Chris Monter Q&A: RCTC WR Isaac Fruechte Gets Gopher Attention

[GopherHole Staff]

Isaac Fruechte, a 6-foot-3, 202pound sophomore wide receiver from Rochester Community and Technicial College, attended the Minnesota spring game. He considered being a preferred walk-on at Minnesota out of high school from Caledonia before going the JC route. GopherHole.com caught up with Fruechte to learn the latest on his recruitment.

http://www.forums.gopherhole.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1401

 

[GopherInWI]

I love the attention guys from in and around the Coulee Region that are getting some love from the U! Isaac is another great one, Caledonia is a machine. If nothing else, it'd be nice to get some Gopher love down in this corner of the state, there are still people in Caledonia specific that call themselves hawkeye fans due to poor media coverage in the area (small pet peeve, I don't like going to game in Minnesota only to see/hear about hawkeyes.

Here's some film on him at RCTC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTJ8RxT_3EM

 

[coolhandgopher]

Former Gopher wideout Antoine Burns came from RCTC, if this kid could be that type of player for the Gophers, I'd welcome him on-board with open arms.

 

[Uffda]

Caledonia is a Very Good Program

I love the attention guys from in and around the Coulee Region that are getting some love from the U! Isaac is another great one, Caledonia is a machine. If nothing else, it'd be nice to get some Gopher love down in this corner of the state, there are still people in Caledonia specific that call themselves hawkeye fans due to poor media coverage in the area (small pet peeve, I don't like going to game in Minnesota only to see/hear about hawkeyes.

Here's some film on him at RCTC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTJ8RxT_3EM

Caledonia is a very good football program. Klug went to Iowa 4 years ago and was a regular defensive lineman for 2 or 3 years. Isaac Fruechte was very good in high school and can be very good for the Gophers in my opinion.

I really hope that Coach Kill and his staff tour Southeast Minnesota, discover its beauty and scout its athletes. This part of the state is a treasure. Lake City, Wabasha,Winona,Rushford,La Crescent, Caledonia,Lanesboro, Preston, Plainview,St. Charles, Chatfield --- a scenic area that should feel like its part of Gopher football.

 

[GopherInWI]

Caledonia is a very good football program. Klug went to Iowa 4 years ago and was a regular defensive lineman for 2 or 3 years. Isaac Fruechte was very good in high school and can be very good for the Gophers in my opinion.

I really hope that Coach Kill and his staff tour Southeast Minnesota, discover its beauty and scout its athletes. This part of the state is a treasure. Lake City, Wabasha,Winona,Rushford,La Crescent, Caledonia,Lanesboro, Preston, Plainview,St. Charles, Chatfield --- a scenic area that should feel like its part of Gopher football.

Agreed, it's a great area. Caledonia has produced some great ones the past few years, Plainview-Elgin-Millville has too. Winona just feels better now that the stadium was refurbished (named after Paul Giel, the Gopher great). I really do hope that Houston, Filmore, Winona and Wabasha counties get more into the swing of things as far as Gopher athletics goes. doesn't help that radio coverage is either Rochester or Winona, so the southern towns haven't got much connection (heck, some of Caledonia's games are broadcast on a station out of iowa).

 

[Dr.Don]

Caledonia is a very good football program. Klug went to Iowa 4 years ago and was a regular defensive lineman for 2 or 3 years. Isaac Fruechte was very good in high school and can be very good for the Gophers in my opinion.

I really hope that Coach Kill and his staff tour Southeast Minnesota, discover its beauty and scout its athletes. This part of the state is a treasure. Lake City, Wabasha,Winona,Rushford,La Crescent, Caledonia,Lanesboro, Preston, Plainview,St. Charles, Chatfield --- a scenic area that should feel like its part of Gopher football.

Couple of things...You forgot Harmony, Spring Valley, Wykoff, Fountain, Canton, Mabel, Spring Grove, Cherry Grove, Greenleafton, Granger, Houston, Hokah, Peterson.

A former Gopher Captain from Chatfield, Wayne King (circa 1967) a linebacker, was a high school opponent of mine.

Link: 1967 Big Ten Champs: http://www.67bigtenchamps.com/

 

[imthewalrus]

Wayne King's younger brother followed in his shoes and also played linebacker for...

the Gophers. Ron King was a Gopher a few years after Wayne played for the U of M. BOTH Kings wore number 54 for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Both Kings played for Murray Warmath. Wayne played 1966 through 1968 and Ron played 1969 through 1971. In 1968, Wayne was named the Gopher's MVP. He also made the Big Ten Academic team. In 1971, Ron King made the Big Ten Academic team. They had an older brother named Les who played a little college football at a small college in South Dakota. He played at Dakota Wesslian (sp?) and was a very fine player in his own right.

I suited up against the Chatfield Gophers and Wayne King a few times myself. Chatfield's 1962 &1963 teams were a real solid powerhouse with good depth, speed, skill and size. Wayne graduated in 1964 from Chatfield.

 

[Dr.Don]

Walrus...then you must remember Harmony High School Football teams from the FB seasons of '58-61. WE never lost a game those years, falls of 58-61, (Graduating classes of 1959-1962) 31 straight games without a loss. Overall record those 4 years.... 29-0-2. Back then, we did not have overtime procedure. If a game was tied at end of regulation, it was a tie.

 

[imthewalrus]

I certainly DO recall those great Harmony H.S. teams! What a dynasty they had going. If I stop and think for a while I could probably remember some of the names of some of those players. They were a bit older than I was. I graduated in 1965, but I sure do remember that team. Wasn't there a Bigalk (sp?) who played for them. And, what was the name of their coach? That was one fine team you were a part of! The good old Maple Leaf Conference! During the early 1960's through just about the end of the decade just a little west of the Maple Leaf Conference teams, Grand Meadow also had a real power house football program going on. I believe they had a winning streak of something like 47 going in that 60 through 65 or 66 era.

 

[Dr.Don]

I certainly DO recall those great Harmony H.S. teams! What a dynasty they had going. If I stop and think for a while I could probably remember some of the names of some of those players. They were a bit older than I was. I graduated in 1965, but I sure do remember that team. Wasn't there a Bigalk (sp?) who played for them. And, what was the name of their coach? That was one fine team you were a part of! The good old Maple Leaf Conference!

Yes, you have good recollection of history. Lee Bigalk (Bigalk Chevrolet back in my days in Harmony). Our coach for 3 years was Marv Gunderson, was that who you were thinking of? (My Freshman thru Junior Year) Larry Thompson was our coach my Senior Year.

 

[Uffda]

Couple of things...You forgot Harmony, Spring Valley, Wykoff, Fountain, Canton, Mabel, Spring Grove, Cherry Grove, Greenleafton, Granger, Houston, Hokah, Peterson.

A former Gopher Captain from Chatfield, Wayne King (circa 1967) a linebacker, was a high school opponent of mine.

Link: 1967 Big Ten Champs: http://www.67bigtenchamps.com/

Doc -- Sorry I didn't include the towns you added. They are certainly as every bit important as the ones I listed. I just outlined the area and did not go far enough south and west. I have family members that live in that part of the state and enjoy my trips down to visit them.

 

[imthewalrus]

Yep! I recall what a great defense that team had. Really rock solid. Now that I think of it, Marv Gunderson ended up coaching at Winona, Sr. High School. He was elected into the WHS Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010, I believe. He was head coach until 1971. He returned as an assistant coach in 1986-1987 and helped bring the Winhawks a Big Nine Championship (he coached defensive line.) That team finished 2nd in the state in one of the early State Championship games, finally losing a hard-fought game to your Moorhead Spuds! Joel Staats, who played for Winona went on to play linebacker for the U of M and was a 3 time All-Big Ten Academic achiever and in his senior season in 1991, he received the Butch Nash Award.

Maybe it's time for the Gophers to come looking for some linebackers down in SE MN again! Of course, they could also stop over in Owatonna to see if they have any more like Noel Jenke over there these days! (He and Wayne King played a bit together back in 67 and 68...Didn't Jenke also play some hockey and baseball? He graduated in 1969 from the U I think. He was also All-Big Ten academic team a few years.

; 0 )

 

[Dr.Don]

Coach Gunderson left Harmony, went to St. James, and from there he went to Winona. You are right on.

Coach Gunderson's last year at Harmony, fall of 1960, when I was a Junior, we went unscored on for the entire season that year.

Most of the team was a bunch of hard nosed, hard assed, big frikking tough farm kids who loved hitting people. Coach Kill would be wise to check out work ethics and academic ethics of the home grown farm kids.

 

[Dr.Don]

Doc -- Sorry I didn't include the towns you added. They are certainly as every bit important as the ones I listed. I just outlined the area and did not go far enough south and west. I have family members that live in that part of the state and enjoy my trips down to visit them.

Uffda, no apologies needed. thanks for joining Walrus and me.

BTW, I also used to pull a lot of trout out of those beautiful troutstreams in SE Minnesota.