all-district player; nose tackle Oscar Anaya; defensive end Jaymel Kalimu, who has received a Division I offer from St. Thomas; and defensive back Darion Graham.

“ There’ s some team speed, and some size and aggression” on defense, Burk said.“ I think they’ re going to play with their hair on fire and give us the ball back.”

South also has perhaps the biggest group of linemen in school history. Along with Williams, Bergan, Anaya and

Schedule

( Games 7 p. m. Fridays unless noted) Aug. 29: Mounds View Sept. 5: at Shakopee Sept. 12: Lakeville North Sept. 19: at Farmington Sept. 26: Eagan Oct. 3: at Edina Oct. 10: Prior Lake Oct. 15( Wednesday): at Rosemount

Kalimu, there’ s massive( 6-foot-7, 345 pounds) junior Joseph Hamer, who already has a scholarship offer from Iowa State. Senior Asher Collins is a returning all-district player and another 300-pounder on the offensive line.

“ We have big linemen, but so does everybody else. We play in a tough league( Metro South),” Burk said.“ Our defensive linemen are all pretty good, and we’ re deep there. Our offensive linemen need to play with leverage and be nasty getting off the ball, but if we’ re bigger than the other team, that would definitely help.”

There might be some new rushers in the Cougars’ Power-T backfield, but Burk isn’ t worried about finding enough people to run with the ball. Senior Nic Swanson will be in the picture, and so will junior Griffen Dean. And there will be others.

“ We’ ve always had good running backs,” Burk said.“ We definitely have more kids than we have carries to give out. See Cougars, 17

Photo by Mike Shaughnessy

Contact is permitted during the second week of fall practice, and Lakeville South’ s players were ready to ramp up.