Moose Lake senior holds his own at prodigy football camp

• Image

• Image

Talk about it

Sporting his elusive cutbacks, explosive power and breakaway speed, running back Jake Disterhaupt felt as if he was the only Minnesotan playing football in southern Florida two weeks ago.

“Every player down there asked me where I was from and I told them Minnesota,” said Disterhaupt, who attended the 2012 invitation-only Junior Rank Prodigy Football Camp July 25-28 in Naples, Fla. “Then they all then asked why I didn’t play hockey.”

Because the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Willow River High School senior loves the gridiron.

Disterhaupt, who rushed for a Northland-best 40 touchdowns and 2,252 yards last fall in leading Moose Lake-Willow River to a Prep Bowl runner-up finish, has been to summer camps in Illinois, with the Gophers twice, and also at North Dakota State and South Dakota State universities, too. He said the recent football camp in Florida was the best yet.

“Guys down there had offers to Ole Miss, Clemson and even Alabama for this one sophomore quarterback,” Disterhaupt said about the talent. “The camp was full of big-time players. Like the best-of-the-best kind of guys. Everyone was athletic.”

Jake explained that he, along with his mother, Shirley, his father, Mark, and his older sister, Shelby, all made the flight to south Florida for a week-long vacation together.

According to Jake, the weekend camp started with a combine-like recording of all of the athletes’ abilities, from speed to agility and power. Following recordings, players were separated, teams were made and games, drills and 7-on-7 simulations were conducted.

The prestigious, nationally-televised event organized by Junior Rank, along with CBS Sports Television and 247Sports.com was simply an elite, invitational-only All-American tryout for high school players of all positions across the United States of America.

Jake Disterhaupt said it was fun. He explained that football to him is always fun, even as it becomes more of a job than a hobby.

“It’s turning out to be my life,” said Disterhaupt, a three-sport athlete who also plays basketball and runs track and field for the Rebels. “Football is my thing. I’m working towards a scholarship.”

Disterhaupt said he is still undecided about his college choice.

He has more important things on his mind first.

“A state championship for sure,” he said. “That’s my No. 1 goal. That’s our goal. We only get to play with each other one more season. There is pressure, but we’re all excited about things.”

The Rebels, always a state juggernaut, are seeking their program’s first-ever state title when practice begins on Aug. 13.

“I’ve had that day circled on my calendar ever since the last day of the season a year ago,” Disterhaupt said.

“The fall is definitely the time of year around here,” Disterhaupt continued. “Football is big. You walk into the store and people are already excited and talking about things.”

Tags: moose lake, sports, football