Brainerd Dispatch: Sports | Brainerd, Minnesota | Brainerd Lakes Area Sports on brainerddispatch.com

Home > SPORTS >

Friday, October 9, 2009

E-mail

Forums

Warriors, Alexandria in key game Friday

High school football

By MIKE BIALKA

Sports Editor

Two perennial contenders for the Central Lakes Conference title collide again Friday with - what else? - another conference championship on the line.

Brainerd, 3-0 in CLC play, travels to Alexandria to play the 2-1 Cardinals. Both are 4-1 heading into the home stretch of the regular season, which ends with three games in the next 14 days.

Warriors vs. Alexandria

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Where: Citizens Field, Alexandria

The series: Brainerd leads 31-20. The Warriors won 42-14 in the 2008 regular season.

"Brainerd is rolling pretty good lately, as are we," Alexandria coach Mike Empting said. "A lot's on the line. Both are playing for getting some of the top seeds in their respective sections, and obviously the game has conference championship implications.

"Brainerd is undefeated in conference, so they're playing for something, and we're trying to keep our conference championship hopes alive."

Alexandria has won four straight since a season-opening 14-7 loss to Sauk Rapids. Brainerd has won three in a row since its only loss, 15-13 at Bemidji.

The Cardinals are in Section 8-4A this season and next while Brainerd remains in Section 8-5A.

"You get to this stage in the season and all of them become key," Warriors coach Ron Stolski said. "It's a lot easier to say this is a key game than your first or second one is, but we tell our kids that your biggest game is the next one you play.

"When you look at it now the season ends fairly rapidly. Even though we have three games to go it's boom, boom, boom, then the section is boom. Before you know it you're in sectional play."

In victories over Moorhead, St. Cloud Apollo, Bemidji and Rocori the Cardinals have outscored those four 130-65. Empting said penalties led to the loss to Sauk Rapids, an aspect of the game the Cardinals have focused on since then.

"Offensively, we averaged 5.8 yards per carry, and we threw pretty well," he said of the Sauk Rapids game. "Our defense only gave up 14 points in spite of all (the penalties) so we didn't feel we played that badly. Mistakes killed us.

"We're trying to eliminate mistakes, clean thing ups. It's a slow process. We're getting better at it as the season's gone along."

The Cardinals were boosted in last week's 29-6 win over Rocori by the return from injury of running back Matt Peterson, who rushed for 97 yards. Quarterback Colin Erickson, a three-year starter, ran for three short touchdowns.

Erickson has rushed for 346 yards and six TDs. Running back Parker Giroux has run 67 times for 379 yards and four scores.

In addition, Erickson has completed 25 of 49 passes for 498 yards and six TDs.

Leading receivers are Mark Whiting with 12 catches for 258 yards and five TDs. Michael Joerger has 26 catches and three TDs.

Stolski expects to see a balanced Alexandria offense.

"They do rush the ball very well," he said. "In my view it's a well-balanced attack. Their running backs are good running backs. The quarterback, like with a lot of clubs, is the key to all of it. He has a very strong arm and he has a big receiver in Whiting (6-5). They're just a real good offensive team.

"It will be a great challenge for our defense, and our defense has been pretty good."

Following last week's 53-0 shutout of Apollo the Warriors are allowing an average of 8.8 points and 240 yards. Brainerd has forced eight turnovers.

Junior varsity wins

Brainerd defeated St. Cloud Tech 40-0 in junior varsity football Monday. Zach Brown was named the Warriors' player of the game.

MIKE BIALKA may be reached at mike.bialka@brainerddispatch.com or at 855-5861.

Note: Comments are not edited and don't represent the views of The Brainerd Dispatch. Please read our posting rules in the terms of service policy. To report a post that may be inappropriate, click the triangle alert icon.