The schedule has been known since spring. The trophy’s been in the case since last winter. So the fact St. Michael-Albertville is in the heart of its “murderer’s row” schedule shouldn’t be a surprise. Nor should it be any shock that the games have been hard fought, and close.
“When you’re the team that’s on top,” said head coach Jared Essler, “everyone’s going to be gunning for you. Everyone will bring their best effort night after night. So that’s the challenge we have as a defending state champion.”
So far, though, so good for the Knights, who have used a steady ground attack with Mitchell Kartes and a stout defense to turn back challenges on the road at Moorhead and last week in the rivalry game vs. Rogers.
The toughest portion of the Knights’ schedule – according to state rankings anyway – ends tonight in Elk River, where the red and white is celebrating their 125th season of football and the Elks would love to notch a win over STMA this fall. Schempf Stadium will be filled with pink, much as Rogers was last week, with the Elks hosting their Tackle Cancer night and the game, again as it was last week, KARE 11’s spotlight game for the night.
Elk River, obviously, will bring its ground attack to the forefront. It has worked so far, with ERHS dominating Cambridge last week in a 33-0 rout. The Elks also boast two other wins over Brainerd (42-0) and Chisago (44-7) that were dominant performances.
The Knights, though, have been masters as cracking the “Wing T” formation. STMA has, simply, grounded the running game into nothing. The Elks haven’t scored in the first half of the last three meetings (two playoff games and last year’s regular season tilt in Albertville), with STMA building huge leads of 20 points or more in all three of those games.
“The key is finding the guy with the ball and stepping into those lanes,” Essler told NWCT in the past. “We’ve had guys who can make those plays, and if you can stop them from breaking that big run, you can put your defense in a situation to win the battle.”
The difference this year, though, may be ERHS’ defense. The Elks have given up 7 points in three games. However, that’s not against competition in the same category of a defending state champion. STMA has been able to use big plays – last year it was passes and kick returns by Isaiah Weston, for example – to break games against the Elks open. This year, Kartes and quarterback Griffen Marquette will have to be a part of that, but it’s been the Knights’ defense that has scored on big plays, including a pick-six last week and another interception that set up a score.
If STMA can survive this week, the future looks good. The Knights will host three of their last four games in Albertville, with only a Muddy Crow battle at Buffalo on the road. Then, it’s off to the Class 5A playoffs for one last run at a state title until the Knights play with the big boys in 2017.
For a look at the highlights from last week’s classic win over Rogers, check the video here, via KARE 11