MINNEAPOLIS (csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica football team stopped sixth-ranked Bethel University once in the first quarter and the only other time was at the end of the game as the Royals ended the Saints' season by a score 70-13 on Saturday at Mall of America Field at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.

The location of the game was changed from Bethel's home field to the Metrodome on Wednesday due to the possibility of a sub-zero wind chill.

Bethel received the opening kickoff and drove the ball right down the field. Brandon Marquardt capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown plunge to make it 7-0 less than three minutes into the contest.

After the teams exchanged punts, the Royals added to their lead with 1:21 remaining in the opening quarter as Erik Peterson found Jay Hilbrands for a 16-yard TD reception to make it 14-0. The Saints would then fumble the ensuing kickoff and the Royals capitalized on a Marquardt 5-yard TD run. Bethel then faked the extra point and converted the 2-point conversion to make it 22-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Bethel out-gained CSS 147-20 in the first quarter.

It only two plays on the ensuing drive for the Saints to get their first points as Tyler Harper (Minneapolis, Minn./DeLaSalle HS) found Cory Gebhard (St. Croix Falls, Wis./St. Croix Falls HS) for a 41-yard reception. The next play Harper found Shannon James (Elba, Ala./Elba HS) for a 26-yard touchdown to make it 22-7.

The Royals responded by a converting a pair of third-and-longs and Marquardt scored again, this time from 4 yards out to make it 29-7. After the Bethel interception was returned to the CSS one-yard line, the Royals made it 36-7 on a 1-yard TD plunge.

The Saints scored their second touchdown on the game when Harper found Gebhard for a 23-yard touchdown. The point-after failed and the score was 36-13. However, Bethel scored right before halftime on another short TD run to make it 43-13 at halftime.

The Royals out-gained the Saints 288-131 in the first half, including 118-22 on the ground. Erik Peterson was 14-for-16 passing for 170 yards.

The second half would be all Bethel. The Royals would score on their first four possessions in the half and held the Saints scoreless to make the final score 70-13.

Harper was 13-for-24 for 131 yards and two touchdowns, but also had two interceptions. James had three receptions for 46 yards and a score. Jake Jensen (South St. Paul, Minn./South St. Paul HS) ran for 37 yards, falling three yards shy of 3,000 yards for his career. Xavier Rhodes (South St. Paul, Minn./South St. Paul HS) led the defense with 15 tackles.

The Saints say goodbye to 18 seniors. This senior class is the winningest class in program history with a record of 34-9. This was St. Scholastica's third consecutive NCAA playoff appearance in only its sixth year as a program.

For future news on the CSS football program, keep checking csssaints.com.