Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year – Eric Kline (Blaine)

From StarTribune.com…

Blaine’s Eric Kline: A double-trouble QB

He led the Bengals to a 10-1 season with 3,088 total yards and 34 touchdowns.

By DAVID La VAQUE, Star Tribune

Judging Blaine quarterback Eric Kline solely on his performance in the Bengals’ 34-0 loss to Wayzata in last Friday’s Class 5A quarterfinal football game is shortsighted. ¶ After all, Kline ended the first possession of his first start last season with an interception, an almost forgotten footnote for the player who became the state’s finest dual-threat quarterback. And while the Wayzata loss provided an unfortunate ending, Kline’s outstanding senior season earned him Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year honors.

“That loss doesn’t change the player Eric has been for us,” Blaine coach Shannon Gerrety said. “He’s done everything we’ve asked. He’s a complete winner.”

This fall, Kline provided 3,088 total yards and 34 touchdowns, led the Bengals in rushing and got them into the state tournament with a 10-0 record. Off the field, he took a leadership role by organizing passing drills and becoming a fixture in the weight room.

“I wanted to provide energy and set an example by making the right decisions,” Kline said.

Though soundly beaten by Wayzata — Kline managed just 86 yards of total offense and threw two interceptions — he showed character after the game by giving reporters his best explanations for why a promising season ended with a thud.

“That’s what a man does,” his coach said.

Later in the evening, Kline joined a half-dozen teammates at the home of wide receiver Evan Spurbeck. The group talked into the wee hours, reminiscing about their many football glories from the time they first played together in second grade right up through their senior year.

“We spent a lot of time dreaming about going to state as seniors so it’s weird to think that it has already come and gone,” Kline said. “We really came together, and I’ll never forget the connections we made.”

Gerrety installed the spread offense prior to the 2008 season and under the guidance of James Peterson, another superb dual-threat quarterback, the Bengals reached the state championship game.

Then a sophomore wide receiver and backup quarterback, Kline later became Peterson’s successor. As a junior, Kline accounted for 2,491 total yards and 30 touchdowns and led Blaine to a 8-2 season that ended in the section championship game.

Returning to state this season required Kline’s gutsiest performance. A separated left (non-throwing) shoulder forced him to miss the first two days of practice and limited his snaps the next two days.

Playing through pain, Kline posted 318 total yards, including 24 carries for 183 yards and four touchdowns as the Bengals defeated Andover 40-14 in the section final.

“He never went out of bounds,” Gerrety said. “He would cut back on runs and look for more yards.”

Kline said his shoulder in no way affected Blaine’s loss to Wayzata. He gave the Trojans’ defense credit for overwhelming team speed.

With the football season over, Kline is looking forward to running track. He is on the fence about playing basketball. Also uncertain are his college plans. Among the 15 schools showing interest are Division I programs North Dakota, North Dakota State and South Dakota State. Playing quarterback is Kline’s preference, but he is flexible.

“I’m not sure what these schools are looking for,” Gerrety said. “But Eric will be somebody’s gold mine.”

Star Tribune All-Metro Teams

Star Tribune First Team All-Metro…

FIRST-TEAM OFFENSE

Eric Kline

Blaine • Sr. • QB

Tall (6-4), strong and fast, Kline became the state’s premiere dual-threat quarterback. Amassed 3,088 total yards and 34 touchdowns, led the Bengals in rushing and got them into the Class 5A tournament with a 10-0 record.

Reggie Gandy

DeLaSalle • Sr. • RB

Posted incredible numbers of 2,606 rushing yards (10.1 yards per carry) and 33 touchdowns. Rushed for more than 300 yards in five different games. Carried the Islanders into the Class 3A tournament.

Andrew Larson

Eden Prairie • Jr. • RB

Matched good size (5-10, 185) with balance and speed to produce more than 1,600 rushing yards and 20 TDs for an Eagles team ranked No. 1 much of the season. Excels at gaining yards after contact.

Sam Sura

South St. Paul • Jr. • RB

Tough fullback earned many of his 1,945 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns the hard way. But he rarely fumbled and went down easily even less. Offensive MVP of the Classic Suburban Conference and leader of the resurgent Packers.

Steven Kiesel

Breck • Sr. • WR

Measures 5-9 and 170 pounds, but those are not the important numbers. Tormented defenses with 94 catches for 1,250 yards and 13 touchdowns and impressed opposing coaches with his toughness.

Dylan Ulferts

Shakopee • Sr. • WR

Dynamic playmaker who made things happen all season despite double teams. Caught 50 balls for 820 yards (16.4 average) and 11 touchdowns. Added another 509 yards rushing (10.2 average) and six scores.

Joe Bjorklund

Rosemount • Sr. • OL

South Suburban Conference lineman of the year. Measures 6-5, 285. Explosive athlete drawing interest from Michigan State and Wisconsin. Powered the formidable Irish rushing attack.

Alex Jarosz

Totino-Grace • Sr. • OL

Used his 6-4, 265-pound frame to clear holes for the Eagles’ running game. Constantly drives defenders downfield and often dumps them in the secondary.

Nick Jacobs

Delano • Sr. • OL

Considered by some coaches to be the state’s best offensive lineman. Tremendous feet for his size (6-5, 275) and has the quickness and speed to pull and lead running backs to the hole. Iowa, Iowa State and Wisconsin showing interest.

Tommy Olson

Mahtomedi • Sr. • OL

Widely viewed as the state’s best lineman. Committed to the Gophers. Played at guard and tackle. Relentless drive blocker with the size (6-4, 290) and strength to overpower defenders. Plays with a mean streak.

T.J. Woodrow

Eden Prairie • Sr. • OL

Key cog of the line that sprang Andrew Larson to a solid season. Moved around depending on the play and usually an indicator of where the play was going. At 6-3, 270, has the ability to pull.

FIRST-TEAM DEFENSE

Brandt Berghuis

Rosemount • Sr. • DL

Team’s third-leading tackler with 17 tackles for loss through the section tournament. Key part of pesky Irish defense that allows under 12 points per game.

Nick Goldsmith

Mounds View • Sr. • DL

Named the defensive lineman of the year in the Suburban East Conference. Had 35 solo tackles. Coach says there is “no more important player” to the team’s defense.

Jonathan Harden

Cretin-Derham Hall • Jr. • DL

Already a two-year starter as a 6-foot, 300-pound unblockable force for one of the state’s best teams. Made four tackles for loss in one game.

Joe Zrust

Totino-Grace •

Sr. • DL

Three-year starter at nose guard in the Eagles’ 3-4 defense. Gets good inside pressure that has garnered interest from Ivy League schools. Simply put, one coach said, “He’s a dude.”

Alex Meixell

Rogers • Sr. • LB

A force who helped lead state’s most impressive defense this season (Rogers had five shutouts). Named co-MVP of the Mississippi 8 Conference with 113 tackles, three fumbles recovered and a sack.

Will Ratelle

St. Thomas Academy • Sr. • LB

Mr. Football nominee with 91 tackles (10 for loss), three forced fumbles and an interception returned for a score. Some view the 5-11, 225 stalwart as the best football player overall in Class 4A.

Peter Westerhaus

Holy Family • Sr. • LB

Gophers verbal recruit drew interest from teams coast to coast to the small school in Victoria. Plays both ways but is at his best as a linebacker, where the 6-4, 225-pounder made 87 total tackles during regular season.

David Boegel

Wayzata • Sr. • DB

Coach Brad Anderson said coordinator Matt Lombardi built the stout Trojans defense around him. Five of the first eight games of the season ended in double-digit tackle totals.

James Farrow

Minnetonka • Sr. • DB

The fluid Virginia Tech recruit likes to hit, making 30 solo tackles while grabbing three interceptions. Returned one 90 yards for a TD. A dangerous return man (13.3 yards per punt return, 23 yards per kick return); one punt returned for a TD.

Grayson Levine

Eden Prairie • Sr. • DB

Plays both ways. A physical defender who also has the speed to keep up with the competition. An agile player who supports the run well.

Frank Veldman

Eastview • Sr. • DB

The 6-4, 200-pound free safety was named defensive player of the year in the new South Suburban Conference. Earned Metro Player of the Year votes.

Marcus Jones

Edina • Sr. • K

Perfect in all 14 extra point attempts. Made six of nine field goals, including a 41-yarder; three came against Minnetonka, winning the game.

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Star Tribune Second & Third Team All-Metro…

SECOND TEAM

Offense

Quarterback

• Bill Gregg, Hopkins, sr.: More than 2,700 yards and 31 TDs passing.

Running backs

• Ezekiel Okeleye, East Ridge, sr.: Rushed for 1,508 yards and 16 TDs

• Trevor Lueders, Glencoe-Silver Lake, sr.: Converted DE rushed for more than 1,000 yards.

Receivers

• Jimmy Duffy, Mounds View, sr.: State’s best TE prospect, blocks well, runs better.

• Andrew McDonald, Hopkins, jr.: Speedster is a big play waiting to happen.

• Joey Sonnenfeld, Osseo, sr.: Dual threat as a WR and on defense as a safety.

Offensive linemen

• Josh Colville, Minnetonka, sr.: Extremely agile and quick for his size (6-3, 270)

• Josh Corbin, Northfield, sr.: Physical, explosive and versatile enough to play guard and tackle.

• Ryan Kelley, Centennial, sr.: 318-pound tackle averaged four pancake blocks per game.

• Trenton Nady, Holy Family, sr.: Tall and athletic with excellent lateral movement.

• John Petrie, Wayzata, sr.: Strong and relentless, leader of overwhelming line.

Athlete

• Andrew Lewis, St. Paul Central, sr.: Do-everything type who always makes a play.

DEFENSE

Linemen

• Logan LaCourse, Shakopee, sr.: Plugged up the middle of the field and made plays.

• Donny Longendyke, White Bear Lake, sr.: Headed to Nebraska on a wrestling scholarship.

• Jesse Reemtsma, Spring Lake Park, sr.: Speed led to 62 tackles and six sacks.

• Devin Waters, Rogers, sr.: Used long arms to lead team in pass breakups.

Linebackers

• Nick McBeain, Shakopee, jr.: Returned all four interceptions for scores.

• Willie Roller, Cretin-Derham Hall, sr.: Tough-hitting player with good size.

• Andrew Rose, Stillwater, sr.: 82 tackles, 16 for a loss.

• Chris Thomas, Blaine, sr.: Scored four defensive touchdowns.

Defensive backs

• Sean Hamlin, Wayzata, sr.: Quietly held best receivers to their worst days.

• Jake Schauer, Totino-Grace, sr.: Closes on ball fast and tackles well.

• Charles Webb, Minnetonka, jr.: Made big plays (four touchdowns) and bigger hits.

Kicker

• Tom Obarski, Apple Valley, sr.: Handled Eagles’ kicking and punting with equal aplomb.

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THIRD TEAM

Offense

• Quarterbacks: Jameson Parsons, Eagan; Tyler Finnes, Andover.

• Running backs: Brenton Braddock, Mahtomedi; Andrew Hausmann, Rosemount; Taz Seibert, Norwood-Young America; C.J. Smith, Burnsville;

• Receivers: James Fort, Annandale; Derek Vidor, Rogers; Rodney Pierce-Tyler, Mpls. Southwest.

• Offensive linemen: Teddy DeFrane, Sibley East; Zach Johnson, Eastview; Ryan Link, Rosemount; Luke Marks, St. Thomas Academy; Nick Olson, Richfield; Sam Smith, South St. Paul.

• Athlete: Ayrton Scott, Mpls. Southwest.

Defense

• Linemen: Sam Berg, New Life Academy; Patrick Faber, Fridley; Tyler Hartmann, Andover; Greg Lofquist, South St. Paul; Cameron Vanderwall, St. Paul Central.

• Linebackers: Tom Lawless, Mpls. Southwest; Weslee Kavanagh, Orono; Ethan Miller, Lakeville South; Josh Vaughn, Bloomington Kennedy.

• Defensive backs: David Morgan, Rosemount; Nick Rallis, Edina, jr; Peter Vakulskas, Holy Family; Bobby Wills, Henry Sibley.

• Kicker: Eric Mielke, Cambridge-Isanti.

Wayzata defense smothers Blaine (Video)

From StarTribune.com…

A much-anticipated showdown between the top two teams quickly became one-sided.

By DAVID La VAQUE, Star Tribune

Late in a first half that saw Wayzata’s defense flush, flummox and flatten him, Blaine quarterback Eric Kline once again found himself on the run.

Forced to his left with Trojans’ defenders in hot pursuit and clawing at the football in his right hand, Kline switched the ball to his left hand while trying to get out of bounds — one more case of him acting out of desperation rather than design.

Blitzing Wayzata defenders shut down the state’s best dual threat quarterback and turned a meeting of the state’s two best teams into a rout. Defensive pressure and four Aaron Roth touchdowns pushed No. 1 Wayzata (9-0) to a 34-0 victory in Friday’s Class 5A state tournament quarterfinal at Osseo.

“Eric had guys in his face all night,” Blaine coach Shannon Gerrety said. “I felt bad for him. That was a different level of football tonight.”

Heading into Friday, No. 2 Blaine’s (10-1) spread offense averaged 38.1 points per game. One possession against Wayzata indicated the Bengals’ attack would come up short of the mark. Kline got sacked twice, forcing him into his duties as Blaine’s punter. New role, same result. Wayzata’s special teams put a rush on and tackled Kline at the Bengals’ 18-yard line. Kline, who accounted for 3,002 total yards and 34 touchdowns this season, was held to 27 yards rushing on 22 carries and completed 9 of 14 passes for 59 yards and two interceptions.

“Tonight was our night,” Wayzata coach Brad Anderson said. “We jumped on them early. Our defense isn’t big but they fly around and get after it.”

Blaine moved the ball on its next possession as Kline completed a 15-yard pass, then broke off a 13-yard run to Wayzata’s 39-yard line. The Trojans called timeout then held serve for three plays to force another Bengals’ punt. Wayzata’s offense drove 80 yards for a second touchdown and 13-0 lead.

Two more sacks from the Trojans’ defense stifled Blaine’s next drive. Using a three-man front with one or two blitzing players off the edge, Wayzata kept the Bengals going backward en route to the Trojans’ third consecutive shutout.

“Our defensive coordinator Matt Lombardi is a mad scientist,” Anderson said. “He dreams schemes up at night.”

Members of the Wayzata crowd felt their wildest dreams come true when the public address announcer notified them of losses by six-time state champion Eden Prairie and defending state champion Cretin-Derham Hall.

“We’ll celebrate this one tonight and we’ll worry about what’s ahead tomorrow,” said a smiling Anderson.

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Highlight video of the Blaine vs Wayzata playoff game courtesy of Coon Rapids Sports on YouTube…

The Big One – State 5A Quarterfinals – Blaine vs Wayzata (Video)

This season we’ll have a weekly segment called “The Big One” where we feature a game with post-game articles and/or analysis including video from our friends at Coon Rapids Sports on YouTube.  Our next “Big One” of the 2010 season will be the Blaine vs Wayzata on Friday, November 12th (7:00pm) @ Osseo High School.

The Wayzata Trojans enter this game undefeated (8-0) and the top ranked team in the state of Minnesota (Class 5a).  They have played a very competitive schedule beating two other teams that have qualified for the State (5A) Tournament (Lakeville South & Eden Prairie).  Offensively the Trojans are a run-heavy team led by running back Aaron Roth (Sr).  Roth is a threat both on the ground (586 yards, 5 touchdowns) and in the air (17 receptions, 236 yards, 2 touchdowns).  However, defense is their calling card.  They are a stifling group of “no names” that only gives up an average of 12 points per game.  Their thrilling overtime win over the Eden Prairie Eagles on October 20th (28-27) was the last time an opposing team has scored on them.

Here are highlights of that Eden Prairie @ Wayzata game courtesy of WayzataTV on YouTube…

The Blaine Bengals are also undefeated (10-0) and enter this game as the second ranked team in the state of Minnesota (Class 5a).  You can’t fault Blaine for the level of competition in the Northwest Suburban Conference being down this year, but they did what good teams are supposed to do against weaker opponents – they dominated them.  The Bengals are led by arguably the best dual-threat quarterback in the state in Eric Kline (Sr).  Kline leads the team in rushing with 1059 yards and 24 touchdowns, and has thrown for another 1943 yards and 10 touchdowns.  As Kline goes so goes the Blaine offense.  Defensively Blaine might be just as tough as Wayzata allowing just over 12 points per game albeit against much weaker competition.  Linebacker Chris Thomas (Sr) leads an opportunistic group with 110 total tackles, 5 interceptions and 3 fumble recoveries.  He’s also scored 4 touchdowns (2 interception returns, 2 fumble returns).

As is usually the case this time of year the winner of Section 7AAAAA must prove they are for real.  Two seasons ago Blaine won their section and knocked off Eden Prairie and Cretin-Derham Hall in consecutive weeks to reach the State Championship game, where they lost to Wayzata.  Based on strength of schedule Wayzata is the obvious favorite in this matchup.  Are the Trojans too tough for the Bengals?  Is Blaine is as good as their record indicates?  We’ll find out Friday!

Time for 5A football teams to feel the squeeze

From StarTribune.com…

Several teams dominated in section play, but now the margin for error shrinks considerably.

By DAVID LA VAQUE, Star Tribune

The eight football teams that emerged victorious from last Friday’s Class 5A section championship games did so by an average of three touchdowns. Only two games were decided by fewer than 23 points.

“I was surprised by how handily all the teams won last week,” said Mounds View coach Jim Galvin, whose Mustangs rolled to a 32-6 victory against Stillwater. “But I don’t think we’ll see that again.”

In theory, a rash of lopsided section championship games should make the big-school state tournament quarterfinals on Thursday and Friday more competitive. The eight teams boast a combined record of 75-6. Four teams — Blaine, Brainerd, Rosemount and Wayzata — are undefeated.

The marquee game pits No. 2-ranked Blaine against No. 1 Wayzata at 7 p.m. on Friday at Osseo. But intrigue flows throughout the big-school bracket.

“The matchups are great,” Blaine coach Shannon Gerrety said. “Everybody’s got a shot, and that’s what so great about this field.”

Despite facing Wayzata in the first round while Mounds View and defending Class 5A state champion Cretin-Derham Hall linger on the same side of the bracket, Gerrety is opposed to seeding. He said a lack of common opponents makes it tough to properly judge the teams.

And his underdog Bengals fought through a tough bracket in 2008, beating Eden Prairie and Cretin-Derham Hall to reach the championship game against Wayzata. Though Blaine ultimately lost and the roster is largely turned over, Gerrety hopes to harness the same spirit.

“Like we told them two years ago, we said, ‘The coaches wouldn’t have watched film for 12 hours on Sunday or had you guys under the lights at Spring Lake Park [on Tuesday] if we didn’t expect to compete hard and win,'” Gerrety said.

Blaine’s Eric Kline is the state’s top dual-threat quarterback, piling up 3,002 yards of total offense and 34 touchdowns out of the Bengals’ spread offense. But he has not seen a fast and disciplined defense like that of Wayzata, led by safety David Boegel. Offensively, Wayzata gets big plays from running back Aaron Roth.

Six-time state champion Eden Prairie, meanwhile, faces Brainerd. The Eagles were No. 1 most of the year until falling to Wayzata by one point in overtime. The Rosemount vs. Lakeville South and Cretin-Derham Hall vs. Mounds View games are replays from the regular season. Rosemount won 35-3 on Oct. 1 and Cretin-Derham Hall won 17-7 on Oct. 15. Galvin said his seniors beat the Raiders as sophomores but have not solved them on the varsity stage.

“The key for us is — can we move the ball?” Galvin said. “They’ve bottled us up pretty well.”

The Raiders’ success against the Mustangs starts with 300-pound defensive tackle Jonathan Harden. His size and quickness are tough to neutralize inside. Speaking of inside, the Mustangs reached the semifinals last season for the first time and made their Metrodome debut. A group of 13 juniors logged significant playing time.

“Once you get to the next step, it’s easier to take that same step again,” Galvin said. “It happened once we made it to state for the first time. We hope that happens again.”

Blaine is headed back to State (Video)

From SportsPrepZone.com…

by Tom Yelle

It has been a season framed by consistency and one that now has afforded the Blaine High School program an 11th opportunity to play in the big-school state football tournament.

With its 40-14 Friday night win over Andover in the Section 7AAAAA championship game, Blaine enters first round state tournament play on a 10-for-10 season run in 2010. It will put that mark on the line when it faces top-ranked Wayzata next Friday night on the Osseo field.

Before it heads into that 11th game, it should be noted that Blaine has been defining consistency in butt-kicking style for nearly two months. Only once in its first 10 games this season has a team come within seven points and that was only after Blaine constructed a commanding 28-7 first-half lead over Champlin Park during Week 3 of the season.

Other than Champlin Park, no other opponent has come close. Furthermore, the 26-point margin of victory over Andover in the 7AAAAA finale on the Blaine High School field, epitomized what this Bengals team has been all about.

Head coach Shannon Gerrety explained the simple concept of continuity and consistency. At the start of this season he threw out a challenge to his players, asking them to give up individualistic play for that of team play. To be successful, Gerrety told his kids:

“You have to pull together as one all the time.”

And, he added:

“They [the kids] grabbed the concept early on and have carried it through. They [have done] it as a group — no pressure on any individuals — just team play in a team game.”

Along the way, however, there has been some pretty good play turned in by some of Blaine ‘s top players. Two of Blaine ‘s best, in fact, were on display against Andover in the section finale.

On the offensive side of the ball was quarterback Eric Kline, who came through with another one of his sterling all-around passing and running performances. Kline, who rushed for 183 yards and passed for 135 more, scored four consecutive touchdowns during the second and third quarters.

He ripped off 29- and 11-yard slide-and-glide runs to the end zone in the second quarter, a slip-through 1-yard run (immediately after an Andover goal line fumble) early in the second half, then a magnificent 43-yard dash that encompassed most of his athletic abilities. A play which might have been his best effort of the season, Kline started left, cut back right, then cut back on diagonal across the width of the field before turning up along the left side line to reach the end zone with a dive.

On the defensive side, meantime, was Chris Thomas, who throughout the season has had a knack for making big plays. The middle linebacker’s late interception of a pass over the middle denied Champlin Park a complete comeback during that Week 3 game Blaine won by just seven points was his first.

After that play, Thomas returned an interception 37 yards for a touchdown against Coon Rapids Oct. 1, picked up a fumble and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown against Andover Oct. 15, then picked up another fumble and returned it 61 yards in the 7AAAAA semifinal game against Forest Lake Oct. 30.

In this second meeting with Andover Friday night for the 7AAAAA championship, Thomas did it again. Similar to his saving pickoff in the game against Champlin Park, he did so against Andover , intercepting a Tyler Finnes middle-thrown pass a step above the five before cutting up the right sideline on a 94-yard solo sprint.

From the moment he picked off the pass to the end zone at the other end of Blaine ‘s field where he scored, Thomas was full throttle, never missing a stride.

Finnes, like Kline, was also an offensive force throughout the season for his Andover team. In this game, however, he was limited by the swarming Blaine defensive unit to just 35 yards rushing and not quite 150 yards passing.

Finnes did score both Andover touchdowns — a first-quarter keeper of four yards, then a fourth-quarter scramble/run to the end zone of six.

Blaine running back Ben Pigorsch also had a touchdown — the game’s first score from seven yards — by scampering around the left side with an option pitch from Kline to the end zone.

At that moment late in the first quarter, Blaine was off and running toward its 11th trip to the state tournament.

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Highlight videos of the Andover vs Blaine playoff game courtesy of Coon Rapids Sports on YouTube…

The Big One – Section Championship – Andover @ Blaine (Video)

This season we’ll have a weekly segment called “The Big One” where we feature a game with post-game articles and/or analysis including video from our friends at Coon Rapids Sports on YouTube.  Our next “Big One” of the 2010 season will be Andover @ Blaine on Friday, November 5th (7:00pm).

With the exception of their week 3 game against Champlin Park the Blaine Bengals (9-0) have not been seriously challenged this season.  Led by quarterback Eric Kline (Sr) the Bengals score early and often beating their opponents by an average score of 38-12.  Their regular season meeting with Andover (7-2) was supposed to be competitive and it was, for a quarter.  Down 7-6 early in the 2nd quarter linebacker Chris Thomas (Sr) grabbed the ball he’d stripped from Andover quarterback Tyler Finnes (Sr) and raced 43 yards for a touchdown.  That play ignited the Bengals for 25 unanswered 2nd quarter points en route to a 45-14 blowout.

Andover seems to have figured out an identity since that game.  They have put the ball in the hands of Finnes and asked him to do it all – running and passing.  As Finnes goes so goes the Andover offense and it has worked.  The Huskies have run off three straight victories and avenged a regular season loss to Coon Rapids with a thrilling 17-16 victory last week in the semifinal round of the playoffs.  Now they get another shot at Blaine.

Here are highlight videos of the Andover vs Blaine regular season game courtesy of Coon Rapids Sports on YouTube…

Does Andover have what it takes to knock the mighty Blaine Bengals on the road and get to State for the second time in four seasons?  Will Blaine continue their dominance and advance to State for the second time in three seasons?  We’ll find out on Friday!

Unbeaten Blaine whips Forest Lake 48-23 in football sectional

From TwinCities.com…

Six takeaways allow Bengals to improve to 9-0
By Dallas Johnson

A well-rested Blaine team dominated on both sides of the ball Saturday as the Bengals remained undefeated with a 48-23 victory over visiting Forest Lake in the Section 7AAAAA semifinals.

“Our kids played well,” Blaine coach Shannon Gerrety said. “We had 10 days off, and you’re always a little worried about how that time off is going to affect you.”

The Bengals (9-0) had extra time off because they went into the sectional as the No. 1 seed and receiving a first-round bye. Time off didn’t seem to hurt them, however, as both the offense and defense overpowered Forest Lake (4-6).

Senior quarterback Eric Kline continued a stellar season for Blaine, completing 16 of 19 passes for 229 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 32 yards and a touchdown.

“Our offense was rolling,” said Kline, taken out midway through the third quarter. “The coaches gave us a great scheme, and the defense had a lot of big turnovers.”

Senior linebacker Chris Thomas led the Bengals’ defense, scooping up two Rangers fumbles in the first half and taking the first one 82 yards into the end zone. He added a diving interception early in the third quarter.

The Bengals forced six turnovers and held the Rangers’ offense out of the end zone until Dan Johnson scored on a 45-yard run with three minutes remaining.

Blaine, which won the Northwest Suburban Conference title for the second straight year, came out sluggish.

“We had a slow start,” Gerrety said, “but our kids came out well and I think we played really well as a football team.”

Blaine’s defense allowed the Rangers to control the ball for most of the first quarter, but allowed them only a field goal attempt.

The Bengals’ offense erupted for five touchdowns in the second quarter. Ben Pigorsch ran for two of them and finished the day with 106 yards on 19 carries.

The victory sets up a Section 7AAAAA final against second-seeded Andover on Friday at Blaine.

“We’re going to take 12 hours off and rest,” Gerrety said, “then tomorrow we’re going to get after it. . . . This team has been really focused all season and we’re just going to try and carry that on to the next level.”

Blaine locked up top seed with 45-14 win (Video)

From SportsPrepZone.com…

by Tom Yelle

By virtue of its 45-14 Friday night win over Andover , Blaine clinched the No. 1 seeded position for the coming Section 7AAAAA playoff.

Consequently, the Bengals receive an first-round playoff bye and won’t open 7AAAAA play until the semifinal round Saturday, Oct. 30. If successful that night, Blaine will host the section championship game the first weekend of November.

“We are glad to get it,” said head coach Shannon Gerrety. “It’s a very big deal. Some coaches don’t like it, we love it!

“The season is a marathon and we look at it [getting the first-round bye] as a hard-earned reward, a break in the schedule that enables us — players and coaches — to refresh our minds. We realize a team has to be mentally sharp to do well in the post season.”

Gaining the top-seeded position is only step one in a series of steps the Bengals hope to take by season’s end. The next step is wrapping up at least a share of the conference title, which Blaine can do this Wednesday with a win over Armstong to finish the Northwest Suburban undefeated.

“It will then be a matter of sharing it [with Osseo, a team Blaine did not have on its schedule] or winning it outright,” noted Gerrety. “Either way, winning this conference — a very tough conference — means a lot.”

The ensuing steps, which Blaine will attempt to take after the game with Armstrong, will be winning the two more titles — the section and state AAAAA championships. But first, Armstrong.

“We will go after that game just like we went after the game with Coon Rapids and the game with Andover ,” the coach emphatically added.

On the scoreboard — at least — the Week 7 victory over Andover came a little easier than expected thanks to a huge second-quarter during which Blaine scored 25 of the 31 points it collected during the first half.

Furthermore, after falling behind 7-6 in the first quarter when Andover quarterback connected with Jake Wagner on a 30-yard touchdown pass play, the Bengals scored 39 unanswered points before the Huskies scored again on a 10-yard Finnes-to-Wagner pass play in the fourth.

Gerrety refused to call it a blow out, instead crediting Andover with a very determined and well-planned effort to keep Blaine ‘s offense off the field. The only problem for Andover was the fact Blaine attacked from all aspects of the game — offense, defense, special teams.

“We are playing very well right now — an all-around team effort,” he said.

Ben Pigorsch opened the evening’s scoring with a four-yard touchdown run and went on to score three more touchdowns from two and 28 yards in the second quarter and from a yard out in the third. In addition, Pigorsch rushed for 122 yards before his night was complete.

Nate Mortenson collected Blaine ‘s only touchdown pass from quarterback Eric Kline in this game, a pass play that covered 10 yards in the third quarter. Kline finished with just 94 yards passing, but did have 104 yards rushing.

Defensively, Blaine collected eight points at Andover ‘s expense. The big play, perhaps back-breaking play early in the second quarter was a fumble recovery and 43-yard return by linebacker Chris Thomas. Later, the defense picked up a two-point safety by trapping the Andover punter in the end zone.

And from the special teams perspective, kicker Jon Ketola booted a 28-yard field goal with 13 seconds remaining in the first half.

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Highlight videos of the Andover vs Blaine game courtesy of Coon Rapids Sports on YouTube…

A Beat Down in Blaine (Video)

The mighty Blaine Bengals flexed their muscles Friday night against Coon Rapids in a 42-7 blowout.  The Bengals scored touchdowns on their first three possessions of the game, the first two coming on 3-play drives and the third coming on a 4-play drive.  Blaine needed just 15 plays to score 35 first half points.  Their receivers had their way with a Cardinals secondary that allowed 351 yards on just 14 receptions.  Quarterback Eric Kline (Sr) completed 13 of those (on 15 attempts) for 347 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Running back Ben Pigorsch (Sr) broke the century mark on the ground rushing for 109 yards on 11 carries including a 4-yard score.

With the exception of their opening drive, which resulted in a touchdown, Coon Rapids looked completely overmatched.  Mo Ward (Jr) had 87 yards rushing (on 14 carries) for Coon Rapids.  He and wide receiver Tom Hansen (Sr) were the lone bright spots on an otherwise disappointing night for a Cardinals football team that came into this game with such high hopes.  Hansen had 3 receptions (for 57 yards) on the first two Coon Rapids drives including a beautiful 25-yard “over the shoulder” catch in the endzone, but never saw the ball again.  Under duress for much of the night quarterback Alex Aase (Jr) threw 2 interceptions, one of which was returned 37-yards by Bengals linebacker Chris Thomas (Sr) for a touchdown.  Featured running back Antonio Ford (Jr) fumbled for the second straight week.

Coon Rapids (3-2) has another big matchup next week at home against the unbeaten Andover Huskies.  Blaine (5-0) hits the road for a game at Park Center.

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Highlight videos of the Coon Rapids vs Blaine game courtesy of Coon Rapids Sports on YouTube…