The Scarlets have had their chances to go ahead, but just can’t take advantage.  First, they spent more than five minutes on another 14-play drive, riding Paul Berndt all the way down inside the STMA 10, but the Knights defense stopped Ray Teachout on the one-foot line on fourth down, and Mankato West came away with no points.

After a STMA punt from its own end zone, Mankato West started at the Knights’ 25, but a third-down fumble killed that drive in the red zone, as well.  West has had three possessions in the STMA red zone, but has come away with only three points.

For St. Michael-Albertville, the most important halftime task will be finding a way to stop Berndt.  The Scarlets are running out of the spread offense, giving that dive-option look out of the shotgun, and the Knights are having trouble stopping the dive portion of that play.

Two impressive first-quarter drives, one for each team, have both teams on the board.

St. Michael-Albertville set up its first drive at the Mankato West 44, following an interception by sophomore DB Ben Schmitz.  From there, the Knights slogged twelve plays to the end zone, including a pair of fourth-down conversion runs by quarterback Jason Dehmer, who threw a touchdown pass to finish the drive.  Dehmer has been his team’s best rusher, he plays safety on defense, he does the punting - what can’t he do?

Mankato West responded with a four-minute-plus drive of its own, a 14-play possession that went ended in a 20-yard field goal. The Scarlets offense is based on the three of QB Ray Teachout’s limbs - both legs and his right arm.  Mankato West likes to line up a spread formation, and then run a QB option, or have Teachout step back and find a receiver along the sidelines.

The Knights will start the second quarter in Mankato West territory, following their second interception on a tipped pass.

All in all, this was a pretty dominant performance from KMS.  Both RB Joel Bauman and FB Mitch Hagen went over 100 yards rushing.  QB Kevin Steinhaus completed only three passes, but two went for touchdowns - a 49-yarder and a 34-yarder, both to TE Taylor Freetly.  And the Fighting Saints defense, apart from a first-quarter 73-yard touchdown, held firm the entire game.  Perhaps the best stat on the defense is this one: until a fourth-quarter, second-team-in drive for Springfield, KMS hadn’t allowed a rushing play of more than 11 yards. The Saints also had a fumble recovery and three interceptions in the game.

KMS will face Royalton for the Class 1A state championship at 1:00 pm, the day after Thanksgiving at the Prep Bowl.  Neither team has ever won a state title.

It took the Fighting Saints a couple of second-half possessions to get untracked, but they finally began moving the ball again towards the end of the quarter.  KMS put together an eight-play, 63-yard drive - and of course, did the whole thing on the ground.  Joel Bauman swept right for ten yards and a touchdown to finish off the possession; the junior now has over 100 yards rushing, along with two touchdowns.  The Saints have 17 first downs, and all 17 came on the ground; as a team, they’ve rushed for 261 yards.

On the other sideline, the Tigers just aren’t moving the ball.  They can’t get much movement up front to run the ball, and their aerial attack has fallen flat.  KMS held Springfield to just 52 yards and two first downs in the third quarter.

It took KMS most of the half to complete a pass, but in terms of offensive output, it didn’t matter.  The Fighting Saints keep sending Joel Bauman around end, or faking with Bauman and handing to fullback Mitch Hagen up the middle, and it’s worked like a charm - to the tune of 195 yards rushing in the first half.  Had they not fumbled twice in Springfield territory, the score could be quite different; the Tigers have forced only one KMS punt.

Of course, when the Saints did complete a pass - with 1:39 left in the half - the whole thing went pretty well. QB Kevin Steinhaus found Taylor Freetly all alone behind the defense, and the senior tight end rumbled in for a 49-yard score.

On the other side of the ball, Springfield is counting on quarterback Jordan Milbrath to power its offense.  Most of the Tiger plays are either downfield throws or quarterback options.  The junior has 22 yards rushing, but has also thrown two interceptions and has completed only one pass.