MOORHEAD — Concordia linebacker Kyle Mages returned an interception 17 yards for a touchdown during the early afternoon last Saturday in Minneapolis. A few hours later, Kyle and twin brother Grant Mages were helping harvest corn on the family’s farm near Paynesville, Minnesota.
“We rode home with my mom right after the game and went to the farm and went right to the field,” Grant said. “We were combining corn all weekend. It’s always nice to get down there and help.”
That blue-collar mindset has also helped the Cobbers on the football field this fall. Grant leads the team in receptions, while Kyle leads the team in tackles and interceptions.
“These two are truly huge for us,” said Cobbers head coach Terry Horan.
Concordia tight end Grant Mages (9) leads the Cobbers in receptions through seven games.
Rob Beer / The Forum
The Cobbers (5-2, 4-2 MIAC) host No. 6-ranked Bethel at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, in a MIAC clash at Jake Christiansen Stadium. The Royals (7-0, 6-0) are the lone unbeaten team in the conference.
“We have to be at the top of our game and those two seem to be bringing it each and every week,” Horan said of the Mages twins. “Their A-game is on every week.”
Kyle, who is 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, plays inside linebacker for the Cobbers. The sophomore has a team-high 50 total tackles with three interceptions through seven games. Grant, who is 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, plays tight end and has 24 catches for 246 yards and three touchdowns. He ranks second on the team in TD catches.
“It’s been awesome,” Kyle said. “It’s nice to see him competing on offense and me competing on defense, and at the end of the day we’re both going for the same goal, winning games.”
Concordia sophomore Kyle Mages (11) was a two-way player for Osakis in high school, including quarterback.
David Samson/The Forum
Both Grant and Kyle were multiples-sport athletes during high school for Osakis (Minn.) playing football, basketball and baseball. They both were two-way players in football. On offense, Kyle played quarterback and Grant was one of his top receiving targets.
“Ninety-percent of the time I threw it, it was to him,” Kyle said.
Kyle also played defensive back and finished his prep career with 23 interceptions, including 12 during his junior season, among the multiple school records he broke. During his senior season, Grant set a school standard with 841 receiving yards in a single season.
Since they started college, Grant and Kyle said they are able to get back home a couples times to help out during harvest season. They said corn and soybeans are their main crops.
Concordia sophomore Grant Mages was one of the top receiving targets in high school for Osakis.
David Samson/The Forum
They were helping out Saturday night after Concordia’s 26-7 victory at Augsburg and both were also in the fields Sunday, too.
“I really like helping out and harvest is a really fun time of the year,” Grant said. “It’s nice to go back home and see the family again.”
Their father, Jim Mages, is a former Minnesota Crookston defensive end, who was named to the school’s athletic hall of fame in 2021. He started his college career at Rochester Community College.
Their mother Tricia (Hennen) Mages graduated from Concordia.
“It helps to have just a little break,” Kyle said. “It’s something you can’t describe, just being around family and the farm is nice.”
Kyle started at safety during his first season with the Cobbers before transition to linebacker. His defensive back instincts have served him well as he’s moved closer to the line of scrimmage.
“He’s a playmaker,” Horan said. “He’s just an incredible football player and he’s getting better and better every week.”
Concordia linebacker Kyle Mages (11) leads the Cobbers in tackles and interceptions through seven games.
Rob Beer / The Forum
Horan said Grant is one of the best tight ends in the MIAC.
“He’s got strong hands,” Horan said. “He’s big, he’s physical and he can jump.”
Kyle said he competed with his twin brother in everything while growing up, and that drove both to excel. Kyle joked their listed heights on the roster aren’t precisely accurate.
“That’s a mistake on their end,” Kyle said. “We’re the same height. He had to get one up on me.”
The Cobbers are hoping to get one up this weekend against Bethel, one of the top teams in NCAA Division III football.
“Going in fearless I think is the biggest thing,” Grant said. “At the end of the day, it’s just a game.”
Peterson covers college athletics for The Forum, including Concordia College and Minnesota State Moorhead. He also covers the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks independent baseball team and helps out with North Dakota State football coverage. Peterson has been working at the newspaper since 1996.