Notables
-Bonner leads CSS with 14 tackles, three for loss
-Schlender rushes for three touchdowns
-Walters records interception
-Weber leads Saints receivers with 84 yards

DULUTH, Minn. – The St. Scholastica football team hosted the Pipers from Hamline in its season finale this afternoon. The Pipers took a 20-13 lead into halftime, and although the Saints cut the deficit to just a one possession game, Hamline was able to drain the rest of the clock, taking today's matchup against CSS by a score of 33-26. 

How it Happened
Hamline took its opening drive 65 yards to give itself a 6-0 lead over CSS in the early stages of the first quarter. 

Later in the quarter, Hamline found the endzone on a 10-yard rush, capping off an 11-play, 50-yard drive that began on a Saints turnover. The touchdown gave the Pipers a 13-0 lead over St. Scholastica heading into the second quarter. 

The Saints defense showed up big time on the Pipers first drive of the second quarter, with tackles for loss by John Bonner (Grand Rapids, Minn./Grand Rapids HS) and Colby Jorschumb (Bloomington, Minn./Bloomington Jefferson HS) forced a three-and-out for the Pipers. 

Nick Schlender (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS) began the drive with a pair of rushes for 21 yards, followed by connections from Donald West (St. Paul, Minn./Woodbury HS (Iowa Central)) to Benjamin Hunter (Superior, Wis./Superior HS) and Dayne Evanson (South Range, Wis./Northwestern HS) for receptions of eight yards each. West was then able to find Ricky Weber (Roseville, Minn./Roseville HS) for a pair of 17-yard catches to move the ball into Hamline territory. Schlender capped off the drive with a one-yard touchdown rush to put the Saints on the board, trailing 13-6. 

Hamline responded on the ensuing drive with an 11-play, 74-yard drive that ended on a one-yard touchdown rush to put the Pipers up 20-6. 

CSS had a little over a minute to try to put some points on the board before the halftime mark. West began the drive connecting with Schlender for a gain of four, and on the next play, found Wyatt Lahr (Bowlus, Minn./Royalton HS) for a gain of 25 yards. After the Saints moved the ball with passes to Weber and Lahr, and on the last play of the first half, Schlender found his way into the endzone to make the score 20-13 at halftime. 

The Saints started the second half with possession, and following great field position after an 38-yard kickoff return from Andrew Burgess II (Tampa, Fla./Cypress Creek HS), CSS was able to score on just four plays, with Schlender rushing for his third touchdown of the afternoon being the play that tied the game at 20-20. 

Once again, the Saints' defense made a big play, when Isaiah Walters (Woodbury, Minn./Woodbury HS (Iowa Western)) recorded an interception on the ensuing drive, as CSS hoped to take the lead on its next drive. 

The Pipers forced a turnover of its own on the Saints' drive, and followed it up with a 10-play drive that ended in a field goal to regain a lead over CSS with a 23-20 score. 

Following a Saints three-and-out, the Pipers scored before the end of the quarter on a 13-yard touchdown pass that gave Hamline a 30-20 lead over the Saints. 

Hamline took a good amount of time off the clock on its opening drive of the fourth quarter, scoring on an 11-play, 69-yard drive that took six minutes off the clock, as the Pipers now led 33-20. 

In the late minutes, on the Saints last drive of the game, West found Evanson for a gain of 14, and after a Hamline penalty that gave the Saints 15 yards, Lahr was able to score on a 27-yard reception from West, making the score 33-26. 

The Pipers were ultimately able to go into victory formation on the following drive, as the Pipers took a 33-26 victory over the Saints. 

Preparing for Playoffs
The Saints end its regular season with a record of 2-7 and a 1-6 record in conference play. The next matchup will be next week, where CSS will travel to St. Paul, where they will face Macalester. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.