BSM’ perfectly bookends a playoff victory

Benilde-St. Margaret’s offense perfectly bookended their opening-round playoff game against Richfield Tuesday night. They opened the game with two straight touchdown drives to take a 14-0 lead at the end of one quarter. Late in the 4th quarter, the offense got going again and – if you take away kneeling to kill the clock - scored touchdowns on their last two meaningful offensive possessions. In-between, the Knights’ defense was nearly flawless during their 28-0 road victory. BSM quarterback Jamarrius Courtney Jamarrius Courtney 6'0" | 200 lbs | QB Chaska | 2023 State MN was a beast on the first two drives of the game. Facing a third and five, he connected with Max Benning on a crossing route for twenty yards. Courtney’s pair of back-to-back ten-yard runs set up his first touchdown of the game – a ten-yard cutback run. After forcing a punt, Courtney went to work with his legs again – literally dragging defenders down the field. The Spartans’ defense had no answer for the power running of the junior quarterback. Two fifteen-yard penalties on their offense – one taking away a touchdown – put the Knights in a hole. However, facing a third and 15, freshman Khalif Brown took an end-around handoff and didn’t stop running until he had a first down inside the ten. A couple of plays later, Courtney was in the end zone again. Leading by two scores, the BSM defense went to work. Led by a solid defensive line – highlighted by Brian Banks’ quarterback sack and the range and tackling of linebacker Ryan Sever – who has been playing with a cast on his arm since Week Two - the Spartans had to punt the ball back to the Knights. The most explosive player on the field was Richfield quarterback Mitchell January Mitchell January 6'0" | 185 lbs | WR Richfield | 2022 State MN . A snap over his head could have resulted in a first and goal for the Knights, but January scooped up the ball, made a handful of Knights miss, and turned what should have been a turnover into a first down. The drive would stall, however, and Richfield would turn the ball over on downs. "We needed to keep eyes on him all game and chop your feet when you tackle, "Sever said of January. "He is obviously shifty and very good. I respect him a lot. We needed to make those open-field tackles and try to shut him down." The next time BSM’s defense was on the field, Banks made another impact play, picking up his second quarterback sack of the game. Banks’ sack, combined with a pair of dropped balls, got the Knights’ defense off the field again. Down 14-0 to start the second half, Richfield looked like they would put their first points on the board. January was getting into a rhythm in the passing game, but BSM’s defense came up huge just as they were in scoring range. Defensive back Brady Wine was in coverage deep down the sidelines and picked January off at the goal line. Wine found some room down the sidelines and returned the interception 70 yards to the Spartans’ 30. Richfield’s defense – which had been nearly perfect since the first two drives of the game, bailed the offense out by stopping BSM on a fourth and five. Although Richfield had been the better team since the start of the second quarter, they could not put enough first downs together without the Knights’ defense making a play. January almost pulled a rabbit out of his hat with a replica of his earlier scramble. The senior – who also punts – had the snap go over his head. He scooped up the ball inside his twenty yard line, made three guys miss, and ran the ball out near mid-field – just short of a first down. Even without the first down, he saved his team forty yards of field position. BSM would fumble on the next play, giving the Spartans the ball right back. Like they had all game, the Knights’ defense stood tall, creating a turnover on downs. The Spartans were threatening again, but inside pressure by CJ Sauer forced an off-balance throw that BSM defensive back Antonio Fondren Antonio Fondren 6'5" | 270 lbs | DL Osseo | 2023 State MN picked off. This time the offense would cash in. Running back Max Herro converted on two third and longs to keep the drive alive and the clock moving. Herro would pick up the final five yards on the drive to put his team up 21-0 and effectively put the game away. Even though the game was out of reach, the BSM defense made sure the shutout stayed intact. Wine intercepted his second pass of the game on a tipped ball. Benilde-St. Margaret’s Jonathon Gettel’s eleven-yard touchdown run would complete the scoring and give the Knights a 28-0 lead. BSM defensive back Andrew Wolfson would pick off the fourth ball for the defense allowing the offense to line up in victory formation to preserve the 28-0 win. "Those four interceptions were big for us," Sever said. "The turnovers kick-started the offense. It was a good team effort." The Knights will advance to a Saturday game at the SMB-Wolfpack.