Friends since fifth grade, veteran Stillwater running back Zach Knox and new quarterback DJ Skie hung out Thursday before taking the field together at Roseville.

Knox could see Skie, a converted receiver, brought the right mindset into a season opener crucial for a Ponies team trying to distance itself from last year's 3-6 collapse.

"He looked as ready as you could ever be," Knox said. "He doesn't hold anything back. When he has a job to do, he steps up."

Stillwater's first two touchdowns came on passes from Skie as the Ponies blanked Roseville 20-0. The victory ended an 0-6 skid dating back to last season.

Turning the page owed to an aggressive mindset. Stillwater went for it on fourth down four times and converted three to prolong or cap two scoring drives.

"We're a very courageous team," Knox said. "We have a lot of confidence in ourselves. Everybody believed we could get it, and that's what it takes on fourth down."

Knox got loose in the first half on fourth-and-1 for a 36-yard run to Roseville's 20-yard line. The drive ended on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Skie to tight end Matt Anderson, and Stillwater took a 7-0 lead into halftime.

Sticking to its assertive script, Stillwater faked a fourth-quarter punt. Brooks Carroll took a direct snap and sprinted 36 yards to Roseville's 30-yard line.

Skie and Knox later connected on a fourth-and-7 from the Raiders 27. Skie found a wide-open Knox hustling toward the back corner of the end zone for the touchdown and 14-0 lead.

Knox, who bulled his way to the Suburban East Conference rushing title last fall, worked on his speed in the offseason. The effort paid off. He ran over and away from defenders when running the football and caught up to Skie's scoring pass.

"I was starting to question myself; it looked pretty deep," Knox said. "But then I kicked it into gear and I knew I could get there."

Injuries and penalties hurt Roseville. Coach Chris Simdorn said receiver/running back Tommy Arcand, who paced the sidelines late in the first half with his dislocated left elbow in a sling, is done for the season.

Simdorn said Jesper Horsted, an all-state receiver as the Raiders reached the Class 6A state tournament semifinals last season, "wasn't 100 percent. He was gimping out there."

New quarterback Henry Bensen, who got the job after Jake McKenzie tore his ACL in practice, responded with 11 completions in 13 attempts in the first half for 110 yards.