Vikings Coach of the Week

Two Rivers faced the arduous task of playing SLP out of the gate in Week 1 and defeated the defending champions 28-22. Senior Quarterback Julian Rychlicki connected with fellow senior Maize Carpenter five times, including on the game winning score after trailing 22-20. Oliver Fox played standout defense, Nate Zahn had a key interception, and the entire team played outstanding football.

The team is coached by a pair of co-head coaches, longtime head coach Tom Orth and Bruce Carpenter. Carpenter joined the Warrior program in 2023 after coaching Division I football for 16 years including the last five as the offensive coordinator at the University of St. Thomas, he is currently a Physical Education teacher at Two Rivers. Orth has led the program for the past 37 years.

This week's coach of the week is Garrett Mueller of the Stewartville Tigers in Class 4AAAA.

The Tigers are off to a 2-0 start with impressive wins over Benilde-Saint Margaret's and Totino-Grace. The Tigers are coming off a 7-3 record in the 2025 season. Mueller has taught Physical Education at Stewartville since 2011 and became the head football coach in 2018 where he has amassed a record of 71-14 with back-to-back state titles in 2023 and 2024 going a perfect 28-0 in those seasons. He is married to wife Erinn and they have 3 kids.

Mueller has been a winner all his life. He won a state championship in his hometown of Menomonie, WI playing for head coach Joe LaBuda. His father Ken Mueller, a former head football coach who is in the Wisconsin Coaches Hall of Fame, is an assistant coach on the Stewartville coaching staff. He played college football at UW-LaCrosse.

Kelly is in his second season as head coach of the Wingers. The improvement has been evident this season. In Week 1, the Wingers fell to Pine Island 13-6. Red Wing then broke through this past week with a 30-21 victory over Plainview-Elgin-Millville.

The win is a testament to the culture and foundation Kelly and his coaching staff are building within the program. While the turnaround is still in its early stages, the progress is clear, and his vision for Red Wing football is beginning to produce results.

Kelly, a retired police officer and current staff member at Red Wing High School, is in his seventh year on the Winger Football coaching staff. Born and raised in Red Wing, he is a proud alumnus of both the Red Wing High School and Mankato State University football programs. He and his wife Ellie live in Red Wing and have six children and two grandchildren.

Kemp previously coached the Wabasso varsity football team from 2005-2020 before stepping down to focus on teaching and working as the school's AD. He took back the role in 2024 and holds a 137-68 career record at Wabasso. During his first stint as coach, the Rabbits went to eight section finals and won five section championships. Kemp's first season as head coach in 2005 ended with a state tournament appearance. Kemp also coached the team to state in 2006, 2016 and 2017, with the Rabbits finishing 2017 as state runners-up to Minneota in Class A. The Rabbits are 4-0 this season coming off an 8-2 record in 2025.

Kevin Feeney from the Moorhead Spuds in Class 6AAAAAA has been the head coach since 2011 and led the Spuds to a runner-up finish in 2025. The Spuds are undefeated and ranked #1 in the state big schools following an impressive 40-21 road win at perennial power Maple Grove. The Spuds have 5 Division 1 commits and are a fun team to watch.

The Royals of Royalton are 4-2 after their huge win over #6 Osakis 36-34 Friday night in Class 2AA. Coach Morford has been on staff at Royalton since 2001 and head coach since 2011. His career record is 93-58.