Champlain Park's Maresh Commits to Gophers

Sam Maresh, a 6-foot-3, 259-pound junior middle linebacker from Champlin Park (MN) High, has become the fourth local player to commit to new Minnesota head coach Tim Brewster. Maresh is one of the state’s top two-sport athletes. He won his second straight wrestling title and was named first-team All-State in football.

Sam Maresh was named to the KARE 11 and Star Tribune All-Metro team and the Pioneer Press Associated Press and Minnesota Vikings All-State teams.

Maresh helped lead Champlin Park to a 8-2 mark last season. The Rebels lost in the second round of the section playoff to Anoka, 34-19, a team that they had beaten in the regular season, 20-16. It was the second straight season that the Rebels lost to Anoka in the postseason.

Maresh rushed 40 times for 180 yards (4.5 yards per carry) with 10 touchdowns. He had two receptions for 21 yards. Maresh finished with 61 tackles and doubled as the team's punter.

Maresh led Champlin Park to a 7-2 mark as a sophomore. The Rebels lost in the first round of the section playoff to Anoka 23-14, a team that they had beaten in the regular season finale, 21-14, the week before.

Maresh had 107 tackles last year as he had double-figures tackles in seven of nine games and had nine tackles in the other two games. He had two sacks and one fumble recovery. Maresh had two one-yard touchdown runs as a running back in goal-line situations.

Maresh attended the Wisconsin team camp last summer. He was timed with a 4.7 40-yard dash and had a maximum bench press of 315 pounds.

Maresh won the state 215-pound wrestling title as he defeated Tyler Hemmesch 7-1 in the championship match last season and captured the heavyweight crown and finished 41-0 this year.

His older brother, Mike Maresh, went 132-22 as a wrestler for Champlin Park and included a state championship at 215 pounds in 2004. The older Maresh was also the starting outside linebacker for North Dakota State’s football team the past two seasons, finishing with 31 solo tackles and 25 assists and 4 1/3 tackles for losses.