WILLMAR - After six straight slip-ups against Rocori, Willmar finally got to stand tall over the Spartans.
Holding Rocori to 82 yards of total offense and forcing five turnovers, the Cardinals finish the regular season 7-1 for the first time since 2000 with a 46-0 shutout victory in North Central White district play Wednesday at Hodapp Field.
Willmar's first drive ended in success when Alex Wickliff crossed the goal line on a 5-yard run. Later in the first quarter and facing a fourth-and-eight, quarterback Drey Dirksen improvised with his feet to the tune of a 39-yard touchdown run.
Dirksen's arm accounted for the next two scores, with a 31-yard jump-ball to Ryan Slette in the end zone, followed by a wheel route to Wickliff that resulted in a 28-yard score for a 25-0 halftime lead.
While the offense was finding the end zone frequently, the Cardinals' defense flabbergasted the Spartans the entire night. Willmar got three sacks, had three fumble recoveries via Ashton Gregory, Ben Hisken and Matt Bengtson and a pair of interceptions from Ty Roelofs and Ethan Roux.
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Dirksen was 12 of 23 passing for 205 yards while also running for 98 yards on 12 attempts. Roux was the team's top rusher with 125 yards on 11 attempts, including a 75-yard dash to the end zone in the second half. Caleb Owens had a Cardinals-best 61 receiving yards and also had a 5-yard touchdown on a jet sweep.
By virtue of a 55-0 Detroit Lakes win over Thief River Falls on Wednesday, Willmar is likely to receive the number two seed and a first-round bye in Section 8AAAA. The Cardinals will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 27 at Hodapp Field for the section semifinals.
Willmar 46, Rocori 0
Rocori (1-7) 0 0 0 0 - 0
Willmar (7-1) 12 13 7 14 - 46
Scoring Plays
W - Alex Wickliff 5 run (kick failed)
W - Drey Dirksen 39 run (pass failed)
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W - Ryan Slette 31 pass from Dirksen (pass failed)
W - Alex Wickliff 29 pass from Dirksen (LaBlue Moo kick)
W - Caleb Owens 5 run (Moo kick)
W - Ethan Roux 75 run (Moo kick)
W - Owens 70 punt return (Moo kick)
Rocori
First downs: 6 ... Penalties: 3-20 ... Rushing (Individual and team): Alex Wenner 11-42, Luke Humbert 12-32, Brady Linn 4-2, Camdyn Bauer 6-(-10), Jayden Philippi 5-(-21). 38-45 ... Passing (Individual and team): Philippi 2-5-20-1, Bauer 4-11-17-1. 6-16-37-2 ... Receiving (Individual and team): Andrew Anderson 2-24, Humbert 2-6, Colton Baumgarten 1-5, Brady Klehr 1-2 ... Interceptions: Anderson 1, Tucker Haakonson 1 ... Fumble recoveries: Isaac Massmann 3 ... Tackles (solo-assist): Jackson Wild 6-3, Massmann 5-3, Caleb Schouviller 3-3, Philippi 2-4, Nathaniel Venable 2-2 ... QB sacks: Massmann 1
Willmar
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First downs: 21 ... Penalties: 5-24 ... Rushing (Individual and team): Ethan Roux 11-125, Drey Dirksen 12-98, Alex Wickliff 8-49, Tanner Bauman 1-16, Gavin Haverly 2-10, Caleb Owens 1-5. 37-303 ... Passing (Individual and team): Dirksen 12-23-205-2, Bauman 0-1-0-0. 12-24-205-2 ... Receiving (Individual and team): Owens 2-61, Jake Evans 5-46, Ryan Slette 2-34, Wickliff 1-29 ... Interceptions: Ty Roelofs 1, Ethan Roux 1 ... Fumble recoveries: Ben Hisken 1, Matt Bengtson 1, Ashton Gregory 1 ... Tackles (solo-assist): Owens 5-3, Hanza Mohammed 1-10, Kadin Larsson 1-5, Hisken 1-5 ... QB sacks: Tyler Vlaminck 1, Kaden Streed 1, Gavin Haverly 0.5, Carter Ochsendorf 0.5
