MFCA Tackle Cancer All-Star Game

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Eight incoming Saint John's University football student-athletes participated in the 42nd Annual Minnesota High School Tackle Cancer All-Star Football Game, sponsored by the Minnesota Football Coaches Association, June 27 at Husky Stadium in St. Cloud. The South team defeated the North, 21-10.

Irondale defensive lineman Isaac Ackerman, Holdingford linebacker Nathan Brinker, Rocori quarterback/running back Alex Budde and Pierz running back Robbie Skiba suited up for the North team. New Ulm Cathedral linebacker Brandon Beranek, Northfield wide receiver Joey Eckhoff, Cretin-Derham Hall defensive back/quarterback Maxwell Jackson and Eagan linebacker Joe Kovach played for the South team.

All eight played defense in the game, though Budde, Eckhoff and Skiba are expected to play on the offensive side of the ball at SJU.

A disruptive force on the defensive line, Ackerman was a three-year starter for the Knights and an All-Northwest Suburban pick last fall. He totaled 84 tackles (55 solo), including 15 tackles for a loss and five sacks, four fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and four pass breakups in 2014. – Highlight Video

Brinker was a key factor behind Holdingford's Class AA state championship last fall. He ended the title game with 15 carries for 73 yards and a touchdown, and also threw what proved to be the game-winning touchdown pass in the 20-18, double-overtime victory. Defensively, Brinker collected seven solo tackles and forced two fumbles. He transitioned from right guard to running back late in the season and finished with 31 carries for 407 yards (13.1 avg.) and seven touchdowns. A stalwart in the middle of the defense, he posted 119 tackles, along with five sacks and two interceptions. Brinker also won the Class A state wrestling championship at 195 pounds this winter and finished second in 2014. This spring, Brinker batted .500 for the Huskers' baseball team and finished fourth at the Class A track meet in the shot put. He placed second in the shot put (14.48 meters) and sixth in the 100-meter dash (12.13) as Holdingford won the Class A True Team state championship in May. – Highlight Video

Beranek led the Greyhounds' defense to the Class A state quarterfinals and ended his career as the school's all-time leader in tackles with 340 (90 solo). He collected 150 tackles (55 solo), three sacks, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries in 2014. Beranek was named the 2014 Southern Minnesota Conference and New Ulm Journal Area Defensive Player of the Year. – Highlight Video

Budde moved to quarterback his senior season and led Rocori to the Class AAAA state quarterfinals, totaling 2,278 yards of offense (898 rushing and 1,380 passing) and 27 touchdowns in 11 games last fall. He caught 39 catches for 705 yards and eight touchdowns, while rushing for 280 yards and three more scores as a junior in 2013. – Highlight Video

Eckhoff was an All-Big Nine selection last fall and led the Raiders, who are coached by former Johnnie Bubba Sullivan '89, with 1,159 all-purpose yards. He caught 34 passes for 724 yards and eight touchdowns, and also intercepted five passes as a defensive back. – Highlight Video

A three-year starter and an All-Suburban East selection last fall, Jackson completed nearly 60 percent of his passes (94-for-159) and threw for 1,448 yards and 19 touchdowns in nine games for the Raiders in 2014. He also ran for 311 yards and six touchdowns and played defensive back. – Highlight Video

Kovach was a two-time All-South Suburban selection and a three-year starter for the Wildcats. He ended his career with 314 career tackles (160 solo), including 18.5 tackles for a loss, 4.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries and three interceptions. Kovach posted 170 tackles (86 solo), including 10 for a loss, 1.5 sacks and a blocked kick as a senior last fall. – Highlight Video

Skiba broke Pierz's school record for rushing yards in a season, finishing the year with 2,175 yards on 236 carries (9.2 avg.) and 25 touchdowns in 12 games, as the Pioneers advanced to the Class AAA state semifinals last fall. He also broke the school record for rushing yards in a game with 325 and three touchdowns against St. Cloud Cathedral in the section championship game. Skiba also played linebacker, where he led the team with 110 tackles (52 solo) and three interceptions in 2014. This spring, Skiba claimed seventh in the 110-meter hurdles (15.57) at the Class A state track and field meet.

Brinker and Beranek were named to the Associated Press' 2014 All-State first and third teams, respectively. Brinker, Budde and Skiba were named to the 2014 St. Cloud Times All-Area team.

Two other incoming Johnnies, St. Cloud Cathedral tight end Tommy Auger (Highlight Video) and South St. Paul defensive back Jaden Bjorklund (Highlight Video), were named to the Associated Press' 2014 All-State second and third teams, respectively. A National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete award winner and a two-time St. Cloud Times All-Area pick, Auger recorded 90 receptions for 927 yards and five touchdowns, while adding 122 tackles at linebacker, as a senior for the Crusaders. The 90 catches were the third-most in a season in Minnesota high school history. Bjorklund was a three-year starter for South St. Paul and is the younger brother of SJU senior linebacker Reid Bjorklund, a 2012 Minnesota State All-Star.

The eight All-Stars and the rest of the SJU team report to Collegeville on Saturday, Aug. 15, with the first practice scheduled for the following day. The Johnnies open the 2015 season with a 1 p.m. kickoff Sept. 5 against Dubuque (Iowa) in Clemens Stadium.