Mankato West rolls to victory over Northfield

Star Tribune

Mankato West’s Paul Berndt ran over Northfield’s Benjamin Johnson for a second-half touchdown in the Class 4A championship game on Saturday. Berndt tied a Prep Bowl record by rushing for four touchdowns. It was Mankato West’s third state title.

By JOHN MILLEA, Star Tribune

Last update: November 29, 2008 - 11:56 PM

Print this story

More from Prep Sports

Records are made to be broken, but state championships are forever. Just ask Paul Berndt.

The Mankato West senior tied a Prep Bowl record Saturday by rushing for four touchdowns, as the Scarlets rolled past Northfield 33-14 to win the Class 4A title at the Metrodome. But the record is nothing compared with the big trophy.

"It's a great feeling, but the better feeling is a state championship," said Berndt, who carried 23 times for 83 yards and became the fifth player to score four rushing touchdowns in a Prep Bowl. "I'd take that over the record any day."

Mankato West (13-1) won its third state title, the others coming in 1999 and 2002. Northfield (10-4), which captured a championship in 1997, lost to the Scarlets 35-13 in the opening game of the season. The Raiders also lost to Hutchinson and Farmington in the first four games but put together a magnificent finish to their season.

The Scarlets led 20-0 at halftime, with Berndt rushing for two short touchdowns and Ray Teachout throwing to Mike Richter for a 45-yard score. Berndt's second touchdown capped a 99-yard drive that matched the Prep Bowl record for longest scoring drive.

Berndt scored his third touchdown on a 6-yard run late in the third quarter, putting West in front 27-0 before Northfield scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Christian Shepley got the scores on a 6-yard pass from Sam Maus and a 27-yarder from Taylor Shroyer.

Any drama, however, was dashed when Berndt scored his final touchdown on a 2-yard run with 6:52 to play.

"We had a couple of things that we thought would work, with formations and things like that," Northfield coach Bubba Sullivan said. "But we just couldn't handle them. We couldn't block them long enough to make much happen."