Box Score Box Score

ST. PAUL – The St. Scholastica football team got behind early and never recovered as it fell to conference perennial power Northwestern College by a score of 55-28 this afternoon. 

The Saints fall to 3-4 overall and 2-1 in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC). The Eagles improve to 4-3 overall and are also 2-1 in the league. Northwestern dropped its first UMAC game since September 2006 last week to Martin Luther. 

The Saints received the ball first, but would be forced to punt. Northwestern would bet a piece of the punt as it rolled dead at midfield. The Eagles proceeded to take the ball right down the field and scored on a Zach Tarter to Kyle Thomforde 5-yard touchdown pass. 

CSS would be intercepted on the next possession and the Eagles scored three plays later on a Rahnee Dennard 10-yard scamper to make it 14-0 with six minutes left in the first quarter. The Saints went to the ground attack on its third possession and marched the ball down to the Northwestern 2-yard-line. However a sack hurt the Saints and they would have to turn it over on downs. 

Following a CSS fumble in the second quarter, the Eagles needed just one play as Tarter hit Thomforde for a 51-yard touchdown pass. The Eagles blocked another punt later in the quarter and needed just one play again to score when Ryan Long ran it in from six yards out to make 28-0. 

The Saints got on the scoreboard on the ensuing possession as #Christopher Henagin# (Sr.-Cloquet, Minn.) scored on a 3-yard touchdown run to make it 28-7. However, Northwestern punched it in the end zone one more time before halftime as Dennard scored on a 6-yard touchdown run with a minute left to make the halftime score 35-7. 

The Eagles added insult to injury in the second half as it scored on its first three possessions to extend the lead to 55-7. CSS kept on playing and would score 21 points in the fourth quarter. The first score came when #Alex Duea# (Fr.-Royalton, Minn.) blocked a punt and recovered it in the end zone to make it 55-15. 

Henagin made the score 55-21 with his second touchdown run of the game, this one from seven yards out. The final score of the game came with three minutes left when #Jake Olson# (So.-Esko, Minn.) connected with #Tyler LeRoux# (So.-Esko, Minn.) for a 29-yard touchdown pass to make the final 55-28. The Eagles out-gained the Saints 432-309. 

Christopher Henagin (Cloquet, Minn./Fond du Lac) had a solid day, rushing the ball 32 times for 131 yards and two touchdowns. #Matt Bacon# (Fr.-Green Bay, Wis./Southwest), who got the start under center, threw for 47 yards on 8-of-13 passing. Jake Olson (Esko, Minn./Esko HS) was 7-of-12 for 100 yards threw the air. #Mike VanMassenhove# (So.-Superior, Wis.) led CSS with five catches for 47 yards. #Scott Greening# (So.-Antigo, Wis.) had 10 tackles to lead the CSS defense. 

The Saints will head out of conference next week when it travels to Trinity Bible College in Ellendale, N.D. The Saints defeated Trinity Bible last season by a score of 47-8 for the program's first-ever victory. The kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. and can be heard live on ESPN Radio 560-WEBC.