Propelled by its QB, Maple Grove rolls over St. Michael-Albertville

Blood stained the white towel hanging from Jacob Kilzer's pants, and smears were visible on his No. 9 Maple Grove jersey.

The senior quarterback bled from a knuckle on his throwing hand, a wound he figures happened in the first quarter of Friday's game at St. Michael-Albertville.

His throwing hand bloodied, Kilzer put his feet down. He and the top-ranked Crimson remained perfect through seven games with a 30-0 victory, and Kilzer posted his fourth 100-yard rushing performance this season.

"What people don't really know about him is that he's just a gritty kid," Maple Grove coach Matt Lombardi said. "There are few kids I've had who are as competitive as him."

Kilzer ran for two of his three touchdowns in the first half. On the Crimson's first touchdown drive, Kilzer recorded runs of 20 and 29 yards. On the second scoring drive, Kilzer dashed 38 yards past befuddled defenders and into the end zone.

Maple Grove's 20-0 lead at intermission was a relief after the team struggled through the first two quarters last week. Lombardi took the blame for overcoaching his team against Wayzata. Before Friday's game, he kept it simple.

"I told them, 'We're going control the ball, run the ball, come at them, get first downs and win possessions,' " Lombardi said.

The Crimson responded, going from what Lombardi called "terrible" to "methodical."

"Last week we tried to force way too much," Kilzer said. "Tonight, we were taking the easy stuff. Long drives and pounding the defense."

Knights coach Jared Essler admired the familiar formula. St. Michael-Albertville (3-4), which entered Friday's game with two consecutive victories, started the second half with its most promising drive of the game. But the Knights turned the ball over on downs at Maple Grove's 19.

"They just possessed the ball so much," Essler said. "They've got a recipe that they used tonight that we try to use, too."

Maple Grove senior kicker Connor Fournier and Kilzer were not finished. In the fourth quarter, Fournier improved to 3-for-3 on field goals and Kilzer added a 31-yard touchdown run.

"It's been a lot of fun this year," Kilzer said. "I couldn't do anything without my teammates. I'm just glad to be a part of it."