ANTONIO FORD

Coon Rapids, football

Weather conditions being what they were Friday night, Coon Rapids coach Jon Young knew his team was going to keep the football on the ground against visiting Elk River.

But even he never expected the kind of game the Cardinals received from Ford, a sophomore running back.

Running behind a line that averages nearly 280 pounds per man, Ford set a school record by rushing for 368 yards (on 40 carries) and scored five touchdowns in a 41-12 victory.

"We're usually more balanced, but the rainy weather sort of dictated that we would run the ball," Young said. "We saw a couple of things on film that we thought might help us be successful."

Clearly, that included giving Elk River a heavy dose of Ford.

"I was taken aback by how many yards and how many carries he had," Young admitted. "I can usually tell when a back is getting tired, but Antonio was really rolling and we never noticed that in him."

One reason for Ford's strong play is his devotion to training. His running style belies his 5-10, 170-pound frame.

"He's physically gifted and he loves football," Young said. "He trains all the time, so he's in unbelievable condition and he's incredibly durable. He ran just as hard on his 40th run as he did on his first."

JOHN CROCKETT

Totino-Grace, football

The explosive senior tailback broke out in a big way in the Eagles' 33-6 rout of Chisago Lakes. He carried the ball 15 times for 190 yards and scored Totino-Grace's first four touchdowns on runs of 18, 33, 53 and 54 yards.

JOE LAUE

Holy Angels, soccer

The senior defender had his usual outstanding week of defensive play but also chipped in on offense, scoring four goals - including a game-tying goal in double overtime in a tie with Benilde-St. Margaret's - in three games.

JACOB SANDRY

Bloomington Jefferson, cross-country

Sandry followed up an impressive fifth-place finish at the Roy Griak Invitational two weeks ago with a pair of victories last week, winning the Jefferson Jaguars All-Terrain meet Tuesday and Duluth's Swain Invitational on Saturday.

ALIHA BALLON

Rogers, soccer

The Royals won three times last week, extending their winning streak to nine, with the junior forward leading the way. She scored eight goals and had three assists for the week, giving her a team-leading 20 goals -- 16 of them during the winning streak.

TORI DIXON

Burnsville, volleyball

The powerful 6-3 outside hitter and Gophers recruit was dominant in a pair of four-set Lake Conference victories. She had 26 kills as the Blaze downed Apple Valley and 27 kills in a victory over Rosemount.

MARIE MARTINE

Visitation, soccer

Shifting the versatile sophomore from defense to midfield proved to be a wise move last week. Martine scored a goal and had four assists in a victory over Brooklyn Center and tallied both goals in a 2-1 victory over Trinity.