2026 Season Recaps
September 3, 2026 - Stillwater
Thursday night proved what I had anticipated: at times, our inexperience would have an opportunity to show. It certainly did show in a few moments, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I appreciate what those moments revealed about this group. They gave us an opportunity to see their resilience and how they responded to adversity.
The night started the way any home opener should, with a long, winding tunnel created by our incredible youth program. Dave Malenke Youth Night brings an energy unlike any other week of the regular season, and the kids in the end zone during the first half certainly added to that atmosphere.
Defensively, we had just two starters playing the same position they played last year, along with one other returning starter playing a new position. That meant eight players were getting their first opportunity to truly cut their teeth against an offense that we knew could create some problems for our defense.
Stillwater had a player who was clearly a focal point of their offense, which created an additional challenge as we prepared on a short week. Our defense did an excellent job learning the necessary adjustments and then making plays on the field.
The defense also became the first group to score in the 2026 season. Adam Patefield did a tremendous job in coverage, sitting in the window of a slant route before intercepting the pass and scampering 57 yards for a touchdown. We will not talk about his post-touchdown celebration, though!
It was awesome to see the excitement from Adam, our youth program, and the entire defensive unit. I believe that play helped jump-start the defense and allowed them to play with even more confidence. We were able to record six sacks and two interceptions on the evening. Julian Cipala and Levi Bakker each recorded two sacks. Jake Hansegard and Austin Thyen did a great job using their speed to make plays, while Lucas Smith and Elias Tiah did an excellent job making adjustments and stepping up when opportunities presented themselves. Overall, I thought our defensive players did a great job playing fast, loose, and with confidence.
Offensively, we had eleven brand-new faces in the starting lineup, and at times, that inexperience showed. There were moments when the offense struggled, but there were also moments when it looked like we might be on rinse and repeat from the success of previous years.
The challenge this week, and moving forward, is to clean up missed assignments while continuing to make plays, move the chains, and finish drives. We were able to get inside the 5-yard line twice, which should result in two touchdowns. Unfortunately, we only came away with three points from those two possessions. Those are valuable learning opportunities, and our players will be better because of them. We need to learn from those mistakes and capitalize on those opportunities moving forward.
Offensively, we also had a new quarterback at the helm in Graham Greseth, and I thought he did a great job leading the group on the field. He made some impressive plays, and with some great catches by Lucas Bakker and Briggs Tarnowski, our passing game showed flashes of being very good. I cannot wait to watch this group continue to grow and become more confident in both their responsibilities and their ability to make plays.
Special teams had some ups and downs as well. Our kick-return team did a great job pinning the Stillwater offense deep in its own territory. However, our blocking on punts and extra points/field goals needs to be a point of emphasis this week. Sophomore Matthew Richardson also came through for us, knocking in a 32-yard field goal. It was exciting to see that the moment was not too big for the young man.
Next week provides another awesome test as we head down Highway 494 and make a stop in Eden Prairie. They are always very well coached, have big and physical players, and know how to win football games. I enjoy playing at Eden Prairie because of their rich tradition and outstanding facilities.
This week's game will once again be on a Thursday night, which means another short week of preparation. Our attention to detail and film work will need to be at an all-time high.
We are excited for another great challenge. Come join us next Thursday night in Eden Prairie for a blackout-themed night in the stands!
Fear The Leaf. Leave No Doubt. Find A Way.
September 10, 2026 - Eden Prairie
Thursday night, we traveled to Eden Prairie, a venue where we had not played a regular-season game since 2018. Eden Prairie is a program with tremendous history, a veteran coaching staff, and a talented roster. Preparing for an opponent like that throughout the week was exciting for both our players and coaches. This is also what makes our schedule so special. The Metro West Division will be a battle each and every week.
The first drive of the game featured both some highs and lows. We allowed a couple of big plays by their offense, but the hustle and effort of Elias Tiah and Austin Thyen helped create one of the biggest goal-line stands the Crimson defense has had in a very long time. That stand gave our defense a level of confidence that continued throughout the evening.
Unfortunately, a miscue on our punt team created an easy touchdown for the Eagles, and we found ourselves behind 7–0. Both defenses continued to stymie the opposing offenses for the remainder of the first half, and that was the score heading into halftime.
After halftime, both teams continued to make impressive defensive stops. We were able to make two key stops against Eden Prairie in their own territory and continued to play well defensively. However, Eden Prairie caught us being a little too aggressive and hit a well-timed screen play that went the distance for a touchdown. Late in the third quarter, we found ourselves behind the eight ball, trailing 14–0.
From that point on, however, our offense began to find its rhythm. We put together an impressive 80-yard drive behind great pass protection and some well-thrown passes from quarterback Graham Greseth. The drive was capped off by a touchdown pass to Briggs Tarnowski, and you could certainly feel the momentum beginning to shift.
Eden Prairie's next possession appeared to be gaining momentum before a miscue landed the ball in the arms of Jake Hansegard. Our offense quickly capitalized, as the Greseth-to-Tarnowski connection struck again on a long pass down the sideline. Just like that, it was a tie ballgame with approximately six minutes remaining.
That is when the game became even more interesting. We had the Eagles facing a fourth-down play with less than two minutes remaining, but they were able to make a big play and eventually score a touchdown. Suddenly, we were down seven points with less than two minutes remaining and approximately 80 yards separating us from the end zone.
Our offense responded once again and drove the ball all the way into the red zone. Unfortunately, that is where the game came to an end, as an interception ended our final drive.
All in all, it was a great high school football game, and unfortunately, we ended up on the wrong side of the scoreboard. After the game, we had a conversation about the importance of the details, playing until the whistle, and remaining disciplined in our decisions. As players and coaches, we will get better because of this game.
I remain encouraged and excited about the trajectory of this football team. Losing is not fun at all, but I know our players will respond and come out even more focused this week.
This week brings another great opponent and a little familiarity for our program. Coach Vince, who has been an incredible addition to our staff, spent time wearing the green and white of the Mounds View Mustangs. Mounds View is an easy drive down 694, and I would love to see our stands filled with jerseys of all sorts and plenty of Crimson supporters.
It should prove to be another great week of Crimson Football.
September 18, 2026 - Mounds View Recap
Friday was definitely a night of highs and lows. We traveled to Mounds View to take on the Mustangs and had a great week of preparation leading into the game. This was the first week all season where I found myself thinking, We have this. We’ll be good.
Mounds View, to their credit, played us extremely well and found a way to challenge any confidence I had going into the game early. The two teams went back and forth throughout the first quarter, with both defenses coming up with some quick stops. Mounds View then capitalized on a mistake on our end, followed by two big plays, and before we knew it, the Mustangs had taken a 7–0 lead early in the second quarter.
The remainder of the first half became an exchange of three-and-outs. Before we knew it, we were heading into halftime trailing a team that I had felt very comfortable playing against going into the game.
At halftime, both sides of the ball had conversations about what needed to change. The best part was that our players didn’t look worried. Adjustments were made, and we were eager to see if those adjustments would be successful.
The second half started with Mounds View having the ball, and before we knew it, they were driving down the field. This was when our defense finally found a way to make a stop. The only problem was that we now had 80-plus yards to travel to score, and our offense had not shown to that point that we could move the ball that far and sustain a drive.
Problem solved.
The offense did an awesome job moving the ball down the field on a 16-play, 95-yard drive. Even with some mistakes along the way, we continued to execute and find ways to move the football. That confidence carried over into another 9-play, 81-yard drive.
Both drives were successful through the air and on the ground. Some big catches were made by Briggs Tarnowski, Lucas Bakker, Eldrick Tyus Vang, and Christos Bakritges. Our offensive line created running lanes that sophomore running back Luca Maciej took advantage of, making some key runs throughout the second half.
Defensively, we finished the game extremely strong. I was unbelievably proud of our defense because we created six three-and-outs. We also had seven players record five or more tackles. We finished the game with 12 tackles for loss, two turnovers, and one sack.
That is the type of response we want to see from this football team. Things did not go exactly the way we wanted in the first half, but our players and coaches stayed composed, made adjustments, and came out in the second half ready to compete.
This week will provide another challenge as the Edina Hornets come into town for our Homecoming game. We now begin a stretch of five straight Metro West district games to finish the regular season.
Edina comes into the game at 1–2, with losses to Wayzata and Eden Prairie. They are a well-coached football team coming off a state championship season, and they will come into Crimson Stadium with plenty of confidence.
Our job is simple: take care of business on Friday night in front of a packed Crimson Stadium and give ourselves an opportunity to earn our third victory of the season.
Come pack Crimson Stadium, cheer loudly for our players, and bring some cash to help support the Randy Shaver Tackle Cancer Foundation. It should be a great night of Crimson Football, and we are looking forward to seeing everyone there!
Fear The Leaf, Leave No Doubt, Find A Way