One of 10 Ponies to receive All-Metro East Sub-District honors, Tanner Schmidt received the Most Valuable Athlete award for the Stillwater football team.

The senior, who finished with career school records of 1,626 yards and 21 receiving touchdowns, was also named the Metro East Sub-District Offensive Player of the Year while helping the Ponies (5-0 ME, 8-3) to their fourth straight sub-district championship and second consecutive state tournament appearance. Schmidt also ranks second on Stillwater’s career list with 90 receptions.

Two of Stillwater’s three losses came against eventual state runner-up Edina and the team’s only other setback came against fellow state qualifier Lakeville North. The Ponies finished two games ahead of Forest Lake (3-2, 6-4) and Woodbury (3-2, 5-5) in the standings of a sub-district that also sent East Ridge to the state tournament.

Schmidt was joined by teammates John Halley, Joe Hoheisel, John Karkula, Nick Kinsey, Cal Nitti, Soel Riser, Bryce Rosewicz, Riley Runk and Grayson Zurn in earning all-district honors. Charlie Goodland, Brett Hilde, Ephram Lanz, Emilio Rosario Matias and Christian Yangwakue received honorable mention all-district recognition.

The 10 all-district/all-conference selections exceeds the nine honorees each of the previous two seasons matches highest total in program history. Stillwater also featured 10 all-conference selections during the 2005 season.

Schmidt was named to the KARE-11 All-Metro Team and to the All-Metro Second Team by the Star Tribune. He landed a spot on the Associated Press All-State Second Team and was also a finalist for the Pioneer Press East Metro Player of the Year Award.

Rosewicz and Schmidt also played for the North All-Stars Minnesota High School Football All-Star Game, helping their team snap a six-game losing streak with a 48-14 victory over the South All-Stars. Ponies assistant coach Darrell Salmi was also on the staff for the North All-Stars.

Schmidt received the team’s MVP Offense award while Rosewicz, who led the Ponies with eight tackles for a loss and ranked among team leaders with 112 defensive points, was honored as the MVP on Defense.

Ponies coach Beau LaBore was honored as the Sub-District Coach of the Year for the fourth time in as many seasons.

Sam Doughty was honored as the team’s Scout Defense Player of the Year while Conor McGlynn was chosen the Scout Offense Player of the Year. The team’s most improved players were Charlie Goodland (defense) and Christian Yangwakue (offense).

Dominic Slaughter received the Coaches Award.

Rosewicz joined a select group while receiving the Big Red Hitter award for the second year in a row, joining a two-time recipients that also includes Bill Barnett, Scott Hesse, Jon Weaver, Bryan Boucher, Brent Larson, Nate Dwyer, Matt McDonald, Peter Zoller, Paul Dexter and Charlie Gleason.

Schmit also took home the Mr. Weight Room award.

Grayson Zurn, who led the team with 53 solo tackles and finished with 163 defensive points to rank just behind Karkula (164) in that category, received the Mr. Football award.

Halley was honored with the Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman award.

Receiver Joe Hoheisel, who set the school record with 111 career receptions and ranks No. 2 on the career yards (1,564) and career receiving touchdowns (19) lists, was an Academic All-State selection. The Ponies also received a Gold Academic Award from the Minnesota Football Coaches Association for the second year in a row. It marked the 11th time in 12 seasons Stillwater has received either a Silver or Gold Academic Award.

Hoheisel was also this year’s recipient of the Kearney Memorial Award.

The Ponies set several records during the season, including single-game marks for first downs (30) against Park, passing completions (28) and attempts (48) against Woodbury. Stillwater also averaged 244.5 passing yards per game and finished with 2,690 passing yards in a season to establish new standards in those categories.

Quarterback Nick Kinsey tied school records with four touchdown passes in a game, which he achieved against White Bear Lake and Rochester Mayo, and also finished with five total touchdowns in wins over White Bear Lake and Rochester Mayo to match that record. His 28 completions and 48 pass attempts in the Woodbury game are also school records.

It was an exceptional season for the sophomore, who completed 164 of 285 passes (57.5 percent) for 2,268 yards and 24 touchdowns with just four interceptions in 10 games.

Three kicking records were also set this season.

Senior Ephram Lanz booted 10 punts for 318 yards against East Ridge to set single-game records for each.

Junior kicker Landon Huber has also connected on 59 straight extra-point kicks, which eclipsed the previous school record of 45 in a row set by Joe Stormont in 2005 and 2006. As a team, the Ponies made all 48 extra points — with three different kickers — this season and have converted 69 in a row since midway through the 2022 season. Stillwater has made 174 of 175 extra-point kicks dating back to the 2019 season.

Also announced at the banquet is that Joe Fredkove, John Karkula, Conor McGlynn, Cal Nitti and Siwon Youn will serve as captains for next year’s team.

Football

Metro East All-District: John Halley, Joe Hoheisel, John Karkula, Nick Kinsey, Cal Nitti, Soel Riser, Bryce Rosewicz, Riley Runk, Tanner Schmidt and Grayson Zurn; Metro East All-District Honorable Mention: Charlie Goodland, Brett Hilde, Ephram Lanz, Emilio Rosario Matias and Christian Yangwakue; Metro East Sub-District Offensive Player of the Year: Tanner Schmidt; Academic All-State: Joe Hoheisel; KARE-11 All-Metro Team: Tanner Schmidt; Star Tribune All-Metro Second Team: Tanner Schmidt; Pioneer Press East Metro Player of the Year Finalist: Tanner Schmidt; Associated Press All-State Second Team: Tanner Schmidt; Minnesota All-Star Football Game: Tanner Schmidt, Bryce Rosewicz and Darrell Salmi (assistant coach); Metro East Sub-District Coach of the Year: Beau LaBore; Scout Defense Player of the Year: Sam Doughty; Scout Offense Player of the Year: Conor McGlynn; Most Improved Player — Defense: Charlie Goodland; Most Improved Player — Offense: Christian Yangwakue; Coaches Award: Dominic Slaughter; Big Red Hitter: Bryce Rosewicz; Mr. Weight Room: Tanner Schmidt; Mr. Football: Grayson Zurn; Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman: John Halley; Kearney Memorial Award: Joe Hoheisel; MVP Defense: Bryce Rosewicz; MVP Offense: Tanner Schmidt; Most Valuable Athlete: Tanner Schmidt; Captains elect: Joe Fredkove, John Karkula, Conor McGlynn, Cal Nitti and Siwon Youn.

For more: Stillwater Ponies Football Awards / Honors

For more: Stillwater Ponies Football Records

For more: All-Time KARE-11 All Metro including Tanner Schmidt in 2023

Stillwater football records set in 2023

Team record: New record  / Previous record

First downs: 30 vs. Park / 26 vs. White Bear Lake, 1993

Passing attempts: 48 vs. Woodbury / 41 vs. Eden Prairie, 2021

Passing completions: 28 vs. Woodbury / 26 vs. East Ridge, 2022

Passing yards per game: 244.5 / 213.7 in 2022

Passing yards in a season: 2,690 / 2,351 in 2022

Nick Kinsey records

Individual record: New record / Previous record

Single game completions: 28 vs. Woodbury / 26 M. Shikenjanski vs. E. Ridge, 2022

Single game passing attempts: 48 vs. Woodbury / 41 M. Shikenjanski vs. E. Prairie, 2021

Single game passing TDs: *4 vs. White Bear Lake / 4, tied with seven others

Single game passing TDs: *4 vs. Rochester Mayo

Single game TDs: *5 vs. White Bear Lake / 5, tied with seven others

*5 vs. Rochester Mayo

Joe Hoheisel record

Individual record: New record / Previous record

Career receptions: 111 / 78 Thomas Jacobs, 2021-22

Tanner Schmidt records

Individual record: New record / Previous record

Career receiving TDs: 21 / 13 Brad Putnam, 1995-96

Career receiving yards: 1,626 / 1,520 Adam Runk, 1994-96

Landon Huber record

Individual record: New record / Previous record

Consecutive PATs: 59 / 45 Joe Stormont, 2005-06

Ephram Lanz records

Individual record: New record / Previous record

Single game punts: 10 vs. East Ridge / 9 Paul Fortman, 2001

Single game punting yards: 318 vs. East Ridge / 301 A.J. Laudet, 2015

* denotes tie