He still wears jersey No. 50, a nod to his former offensive position at guard.

LeRoy-Ostrander senior Tanner Olson no longer starts plays with one hand on the ground. He needs them both to carry the ball. Converted to running back just before the playoffs, Olson has helped propel the Cardinals’ run to the 9-man Prep Bowl championship.

In Thursday’s 49-0 semifinal romp of Kittson County Central, Olson ran 22 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Originally seen by coach Trevor Carrier as a blocking back for senior quarterback Chase Johnson, Olson emerged as a solid ball carrying option.

“Tanner is very big, he’s very strong and he’s one of the fastest kids on the team,” Carrier said.

Bearcats’ coach Cory Waling saw plenty of the 6-3, 225-pounds Olson on Thursday.

“Their fullback is a tough runner,” Waling said. “He keeps you just enough off balance and then you’ve got to tackle him. That became a problem. He’s a load.”

Olson and Johnson, not to be confused with the 1930s vaudeville duo, supply LeRoy-Ostrander with a devastating punch combination. Johnson finished with 21 carries for 229 yards and three touchdowns.

“We’re kind of now a run-run option team,” Carrier said. “Depending on which way you want to go, we’ll take what you give us.”

Olson and Johnson ran Kittson County Central into submission at U.S. Bank Stadium. The victory sends the Cardinals (11-2) to the Prep Bowl championship game at 10 a.m. Nov. 27. They face the winner of Friday’s semifinal between Fertile/Beltrami and Hills-Beaver Creek.

Kittson County Central (10-3) made critical missteps early, losing a pair of fumbles the LeRoy-Ostrander offense converted into a 22-0 second quarter advantage.

“Offensively, we had to get some rhythm going,” Waling said. “Those turnovers hurt us.”

So did Olson. Carrier said the young man, who still plays defensive end, had “zero carries until the last game of the season.”

Olson acknowledged his “constant nagging” to carry the ball until coaches agreed.

Now he helps carry the offense.

“It’s super nice because not every team can just load the box and try to take my game away,” Johnson said. “They have Tanner to worry about now, too.”

LeRoy-Ostrander ran Kittson County Central into submission en route to a 49-0 victory in the Class 9-man semifinal played Thursday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The victory sends the Cardinals (11-2) to the Prep Bowl championship game at 10 a.m. Nov. 27. They await the winner of Friday morning’s semifinal between Fertile/Beltrami and Hills-Beaver Creek.

Senior quarterback Chase Johnson and senior running back Tanner Olson did most of the damage. Through three quarters, Johnson had run 20 times for 203 yards while Olson added 114 yards on 22 carries. Both scored three touchdowns.

Kittson County Central finished 10-3.