ST. CLOUD - Of the 57 players listed on Litchfield's football roster, only three have started on both sides of the ball this season for coach Jon Johnson.
Senior running back/wide receiver Daren Sangren was a starting defensive back earlier in the season, but a hampering ankle injury has recently allowed him to concentrate on offense. Senior Matt Triche began the season as a starting wide receiver and now also finds himself in the starting lineup on defense as a safety.
But only 6-1, 225-pound senior fullback/outside linebacker Josh Rose has been a two-way starter for unbeaten and Class AAA No. 4-ranked Litchfield (10-0) all season. He's also the punter and returns kicks.
"I want to play as much as I can," said Rose. "It's fun to play all the time."
Rose hasn't missed a step handling more than one task. In fact, in last Saturday's 29-20 Section 6AAA semifinal win over Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, Rose rushed for 207 yards and two touchdowns on a school-record 43 carries and made several key plays on defense.
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"He's the only true fullback we've had in many years," said Johnson. "He runs low to the ground and doesn't go down easy. Those guys are hard to come by now, even in the Wright County (Conference).
"He doesn't prefer one position over the other, he just likes to play. He only comes off the field when we kick off. He could easily be part of that, too, but we have to give him some rest."
Rose has been a two-way starter since the middle part of his sophomore season and has rushed for 2,480 yards in his career. This season, Rose has recovered two fumbles, intercepted a pass and is fifth on the team with 42 tackles.
"He's pretty durable," said Johnson. "He's real athletic and has good judgment. He's there to make plays and that's hard to coach."
Rose said he's never missed a game because of an injury and has only missed out on two games because of sickness. This year his toughness has helped him rush for 1,092 yards and 18 touchdowns. He has 25 touchdowns overall.
The top-seeded Dragons will need Rose and the rest of the team to stay healthy when they play in the section final today at 7:45 p.m. against state power Albany (10-0) at St. Cloud State University. Albany will be looking to make its 17th appearance in the state tournament and Litchfield its fourth.
Known for their potent running game, the Huskies have outscored their opponents this season 528-73. They have scored 60-or-more points three times and had a stretch this season where they posted a shutout four times in a span of five games. Senior tailback Justin Shay has ignited the ground game for Albany by rushing for 1,253 yards and 16 touchdowns.
"I know we'll step up to play a new level against Albany," said Rose. "Especially since the two schools once had a big rivalry."
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Litchfield and Albany were fierce rivals when they both occupied the West Central North Conference. But the two haven't met since 2001 after Litchfield joined the Wright County Conference the following year.
