Picking Passes and Picking Schools: Bennett and Turkowski Commit

With ten interceptions during the 2009 season between the two of them, Hudson defensive back Mike Bennett and Superior linebacker Jake Turkowski will both take their ball-hawking abilities to the Division III level next season.

Garnering interest from a host of Division II and Division III schools, Bennett made his final decision on Saturday with a commitment to head coach John O’Grady and the UW-River Falls Falcons. Bennett joins former teammates Nate Smits and Curtis Johnson at UWRF. Former River Falls defensive lineman Justin Parsons rounds out the list of former BRC players that play for the Falcons.

Bennett had quite the senior season roaming the Raiders secondary with 60 tackles and a blocked field goal to go along with his conference-leading six interceptions. Bennett earned 1st team All-BRC and All-BRCFootball.com honors and WFCA All-state honorable mention recognition. Before he begins his college career, Bennett will suit up one more time along high school teammate Chas Larson in the WFCA All Star Game to be held on July 17 at UW-Oshkosh.

As teammates on the football field and the basketball court in high school, Turkowski will join Superior defensive back Mike Lavalley, who committed on National Signing Day, at the College of St. Scholastica next fall. Turkowski was third on the team in tackles this season with 63, led the team in interceptions with four and tallied two sacks on the year.

Beginning their third year as a program, the St. Scholastica roster has become a who’s who of former Spartan players. Lavalley and Turkowski will join former Spartans Geoff Torzewski, Mike VanMassenhove, Sean Graskey, Matt Johnson and Keegan O’Neill over the bridge in Duluth, MN next fall.

Dan Tracy

BRCFootball.com