Apparently, there is a lot more to Burnsville than Kamal Martin. And, after the Blaze ran over host Lakeville South 24-6 to improve to 2-0 on the season, it's time the rest of the teams in Class 6A take notice.
How impressive was the Blaze? Martin, a 6-foot-3 senior quarterback whose athletic skills wowed University of Minnesota coaches so much they offered him a scholarship, spent much of the game as a role player, content to let his talented teammates prove themselves.
One in particular, junior running back/linebacker Stephan Olson Jr., stood out, making plays all over the field. He put the Blaze on the scoreboard first with a remarkable one-handed interception, returning it 20 yards for a touchdown.
"I told Steph that was an above-average catch," said Burnsville coach Tyler Krebs, grinning at his understatement. "He's a game-changer."
Olson said he was surprised he came down with the ball. "I didn't think I'd catch it. I blew some coverages last year, and I didn't want to make the same mistake."
Martin, on the other hand, wasn't surprised at all. "He does that in practice," Martin said. "I see it all the time."
Olson wasn't finished, adding the game's most important score, a 5-yard run with 40 seconds left in the first half that capped a nine-play, 80-yard drive. Most important, it came immediately after Lakeville South appeared to get back in the game with a touchdown that cut the lead to 7-6.
While Olson scored the touchdown, the heroes on that drive were members of the Burnsville offensive line, who opened mammoth holes for the Blaze running backs. Burnsville had five runs of 9 or more yards en route to the score.
