Prep athletes of the week: Kick-returner turns risk into game-changer

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound senior wide receiver smiled broadly as he remembered the kick coming straight to him.

Few teams have kicked to the ultra-athletic Weston when he's on kickoff return duties, fearing his potent combination of speed and strength. But Mankato West, having just taken the lead 14-10 late in the second quarter, took a risk and did. It turned out to be a huge mistake.

In one electrifying 94-yard return, Weston returned lost momentum to the Knights, who went on to defeat the defending Class 5A champs 31-28.

"Not a lot of teams have kicked to me," Weston said. "I saw an opening and I took it right to the house."

It may have been his biggest play of the game, but it wasn't his only play. He caught six passes for 184 yards, consistently taking advantage of single coverage.

"Whenever a team goes one-on-one on me, I feel disrespected because I feel they think someone else is better than me," Weston said. "I can't have that mentality."

While Wayzata didn't qualify for the Class 2A state meet as a team and thus was not able to defend its title, Carpenter, a senior provided a little salve. He won the individual 5K race in a time of 15:26.5, becoming the Trojans' third individual champion in the last five years.

The junior defensive back spurred a Packers defense that held firm late in a 19-14 victory over Rocori in the Class 4A semifinals. Duffy made four tackles and intercepted three passes — two that stopped Rocori drives on consecutive possessions in the fourth quarter — as the Packers prevailed in a 19-14 victory.

Coming back strong after missing a large chunk of the seasonwith an injury, the 6-foot-3 junior outside hitter led the Royals to the Class 3A, Section 6 title. She had 23 kills, 12 digs and five blocks in a four-set victory over previously undefeated Minneapolis Washburn in the championship match.

The sophomore attacker has shown a knack for scoring all season and it was no different in the Class 1A state tournament. He had three goals in a 3-0 victory over Faribault in the semifinals and assisted on Alex Kills' overtime winner in the championship game.

It's not how many saves the freshman goalkeeper made in Eagan's 1-0 shootout victory over Eden Prairie in the Class 2A championship game, but when she made them. Plaschko stopped two shots in the shootout, enough to give the Wildcats their second consecutive state title.

The senior midfielder was a corner-kicking machine for the Red Knights en route to their Class 1A state championship. In two games last week, she took 14 corner kicks, three of them resulting in goals. In all, Roux finished with six assists in tournament play.