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U recruit Nelson puts on show

By Brian Stensaas, Star Tribune, 09/01/11, 9:31PM CDT

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Mankato West QB keys huge first half in rout of New Prague


Mankato West QB Philip Nelson works for yards vs. New Prague. Marlin Levison/Star Tribune

The yellow no-contact practice jersey Philip Nelson wore all during two-a-days leading up to Week 1 of the high school football season really began to bother the Mankato West quarterback.

On Thursday, Nelson only got to wear his game-night, come-and-hit-me jersey on the field for a half. And he earned it.

Nelson and his Scarlets teammates knocked New Prague square on the chin, stunning the host Trojans 60-14 in the season opener.

“I was just waiting for that first hit; that’s when all the anxiety goes away,” Nelson said.

A Gophers recruit who completed 62 percent of his passes a year ago for 2,439 yards and 30 touchdowns, Nelson took control almost from the start. He finished with 195 yards passing and five touchdowns in just one half of work.

“He executed as well as we could have asked him,” coach Mark Esch said. “And we’re trying to build on it and get better each week.”

That’s not welcome news for other teams in Class 4A.
On a play that was decided earlier in the week, Nelson got what he wanted when he rushed for 18 yards on the first play from scrimmage. He then shook off an 0-for-3 start and hit senior wide receiver Hunter Friesen for a 16-yard touchdown just over 3 minutes into the game.

It was just the beginning — the two hooked up twice more in the half. By the time the first quarter ended, Nelson had 149 yards passing, added another TD through the air and one on the ground to give the Class 4A No. 1-ranked Scarlets a 22-0 cushion.

The rest of the first half, Nelson completed just three more passes — for scores of 11, 12 and 23 yards.

The stats after 24 minutes were eye-popping: Nelson alone was responsible for six touchdowns. New Prague ran just 23 plays.

“I was ready,” said Nelson, who in addition to spot-on throws lowered his shoulder for extra yardage on all of his runs. “I always give coach Esch a little bit of a hard time because I don’t get to play defense. So I get after guys from the quarterback spot too.”
 

Scarlets' defense shines, too

No one is going to deny that Gophers recruit Philip Nelson stole the show Thursday at New Prague with a hand in six touchdowns for Class 4A, No. 1-ranked Mankato West in a 60-14 rout.

In fact, his teammates on the other side of the ball are used to it.
 
“Our defense always gets overshadowed,” Scarlets coach Mark Esch said.
Added senior Hunter Friesen: “Oh, yeah. Every year it happens, even though we step up to the plate and make plays.”
 
Not that Friesen was complaining. How could he after he helped shut down the Trojans on defense, and on offense hauled in three of Nelson’s five touchdown passes.
 
“[Nelson] throws the best ball I’ve seen at the high school level,” Friesen said.
But enough about that.
 
Just how good was Mankato West’s defense in Week 1? The Scarlets’ first team – which includes three sophomores – pitched a shutout through the first half, allowing just 47 total yards of offense. New Prague never got closer than 45 yards away from the goal line before halftime and committed turnovers on back-to-back possessions after the Mankato West galloped to a 36-0 lead 3 minutes into the second quarter.
 
Both turnovers – a fumble recovery and an interception – came from Scarlets’ cornerback Konor Severns.
 
It made up for a shaky start to his senior season on offense, which included a pair of dropped passes early on.
 
Severns eventually scored twice in the game, but he heard it from coaches for looking downfield before the football reached his hands on a wide-open play.
 
“I made [Nelson] look bad; just a little too much excitement and adrenaline,” Severns said within earshot of Nelson, who rolled his eyes. “But you have to have a good defense to win games, and stopping the run is our first priority. We did that [Thursday].”
Many of the starters on both sides of the ball rested during the second half of play, which was contested in running time.
 
That likely will not be the rule this season, and players and coaches alike are well aware a full 48 minutes of effort will be needed as the weeks wear on.
 
“These games are great because you get everybody in,” Esch said. “But down the stretch, we’ll add some new wrinkles in for our starters, and give them some short-term goals.”

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