sailor . mnsun . com Fall Football Preview • Thursday , August 29 , 2024 Page 19
HOLY ANGELS STARS
FOOTBALL
Experienced personnel raises optimism
by JASON OLSON jason . olson @ apgecm . com
( SUN PHOTO BY JASON OLSON )
Holy Angels captains from left are Isaiah Bird-Winston , Tanner Zellmer , Damian Devine and Macalister Nolen . Not pictured : Reese Skelton
Holy Angels ended a threeyear run of state appearances last year as rival Benilde-St . Margaret ’ s captured the Section 5AAAA title on the Richfield campus field in 2023 .
The Stars have several key contributors back , including quarterback Damian Devine , receiver / linebacker Isaiah Bird-Winston , linebacker Tanner Zellmer and junior lineman Dalton DeBoer .
“ We started eight sophomores who are now juniors but have a knowledge base that will help them ,” coach Jim Gunderson said .
Part of that opportunity for the younger players came out of necessity as the team dealt with a rash of injuries .
“ We play a really tough schedule , so if we can be healthy for playoffs [ that will be big ],” he said as they rostered 50 players but only dressed 26 players for sections because of injuries .
Devine ran for 839 yards and an eye-popping 13 touchdowns in just eight games after missing time due to injury . The Stars ran for 24 touchdowns as a team .
Junior starter Emmett Anderson led the team in carries with 137 across 10 games and finished with 708 yards and four touchdowns . He also caught three passes for 33 yards and one touchdown . Defensively , Anderson accounted for 34 total tackles .
Devine threw for two more touchdowns . As a member of the defensive secondary , Devine had 41 tackles , seven for a loss and forced one fumble . He also intercepted two passes , returning one for a touchdown against DeLa- Salle .
This summer and into fall practice , the emphasis on offense has been making the most of the opportunities in the passing game . The offense would also like to be more versatile so that the team does not need to rely on one aspect of the attack to push the ball down the field .
Devine is working to get faster and continue to develop a relationship with the receivers to ensure everyone is on the same page when it comes to routes and getting them the ball .
“ We ’ re working on the timing with everybody because everyone has different speeds , so it comes down to making sure the ball is there ,” Devine said , who said he added more than 20 pounds during the offseason .
As for his game ’ s running and defensive aspects , Devine said he wanted to add weight while gaining speed .
“ Getting faster , putting
more weight to run more people over , but yeah , definitely looking to run the ball ,” Devine said .
Zellmer noted how they need to develop more depth across the board but would take the Stars starters against anyone on the schedule or in Class AAAA .
As for the defense , they will evolve their approach to fit the situation , with Zellmer holding down the middle of the linebackers and two outside linebackers back .
Speed and physical play are two traits that will be critical aspects of the Stars ’ success this fall .
QUICK HITS
Head Coach
Jim Gunderson Ninth season
Last Year ’ s Record : 4-6
PREVIEW 202�
Key Returning Players
Quarterback Damian Devine averaged more than 100 yards running per game last season . He had 13 touchdowns in just eight games . Devine also passed for 235 yards and two touchdowns . Defensively , he was among the leaders with 41 total tackles and two interceptions , one of which went for a touchdown . Isaiah Bird-Winston led the way with 54 tackles including three for a loss and one sack . He also returned one interception for a touchdown . Emmett Anderson carried the ball 26 times more than Devine rushing for 708 yards and four touchdowns . He also caught three passes for 33 yards and scored once . Anderson collected 34 tackles on defense .
Schedule
All start times 7 p . m . unless noted Aug . 30 at Minneapolis North Sept . 6 vs . Richfield Sept . 13 vs . Becker Sept . 20 at SMB ( Blake School ) Sept . 27 vs . Totino-Grace Oct . 5 at Benilde-St . Margaret ’ s Oct . 10 at Rocori Oct . 16 vs . Hutchinson