Notables
-Saints earn their 31st straight UMAC victory
-CSS has not lost a conference road game since 2010
-Passing Yards: CSS - 265, MacMurray - 176
-Gildersleeve rushed for 88 yards in his first collegiate start
JACKSONVILLE, Ill. (csssaints.com) — Despite soggy field conditions, the St. Scholastica football team earned a 37-28 victory over MacMurray College (Ill.) on Saturday at Freesen Field, a good start to what the team hopes will be a repeat of last season's undefeated record in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC).
First Half Battle
Both teams were a little slow to get started, but ultimately the Highlanders put numbers on the scoreboard first with a touchdown after 12 minutes of the game had passed. The Saints offense got rolling after that, and only 40 seconds into the second quarter, a Kyle Stepka (New Prague, Minn./New Prague HS) 8-yard TD pass to Hunter Thompson (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo HS), followed by a successful extra point kick by Donovan Blatz (Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View HS), gave CSS the 7-6 lead.
The Saints gave up an interception with 5:30 left in the second quarter, and the Highlanders scored a touchdown a minute and a half later. A successful 2-point conversion put MacMurray ahead 14-7. A strong late-second-quarter push by the Saints resulted in another TD pass completion by Stepka, this time 14 yards to Aaron Olson (Esko, Minn./Esko HS). A good extra point by Blatz tied the contest 14-14, a score that would not change for the remaining two minutes of the half.
Second Half Rhythm
Halfway through the third quarter, Stepka took matters into his own hands and ran the ball to earn a TD on his own. Another Blatz kick put the Saints up by seven, making the score 21-14. Not long after that, Blatz and his impressive boot added three points to the scoreboard with a 35-yard field goal. On the Highlanders next possession, CSS would force a fumble and recover the ball, putting itself in excellent position for the start of the fourth quarter.
To start off the fourth, a long march up the field by the Saints ended in a Teddy Gildersleeve (Osceola, Wis./Osceola HS) rush for a touchdown. That, paired with the point after, made the score 31-14. A second touchdown for Olson, minutes later, extended the lead even further for the Saints, giving the game a score of 37-14.
MacMurray's offense found the end zone twice more in the last four and a half minutes of the game, but it would not be enough. In the end, St. Scholastica would earn the 37-28 victory.
Notable Performances for CSS
With the 17 completions for Stepka against the Highlanders, the senior QB broke the 100 pass completions milestone, ending the game with a career total of 103. He also passed the 1,500 career yards mark and now has 1,692 total yards.
Freshman Gildersleeve had an impressive game as well, leading the team in rushing yards with 88 on 23 attempts. Olson had six receptions for 90 yards and two touchdowns. August Marleau (Deer River, Minn./Deer River HS) led the defense, tallying up 11 tackles, along with Kenneth Jinkins (Eagan, Minn./Henry Sibley HS) who also had 11 tackles with a forced fumble.
Notable Performances for MacMurray
Coy Dorothy went 17-for-33 on completions, passing for 176 yards and two touchdowns. Chazz Middlebrook led the Highlanders in rushing yards with 144 on 29 attempts. Tommy Cummins had three receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown completion.
Up Next
The Saints (1-1) play in their home opener next Saturday against Eureka College (Ill.) at Public Schools Stadium in Duluth.Kickoff is schedulef for noon. Follow the action live at csssaints.com.
