Senior finished second all-time in single-season rushing
Rushford-Peterson running back Noah Carlson has been named the Associated Press Player of the Year in high school football.
The senior, who has scholarship offers from North Dakota State and South Dakota State, as well as some interest from the University of Minnesota as an invited walk-on, led the Trojans to the Class 1A state championship, finishing with the second-best, single-season rushing yardage in Minnesota history.
Carlson, who also has offers from Michigan and Minnesota for track and field, where he is a five-time state champion, finished with 2,785 rushing yards this season.
The 6-foot-2, 170-pound back had 161 yards in the 30-14 state title loss to Minneapolis North (13-0) – where he busted off a 74-yard touchdown on the second play from scrimmage, threw another TD and caught another – moved passed Tyler Evans (McLeod West, Brownton) for second all-time rushing in a single season. Evans holds the top spot, rushing for 3,673 yards in 2001.
Carlson also scored 48 touchdowns this season, 41 of those rushing. It was the Trojans’ first trip to the title since 2008.
To open the state tournament, Carlson rushed 40 times for 284 yards and scored five touchdowns in the 44-21 win over Murray County Central (8-4).
In the 49-0 semifinal win over Browerville-Eagle Valley (9-4), Carlson carried 36 times for 265 yards and scored another five TDs.