Jaylon Washington stars, youngsters impress in Minneapolis North victory over St. Paul Johnson

By Brendan O'Brien, SportsEngine, 09/03/21, 2:45PM CDT

North running back Jaylon Washington ran for 136 yards and two touchdowns in the Polars' victory.

Minneapolis North's Jaylon Washington (3) carries the ball down the sideline during the first half of Friday evening’s game against St. Paul Johnson. Washington rushed for two touchdowns in the Polars’ 41-0 victory over the Governors. Photo by Jeff Lawler

As Minneapolis North was coming into a new season with a young, inexperienced roster after a shortened 2020 campaign, a little rust and jitters was to be expected in the season opener.

No jitters were evident on the North sideline, however, and senior running back Jaylon Washington starred on an otherwise young Polars’ roster in a 41-0 win over St. Paul Johnson at Johnson High School.

Washington ran for 136 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. After the Governors (0-1, 0-0) fumbled on their first two offensive plays from scrimmage, Washington quickly demonstrated just how dangerous of a runner he can be, rushing for 91 yards in the first half.

When asked about Washington’s vision and performance, head coach Charles Adams III beamed from ear to ear.

“The kid is amazing, I don’t even know what to say,” Adams said of Washington. “His vision and his ability to hit those holes is unbelievable. It doesn’t hurt to have a great offensive line in front of you, too, so there’s trust between them.”

Photo Gallery: Minneapolis North vs. St. Paul Johnson

When it comes to his field vision, Washington is very technical and confident in his ability to make a defender miss.

“First, I really read the offensive line, then I feel where the linebackers are flowing,” Washington said. “Depending on the play, I know it’ll be one-on-one.”

That vision was evident in the first quarter when he broke into the open field on a 32-yard run to the endzone.

“Seeing him in practice is one thing, but in a game is something else. He’s going to rush for a lot of yards this year,” Adams said.

But Washington was not the only bright spot in the Polars’ offense. In his first game as a starter, junior running back Will Smith rushed for 48 yards, one touchdown and converted multiple first downs.

“Last year I didn’t play, but it’s all coming together,” Smith said. “I’m starting to build a little bit more trust, bond and friendships with my teammates.”

Sophomore quarterback Deshaun Hill was a young player for North (1-0, 0-0) who impressed in limited action. While he didn’t need to throw often, he looked comfortable when he did. One of his passes went for 30 yards and seemed to stay in the air forever before it eventually fell into the hands of receiver Rio Sanders for a touchdown. Adams hopes to see more of Hill in the near future.

“We want to work in the passing game throughout the season because we have a young quarterback in Deshaun. When you get further down the line in the playoffs, that’s when the pass game is more important, so we know we have time to develop our quarterback to get him where he needs to go,” Adams said.

The performances of the younger and less experienced players, like Smith and Hill, which led to an early season victory, did not go unnoticed by Adams.

“I was really impressed with our younger starters stepping up,” Adams said. “I’m glad how they took leadership in the win.”

Minneapolis North's Will Smith (26) cuts back on a touchdown run against St. Paul Johnson Friday evening. Smith scored twice in the first half and the Polars defeated the Governors 41-0 in St. Paul. Photo by Jeff Lawler, SportsEngine

First Report

In a late afternoon matchup in east Saint Paul, Minneapolis North jumped out to an early lead and didn’t let up, beating St. Paul Johnson 41-0 on Friday.

North (1-0, 0-0) scored on three of its first four offensive possessions. On Johnson’s first play from scrimmage, Governors’ quarterback Elijah Knox could not handle the shotgun snap and the Polars’ defense recovered the fumble. Two plays later, North running back Will Smith punched it in from the 1-yard line.

It was deja vu for Johnson on its second possession as the Governors (0-1, 0-0) fumbled again in their own territory. The following play, senior running back Jaylon Washington stepped on the gas and maneuvered his way for a 32-yard touchdown.

The Polars’ offensive line was able to create rushing lanes early and often in the matchup. Washington led North with 136 yards on the ground — 91 coming in the first half — and hit paydirt twice. Receiver Rico Sanders hauled in three receptions for 60 yards, turning one into a 30-yard touchdown off a pass from sophomore Deshaun Hill.

St. Paul Johnson quarterback Elijah Knox barrels over a Minneapolis North player on a run during the first half of Friday evening’s game in St. Paul. The Governors fell to the Polars 41-0. Photo by Jeff Lawler, SportsEngine

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