WILLMAR – The Warriors put up a fight but the invading swarm from the southeast proved too much to overcome.
Ridgewater tested the No. 5-ranked Rochester Community and Technical College Yellowjackets for a half before succumbing 51-13 at sun-doused Hodapp Field on Saturday.
“They played hard and pushed us, which is something we needed,” RCTC offensive coordinator Rob Neumann told the Post Bulletin.
Rochester, No 1 in the MCAC, goes into the 8-team playoff-format 8-0 and the No. 1 seed. The Warriors (4-4) will play Dakota College (5-3) at Bottineau, N.D. on Saturday, a team they beat 14-7 on Oct. 10.
RCTC sophomore Nick Rooney, the league’s version of Tom Brady, threw for five touchdowns after throwing for eight a week earlier. Rooney, who played at Minnetonka, now has 40 for the season against five interceptions.
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Rooney sparked TD drives of 65 yards and 81 yards in the game’s first six minutes for a 13-0 lead. But the Warriors retaliated in the next minute when Dane Massey threw a strike over the middle to Jusias Kalis who stepped through two Rochester defenders at midfield and sprinted to the end zone to complete a 67-yard scoring play.
The Warriors’ defense stiffened making several stops, including forcing a field goal after Rochester had first-and-goal at the home team’s one-yard line.
Ridgewater twice penetrated the Rochester red zone late in the second quarter but each time the Yellowjackets’ secondary picked off Massey and the half ended 23-7.
Jalen Esters caught three touchdown passes and Zeek Carr paced the Jackets’ defense with three picks.
