Dee Tolbert is a team player.

Last week, despite a 44-32 region loss to Pleasant Home, the Red Level junior quarterback and defensive back scored two rushing touchdowns, a touchdown on a kick return and another on a fumble to earn The Star-News’ Player of the Week honors.

Tolbert scored his rushing TDs from 6 yards and 2 yards, respectively, and his kick return TD was from 90 yards. His final score came on the fumble, where he raced 54 yards for the score. In fact, he added a 2-point conversion to give the Tigers their scoring for the game.

RLS head football coach Tony Ingram said it was amazing to watch Tolbert play last week.

“That was one of those games you just dream about, if you are a player,” Ingram said. “Of course, he would’ve reather wanted to win the game. He was basically responsible for every score we had.

“I don’t know what else he could’ve done, but sell drinks and popcorn at half time,” he said.

Tolbert said he just wanted to have a good first quarter.

“Then, we just had a bad defensive second quarter,” Tolbert said. “We just had to get our teammates back up. We played good enough through the first quarter and coach (Ingram) just talked to us, saying that we can still win this game.

“We went out in the third quarter, and we were down seven,” he said. “Then, in the fourth quarter, we got back up.”

Tolbert said it was some advice from Ingram that helped him have such a good game.

“He told me he needed me, and we needed the ball back,” he said. “I just went and did what I had to do.”

RLS hasn’t gotten off to a good start this season, dropping its first two games to Choctaw County in week one and PHS last week.

Tolbert said the advantage of losing a game, if there is one, is that the team gets a chance to come back and work on correcting mistakes at practice.

RLS will host McKenzie this week in region play and Tolbert said he hopes his team will utilize what they’ve learned at practice this week and apply it for “four quarters.”

“I’m a team player,” he said. “I like getting people motivated and getting them to play their game like I would play the game.”

Ingram said if Tolbert plays the way he played last week the rest of the way, then the Tigers will see some success.

“He’s got that ability,” Ingram said. “Sometimes, I don’t know if he realizes that. I know he was tired (last week) and with this kind of kid, you can’t push him, you have to lead him.”

Tolbert is the son of Marketta Tolbert and Paul Carthen of River Falls.

Pleasant Home’s Jon Cole Chesser won the honorable mention award for The Star-News’ Player of the Week honors. Chesser rushed for 133 yards and scored two TDs against RLS last week.