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Chisago Lakes 48, Cambridge-Isanti 26
The Chisago Lakes Wildcats earned a measure of redemption with a section victory over Cambridge-Isanti on Tuesday, October 24.

The ‘Cats had lost to the Bluejackets 33-24 earlier this year, and it was a late-game heartbreaker. This time, however, the Wildcats made sure there would be no late game heroics by Cambridge-Isanti.

The Section 7AAAAA match up started with sloppy defense, as was the calling card in their first match up. The Jackets opened the scoring with a 12 yard touchdown run by Jett Gaudette, and an ensuing two point conversion.

It only took Chisago Lakes a minute and a half to respond when senior quarterback Henry Trost scampered for an 85 yard touchdown. Manny Rosario’s two point conversion tied the game up.
Gaudette and the Jackets wasted no time in answering the ball, taking less than two minutes off the clock and driving for another touchdown. Gaudette finished the drive with a six yard score. The two point conversion was no good and C-I led 14-8.

CL’s patented option offense was near impossible for the Jackets to stop, and they marched right back down the field to set up a four yard touchdown run by Rosario. CL’s typical kicker Ryan Mower was playing in the state soccer tournament and was unavailable. The ‘Cats still tried an extra point, but Will Tinjum just missed the boot.

The Chisago Lakes defense settled down a bit in the second quarter, and forced a turnover and a punt from the Jackets, and the offense did everything they needed to capitalize. Trost scored two touchdowns in the quarter, a 38 yard run and a three yard run, and the ‘Cats had a 28-14 lead at halftime.

The best part about their offense marching up and down the field was that they received the second half kickoff too. They made good on the drive, with Matt Mohr scoring from three yards out and stretching the lead to 35-14.

Cambridge-Isanti started to get into desperation mode and started throwing the ball more often, which is not their game. It resulted in another turnover on downs and another Chisago Lakes touchdown, this one a one yard sneak by Mitch Barrett, giving Chisago Lakes a 41-14 lead with just two minutes left in the third quarter.

The Bluejackets did score a touchdown in the beginning of the fourth quarter, but Chisago Lakes’ long, grinding drives made sure the Jackets didn’t see the ball enough for a serious comeback attempt.

The game ended 48-26 in favor of Chisago Lakes. The win means they’ll go on to face another former foe on Saturday, October 28. The top-seeded Andover Huskies await. They finished 6-2 on the year with a 62-41 win in hand against the Wildcats already this year.

They did struggle in their last two games, however, losing big to Elk River and narrowly beating a 1-7 St. Francis team 50-42, a squad Chisago Lakes beat by 30. The game is at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Chisago Lakes 54, Monticello 6
13 seconds into their game with Monticello, the Wildcat football team had all of the points they would need.  Matt Mohr returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown, and the Wildcats led 7-0 after the extra point.  They never tool their foot off the gas and steamrollered the Magic 54-6 Wednesday, October 18 at Monticello.

Quarterback Henry Trost showed off his speed and escapability, carrying the ball 13 times for 196 yards and two long touchdowns  And almost everyone got in on the party in the Magic end zone as five other Wildcats carried the pigskin to pay dirt.  Ryan Mower added two field goals, including a 47-yarder that was one of the longest in school history.  Meanwhile, the stingy Wildcat defense held the Monticello offense to 175 yards, including just 72 yards rushing.

On a nice fall night on a beautiful turf field, Mohr started things off with a bang.  He caught the opening kickoff on a nice hop at the one, ran up the middle through a gaping hole created by the Wildcat kick return team, cut left at the 30 and was off to the races for a 99-yard touchdown.  After a Mower extra point, the Wildcats led 7-0.

The Wildcat defense forced a three and out on Monticello’s first drive.  Punting from his own 29 yard line with a strong wind at his back, Magic punter Thomas VanCulin unleashed a long line drive.  The ball hit at the 30 and kept bouncing and rolling until a Magic player downed it at the one yard line.  The Wildcats were pinned deep.  But on third and three from the Wildcat eight, Trost kept the ball and head up the middle.  He broke at least three tackles in the first ten yards.  Once he was clear, he turned on the afterburners and ran straight down the center of the field all the way to the end zone, giving the Wildcats a 14-0 lead with just under nine minutes left in the first quarter.

After another short drive and punt by Monticello, the Wildcats took over at their own 36.  Six plays later, they faced first down at the Magic 43.  Trost kept the ball, ran a bit to the right and headed upfield.  He broke one tackle and was gone.  With the 43 yard touchdown, the Wildcats led 21-0.  After an exchange of punts, the Magic started a drive at midfield.  They went on a 10-play drive that culminated in a one yard touchdown run by quarterback Ethan Bosacker to cut the lead to 21-6 and fire up the Senior Night crowd at Monticello.   But the Wildcats shut them up pretty quickly.  Starting from their own 42 on the subsequent drive, two runs from Trost, a personal foul penalty and a run by Chase Hemme got the ball to the nine yard line.  Fullback Manny Rosario took the ball through a nice hole up the middle and built up some speed.  He was hit at the two and went airborne, flying into the end zone and putting the Wildcats up 28-6.

On the ensuing drive, the Magic were forced to give up the football from their own 46.  A short punt into the strong wind gave the Wildcats the ball at their own 40 with 1:01 remaining in the first half.  Five plays and two timeouts later, the Wildcats faced third down and three near the left hashmark at the Magic 30 with 4.5 seconds left in the half.  Mower trotted onto the field.  The ball was snapped and Mower unleashed a strong kick with the wind at his back.  The ball never wavered as the kick sailed well inside the left goal post about two yards over the crossbar for a 47-yard field goal, one of the longest in Wildcat history.  The Wildcats led 31-6.

Rosario was the workhorse on the first Wildcat drive of the second half, carrying the ball five times as the Wildcats marched down the field.  But the drive stalled at the Magic seven.  No problem.  Mower hit a 24 yard field goal and the Wildcats led 34-6.  On the second play of Monticello’s ensuing possession, Dalton Wood knocked the ball loose and Brandon Williams recovered at the Magic 25.  Three plays later, quarterback Mitch Barrett dove over from the two for another Wildcat touchdown.  With Barrett still behind center, the Wildcats moved the ball well on their next possession.  On first down from the one, running back Dylan Tashjian was stuffed on his first rushing attempt of the season.  He got the ball again on second down and waltzed through a nice hole on the left side and into the end zone for his first career touchdown.  The Wildcats led 48-6 just a half minute into the fourth quarter.  Later in the quarter, Isaac Aldrich came in to play quarterback and scored on a ten yard touchdown run.  The two pointer was no good, making the final score Chisago Lakes 54, Monticello 6.

After the game, Wildcat linebacker Adam Hanson said “They’ve beaten us the last couple of years and were pretty confident about it.  We really wanted to stick it to them today and we did. That was a lot of fun.”

Rosario carried the ball 13 times for 71 yards.  In all, nine Wildcat rushers piled up 420 yards.  There was no need to pass – the Wildcats attempted just three passes and didn’t complete any – as the Wildcats proved unstoppable.  And Mower kicked perfectly on the day, making both of his field goal attempts and going six for six on extra points.  On defense, Owen Dresel led the way with 13 tackles, ten of them solo.  Beau Stiller was right behind with 12 tackles, including five solo.

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