Gaels look to lock playoff spot
The St. Edmond football team can secure their spot in the playoffs with a victory here Friday inside Dodger Stadium when they face Colo-Nesco.
Kickoff tonight is set for 7 p.m.
After taking care of Coon Rapids-Bayard last week to snap a two-game losing skid, the Gaels (3-3 overall, 3-1 in the district) find themselves sitting second in the standings behind undefeated Audubon with two weeks left.
Collins-Maxwell, who St. Edmond topped earlier this year, is third with the next four teams all sitting at three losses.
The Gaels close out the regular season next Friday on the road at Glidden-Ralston.
The eight-player field will consist of all first, second and third place district finishers along with two at-large selections.
“Like (former legendary NFL head coach) Al Davis used to say, win and we are in,” SEHS head coach Matt Dillon said. “I don’t care if it’s by a point or 50, we just need to get a win.”
Last week at Coon Rapids-Bayard, the defense sparked things for St. Edmond, as Koleman Hanson and Sam Myer had touchdowns before the offense even hit the field. Hanson recovered a fumble and returned it to the end zone while Myer had a pick-6.
Three more TDs in the second quarter led to a commanding halftime advantage. Aaron Hindt finished with 54 yards on the ground and three touchdowns, Ethan Swisher threw for 103 and Jakob Koopman had two catches for 74 yards.
Klay Baker hit paydirt twice with Myer adding a rushing score to his total.
“We had a little trouble getting going on offense but once we hit our stride, I liked what I saw,” Dillon said. “The kids continue to get better each and every day, and we are coming off another solid week of practice.
“They understand what is at stake and are ready to take care of business.”
Hindt, a sophomore, and Baker, a senior, anchor the ground attack with a combined 635 yards rushing and 14 TDs. Swisher, a junior, has completed 51 of 95 for 810 with 10 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Grant Galles, a junior, leads the team with 23 receptions for 400 yards and five touchdowns while 12th-grader Dominic McClain has 16 for 219 with three scores.
Defense and special teams have been key to the success of the Gaels this fall. They have forced 15 turnovers with five defensive touchdowns and five more coming on special teams.
“Our defense has been special this year,” Dillon said. “When you can have a two-touchdown lead without even touching the ball on offense, that takes the pressure off and allows you to control the tempo.”
Colo Nesco (4-3, 1-3) is still fighting for a playoff spot, sitting tied for fifth in the district. The Royals topped English Valleys last week, 42-20, and Baxter the week before, 50-48.
Jack Angell has replaced Breckin Clatt at quarterback, throwing for 395 while rushing for 446. He has a combined 16 touchdowns as Clatt is now the leading rusher with 694 and 11 scores. Landon Gjerde has caught 12 passes for 149 yards and five TDs.
“Colo is a very tough team that does a lot of different stuff on offense to get Clatt the ball,” Dillon said. “We are going to have to be prepared for all of that.”
St. Edmond is also chasing its first winning record since going 5-3 in 2020 following back-to-back 4-4 campaigns with a 3-3 mark in 2021. The Gaels made the playoffs that year, losing to Madrid.
Last year, St. Edmond picked up a 48-42 road win over Colo-Nesco as Myer ran for 198 yards and Galles caught 10 passes for 170 with three TDs.