It would be easy, and overly simple, to explain Minneapolis North’s 58-7 victory over Breck on Saturday in the Section 4, Class 3A semifinals as just a matter of the Polars’ remarkable team speed.

To reduce North’s strong point to just a matter of running faster than the other team does the Polars a disservice. While it’s true North has explosive and elusive talent to spare, such a simple label unjustly glosses over other factors that have played a big role in their 9-0 season. The Polars will play second seed St. Croix Lutheran in the section final.

“I think one thing that doesn’t get noticed is our [offensive] line,” said senior quarterback Logan Lachermeier, who passed for 300 yards and three touchdowns Saturday. “They make it so easy. Those big guys are working all game. They never get any credit.”

Polars coach Charles Adams Jr. singled out Lachermeier, who is more than just a facilitator for great players.

“What makes this group so special is how patient Logan Lachermeier is,” he said. “Knowing he has all those weapons, I think that makes the game easier for him. He knows he can rely on everybody.”

And then there is the number of skill players who suit up for North, such as receivers J’Marion Sanders, Anthony “Ant” Deline, Quantayvious Roberts, Cordae Williams and Jeremiah Jackson. All have the ability to turn a short out route into a touchdown.

Saturday, Deline scored from 90 yards, Sanders from 22 and Jackson from 5.

“It’s fun knowing we can go the distance on any play,” Deline said.

“It’s just amazing to play with such a great group,” Sanders said. “They’re like family.”

Sanders admitted that, at times, they even battle like family.

“We’re all very competitive,” he said. “If one scores, we all want to score. Sometimes, we even fight over it in practice.”

Be careful not to overlook running back Tyshone Jenkins. A punishing 1,000-yard rusher, Jenkins’ game started as one he would like to forget. He fumbled the ball away twice in the first quarter.

“That was nothing,” Sanders said. “We got his back all the time, so we knew we was gonna bounce back.”

It’s that esprit de corps, Adams said, that defines the Polars and makes them dangerous.

“There’s definitely a lot of competition. They all want to do what the other guy’s done,” Adams said. “But mostly, they all want to win. There’s no jealousy. I’ve always preached to them, ‘Let’s be a team where you have to take all of us away to beat us.’ ”