Prep athletes of the week: Hard work pays off for Maple Grove's Evan Hull

After he rushed for 387 yards and four touchdowns in Maple Grove's season-opening 34-7 victory over Osseo, it's safe to say that Hull's summer spent working out and preparing for the season has already paid dividends.

Now he's just hoping the right people take notice.

A combination of between-the-tackles power and speed to outrun defenders, Hill was puzzled when his breakout junior season — 2,194 yards rushing, 19 touchdowns — didn't result in more attention from Division I programs in Power 5 conferences. He didn't complain, however. He just worked harder.

"I wasn't seeing the Power 5 interest I had hoped for," said Hull, who has offers from Air Force, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan and most of the Upper Midwest FCS programs. "So I decided to work harder for my senior season and focus on getting better."

One run in particular showed Hull's development. On his second touchdown of the game, he made not one but two jump cuts in traffic, then outran the defense for a 38-yard score.

"Last year, I might have seen that, but I wouldn't have been able do it," he said. "Now I have the ability to make people miss and I'm more explosive."

The senior is considered the top setter in the state. She has quarterbacked the Class 3A, No. 2 Rebels to a 3-0 start, including three-set victories over No. 7 Hopkins, in which she posted 38 set assists, and highly regarded Prior Lake, amassing 40 set assists. Ashburn is committed to Wisconsin.

The 6-5 junior quarterback showed why Iowa State is so enamored with his poise and strong left arm. The future Cyclone completed 27 of 42 passes for 311 yards and four touchdowns in a 38-28 victory over Brainerd.

The senior forward has shown an early knack for scoring in helping the Rebels to a 4-0 start. She has at least one goal in each game, with five in a season-opening 12-0 romp over St. Cloud Apollo, and a hat trick and two assists in a 6-0 victory over Park Center.

TIM OEUN

The Titans showed why expectations are high for them in a 38-7 rout of South St. Paul. Oeun, a senior running back, paced an offense that rushed for 336 yards by running for 209 yards on just 15 carries and scoring two touchdowns.

Through the first seven matches of the season, the 5-9 senior setter sits atop the metro-area leaderboard in set assists with 207. She had 54 in a four-set victory over Shakopee and more than 70 as the Skippers posted four two-set victories Saturday.

The senior quarterback/defensive end had his fingerprints all over Breck's 30-20 victory over Columbia Heights. He completed 20 of 30 passes for 374 yards and three touchdowns and sealed the victory by intercepting a pass and returning it 21 yards for a touchdown.

JIM PAULSEN

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