GRAND MEADOW — When Grand Meadow’s Zach Myhre was a rotation player as a freshman on the nine man state championship Superlark football team in 2014, he had a few reasons to be content.

He had already done what many high school football players dream of by playing on a state championship team and he was already slated to be a starter in his sophomore season. But Myhre didn’t sit back and smile, he got to work.

Myhre spent his offseason by lifting four days a week and running the other three days as he prepared himself to be the most physical player he could be in 2015.

That work has paid off as Myhre is starting at fullback and linebacker for the Larks as they prepare to play in the Class 9 man semifinals against Waubun at St. Cloud State University 5 p.m. Saturday.

“I knew coming in to this year that I was going to be one of the main players and I needed to step up. It’s paid off a lot in the long run,” Myhre said.

Myhre has fought off two dislocated shoulders this season and he keeps on coming. He had the wind knocked out of him in GM’s quarterfinal win and he was begging to get back in the game as soon as he got to the sideline.

“I didn’t want to come out. When you are down and the trainer has to come out, you have to come out one play. I didn’t want to come out though,” Myhre said. “I play every play like it’s my last one. Taking the beating is worth it.”

Myhre plays a very physical role for GM and that’s just fine with him. He serves as a lead blocker for GM junior Christophor Bain and most of Myhre’s carries are right at the heart of the defense. Myhre has racked up 66 tackles, 636 rushing yards, 96 receiving yards and 10 TDs this season.

“He’s a very dedicated player. He’s spent many hours lifting and working. It’s definitely showed,” GM head coach Gary Sloan said. “He’s very strong and it starts there. He and Bain both like contact. They go looking for contact sometimes rather than trying to avoid it. You just like people that want to be physical like that.”

Myhre said he felt plenty of pressure before this season because expectations are so high for the 2-time defending champs. But it wasn’t something that scared him. It motivated him to get better.

Now Myhre is doing something he dreamed of doing years ago when he roamed the halls of GM’s elementary school. While Myhre was inspired by his former teammate Landon Jacobson, he first began following GM football when he was a third grader and he looked up to GM grad Micahel Gehling.

“I remember watching him play and he was one of the better players.” Myhre said of Gehling. “I remember seeing him in the hallways at school and staring at him, knowing he was a star football player.”

With two more strong games this season, Myhre will take a big step in being mentioned as the same company of players like Gehling and Jacobson.