Steele County’s quarterback carousel

Three Steele County quarterbacks graduated in 2024, leaving big shoes to fill in the Owatonna, Blooming Prairie and NRHEG programs.

Now, with the season just a little over a week away, coaches around the county have been working tirelessly to pick their future signal caller and get him up to speed for the first snap of the season.

The following is an analysis of the position from each local program.

Blooming Prairie

No Steele County team was hit as hard in the quarterback position as the Awesome Blossoms were after losing three-year starter and two-way standout Brady Kittelson to graduation.

The now University of Sioux Falls athlete passed for 1,806 yards and 20 touchdowns while adding 817 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on 63 carries last season for 2,623 yards of total offense.

However, Blooming Prairie Head Coach Chad Gimbel didn’t have to look too hard for his replacement.

Rising junior Gabe Staloch had already mixed in as the team’s backup quarterback and started both ways as a receiver and defensive back.

Possibly Staloch’s biggest advantage will be that he also has an understanding of the two positions and how they think – giving him better chemistry and timing with his wideouts.

Staloch brings a similar athleticism and play-style to Kittelson, meaning Gimbel shouldn’t have to change his offensive scheme to fit Staloch’s skillset.

Look for Staloch to be equally as dangerous as a dual-threat quarterback.

Owatonna

The Huskies will once again be in the market for a starting quarterback after the departure of one-year starter Hunter Theis.

The 2025 battle has seemingly come down to two names: rising senior Christian Flores and rising junior Aedan Tackmann.

Both quarterbacks saw limited usage in 2024 with Flores completing one pass for 21 yards and Tackmann connecting on 2/3 passes for eight yards.

Neither option will be a major rushing threat, but each offers a strong arm and sound knowledge of the Huskies’ scheme.

Flores brings the bigger arm and more experience to the table, but Tackmann is a younger prospect with an exciting future that the Huskies could look to tap into after finding previous success in developing younger quarterbacks.

With senior captain running back Tristan Graham on roster and a healthy offensive line, whoever saddles up as the Huskies’ field general will have plenty of help adjusting to the role.

NRHEG

Similar to Blooming Prairie, the Panthers also lost a three-year starter in quarterback Alden Dobberstein.

The dual-threat gunslinger carved out a strong career making highlight-reel plays despite leading an offense that struggled at times to find consistency.

According to NRHEG Head Coach Marc Kruger, rising junior Brooks Gilliland is the next man up to take over the offense.

Gilliland did not make an appearance on offense for the Panthers last season, but saw limited action on defense.

Kruger’s shotgun-spread offense is quarterback friendly, so expect to see Gilliland be utilized equally as both a passer and rusher.

Medford

The one team without quarterback questions for 2025 is the Medford Tigers as rising junior Landon Seiler continues to handle field general duties.

Seiler struggled at times as an underclassmen quarterback on a team that finished last season 0-8, but still showed some promise as a rusher.

The key to Seiler’s success in 2025 will be how well he can mitigate pressure by utilizing his legs as a scrambler.

He will have to be quick with his progressions after losing multiple linemen to graduation, but if he can buy himself time with his legs to escape pressure, he could be dangerous in open space.