After two long weeks away from home, the St. Edmond football team returns to Dodger Stadium Friday night.

The Homecoming kickoff between the Gaels and Coon Rapids-Bayard is set for 7 p.m.

St. Edmond (3-2 overall, 1-2 in district) used a six-touchdown performance from JT Laufersweiler to snap a two-game losing skid, winning at GTRA last Friday night, 46-36.

Laufersweiler completed 23 of 34 for 301 yards with three touchdowns, rushing for 85 yards and three more scores. He found Grant Galles, Dominic McClain and Sam Myer all on TD passes.

Galles, a week removed from a five-touchdown showing, caught 14 passes for 165 yards. McClain, who has returned from an injury suffered in the season opener, finished with five catches for 68 and Myer had 90 yards of total offense with a second score on the ground.

After losing leading rusher Klay Baker for the season in a loss at Audubon, the Gaels rushed 50 times for 165 yards vs. GTRA. They have rushed for at least 145 yards in all five games this season, surpassing 200 twice.

Laufersweiler currently has 1,319 yards passing and 18 touchdowns with 355 and seven scores on the ground. Galles, a sophomore, has caught 27 passes for 558 yards and eight TDs.

Coming into the week, Laufersweiler leads the state in yards per completion at 21.3, is tied for fourth in total touchdowns and is fourth in eight-player in yards passing. Galles is fifth in yards and sixth in TDs in eight-player.

Since moving to eight-player three years ago, St. Edmond has scored over 60 points three times, 50 points once and 40 points in five games. They are currently averaging 46 points per game this season.

“We had a great week of practice and the kids really did a wonderful job balancing it with all the extra activities,” SEHS head coach Matt Dillon said. “They were locked in and focused on the details.”

Coon Rapids-Bayard (1-4, 1-2) suffered a second straight loss when they fell to Audubon, 22-16. The lone win to date came in Week 3 when they bested Collins-Maxwell, 47-6.

Wyatt Oswald, a junior, has thrown for 549 yards and seven touchdowns with five interceptions. Cal Heydon is his top target, as the sophomore has 25 receptions for 382 yards and six scores.

Kolby Culbertson has 12 receptions for 111 with Oswald leading the rushing attack with 279 yards. Caden Oswald and Parker Hays have a combined 237 yards and five TDs rushing.

The Crusader defense has forced 10 turnovers and scored twice, with Culbertson and Heydon each picking off two passes.

Coon Rapids-Bayard has won seven games over the past two seasons after going 15-3 in 2020 and ’21. They have finished with a winning record 12 times since the 2007 season, including 10 consecutive years at one point.

St. Edmond will play two of its final three regular season games at home, heading to Colo-Nesco next week before closing back here with Glidden-Ralston on Oct. 13.

“It’s a big stretch coming up for us,” Dillon said. “We’ve got to come out ready to go and take care of business this week first.”