Prep football: Cardinals falter in fourth ... again

WILLMAR - For the third straight Friday night, the Willmar Cardinals lost the fourth quarter … and the game.
This time, Rocori spotted the Cardinals a 21-6 lead only to work its way back and overtake the host team before 1,159 fans 42-34.
The Spartans outpointed Willmar 16-0 in the fourth quarter.
The Cardinals have been outscored 44-7 in the fourth quarter the last three weeks.
Still, each time Willmar was near pulling out the win or pulling even in the final moments. This time the final drive ended inside the Rocori 15 with four incomplete passes in the last minute.
The loss coupled with Monticello’s victory over previously unbeaten Chisago Lakes assure Willmar will have to hit the road for the first round of the Section 6-5A playoffs on Oct. 21.
Willmar will try to right the ship playing St. Cloud Tech at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Johnnies’ stadium in Collegeville. The Tigers fell to the St. Cloud Apollo Eagles last night 41-19.
Rocori drove the field in just five plays to go up 6-0 on a well-executed halfback pass by Skippy Virchow, the quarterback when Rocori lost to Willmar last year by 30 points.
Willmar answered with a trio of touchdowns. Junior QB Zach Radermacher threw 15-yards over the middle to Max Trochlil, threw four yards to Max Doering in the end zone and then busted in from the one for a 21-6 lead.
Alex Budde got one score back before the end of the half when the senior QB hooked up with Alex Anderson for the first of his four touchdown throws, doubling his total coming in.
In an action-packed third quarter, both teams socre twice. But Radermacher was playing on a bad left ankle, and it began to show the later the game went. He still finished 22 completions for 261 yards and three scoring throws and two short TD runs.
Matt Heitzman logged 122 yards in 23 attacks while Doering (7-81), Austin Grove (4-48) and Trochlil (5-58) were top pass catchers.
Budde had thrown for 294 yards on 30 of 82 attempts but under the Hodapp lights finished with 316 yards on 17 of 27. Carter Sack and Eli Gunderson picked him off and Zach Rudolph, one of 17 seniors in his final home game, sacked him Budde twice and nailed the speedy quarterback several times behind the line on runs.
Matt Soldner burned the Cardinal secondary with 6 catches for 131 yards. Sam Schwagel’s 32-yard TD run with under three minutes left broke a 34-all tie.
Rocori 42, Willmar 34
Rocori (3-2, 3-4) 6 6 14 16- 42
Willmar (1-3, 3-4) 8 13 13 0- 34
Roc – Matt Soldner 33 from Skippy Virchow (pass fail)
Wil – Max Trochlil 15 pass from Zach Radermacher (Austin Grove pass from Radermacher)
Wil – Max Doering 4 pass from Radermacher (Tyrell Christensen kick)
Wil – Radermacher 1 run (kick fail)
Roc – Alec Anderson 3 pass from Budde (pass fail)
Roc – Anderson 8 pass from Budde (run fail)
Wil – Doering 38 pass from Radermacher (Christensen kick)
Roc – Jon Olson 25 pass from Budde (Anderson pass from Budde)
Wil – Radermacher 1 run (kick fail)
Roc – Soldner 15 pass from Budde (Anderson pass from Budde)
Roc – Sam Schwagel 32 run (Schwagel run)
Rocori
First downs: 20 … Rushing: 38-134 … Passing (com-att-yds-int.): 16-27-316-2 … Fumbles lost: 0 … Penalties: 9-54
Rushing: Alex Budde 15-35, Sam Schwagel 14-72, Hunter Ahrens 7-27 … Passing: Skippy Virchow 1-1-33-0, Budde 15-26-283-2 ... Receiving: Alec Anderson 2-11, Tommy Wieber 1-18, Schwagel 1-7, Virchow 1-25, Matt Soldner 6-131, Sam Mackedanz 3-87, Ahrens 1-12, Jon Olson 1-25 … Punting: Budde 2-40.0, Nich Skluzacek 2-31.0 … Interception: Nathan Miller
Willmar
First downs: 23 … Rushing: 37-181 … Passing (com-att-yds-int.): 22-38-261-1 … Fumbles lost: 1 … Penalties: 3-27.0
Rushing: Zach Radermacher 8-28, Michael Heitzman 23-122, Vaughn Johnson 5-21 … Passing: Radermacher 22-38-261-1... Receiving: Austin Grove 4-48, Max Trochlil 5-58, Max Doering 7-81, Carlson 3-21, Heitzman 2-6, Johnson 1-33, Levi Sankey 1-24 … Punting: Radermacher 3-34.3, Johnson 1-16.0… Interceptions: Carter Sack, Eli Gunderson … Tackles (solo-assist): Carter Sack 2-3, Eli Gunderson 2-1, Heitzman 0-4, Carlson 5-3, Sam Kerfeld 1-0, Nate Ackerman 1-1, Vaughn Johnson 8-5, Matt Morales 1-1, Nick Lothert 1-2, Nate Laurence 0-1, Louis Russell 0-2, Brady Reigstad 0-3, Travis Deegan 1-4, Cole Gau 2-3, Zach Rudolph 2-3 … QB sacks: Rudolph 2 …. Tackles for loss: Carlson, Heitzman 2, Laurence, Russell 2, Reigstad 2, Gau, Rudolph 4