28 minute read
section title in 39 years
Class AA Mainstreeters end state drought
It’s been 39 years since Sauk Centre has played in the state quarterfinals
by BRYAN ZOLLMAN
Co-Publisher, Let’s Play Football
People often ask: What exactly is a Mainstreeter?
Well, after last week a Mainstreeter is a section football champion.
Sauk Centre, after a 39-year drought, advanced to state with a 27-6 win over Osakis at the Fargodome.
The Mainstreeters (coined after hometown hero Sinclair Lewis’ Nobel-Prize winning book Main Street) ran all over the Silverstreaks and appear to be peaking at the right time.
They head into tournament play with a 7-3 record. Two of those losses came to fellow state-bound teams Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted and Eden Valley Watkins.
Eden Valley Watkins defeated the Mainstreeters 42-13 in Week 2. The question will be have the Mainstreeters improved enough to give the Eagles a good test.
“We went down to Eden Valley, and they got us good,” said Mainstreeter head coach Charlie Warring. “They exposed a lot of weaknesses, so we had to correct those.”
They have played eight games since then and improved much as a team.
“Overall, from when we played them the first time, we’re a different team, we have a little more identity, and run some things differently,” said Warring. “They’re good, but when you get to the final eight, everyone is good.”
The Mainstreeters rely on strong senior leadership. With 11 seniors, this year was an “all-in” effort in their final football season together.
Senior quarterback Matthew Warring leads the way and is a dual threat under center. He throws a nice ball and can run the option as well, as evidenced by his 9-yard score against Osakis.
He also threw for two touchdowns.
Senior Hunter Danielson hauled in a 57-yard touchdown and is a solid deep threat for the Mainstreeters. Junior Jay Nuebert also caught a 12-yard TD pass and provides a big frame with good leaping ability and good hands for Warring.
Other seniors on the team include: Reece Blondin, Carter Ziemer, Nate Schirmers, Owen Christians, Nathan Lahr, Aaron Kerfeld, Corey McCoy and Carter Schuster.
It’s certainly been a long time coming for the Mainstreeter football program to get back to the state tournament.
And although they are thrilled to advance, they know their is still work to be done.
Senior running back Eli Fletcher said: “When the seconds were ticking off, we were all thinking about being humble and moving on. Jobs not finished but it was a dream come true to win.”
Section 1 - Chatfield 10-0
Not many high school games end up on a game-winning field goal, but that is exactly what happened when defending champions Chatfield knocked off perennial power Caledonia 10-8 in the Section 1AA finals.
Jacob Erickson, a former quarterback turned kicker/punter due to a knee injury, was called upon midway through the fourth quarter with his team trailing 8-7.
Sauk Centre senior quarterback Matthew Warring finds a hole in the Mainstreeters section final win over Osakis. It was the first time in 39 years Sauk Centre has earned a trip to state. PHOTOS BY MARK KLAPHAKE/STAR PUBLICATIONS
Section Final Results
Section 1
Chatfield 10, Caledonia 8
Section 2
Blue Earth Area 44, St. Clair/Loyola 20
Section 3
Jackson County Central 31, Pipestone Area 14
Section 4
Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 29, Norwood-Young America 13
Section 5
Eden Valley-Watkins 26, Royalton 20
Section 6
Sauk Centre 27, Osakis 6
Section 7
Moose Lake-Willow River 25, Crosby-Ironton 0
Section 8
Barnesville 56, Crookston 3
feated West Central Area/Ashby 14-13 last season to claim the 2021 state championship.
With last week’s win the Gophers have now won 23 straight games.
Led by senior quarterback Sam Backer, the Gophers will look to defend their title when they take on Blue Earth Area (9-2) Thursday at Rochester Mayo in the state quarterfinals.
Backer rushed 21 times for 208 yards in the win over Caledonia, including the team’s only touchdown, which was a 99-yard run.
Section 2 - Blue Earth Area (9-2)
Blue Earth Area cruised through Section 2AA, scoring 144 points in the three games.
They will now face the difficult task of facing defending state champion Chatfield Thursday in Rochester.
The Buccaneers utilize a plethora of running backs to move the ball, averaging more than nine yards per carry.
Four backs have eclipsed at least 300 yards on the ground. Caleb Langager, Noah Johnson, Ashton Lloyd and Parker Meyers give the Buccaneers plenty of depth amongst ball carriers.
Lloyd does the quarterbacking and throws just as well as he runs, connecting on more than half of his passes on the season.
The Buccaneers have suffered just two defeats on the season, one coming to undefeated Jackson County Central, who they could meet up with if they can get past Chatfield.
Section 3 -
Jackson County Central (11-0)
Since losing in last year’s section final, the Huskies have won 11 straight games and will hope to keep that winning streak alive when they play Howard lake-Waverly-Winsted in the state quarterfinals.
The offense has been stellar with freshman quarterback Roman Voss behind center. His top target has been wideout Travis Rogotzke.
Speedy senior Gabriel Wolff is the primary back and tight ends Caleb Vancura and Bryson Powers add depth to the offense.
Defensively Vancura is a menace at defensive end. Senior defensive back Logan Butzon has returned from an injury and made an immediate impact with three interceptions. Aiven Farmer is also
It’s been 39 years since the Mainstreeters from Sauk Centre have been able to celebrate a trip to the state tournament.
a difference maker on the edge
Section 4 -
Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted (9-2)
It isn’t often a No. 4 seed advances to the state tournament, but Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted defeated top-seeded Minneapolis North 21-20 to advance to the section finals where they disposed of Norwood-Young America 29-13.
Senior running back Collin Boese leads the way for the Lakers. It was Bose who scored the go-ahead touchdown in the win over Minneapolis North.
Boese leads the team in rushing.
The Lakers are coming out of a very tough section, which could bode well for them at state. Six of the seven section teams had at least six wins and four teams had at least eight wins.
Bombers speed through sections
by BRYAN ZOLLMAN
Co-Publisher, Let’s Play Football
Like a sports car with a turbo-powered engine, the Cannon Falls Bombers sped through sections with three lopsided wins to advance to another state tournament. Their motto this season: “All Gas, No Brakes.”
The Bombers offense exploded through the section playoffs, scoring 170 points in their three victories.
They avenged their section semifinal loss last year to Plainview-Elgin-Millville with a resounding 50-6 win in the section final this season to advance to their second state tournament in the past four years (in 2020 they went 7-0 to claim a section title, but there was no state tournament).
The Bears’ success has come mainly from their running attack that uses a wide array of runners and is regularly executed to cause issues for opponent defenses. In their section final win over P-E-M, they ran for 419 yards and seven touchdowns on 58 carries.
Colton Otto was the lead ball carrier with 74 yards on nine carries and three touchdowns. Dylan Banks scored twice on six carries and 82 yards and Landon Anderson-Rosebear led all backs with 16 carries and 135 yards. Preston Schoenfelder, Sam Shepersky and Colten Black also had a hand in the running game with Shepersky and Black each finding pay dirt.
The Bombers have been just as impressive on defense. They allowed fewer than 100 yards to P-E-M in the final and have allowed just two first quarter touchdowns all season. They will take on Watertown-Mayer, who put up 46 points in their section final win over defending champion Dassel-Cokato and is averaging 37 points per game. It should be great match up for two teams that could eventually find themselves playing for it all on Dec. 3.
Section 2 - Watertown-Mayer (10-1)
Before the 2021 season, Watertown-Mayer was a struggling program having won just five games between 2015 and 2020.
Last season they turned a corner by going 7-3 and this year they have put their foot on the gas with a 10-1 record as they head into the state quarterfinals.
The Royals got to the state tournament with an upset over defending state champion Dassel-Cokato in the Section 2AAA final 47-36. They are averaging 37 points per game and have a solid nucleus of athletes who have helped them get to where they are.
Senior running back Wyatt McCabe leads the team in rushing and had a hand in four touchdowns in the section final win over Dassel-Cokato. He had touchdown runs of 13 and six yards and caught a 12yard TD pass from senior quarterback Albert Rundell. Rundell is a dual threat and tossed two TD passes in the win and also ran one in from 16 yards out. One of his touchdown passes was to the team’s leading receiver, junior Gannon Lee.
Another huge asset for the offense is senior kicker Ashton Heckstel. Heckstel has proven to be one of the top kickers in the state, making 10 of 11 field goals and 38 of 39 extra points. Having a kicker who can hit from long range is a huge advantage for any high school team. Heckstel kicked two field goals in the section final win, giving the Royals the cushion they needed against the defending champions.
Two high-powered offenses will battle Thursday in Hastings when the Royals take on Cannon Falls for a chance to get to US Bank Stadium for the state semifinals. It’s been a long road for the Royals after going 5-48 for six seasons. But it’s been worth the wait.
Section 3 - Fairmont (9-2)
Like several other teams who have advanced to state, Fairmont avenged a mid season loss to an opponent they ended up defeating in the section final.
For the Cardinals that team was Waseca. After losing 32-14 in Week 4, they turned the tides and beat them 35-26 to advance to Thursday’s quarterfinals where they will take on St. Croix Lutheran (5-5).
Fairmont is no stranger to postseason football. Last year they advanced to the quarterfinal, but lost to eventual state champion Dassel-Cokato. In 2018 they advanced all the way to the Prep Bowl where they lost to Rochester Lourdes.
Which begs the question. Is this their year?
They have averaged 31 points per game while allowing just over 12. Their only other loss was a 10-0 defeat at the hands of Class 4A Marshall in the season opener. Since then they have played stellar football on both sides of the ball.
The offense is led by senior quarterback Brendan Schmidtke. Schmidtke has passed for 1,100 yards and 15 touchdowns and completed 56 percent of his passes.
His main targets have been Levi Pooley with 32 catches for 499 yards and nine touchdowns and David Maakestad with 24 catches for 380 yards and five scores.
What makes Fairmont a tough foe is there ability to beat you two ways. In addition to a strong passing game, the Cardinals have a slew of formidable running backs who have combined for 1,262 yards and 15 touchdowns. They include: Landon Meyerdirk, Elijah Johnson, James Johnson and Blaze Geiger.
Defensively, Meyerdirk and Aden Welcome lead the team in tackles and Hank Artz has an impressive five sacks on the season.
The Cardinals will look to advance to the semifinals and hopefully get back to where they were in 2018, playing for a state title.
Section 4 - St. Croix Lutheran (5-5)
St. Croix Lutheran lost their last three games of the regular season. Perhaps it was for a reason. Since then they won two section games to advance to the state quarterfinals where they will battle against Section 3 winner Fairmont.
Despite St. Croix Lutheran’s 5-5 record, they are not a sub par program who caught lightning in a bottle As early as 2017 they were playing Pierz for the Class AAA title.
It might be a tougher road for them this season, but their 14-6 win over Breck was a big step into the quarterfinals.
They are led by senior Jack Thome, who is responsible for much of the offense. In the section win over Minneapolis Henry, Thome scored five touchdowns. In their 14-6 win over Breck he ran for 123 yards.
The Crusaders may be the underdog heading into state play, but they have proven they are a team who can win big games against good opponents.
Dylan Banks is a big part of the Cannon Falls offense that ran for 419 yards against Plainview-Elgin-Millville in the section finals. The Bombers advanced to the state quarterfinals with a 50-6 win. Photos by Kelly Brintnall-Miller
Jack Meyers stiff arms an opponent during action earlier this year for Cannon Falls who defeated P-E-M 50-6 to win their section and advance to state.
Section Final Results
Section 1
Cannon Falls 50, Plainview-Elgin-Millville 6
Section 2
Watertown-Mayer 47, Dassel-Cokato 36
Section 3
Fairmont 35, Waseca 26
Section 4
St. Croix Lutheran 14, Breck 6
Section 5
Milaca 42, Foley 21
Section 6
New London-Spicer 20, Albany 14
Section 7
Esko 28, Pequot Lakes 19
Section 8
Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton 7, East Grand Forks 6
Section 5 - Milaca (9-1)
After finishing 4-5 in 2021, the Milaca Wolves improved to win nine of their 10 contests so far in 2022. Their hope is to make it 10 out of 11 when they take on New London-Spicer (8-2) in the state quarterfinals.
The Wolves offense goes as senior Jack Schoenborn goes. He is closing in on 2,000 yards rushing for the year and in their previous match up against New London-Spicer ran for 203 yards and three touchdowns.
But the Wolves lost that game in a shootout 44-36.
The rematch may be much of the same as both teams average more than 30 points per game but allowed more than 20.
The teams will battle Thursday in Elk River.
Section 6 - New London-Spicer (8-2)
For the second year in a row the Wildcats knocked off perennial power Pierz to advance in the section playoffs and beyond.
They have emerged for the second straight season in arguably the toughest section in AAA football. Last season they upset Pierz 28-24 in the section final and this year beat them 28-6 in the section semifinals.
It took a 20-14 win over Albany in the section final to get them back to the coveted state tournament, where they lost in the quarterfinals a year ago to Esko.
The Wildcats are averaging 38 points per game so they will rely heavily on their potent offense to attack their opponents at state.
They will battle Milaca in Elk River Thursday for a chance to play at US Bank Stadium Nov. 18-19.
Section 7 - Esko (11-0)
A recovered fumble returned for a touchdown by Joey Antonutti was the icing on the cake for the Esko Eskomos as they remained unbeaten with a 28-19 win over Pequot Lakes in the section 7AAA final.
The Eskomos had allowed just five touchdowns on the season heading into their 11th game. Meanwhile they had scored an average of 50 points per game.
They are coming off a season where they reached the state semifinals only to lose to Dassel-Cokato by a touchdown.
Senior quarterback Ty Christensen and senior running back Nolan Witt lead the offense. Christensen utilizes his arm and legs. Easton Haker, Javontae Gregory and Carter Zezulka are also important pieces of the offense. Both Gregory and Zezulka scored touchdowns in the section final win.
Defensively Witt is a force at linebacker and forced the fumble that led to the late score, ensuring the Eskomos another section title and another shot at winning a state championship.
Section 8 -
Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton (10-0)
Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton is one of two unbeaten teams in Class 3A.
Ironically, those two teams will meet each other in the state quarterfinals when the Rebels take on Esko (11-0) in Brainerd on Saturday.
D-G-F has outscored opponents on average 30-14. They are making their second consecutive trip to state after beating East Grand Forks 7-6.
Jordan Summers scored his 20th touchdown, which proved to be enough. East Grand Forks scored late, but the Rebel defense made a stop on the two-point conversion to ensure the victory and a berth to the state tournament.
Summers is approaching 2,000 yards on the ground and is the main cog in the offense.
Esko will have to slow him down in order to be successful. Meanwhile, The Rebels will have to play and equally impressive defensive game like they did against East Grand Forks in order to be successful against the Eskomos with hopes of advancing to the state semifinals at US Bank Stadium Nov. 18-19.
Defending champion Tigers claw their way to another section title
by BRYAN ZOLLMAN
Co-Publisher, Let’s Play Football
The defending 4A champion Hutchinson Tigers are back and until someone knocks them out of the playoffs, they will be the favorite heading into state play.
The Tigers have been a perennial contender in 4A football having gone 61-10 in the past seven seasons. Last season they ran the gamut and defeated Kasson-Mantorville for the 4A crown.
This year it appears they are poised to defend their title.
Senior running back Levi Teetzel returns for his senior year as one of the top running backs in the state. He has averaged more than 180 yards per game and scored 18 touchdowns and converted 27 two-point conversions. In the section final win over Marshall, he rushed for 220 yards and four touchdowns in their 5230 victory.
Fellow senior A.J. Ladwig has been a beast as well with 25 rushing touchdowns and almost 1,000 yards rushing.
The running game, thanks in large part to a great offensive line, has rushed for 3,637 yards on the season, an average of 368 yards per game.
Out of all of the defending state champions, Hutchinson may have the best chance at repeating.
However, they get a tough draw in the quarterfinals with top-ranked Stewartville (10-0). This will be the marquee match up in 4A football, and whoever emerges could very well become the 2022 state champion.
Section 1 - Stewartville (10-0)
There may not be a team in any class who has been as dominant as Stewartville has been this Fall.
The Tigers have rattled off 10 straight wins, and quite frankly, no team has come close to giving them much of a contest.
The Tigers have outscored opponents 510-55 and are averaging 51 points per game.
Their two-pronged offense is explosive. Quarterback Ayden Helder has proven to be an efficient passer with a near 70 percent completion rate and 22 touchdown passes.
Owen Sikkink is the main threat in the backfield and surpassed 1,000 yards on the season with 167 in the section final win over Kasson-Mantorville. He scored five times in the game and now has 19 rushing touchdowns on the season. He also has over 400 yards receiving and seven scores, giving him 26 touchdowns on the season.
Braden Nelson is also an adept runner and has over 500 yards rushing on the season, including a 71-yard TD run against K-M.
Both runners benefit from a strong offensive line that has been dominant all season long.
Defensively they have been unbelievably resilient, allowing just four touchdowns during the regular season and seven overall. They also have had five shutouts.
With an outstanding offensive line, several skilled players and a punishing defense, Stewartville just may be the team to beat in Class AAAA.
But first they will have to get past Hutchinson (9-1) Thursday in Lakeville.
Section 3 - Simley (9-1)
The top-seeded Simley Spartans trailed second-seed Hill-Murray Pioneers 12-7 at halftime in the section 3 title game in Class AAAA, but the Spartans outscored the Pioneers 33-0 in the second half to earn their second consecutive trip to state.
Neither team could get much going on offense for most of the first half before Hill-Murray senior running back Sawyer Seidl bobbed and weaved breaking three tackles on way to a highlight reel 70-yard touchdown run. After the extra point was blocked Hill-Murray led 6-0.
Simley quickly answered with a ground attack that saw Spartan senior Tay’vion McCoy break a long run to the Hill-Murray 4-yard line before fellow senior Gavin Nelson scored on a 4-yard touchdown. With the extra point Simley led 7-6 with 1:41 left in the first half.
Hill-Murray senior quarter back Joe McGurran orchestrated the two-minute offense to perfection leading the Pioneers down the field finishing with a 5-yard touchdown pass to his sophomore tight end John Pietruszewski with :19 left. The Pioneers took a 12-7 lead into the locker room at halftime.
“We made a few mental mistakes in the first half and were not doing a good job accounting for the Seidl (Sawyer and Simon) brothers.” Simley coach Chris Mensen said.
Once the teams hit the field for the second half it was all Simley. McCoy opened the second half onslaught for the Spartans with a 4-yard touchdown run. Senior QB Caden Renslow then scored two rushing touchdowns and Nelson ran in the last two scores.
“We knew we had it in us to play great football, once we settled down a bit, we were able to find our groove.” Mensen said.
Simley heads to the state tournament quarterfinals with a 9-1 record and will face Chisago Lakes.
Section 4 - Chisago Lakes (5-6)
Chisago Lakes is the only team playing in the state quarterfinals with a record under .500.
The Wildcats upset top-seeded Fridley in Section 4AAAA in a 43-42 barn burner.
They scored 23 fourth-quarter points to overcome a 9-point deficit to advance to the state quarterfinals where they will take on Section 3 winner Simley (9-1).
Junior running back Evan Lavalle led the way for the Wildcats with 139 yards rushing and three touchdowns.
Junior quarterback Gavin Lewis ran for 63 yards and connected with Nathan Bluhm on a 42-yard score to help catapult the Wildcats to the big win.
While it appears the chips may be stacked against a team that went 5-6 during the regular season, it should be noted that four of the Wildcats losses came to Becker, Rocori, St. Francis and Hutchinson who have a combined 32-7 record.
Their tough regular season schedule could pay dividends at state.
Section 5 -
Academy of Holy Angels (7-3)
A pair of private schools battled it out in the Section 5 title game and it was the Academy of Holy Angels who prevailed for the second straight year, defeating Benilde-St. Margaret’s 41-7.
Senior linebacker Luke Cronin got things going when he picked off a B-SM pass and returned it 31 yards for a touchdown.
The Holy Angels defense has been phenomenal, picking off 10 passes on the season.
Offensively they are able to attack defenses through the air and on the ground.
Senior QB Aaron Boarman has thrown for more than 1,000 yards and completed more than 65 percent of his passes. He is also fleet of foot and leads the team in rushing yards.
Running backs Joe Miller and Reid Davenport provide depth in the backfield and Charles Gilbert III and William Snyder provide two strong targets for Boarman through the air.
All three of the Stars losses have all come to 5A teams.
The Stars will take on Section 6 winner Zimmerman (8-3) Thursday in Osseo.
Charlie Renner hauls in a pass in Hutchinson’s 52-30 win over Marshall in the Section 2AAAA championship. The Tigers are looking to defend their 2021 state champion-
ship. Photo by Libby Auger
Section Final Results
Section 1
Stewartville 46, Kasson-Mantorville 22
Section 2
Hutchinson 52, Marshall 30
Section 3
Simley 40, Hill-Murray 12
Section 4
Chisago Lakes 43, Fridley 42
Section 5
Holy Angels 41, Benilde-St. Margaret’s 7
Section 6
Zimmerman 20, Orono 3
Section 7
North Branch 34, Cloquet 6
Section 8
Rocori 22, Becker 20 merman went on a three-game winning streak in sections to claim the Section 6 title with as 20-3 win over Orono.
Zimmerman’s success has come from their ground game on offense, and their defense that has 19.5 sacks and 13 interceptions on the season.
Senior running back Caden Spence has put up astronomical numbers, rushing for 2,039 yards and 29 touchdowns. He also has 221 yards receiving and two more touchdowns.
Defensively, senior linebacker Max Gostonczik leads the team with 115 total tackles, an average of more than 10 tackles a game.
Junior linebacker Luke Pool has 85 total tackles and senior Brooks Howard leads th team with 6.5 sacks.
In the secondary, senior Matt Freeberg leads with three interceptions.
With a strong offense and a menacing defense, Zimmerman could be somewhat of a sleeper in 4A.
Their first task will be getting by Holy Angels Thursday in Osseo, which should be a good match up between to fairly even teams.
Section 7 - North Branch (8-2)
North Branch avenged an earlier loss to Hermantown during the regular season to defeat the Hawks 28-20 in the section semifinals.
They followed up with a win over Cloquet 34-6 to claim the section 7AAAA title.
The win came after an undefeated North Branch team lost a heartbreaker in the section finals last year to Grand Rapids, 14-12. The win also marks the first time in school history the Vikings advanced to the state quarterfinals.
Senior Vinny Boeck leads the offense and scored two touchdowns in the 34-6 section final win.
Preston Peterson is under center and scored on a flea flicker from 16 yards out for one of his two scores on the night.
Fellow senior Loghan Croal also scored, giving the Vikings plenty of offensive weapons to put points on the board. They average 34 points on the season while allowing 19.
They will battle Rocori (8-2) in their first-ever state tournament game Thursday in Blaine.
Section 8 - Rocori (8-2)
Top-seeded Rocori prevailed in Section 8 with a narrow 22-20 win over Becker to claim their first section title since 2019 (they were 7-0 in 2022 and considered section champs) when they advanced to the Prep Bowl and lost to SMB 22-21.
Rocori may have the best quarterback in the 4A state tournament in Jack Spanier. Spanier has completed 70 percent of his passes for 1,570 yards and 19 touchdowns. He has also ran for 402 yards and 10 more touchdowns to lead the offense.
Spanier’s top target has been Hunter Nistler who has 39 receptions for 667 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Another top target is Adam Langer with 35 catches for 472 yards and four touchdowns.
Mason Dahl leads the backfield with 724 yards rushing and eight touchdowns.
Defensively the Spartans are allowing just 14 points per game. Blake Tyluki leads the team with 105 total tackles and Kaden Rausch leads with seven sacks.
Nistler and Spanier also are special team stars with both averaging near 40 yards a punt.
With a slew of talent on both sides of the ball, there is no reason Rocori can’t get back to the Prep Bowl title game like they did three years ago.
First they will have to get past North Branch (8-2) Thursday in Blaine.
Robbinsdale Armstrong players are handed their section championship trophy, the first for the program since 2003. The Falcons will look to advance past the quarterfinals with hopes of getting to US Bank Stadium for semifinals Nov. 18-19. Photos by Michael Hirschuber
Armstrong punches first ticket to state since 2003
Senior strong group beats crosstown rival Cooper 42-7
by MIKE SONNTAG
Co-Publisher, Let’s Play Football
Robbinsdale Armstrong broke a 7-7 tie and scored 35 unanswered points to defeat crosstown rival Robbinsdale Cooper for the Section 5AAAAA title 42-7.
Jamen Malone and Reggie Carter provided all the offense needed in the second half with QB Malone throwing and running for a touchdown and running back Carter scoring three times to help catapult the Falcons to the section title, their first since 2003.
Carter had TD runs of 37 and 52 yards, and Malone connected with Marquan Tucker on a 35yard touchdown pass. All three players are seniors.
The Falcons started the season with six straight wins, but fell victim to both Chaska and Spring Lake Park in their final two regular season tilts.
But they righted the ship in time for a pair of section victories and a section title.
Carter, Malone and Tucker have provided a trio that has been hard to stop. Carter has rushed for 974 yards and 16 touchdowns. Malone has completed 80 passes for 1,229 yards and 16 touchdowns and also ran for 452 yards and two scores. Tucker leads all receivers with 36 catches for 715 yards and 11 touchdowns.
The Falcons are also strong on defense. Senior linebacker Drew Kuempel leads the team with 71 total tackles. Fellow senior linebacker Henry Smith has 68.
Junior Langden College leads the team with 8.5 sacks. Perhaps the most impressive stat for the Falcons is their strong senior leadership. The team, has 23 seniors, which should bode well as they venture into their first state tournament since 2003 with hopes of getting to the coveted Prep Bowl.
They will play Rogers (8-3) Saturday at noon in Osseo.
Section 1 – Rochester Mayo (9-1)
Rochester Mayo (9-1), ranked No. 6 in QRF, beat Owatonna 36-7 to advance to the state tournament.
Rochester Mayo is hoping to improve on their 9-2 season in 2021 where they lost to Mahtomedi in state quarterfinals.
They will take on Section 2 winner Mankato West (10-0) Saturday at Prior Lake High School.
Section 2 – Mankato West
Speaking of Mankato West, ranked No. 2 in QRF and the defending 5AAAAA state champion advanced to state looking to defend their title by beating Chanhassen in a tight one 23-21.
Last season the Scarlets defeated St. Thomas Academy, Rogers, and Mahtomedi to claim the state title. All three of those opponents are back in the state tournament this year.
Section 3 – St Thomas Academy Cadets (10-0)
The St. Thomas Academy Cadets (10-0) ranked No. 4 in QRF rolled over Two Rivers 45-0 in the section final.
The Cadets will play Mahtomedi in the state quarterfinals. The Cadets handed Mahtomedi their only loss of the season 28-14 back on October 7.
Section 4 – Mahtomedi (9-1)
As mentioned above, the Mahtomedi Zephyrs (9-1) No. 7 in QRF suffered their only loss to St. Thomas Academy. The 2021 Class AAAAA state-runner up is going to need to avenge that loss if they want to get back to the title game.
Look for the Zephyrs to rely heavily on senior running back Corey Bohmert.
The Zephyrs and Cadets will lock horns Saturday at Woodbury High School with a noon kickoff.
Section 6 – Rogers (8-3)
Rogers (8-3) ranked No. 10 in QRF earned their berth to the state tournament by beating a very good Spring Lake Park team 21-7.
The Royals have played two other
teams in the final 8 of Class AAAAA this season, losing to Elk River 35-14 and beating Moorhead 58-41. Section 7 - Elk River (10-0) The Elk River Elks (10-0) offense averaged a staggering 48 points per game, but needed all 51 points in a thrilling 5149 overtime win against Andover in the 7AAAAA section final to earn a berth in the state tournament. After winning many games by heavily outscoring their opponents throughout the regular season, the Elks needed junior kicker Carter Bloom to make a 30-yard field goal attempt with :02 left in the 4th quarter to force overtime with the Andover Huskies. With the score tied 43-43 in overtime the Elks got the ball on the tenyard line and took the lead when senior quarter back Cade Osterman plunged in from one yard out. Sophomore running back Gavin Schmidt then ran in the Jamen Malone races down the sideline against Robbinsdale Cooper. Malone rushed for 82 yards and threw for 225 yards in the Falcons 42-7 win. Photos by Michael Hirschuber two-point conversion to make the score 51-43. Andover, as they had done all game, would not go away, scoring on a 9-yard Section Final Results touchdown pass from senior quarterSection 1 Rochester Mayo 36, Owatonna 7 back Landyn Nelson to junior receiver Section 2 Mankato West 23, Chanhassen 21 Section 3 Teddy Heller. It was then that the Elks defense rose to the occasion stopping St. Thomas Academy 45, Two Rivers 0 Section 4 Mahtomedi 20, St. Paul Central 0 Nelson’s rushing bid short of the end zone to deny the tying two-point conSection 5 Robbinsdale Armstrong 42, Robbinsdale Cooper 7 version. Section 6 Rogers 21, Spring Lake Park 7 Section 7 The Elks advance to the state tournament where they will face Moorhead Elk River 51, Andover 49 Section 8 Moorhead 28, Sartell-St. Stephen 26 in a rematch from an October 7 meeting when the Elks won 55-21. The game will be played Saturday Nov. 11 at Maple Grove High School. Kickoff set for 1 p.m. Section 8 – Moorhead (5-5) Moorhead (5-5) ranked No. 19 in QRF, may be the surprise team in the state quarterfinal field, but do not take the Spuds lightly. After losing their final four regular season games the Spuds won two very close section games beating Alexandria 35-28, then winning a thriller over Sartell-St. Stephen 28-26 to win the Section 8 title. The Spuds will have their hands full with undefeated Elk River, but it is a one-game elimination game now and anything is possible.
