One night in September
Improbable plays, from multiple positions, all season long, made JD Spielman a runaway Metro Player of the Year selection. Here are five plays from a Sept. 11 win against Maple Grove, each showcasing his talents:
1: Maple Grove punted in its first possession to Spielman, who sprinted down the right sideline 93 yards for a touchdown.
2: Late in the first half, the Crimson threatened to score from 4 yards out. Spielman guarded against a quarterback run, saw he intended to throw and then pounced for an end zone interception.
3: Taking a handoff from the Eagles 43, Spielman spun to evade capture in the backfield, got driven back 5 yards by a defensive end, broke left, outran three defenders to the edge and made two more tacklers miss on a remarkable 44-yard run.
4: Spielman answered a third-quarter Maple Grove touchdown by taking the ensuing kickoff. He ran up the middle, broke a tackle and outran the pack for an 85-yard score.
5: Handoff Spielman. He bounced off a linebacker in the hole, split two defensive backs and ran for a 25-yard touchdown to cap a magical evening.
DAVID LA VAQUE
