Living a dream: Samyn leads Wabasso to the Dome

By JEREMY BEHNKE

Journal Sports Writer

WABASSO -- As an eighth-grader, Matt Samyn watched his older brother Mike quarterback the Wabasso Rabbits all the way to the state tournament in 1999.

Having watched his brother succeed, Samyn had visions of one day playing at the Metrodome with the rest of his team.

Samyn and the Rabbits reached that goal and now they are one game away from playing in the state championship as they gear up to face Medford, the No. 1 ranked team in the state.

"It's really pretty neat," Samyn said. "Growing up, I was one of his biggest fans, so it's neat to be doing the same thing. I wasn't expecting to get here, but I was hoping."

"He brings leadership and confidence," Wabasso coach Todd Hendricks said. "He brings us skills, and he's a smooth athlete."

Samyn is a double-threat for the Rabbits' offense, having the ability to pass or run if he has to. He has thrown for 1,653 yards and has completed 105 passes in 206 attempts. He also has 20 touchdown passes.

He has rushed for 659 yards and has rushed for eight touchdowns. He leads the team with 6.4 yards per carry. All this from a player who was reluctant to play the quarterback position after Brent Baune graduated last year.

"I talked to him last year and he wasn't receptive right away," Hendricks said. "I told him we needed him to play quarterback if we were going to have a successful year."

"At the time I thought it [wide receiver] was the better position for me," Samyn said. "But I realized that it was best for the team."

It took Samyn a couple of weeks to adjust to delivering passes instead of receiving them, but He also said that having the ball for every play really made him a better football player.

"I think it's a lot harder," Samyn said. "When you play quarterback, you learn a lot. I have a lot more respect for it [football] now."

Samyn also leads the team with eight interceptions and he doesn't have have a preference of playing offense or defense.

"That's the nice thing about playing "A" football," he said.

Today's opponent, Medford, reached the state semifinals via a 22-12 win over New Ulm Cathedral a week ago.

"They've got some quickness," Hendricks said. "They like to get the ball to the outside. Their quarterback is their best athlete. But they're a little more predictable than we are.

"We think we match up really well with them," Hendricks said. "They have an average size line. I don't see that they're any better than we are."

Hendricks expects the Rabbits to be better prepared for the turf because his team has already played in a climate-controlled environment earlier in the year. Wabasso defeated Dawson-Boyd in the Section 5 championship at the FargoDome.

"I think it should help us out," Hendricks said. "We have been through it before, so we shouldn't have that awe of playing in a dome. We should know what to expect and be ready for the game."

Hendricks said the way Medford lines up on the defensive side will dictate how the offense will run.

"We're going to see how they play against us and what they will give us," Hendricks said. "We plan to establish the run early and later run play action off of it."

Wabasso (10-2) faces Medford at10:30 a.m. today at the Metrodome.