Prep football: Same song, fourth verse for Willmar

COLLEGEVILLE - Repeating a pattern familiar the second half of the season, the opposition catapulted past Willmar in the fourth quarter - this time 21-0 - and the Cardinals fell hard to St. Cloud Tech 28-13 on Wednesday on the St. John’s University campus.
Typical of the three-game losing streak coming into the game on Clemens Stadium turf, the Cardinals led after three frames, 13-7.
Tech’s final quarter TD trifecta means the Cardinals have inexplicitly been outscored 65-7 in the fourth during the four-game skid.
But unlike the three previous setbacks, this time the win was out of reach in the final minutes.
Willmar likely falls to the bottom of Section 6AAAAA and will play at the No. 3 seed on Tuesday. By the QRF rankings, the section has three of the state’s top-five teams in the AAAAA class.
Willmar ends up 1-4 in the CLC South, one rung off the bottom occupied by winless Sauk Rapids. Sartell (5-0) won the South defeating St. Cloud Apollo (4-1) 34-21.
In the North, Moorhead (4-1, 7-1) spilled previously unbeaten Bemidji 52-25 to claim the title, based on head-to-head result.
Willmar got off to a fast start marching 59 yards in four plays with Auggie Hahn slipping in from the three on the game’s first possession. But the Tigers, a team without a home field after the condemnation of their historic stadium, gave up only one more score, again by Hahn, who alternated with Zach Radermacher at quarterback.
The Cardinals were unable to contain sophomore quarterback Chris Backes, who ran for 150 yards (he had 101 rushing yards in six games before last night) and scored the Tigers’ first three TDs. He passed for 152 more yards.
Hahn’s 14-yard run in the third put Willmar up 13-7 but the fourth-quarter blues hit again with Backes scoring from the 6 and then the 27 before Jake Martig tagged on insurance with a 14-yard rush.
Tech outgained the Cardinals 391-307. Hahn threw for 98 yards and Radermacher for 92. Michael Heitzman rushed for 57 yards and Hahn for 51; Colten Carlson caught five passes and Vaughn Johnson made 11 tackles. Zach Rudolph had four tackles behind the line.
St. Cloud Tech 28, Willmar Cardinals 13
Willmar (1-4, 3-5) 7 0 6 0 - 13
SC Tech (2-3, 3-5) 7 0 0 21 - 28
Wil – Auggie Hahn 3 run (Ty Christensen kick)
Tech – Chris Backes 5 run (Caleb Woodmen kick)
Wil – Hahn 14 run (kick fail)
Tech – Backes 6 (Woodmen kick)
Tech – Backes 27 (Woodmen kick)
Tech – Jake Martig 14 (Woodmen kick)
Willmar
First downs: 17 … Rushing: 24-117… Passing (com-att-yds-int.): 20-35-190-1 … Fumbles lost: 1 … Penalties: 10-97
Rushing: Colten Carlson 1-4, Michael Heitzman 13-57, Auggie Hahn 8-51, Zach Radermacher 1-5 … Passing: Hahn 10-20-98-1, Radermacher 10-15-92-0 ... Receiving: Austin Grove 5-36, Max Deering 7-84, Carlson 5-55, Max Trochlil 3-27 … Punting: Radermacher 2-39.0 … Interceptions: Nate Ackerman … Fumble recoveries: none … Tackles (solo-assist): Carter Sack 1-0, Eli Gunderson 2-2, Heitzman 2-3, Carlson 4-2, Ackerman 4-2, Vaughn Johnson 6-5, Matt Morales 0-3, Nick Lothert 1-0, Zach Rudolph 2-3, Travis Deegan 9-2, Brady Reigstad 0-2, Cole Gau 1-2, Louie Russell 3-1, Cole Woltjer 1-0, Hahn 1-0 … QB sacks: Rudolph … Tackles-for-loss: Rudolph 3, Carlson 1, Heitzman 1, Russell 1
St. Cloud Tech
First downs: 15 … Rushing: 43-210 … Passing (com-att-yds-int.): 11-21-182-1 … Fumbles lost: 0 … Penalties: 7-74
Rushing: Chris Backes 21-150, Jake Martig 3-49, Devin Vouk 16-11 … Passing: Backes 10-20-152-1, Jake Mussman 1-1-30-0 ... Receiving: Jake Martig 5-90, Brennan Paulsen 2-30, Vouk 2-4, Backes 1-30, Brevyn Spann-Ford 1-28… Punting: 0-00.0