In the summer of 2008, when football practice began on the wind-swept plains of Dawson, quarterback candidate Ryan Swenson had never so much as put on a helmet -- at least not in a real game. Until then, his biggest moments had come in the backyard.
But when Dawson-Boyd kicked off the season against Canby a few weeks later, the slender sophomore found himself under center, a novice quarterback possessing little more than a decent arm, competitive juices and lots of promise.
"I was pretty nervous," Swenson recalled.
You could say things turned out just fine.
Swenson passed for 2,723 yards and 29 touchdowns for Dawson-Boyd in a prep career that will culminate with an appearance in the Minnesota High School All-Star Football Game on Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium.
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Those exploits helped Swenson win the Tribune's 2011 Hengstler-Ranweiler Award as the outstanding male athlete in the area. Swenson was also a state champion wrestler and finished with a career record of 209-29. And he won a state title in the 4x400-meter relay while finishing runner-up twice in the 800-meter run.
A winner of 18 letters, he'll continue his football career at South Dakota State University.
A quick study
"We knew he was a great athlete and it was obvious from watching him when he was younger that he had talent,'' head football coach Cory Larson recalled. "We felt that he had the skills and competitiveness to (play quarterback)."
They weren't wrong. During Swenson's tenure, the Blackjacks went 24-8 and captured a part of the Little Sioux Conference crown in 2011 -- a season that included a win over archrival and perennial power Minneota.
For Larson, one play will always stick out when he thinks of his prize quarterback: a mad scramble and dash to the end zone that gave Dawson-Boyd an early lead in its regular season win over Adrian last fall.
"It seemed like he made just about every defender miss and the next thing you know he was in the end zone," Larson said. "It was probably a 25-yard run, but he ran 60 or 70 yards just to get there."
As a senior, Swenson completed 82 of 144 passes for 1,352 yards and 14 touchdowns with just five interceptions and rushed for 558 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also intercepted six passes -- he had 15 picks in his career -- and will likely play defensive back in the prep all-star game.
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He also hopes to play in the defensive backfield as a walk-on at SDSU. Though just 5-11 ("in cleats," he said) and 160 pounds, Swenson said he believes he can compete at the NCAA Division I school.
"Anybody can play anywhere if they have the ability and the drive to make the team," he said. "I'll do my best and whatever happens, happens. I know I won't leave with any regrets."
Doing it all, plus the chores
Swenson competed in cross country from seventh grade through ninth grade, earning a trip to the Class A state meet as a freshman, before turning his attention to football on the encouragement of friends.
He kept running, however, competing for the track and field team and winning a Class A state title in the 4x400 as a junior. He also helped Dawson-Boyd/Lac qui Parle Valley win the Class A team championship that season. Swenson also holds six school records in track and field, including three in individual events: the 800 (1:56.65); the 1600 (4:22.41); and the 3200 (10:00.12).
(The running may be in his genes; Swenson's older sister, Nikki, won the 2007 Hengstler-Ranweiler Award and now completed cross country and both indoor and outdoor track and field for the University of Minnesota.)
He also stood out in wrestling, earning a Class A state title at 135 pounds as a sophomore. In all, he competed in six state meets, finishing in fourth place both as a ninth grader (at 125 pounds) and as a senior (at 145 pounds).
Oh, and he was the homecoming king.
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"He does the chores around the farm, too," Larson said. "But I don't think he minds."
