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Nov. 4—DEVILS LAKE — Devils Lake's Mason Palmer is a college baseball prospect with an arm that can throw a baseball 90 miles per hour across the diamond.
The senior's arm can do some damage on the gridiron, too.
A three-year starting quarterback for the Firebirds, Palmer has more than 6,000 career passing yards and has the Devils Lake offense flying high entering the North Dakota Division AA state semifinals.
Palmer, also a standout basketball and baseball player at Devils Lake, has thrown for more than 2,400 yards this season with 25 passing touchdowns and seven rushing.
"He's a guy who leads and brings a certain kind of energy and expects others to get to that level," Devils Lake coach Todd Lambrecht said. "His presence and leadership on and off the field are tremendous. He enjoys being in sports. He works hard and works out in the mornings. He's always been a go-getter."
Devils Lake, which beat Grand Forks Central in the state quarterfinals, will face Kindred in the state semifinals. Many consider Kindred to be a state playoff favorite.
The Firebirds, who won more than seven games this season for the first time since 2010, lost to Kindred 42-12 back in Week 1 in late August.
"The boys are hyped and ready to go play their hardest and leave it all on the field," Palmer said.
Palmer has college baseball interest from area Division II programs. He has scholarship offers from the University of Jamestown and Minnesota-Crookston, among others.
In football, he's making the most of a deep receiving corps. Seven pass-catchers have between 122 yards and 584 receiving yards.
It's a receiving corps that has emerged despite losing 2024 all-state top target in 6-foot-6 Oliver Wirth, who's now a freshman at Dakota State.
"I think the line is giving me time to throw," Palmer said. "I have multiple different receivers I trust. If one isn't open, I can trust another. We've been playing together since we were young, so we have that chemistry."
Naturally, the chemistry is the deepest with twin brother Max Palmer, who leads Devils Lake with 38 catches for 584 yards.
Weston Nelson adds 446 receiving yards, while William Heilman has 433 and running back Bryar Exner has 341.
"He has a knack for extending plays," Lambrecht said of his quarterback. "He spreads it around because that's who's open. He doesn't have a favorite even though his brother is his brother. He spreads it around and that's what makes it harder to guard those guys."
Palmer has a family history in football. His uncle Jason Palmer is a former Devils Lake quarterback and his dad Chad Palmer played wide receiver.
Devils Lake knows it'll need to be at its best against Kindred.
"We've been picking up steam and slowly getting better," Lambrecht said. "That's what we have as a goal every week. (Kindred) runs and throws well. They block really well. It's our job to be sound in our defense and make sure our gaps are covered."
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The senior's arm can do some damage on the gridiron, too.
A three-year starting quarterback for the Firebirds, Palmer has more than 6,000 career passing yards and has the Devils Lake offense flying high entering the North Dakota Division AA state semifinals.
Palmer, also a standout basketball and baseball player at Devils Lake, has thrown for more than 2,400 yards this season with 25 passing touchdowns and seven rushing.
"He's a guy who leads and brings a certain kind of energy and expects others to get to that level," Devils Lake coach Todd Lambrecht said. "His presence and leadership on and off the field are tremendous. He enjoys being in sports. He works hard and works out in the mornings. He's always been a go-getter."
Devils Lake, which beat Grand Forks Central in the state quarterfinals, will face Kindred in the state semifinals. Many consider Kindred to be a state playoff favorite.
The Firebirds, who won more than seven games this season for the first time since 2010, lost to Kindred 42-12 back in Week 1 in late August.
"The boys are hyped and ready to go play their hardest and leave it all on the field," Palmer said.
Palmer has college baseball interest from area Division II programs. He has scholarship offers from the University of Jamestown and Minnesota-Crookston, among others.
In football, he's making the most of a deep receiving corps. Seven pass-catchers have between 122 yards and 584 receiving yards.
It's a receiving corps that has emerged despite losing 2024 all-state top target in 6-foot-6 Oliver Wirth, who's now a freshman at Dakota State.
"I think the line is giving me time to throw," Palmer said. "I have multiple different receivers I trust. If one isn't open, I can trust another. We've been playing together since we were young, so we have that chemistry."
Naturally, the chemistry is the deepest with twin brother Max Palmer, who leads Devils Lake with 38 catches for 584 yards.
Weston Nelson adds 446 receiving yards, while William Heilman has 433 and running back Bryar Exner has 341.
"He has a knack for extending plays," Lambrecht said of his quarterback. "He spreads it around because that's who's open. He doesn't have a favorite even though his brother is his brother. He spreads it around and that's what makes it harder to guard those guys."
Palmer has a family history in football. His uncle Jason Palmer is a former Devils Lake quarterback and his dad Chad Palmer played wide receiver.
Devils Lake knows it'll need to be at its best against Kindred.
"We've been picking up steam and slowly getting better," Lambrecht said. "That's what we have as a goal every week. (Kindred) runs and throws well. They block really well. It's our job to be sound in our defense and make sure our gaps are covered."
Continue reading...
