Bank on it!

Cardinals ride defense to state semifinals

BEMIDJI - It took an interception by freshman Ethan Shelton late in the fourth quarter to preserve a victory last Friday night at Chet Anderson Stadium, but the Cromwell-Wright Cardinals will be doing their banking in Minneapolis this week.

A 14-7, nail-biting state quarterfinal victory over Norman County East/Ulen-Hiiterdal in 14-degree conditions sent the Cardinals (12-0) to the more climate-friendly confines of U.S. Bank Stadium Thursday, where they squared off against the defending state nine-man champions and top-seeded Spring Grove (12-0) in the state semifinals as this issue of the Pine Knot News went to press.

The Titans had an opening 90-yard drive capped off by a Tate Hoseth one-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. After that, the Cardinals held them off for the rest of the game. But it didn't come easy.

"Offense was tough to come by, especially in the first half," said Cardinals head coach Jeff Gronner. "But our defense did a good job of bending, but not breaking, and then got some big turnovers."

The Cardinals scored on a short field in the second quarter on an Isaac Shelton 2-yard run. The drive started at the NCE/U-H 28-yard line on a shanked punt. The two-point conversion try failed and the half-time lead was 7-6 for the Titans. Gronner advised his team at the break to step up their game.

"I challenged them to be more physical, on the line, and Cam (Cahoon) and Kannon (Korpela) running, and I thought they responded," Gronner said.

Respond they did. As the Titans did in the first half by scoring on the opening drive, so did the Cardinals in the second half. Cromwell-Wright used nearly five minutes of the third quarter clock before Cameron Cahoon found the end zone from two yards out. Cahoon added a two-point conversion run to give the Cardinals a 14-7 cushion.

The Titans were threatening on the next drive late in the third quarter, set up with a fourth-and-two from the Cardinals seven-yard line. But a fumbled snap by the NCE/U-H quarterback ended the drive. The next drive for the Cardinals chewed up the end of the third and much of the fourth quarter before sputtering out at the Titans two-yard line. That drive was kept alive by a gutsy call to go for it on fourth-and-one from their own 21-yard line and aided by a couple Titan penalties later on.

With just over four minutes to go, NCE/U-H had a chance, but the Shelton pick and a couple first downs later preserved the win.

"We won because we kept grinding and made some key plays and stops when we needed them," Gronner said. "It was fun to be in a close game and win."

Senior back Kannon Korpela led the team in rushing with 82 yards on 19 carries, while Cahoon finished with 76 yards and a touchdown. Gronner praised Isaac Shelton, who has taken over quarterback duties since starting quarterback Drew Libbon dislocated his hip in the Section 5 championship game.

Top-ranked Spring Grove survived a scare against Russell-Tyler-Ruthton, 27-26. The Lions had to score late and then hold RTR off defensively inside the red zone in order to advance.

Gronner knew his team was hungry to take on the champs after losing two years ago to Cleveland in the first high school football game played at U.S. Bank Stadium, home to the Minnesota Vikings.

"These seniors have wanted to get back to U.S. Bank since we lost two years ago and have put tons of work in to get there, so as a coach it is so special to see all their hard work pay off," he said. "And it makes it just a hair extra special when your son is a big part of it."

It's never easy going up against the top team in the state, but Gronner liked his team's chances.

"Spring Grove is a very good team that did not play well last game," he said. "It will be a challenge, but after watching just a little film, I know we can play with them and who knows what can happen, right?"

Check out the Pine Knot News Facebook page to find out what happened at state, or wait for the whole story in next week's issue.