Roosevelt adjusting to life in Twin City District football

By MATTHEW DAVIS

Moving from conferences to districts in high school football caused many to hope for a more competitive balance.

While some teams have seen that result, some squads such as Roosevelt may have to wait.

Roosevelt, like many other teams, may have to grow into their respective districts with competition equal to, or better than, their old conferences. The strength of the schedule in the Twin City District Blue Division has not eased up from what the Teddies saw in the Minneapolis City Conference.

Photo right: Roosevelt football players (l to r) Marcus Riley, Orain Gundy and Marquan Burton regroup following a play on Sept. 4. The Teddies have seen their ups and downs in the new Twin City District this fall. (Photo by Matthew Davis)

Roosevelt opened with a tough stretch of games against South, St. Agnes and Brooklyn Center in the first three weeks. All of those teams posted winning percentages of .500 or better, and all three beat the Teddies. St. Agnes and Brooklyn Center simply took the place of Southwest and/or non-conference teams that won by two or more touchdowns against Teddies in 2014.

It took facing former St. Paul City Conference cellar dweller St. Paul Humboldt to finally notch a win on Sept. 11 in a 38-8 victory. That win began a more welcoming stretch of the schedule for Roosevelt with a young Spectrum program and winless Edison on tap.

However, the Teddies get to face Class A power North and a strong Washburn contest in between those contests. The Teddies lost in a shutout to Washburn last year, and North continues to run away against every regular season opponent.

Ultimately, teams win or lose games on the field regardless of who they play. Moreover, some teams will have to face more challenging opponents than others not matter how the MSHSL decides to organize high school football.

Roosevelt has seen some good performances individually during the first half of the season. Quarterback Elijah Hannah Jr. has 365 yards and six TD passes for a rating of 110.6 and just one interception. Hannah Jr. has shown the ability to make plays with his legs too with 5.2 yards per run and three TDs.

Gundy Orain has been solid in the backfield, averaging 8.8 yards per carry with two TDs. Marquan Burton helped the passing game with four TD catches and a 19.2-yard average when he touches the ball.

Taray Graves likewise gets good yardage on receptions, 18, and had two TD receptions. Graves has come up big on defense too with 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble.

Photo left: Taray Graves has caught three touchdown passes through the first five games of the season for Roosevelt. (Photo by Matthew Davis)